Sigma 12-24 - any hands on experience?

Hi guys

Looking for people's RECENT experiences with this lens (and some examples of photos taken if possible).

I am trying to find a lens that will give me good wide-angle coverage on a camera with APS-H sized sensors but will also be useful as a super-wide on a full frame body.

Why Canon do not make one I do not know - Sigma, Nikon etc manage it but not Canon apparently.

The reason I ask for hands on experiences is that I have seen numerous reviews from various people and some really love the lens and say it's really sharp and others say it's very poor. In most cases, the reviews seem to be quite old.

Not really fussed about wide open softness at edges, all WA lenses suffer this to a degree and it will only be used well stopped down.

By the way, if anyone can suggest an alternative - I'd be glad to hear about it


Barrie

Hi Barrie,

I owned this lens up until about 5 months ago. I used it on my 1DMkIIn and my old 20D bodies. It is a good lens and if you stop down a touch do not display too much edge softness. The one downside for me and my reason for selling was that it does not take a filter system because of the convex front element. They do supply a hood adapter that slides over the built-in petal hood but this produced vignetting at anything wider than 17mm. If you do not intend using filters you will find the lens good.

Rob

Never used this lens but just noticed this one going second hand whilst looking for someting else:
http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/productpage.cfm/DalePhotographic/26469/24887
Tristan

Don't know about the 12-24 but take a look here to see what the 10-22 can do. I know that John Powell use a Sigma 10-22 on a 30D and you can see some stunning results.

http://www.10-20mm.com/index.html

Hi all

Thanks for the responses and suggestions (both here and via PM's etc).

Paul - I agree the 10-22 Sigma is a great lens but unfortunately, it can only be used with APS-C cameras not APS-H or FF - thanks anyway

Barrie

Hi Barrie,

The Sigma 12-24mm is, by some stretch, the widest zoom available for the APS-H and full frame sensors on your Canons. I haven't played with one for about six months now (Rutland Bird Fair was the last occasion) but it hasn't changed since then.
It is an excellent optic with the exception that fitting filters is a bit Heath-Robinson to achieve. It does take gel filters behind the rear element which is ok for some effects.

You certainly wouldn't be disapointed in the performance.

Ian

Thanks Ian - much appreciated.

I have to contradict, I have some shots in Canada from a 12-24 and the corner softness is awful, I wouldnt ever bother, I will dig some shots out when I can. Its useful if you need that shot regardless, but the wide end is just unusable, my agency immediately picked it up and rejected the shot, even on a 1024px jpeg. Might just be that copy.....

Hi David

Seems to be the general feeling - some examples are great - others very poor (buts that Sigma QC for you I feel).

I repeat what I said earlier - I am surprised and disappointed that Canon cannot offer something in this range (particularly at the wider end). It may well be stretching current lens technology but Nikon apparently have a very good version. For those with APS-H or FF cameras, a quality super wide is just a dream it would appear

Thanks again everyone

Barrie

I haven't posted on this forum for about two years, but by coincidence on the day I take a look there's a discussion on my most recent lens purchase! Here are some brief comments from an amateur film user...

I bought this lens in November, and it hasn't been off my camera. It is soft wide open around the edges, with the added drawback of being relatively slow (f4.5-5.6), however, at 12mm I have managed to handhold at 1/15 without handshake affecting the sharpness. Not being able use filters on the front is also a drawback.

However, the angle of view is amazing on 35mm (as it would be on full frame DSLR), and it has reinvigorated my photography, and I am taking photos of things I would never have before. The shots on my website taken inside the Natural History Museum and Peterborough Cathedral (in the 'Places' gallery) were all taken with this lens. I am awaiting photos from Canary Wharf and Dungeness from the developer.

I bought this lens because I wanted an ultrawide for my film camera, but something that would be relatively wide on a 40D (a camera I was looking at getting in the near future). Having used 12mm, I'll either be using film for the forseeable future, or holding out until I can afford a 5D!

Greg

If you feel you can afford it, the new Nikon 14-24mm with an adapter seems to work really well.

See here http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/nikon_14_24mm_1/nikon14_24mm_a.html

Thanks guys.. as before, comments and opinions much appreciated.

Barrie