Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM for Sony
The Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM is the only one of its kind. This is the first ultra wide zoom lens with a minimum focal length of 8mm designed specifically for APS-C size image sensors. It has an equivalent angle of view of a 12-24mm lens when used on digital camera with an APS-C size image sensor. Sigma's new FLD glass elements which have the performance equal to fluorite glass compensate for color aberration. One hybrid aspherical lens and two glass mold elements give excellent correction for distortion and astigmatism. An inner focusing system produces high definition images throughout the entire zoom range and the Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting while superior peripheral brightness ensures high contrast images throughout the entire zoom range. HSM ensures quiet and high speed AF as well as full-time manual focus capability. It has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4 inches throughout the entire zoom range which allows photographers to emphasize the subject by creating exaggerated perspectives. This lens has a compact construction with an overall length of 4.2 inches and a maximum diameter of 2.9 inches and is perfect for shooting landscape photography architecture building interiors photojournalism wedding photography group pictures and more. New from Sigma the pioneer of ultra wide-angle lenses.
The Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM is the only one of its kind. This is the first ultra wide zoom lens with a minimum focal length of 8mm designed specifically for APS-C size image sensors. It has an equivalent angle of view of a 12-24mm lens when used on digital camera with an APS-C size image sensor. Sigma's new FLD glass elements which have the performance equal to fluorite glass compensate for color aberration. One hybrid aspherical lens and two glass mold elements give excellent correction for distortion and astigmatism. An inner focusing system produces high definition images throughout the entire zoom range and the Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting while superior peripheral brightness ensures high contrast images throughout the entire zoom range. HSM ensures quiet and high speed AF as well as full-time manual focus capability. It has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4 inches throughout the entire zoom range which allows photographers to emphasize the subject by creating exaggerated perspectives. This lens has a compact construction with an overall length of 4.2 inches and a maximum diameter of 2.9 inches and is perfect for shooting landscape photography architecture building interiors photojournalism wedding photography group pictures and more. New from Sigma the pioneer of ultra wide-angle lenses.
The Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM is the only one of its kind. This is the first ultra wide zoom lens with a minimum focal length of 8mm designed specifically for APS-C size image sensors. It has an equivalent angle of view of a 12-24mm lens when used on digital camera with an APS-C size image sensor. Sigma's new FLD glass elements which have the performance equal to fluorite glass compensate for color aberration. One hybrid aspherical lens and two glass mold elements give excellent correction for distortion and astigmatism. An inner focusing system produces high definition images throughout the entire zoom range and the Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting while superior peripheral brightness ensures high contrast images throughout the entire zoom range. HSM ensures quiet and high speed AF as well as full-time manual focus capability. It has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4 inches throughout the entire zoom range which allows photographers to emphasize the subject by creating exaggerated perspectives. This lens has a compact construction with an overall length of 4.2 inches and a maximum diameter of 2.9 inches and is perfect for shooting landscape photography architecture building interiors photojournalism wedding photography group pictures and more. New from Sigma the pioneer of ultra wide-angle lenses.
The Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM is the only one of its kind. This is the first ultra wide zoom lens with a minimum focal length of 8mm designed specifically for APS-C size image sensors. It has an equivalent angle of view of a 12-24mm lens when used on digital camera with an APS-C size image sensor. Sigma's new FLD glass elements which have the performance equal to fluorite glass compensate for color aberration. One hybrid aspherical lens and two glass mold elements give excellent correction for distortion and astigmatism. An inner focusing system produces high definition images throughout the entire zoom range and the Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting while superior peripheral brightness ensures high contrast images throughout the entire zoom range. HSM ensures quiet and high speed AF as well as full-time manual focus capability. It has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4 inches throughout the entire zoom range which allows photographers to emphasize the subject by creating exaggerated perspectives. This lens has a compact construction with an overall length of 4.2 inches and a maximum diameter of 2.9 inches and is perfect for shooting landscape photography architecture building interiors photojournalism wedding photography group pictures and more. New from Sigma the pioneer of ultra wide-angle lenses.
in 22 offers
The lowest price for Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM for Sony right now is $215.24 at Unique Photo, compared across 9 retailers.
The all-time low was $210.19 on 5 June 2026 — today's price is 2% above the lowest ever. This is at or near its all-time low — a good time to buy.
Prices last updated 19 July 2026.
Last updated at 19/07/2026 20:40:05
Used Sigma DC HSM 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 Nikon F - Good
Delivery $43.06
Used Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 HSM Canon EF - Good
Delivery $35.89
Used Sigma DC HSM 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 Wide Zoom Lens for Nikon F - Excellent
Delivery $43.06
Sigma 8-16mm f4.5-5.6 HSM 10930773
Refurbished - Sigma AF 8-16mm f4.5-5.6 DC Nikon (Excellent)
Free delivery between Tue – Wed
Sigma 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 Dc Hsm Ultra-wide Zoom Lens For Nikon F 0003
Delivery $42.01
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Sigma 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 Dc Hsm Lens For Canon Ef-s Tested
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[excellent] Sigma 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 Dc Hsm Ultra Wide Angle For Sony
Delivery $31.58
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Sigma Dc 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6 Hsm Dc Lens For Canon From Japan
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Sigma Lens 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 Dc Hsm For Canon Used
Delivery $111.28
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originally posted on wexphotographic.com
After doing huge research & reading excellent reviews, I chose this lens for my Nikon D7100. It looks good, seems well built and I love the extreme wide-angle effect. Initially I tested it before doing fine-focus tuning just to see how 8mm looked, and I loved it. However, further testing over 5 days soon changed my mind.After calibrating fine-focus and taking more shots to test the lens out, I got very poor results. The centre of the images looked fairly good and sharp but seemed to lack resolution compared to the best of my other lenses, only comparable to a cheap modern kit lens. I decided to do more testing to rule out focus and other issues, so I took a lot of shots of a good detailed flat subject, and used a tripod and live view to focus and avoid any other ... MoreAfter doing huge research & reading excellent reviews, I chose this lens for my Nikon D7100. It looks good, seems well built and I love the extreme wide-angle effect. Initially I tested it before doing fine-focus tuning just to see how 8mm looked, and I loved it. However, further testing over 5 days soon changed my mind.After calibrating fine-focus and taking more shots to test the lens out, I got very poor results. The centre of the images looked fairly good and sharp but seemed to lack resolution compared to the best of my other lenses, only comparable to a cheap modern kit lens. I decided to do more testing to rule out focus and other issues, so I took a lot of shots of a good detailed flat subject, and used a tripod and live view to focus and avoid any other issues that might cause blur.I consistently found the centre was satisfactory sharp enough for amateur use but nothing special at all, but everything else was unusable. On the right side about a third of the frame (on a DX sensor) was so blurred I couldn't have used it for anything. On the left side, about a quarter was blurred. This was at aperture settings where DoF wouldn't be an issue, but at ultra wide angles it wouldn't matter with the subjects I used for testing anyway. I had the same problem no matter what zoom, aperture and subject distance I used. Closing the aperture did help bring the outer areas into focus a little but they were still very poor. I did a test of closeup objects as well as landscapes and found the same every time.I don't know if I had a bad copy of this lens or not, but if I did, this review still stands as Sigma have a bit of a reputation with their QC. The fact that the edges would show less blur as I closed the aperture suggests that one or more of the elements was out of alignment. The DoF couldn't possibly have mattered in my test shots as the subjects were too far away and the angle too wide for the whole frame not to be tack-sharp with a good lens.I found the overall look of images from this lens were "cold" too, which is odd and hard to explain. I had to give the white balance a tweak towards a warmer result on most the images I took with this lens. What might cause that, I have no idea but the results looked quite unnatural to me and it was hard to get any of them looking "right" in post processing (from a RAW file of course).Just to double-check my own knowledge about DoF and other issues, and to show readers I'm not biased against Sigma, I put my Sigma 18-35mm back on my camera and took a few shots. The difference is astounding both in sharpness, resolution and the overall look. It really is night and day with the 2 lenses.A few positives - I seems built well, focus is fast and consistent, and it's not too heavy or big.If you just want an ultra wide angle lens for fun or you're only interested in the centre of the frame, it's the widest angle lens you'll get without a fisheye. Otherwise, or for pro-use even in the centre, don't expect much from this lens. If it cost a 5th of the money and was sold as an amateur lens then maybe it's good enough, but for the price it's definitely not worth it. Even if one or more elements was out of alignment, the lack of definition and poor colour rendition would still not be adequate for pro use.Top marks to WEX for their help with a no-quibble return and full refund.
originally posted on ebay.com
Ordered this lens after researching all other reviews. My Canon 10-22mm was OK but the edges were all distorted. Shooting Commercial Real Estate is a side business and my Canon lens just wasn't acceptable. When I started using my new SIGMA was I ever impressed. This is the widest and most rectilinear ultra wide angle I've ever used. If kept parallel the image produced lines that were perfectly straight. Even the crazy curved ceilings I got with the Canon came out looking straight and natural as you'd expect a correct image to look. Oh, an the extra 2mm really makes a difference in the amount of area you can cover. 20% more than the Canon. In Canon's defense, it does allow for the use of filters were the SIGMA doesn't and it doesn't suffer nearly as much lens flare ... MoreOrdered this lens after researching all other reviews. My Canon 10-22mm was OK but the edges were all distorted. Shooting Commercial Real Estate is a side business and my Canon lens just wasn't acceptable. When I started using my new SIGMA was I ever impressed. This is the widest and most rectilinear ultra wide angle I've ever used. If kept parallel the image produced lines that were perfectly straight. Even the crazy curved ceilings I got with the Canon came out looking straight and natural as you'd expect a correct image to look. Oh, an the extra 2mm really makes a difference in the amount of area you can cover. 20% more than the Canon. In Canon's defense, it does allow for the use of filters were the SIGMA doesn't and it doesn't suffer nearly as much lens flare as the SIGMA. This is a great compliment to my lens collection, not a substitute though. I will continue to use my Canon for landscape photography but this SIGMA is always with me for shooting real estate. The price is great too!
originally posted on wexphotographic.com
The lens has been around a few years now, and Nikon still have not competed with a rival model, so you have to consider that. I heard a few early reviews from years ago complain about Sigma quality control, regarding focus issues in one corner of the frame while other areas are sharp etc. Well they are on top of it now, clearly as time ticked by they have revisited the QC on this model and their other lenses too - this came along with the development of the new ART range. I bought one of these 'used' earlier in the year but it wouldn't function properly in live view (D5500) so I returned it, and bought a new one. This worked perfectly and had the 'D5300 compatible' comment printed on the outer carton, just so you know. In use this thing blows my socks off, at f/8 on ... MoreThe lens has been around a few years now, and Nikon still have not competed with a rival model, so you have to consider that. I heard a few early reviews from years ago complain about Sigma quality control, regarding focus issues in one corner of the frame while other areas are sharp etc. Well they are on top of it now, clearly as time ticked by they have revisited the QC on this model and their other lenses too - this came along with the development of the new ART range. I bought one of these 'used' earlier in the year but it wouldn't function properly in live view (D5500) so I returned it, and bought a new one. This worked perfectly and had the 'D5300 compatible' comment printed on the outer carton, just so you know. In use this thing blows my socks off, at f/8 on a tripod nothing is unsharp in a general scene. I cannot speak highly enough of this lens, and I owned the older 10-20mm for five years, and comparing the images from each, (on a high res camera of course) the 8-16mm is the clear winner. The new model comes with an integrated lens tube and cap - in shape similar to a small tin of tuna and in one piece, there is no lens cap as such, this whole thing slides over the lens hood and seats firmly in place. You may not think you want to go to 8mm but trust me, you do. I thought my 10mm had me covered for everything, and while it was VERY wide, comparing the 8mm to the 10mm that is actually 20% wider, in both height and width - and you get the MOST interesting compositions. If you are completely new to this level of width, be prepared to spend a few days leaning how best to use it - but once you master this beauty, you would rather sell your partner to the slave traders than part with this lens. If you see negative reviews online, bear in mind that the older production might have been affected by the OLD Sigma philosophy - but the past few years as I say, they have vastly improved all lenses in production by the shake up in the company, in developing ART lenses.
| Lens Construction | 15 Elements in 11 Groups |
| Angle of View | 114.5 – 75.7 |
| Number of Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Mininum Aperture | f22 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 24 cm / 9.4 in |
Used Sigma DC HSM 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 Nikon F - Good
Delivery $43.06
Used Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 HSM Canon EF - Good
Delivery $35.89
Used Sigma DC HSM 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 Wide Zoom Lens for Nikon F - Excellent
Delivery $43.06
Sigma 8-16mm f4.5-5.6 HSM 10930773
Refurbished - Sigma AF 8-16mm f4.5-5.6 DC Nikon (Excellent)
Free delivery between Tue – Wed
After doing huge research & reading excellent reviews, I chose this lens for my Nikon D7100. It looks good, seems well built and I love the extreme wide-angle effect. Initially I tested it before doing fine-focus tuning just to see how 8mm looked, and I loved it. However, further testing over 5 days soon changed my mind.After calibrating fine-focus and taking more shots to test the lens out, I got very poor results. The centre of the images looked fairly good and sharp but seemed to lack resolution compared to the best of my other lenses, only comparable to a cheap modern kit lens. I decided to do more testing to rule out focus and other issues, so I took a lot of shots of a good detailed flat subject, and used a tripod and live view to focus and avoid any other ... MoreAfter doing huge research & reading excellent reviews, I chose this lens for my Nikon D7100. It looks good, seems well built and I love the extreme wide-angle effect. Initially I tested it before doing fine-focus tuning just to see how 8mm looked, and I loved it. However, further testing over 5 days soon changed my mind.After calibrating fine-focus and taking more shots to test the lens out, I got very poor results. The centre of the images looked fairly good and sharp but seemed to lack resolution compared to the best of my other lenses, only comparable to a cheap modern kit lens. I decided to do more testing to rule out focus and other issues, so I took a lot of shots of a good detailed flat subject, and used a tripod and live view to focus and avoid any other issues that might cause blur.I consistently found the centre was satisfactory sharp enough for amateur use but nothing special at all, but everything else was unusable. On the right side about a third of the frame (on a DX sensor) was so blurred I couldn't have used it for anything. On the left side, about a quarter was blurred. This was at aperture settings where DoF wouldn't be an issue, but at ultra wide angles it wouldn't matter with the subjects I used for testing anyway. I had the same problem no matter what zoom, aperture and subject distance I used. Closing the aperture did help bring the outer areas into focus a little but they were still very poor. I did a test of closeup objects as well as landscapes and found the same every time.I don't know if I had a bad copy of this lens or not, but if I did, this review still stands as Sigma have a bit of a reputation with their QC. The fact that the edges would show less blur as I closed the aperture suggests that one or more of the elements was out of alignment. The DoF couldn't possibly have mattered in my test shots as the subjects were too far away and the angle too wide for the whole frame not to be tack-sharp with a good lens.I found the overall look of images from this lens were "cold" too, which is odd and hard to explain. I had to give the white balance a tweak towards a warmer result on most the images I took with this lens. What might cause that, I have no idea but the results looked quite unnatural to me and it was hard to get any of them looking "right" in post processing (from a RAW file of course).Just to double-check my own knowledge about DoF and other issues, and to show readers I'm not biased against Sigma, I put my Sigma 18-35mm back on my camera and took a few shots. The difference is astounding both in sharpness, resolution and the overall look. It really is night and day with the 2 lenses.A few positives - I seems built well, focus is fast and consistent, and it's not too heavy or big.If you just want an ultra wide angle lens for fun or you're only interested in the centre of the frame, it's the widest angle lens you'll get without a fisheye. Otherwise, or for pro-use even in the centre, don't expect much from this lens. If it cost a 5th of the money and was sold as an amateur lens then maybe it's good enough, but for the price it's definitely not worth it. Even if one or more elements was out of alignment, the lack of definition and poor colour rendition would still not be adequate for pro use.Top marks to WEX for their help with a no-quibble return and full refund.
Ordered this lens after researching all other reviews. My Canon 10-22mm was OK but the edges were all distorted. Shooting Commercial Real Estate is a side business and my Canon lens just wasn't acceptable. When I started using my new SIGMA was I ever impressed. This is the widest and most rectilinear ultra wide angle I've ever used. If kept parallel the image produced lines that were perfectly straight. Even the crazy curved ceilings I got with the Canon came out looking straight and natural as you'd expect a correct image to look. Oh, an the extra 2mm really makes a difference in the amount of area you can cover. 20% more than the Canon. In Canon's defense, it does allow for the use of filters were the SIGMA doesn't and it doesn't suffer nearly as much lens flare ... MoreOrdered this lens after researching all other reviews. My Canon 10-22mm was OK but the edges were all distorted. Shooting Commercial Real Estate is a side business and my Canon lens just wasn't acceptable. When I started using my new SIGMA was I ever impressed. This is the widest and most rectilinear ultra wide angle I've ever used. If kept parallel the image produced lines that were perfectly straight. Even the crazy curved ceilings I got with the Canon came out looking straight and natural as you'd expect a correct image to look. Oh, an the extra 2mm really makes a difference in the amount of area you can cover. 20% more than the Canon. In Canon's defense, it does allow for the use of filters were the SIGMA doesn't and it doesn't suffer nearly as much lens flare as the SIGMA. This is a great compliment to my lens collection, not a substitute though. I will continue to use my Canon for landscape photography but this SIGMA is always with me for shooting real estate. The price is great too!
The lens has been around a few years now, and Nikon still have not competed with a rival model, so you have to consider that. I heard a few early reviews from years ago complain about Sigma quality control, regarding focus issues in one corner of the frame while other areas are sharp etc. Well they are on top of it now, clearly as time ticked by they have revisited the QC on this model and their other lenses too - this came along with the development of the new ART range. I bought one of these 'used' earlier in the year but it wouldn't function properly in live view (D5500) so I returned it, and bought a new one. This worked perfectly and had the 'D5300 compatible' comment printed on the outer carton, just so you know. In use this thing blows my socks off, at f/8 on ... MoreThe lens has been around a few years now, and Nikon still have not competed with a rival model, so you have to consider that. I heard a few early reviews from years ago complain about Sigma quality control, regarding focus issues in one corner of the frame while other areas are sharp etc. Well they are on top of it now, clearly as time ticked by they have revisited the QC on this model and their other lenses too - this came along with the development of the new ART range. I bought one of these 'used' earlier in the year but it wouldn't function properly in live view (D5500) so I returned it, and bought a new one. This worked perfectly and had the 'D5300 compatible' comment printed on the outer carton, just so you know. In use this thing blows my socks off, at f/8 on a tripod nothing is unsharp in a general scene. I cannot speak highly enough of this lens, and I owned the older 10-20mm for five years, and comparing the images from each, (on a high res camera of course) the 8-16mm is the clear winner. The new model comes with an integrated lens tube and cap - in shape similar to a small tin of tuna and in one piece, there is no lens cap as such, this whole thing slides over the lens hood and seats firmly in place. You may not think you want to go to 8mm but trust me, you do. I thought my 10mm had me covered for everything, and while it was VERY wide, comparing the 8mm to the 10mm that is actually 20% wider, in both height and width - and you get the MOST interesting compositions. If you are completely new to this level of width, be prepared to spend a few days leaning how best to use it - but once you master this beauty, you would rather sell your partner to the slave traders than part with this lens. If you see negative reviews online, bear in mind that the older production might have been affected by the OLD Sigma philosophy - but the past few years as I say, they have vastly improved all lenses in production by the shake up in the company, in developing ART lenses.
This lens is great for shooting property interiors. As a professional real estate photographer I use both this lens and the Canon 10-22 3.5-4.5. Both are excellent lenses. The Sigma lens has a very slight vignetting in the corners compared to the Canon but nothing objectionable. The Sigma does not accept filters so you need to be more careful with it as you will not have a protective UV filter on it but it does come with a protective collar and lens cap that can easily be removed. Nor can you use other filters easily. Although with the collar on and the zoom set to 16mm you can use a 72mm filter, but for real estate it is not something you will generally need. Its the ultra wide angle that you are looking for and this lens is very affordable. Some recent sample ... MoreThis lens is great for shooting property interiors. As a professional real estate photographer I use both this lens and the Canon 10-22 3.5-4.5. Both are excellent lenses. The Sigma lens has a very slight vignetting in the corners compared to the Canon but nothing objectionable. The Sigma does not accept filters so you need to be more careful with it as you will not have a protective UV filter on it but it does come with a protective collar and lens cap that can easily be removed. Nor can you use other filters easily. Although with the collar on and the zoom set to 16mm you can use a 72mm filter, but for real estate it is not something you will generally need. Its the ultra wide angle that you are looking for and this lens is very affordable. Some recent sample photos are included here.
This lens did give me good, sharp images- once I figured it out. I bought this primarily for real estate interiors and urbex photography. One of the very first things I noticed about this lens, was it gave dark images. I needed the meter on my 7500 to show slightly over exposed for the images to be where I wanted them. The next thing I noticed was that the AF was slow and during certain conditions it had a very hard time locking on. To the point of where I was beginning to wonder if something was in fact faulty with the AF. These conditions certainly were not a problem for my other lenses. Now, when reading this, please take into considerations that I bought this lens used from here. It was rated at a 9. Once I got things figured out, images were very sharp, and had ... MoreThis lens did give me good, sharp images- once I figured it out. I bought this primarily for real estate interiors and urbex photography. One of the very first things I noticed about this lens, was it gave dark images. I needed the meter on my 7500 to show slightly over exposed for the images to be where I wanted them. The next thing I noticed was that the AF was slow and during certain conditions it had a very hard time locking on. To the point of where I was beginning to wonder if something was in fact faulty with the AF. These conditions certainly were not a problem for my other lenses. Now, when reading this, please take into considerations that I bought this lens used from here. It was rated at a 9. Once I got things figured out, images were very sharp, and had good color. But, the deal breaker for me was when I moved the switch on the lens to MF then back to AF. When I did this, AF simply would not work. This happened every time, on both of my D7500s. I cleaned the connections on the lens and bodies and tried it again- but I got the same results. It was confirmed- on both bodies, that when you switched the lens to MF and then back to AF. the AF would not work. I had to shut the camera down, remove the lens, and re-attach it for the AF to work. B&H was very good at taking this back and swapping it for a used Nikon 10-24. Why the Nikon? Well, I realized two things with the 8-16 when working with it. I never kept an image below 11mm (8-10mm was just not for me) and I found myself wanting a little more reach for interiors under certain conditions. So, the switch to the Nikon was a more shooting style preference for me. I will go further to say that I have bought a number of used lenses from B&H and this is the only one that has giving me a technical problem. And, B&H remedied the situation for me with no hassles. So, please don't let this review veer anyone from the used lens dept. I have had very good experiences with them.
Most of the lenses I shoot with, on my Nikon D500, are Sigma. I've borrowed this lens before, and it did an extraordinary job in some very tight spaces. I'm looking forward to using it in the great outdoors. However, this is probably a gray market lens. I did not receive a USA warranty card in the box, even though the Wal-Mart description says that it comes with a 4-year USA warranty. I believe that either Wal-Mart, or the seller, lied.What is gray market? "Simply put, a gray market product is a product that is imported and sold by any party other than the manufacturer. Most of the time, gray market products are no different compared to their retail counterparts – they are genuine products made by the same manufacturer, only packaged and intended for other ... MoreMost of the lenses I shoot with, on my Nikon D500, are Sigma. I've borrowed this lens before, and it did an extraordinary job in some very tight spaces. I'm looking forward to using it in the great outdoors. However, this is probably a gray market lens. I did not receive a USA warranty card in the box, even though the Wal-Mart description says that it comes with a 4-year USA warranty. I believe that either Wal-Mart, or the seller, lied.What is gray market? "Simply put, a gray market product is a product that is imported and sold by any party other than the manufacturer. Most of the time, gray market products are no different compared to their retail counterparts – they are genuine products made by the same manufacturer, only packaged and intended for other markets." https://photographylife.com/gray-market-camera-gearEverything about my lens looks right, and it seems to function with the usual Sigma quality. The low price was a bit of a worry, for me, but the assurance that it had the usual 4-year USA warranty tipped the buying decision in Wal-Mart's favor. I was disappointed when I failed to find the required USA warranty card. I just hope that it never needs servicing.
There was a time when I would only buy Nikon and perhaps limited Tokina lenses. But recently, it seems Sigma has been making some awfully good lenses in the DX market segment. Thing is, Nikon (and Canon for that matter) do not seem to be too interested in manufacturering premium DX lenses - with the 17-55 f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.8 about the only ones you could call premium. So those of use that want premium lenses have to go to the 3rd party market. I have two such ultra wide angle lenses, this Sigma 8-16mm f/4.55.6 and the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Like all ultra wide lenses - especially in the short focal lengths required for DX use - there is a significant amount of perspective distortion. So you have to be a bit creative in composing for this lens - which is no different ... MoreThere was a time when I would only buy Nikon and perhaps limited Tokina lenses. But recently, it seems Sigma has been making some awfully good lenses in the DX market segment. Thing is, Nikon (and Canon for that matter) do not seem to be too interested in manufacturering premium DX lenses - with the 17-55 f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.8 about the only ones you could call premium. So those of use that want premium lenses have to go to the 3rd party market. I have two such ultra wide angle lenses, this Sigma 8-16mm f/4.55.6 and the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Like all ultra wide lenses - especially in the short focal lengths required for DX use - there is a significant amount of perspective distortion. So you have to be a bit creative in composing for this lens - which is no different than my Tokina 11-16. But this review is not about the Tokina. The Sigma lens @ 8mm seems to be some 30% wider than the Tokina @ 11mm. So I use the lenses as follows: If I want the most in a landscape or wide view, I'll go for the Sigma, but if I am looking for low light capability - especially inside of a museum where flash photography is not allowed - then the Tokina gets the job. So I really see both of these lenses as mutually compatible, with one excelling at wide views, and the other at low light. I really cannot find anything wrong with this lens. It is not an EX lens, but it is every bit as well built as my Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8, which is an EX lens. The lens also seems to be pretty sharp, even in the corners. There is no provision for a filter, but other than an ND or graduated ND filter, I cannot think of why you would need one. And I suppose you could jury rig a Cokin filter in front of the lens if needed. The lens hood is intergal to the lens, and protects the beautiful bulbous lens front element well enough. The bulbous front element is just... cool. We've nicknamed it HAL I do like the integrated lens hood though as it is a smaller diameter than almost any other lens hood I have, which means it fits into my camera bag all that much easier. You could hit the lens I suppose if you smacked it against a table edge, but I prefer to have my lenses insured rather than buying UV filters for them (my insurance policy is about 1% of value per year... a lot cheaper than a good filter). Long term is unknown, but I have bought enough lenses that this one just feels like a great lens. The only downside I suppose is the relatively slow f/4.5, but there is no other DX type lens that can match the 8mm, so I suppose it is this lens or nothing. And as I indicated earlier, I can use my Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 if I need low light capability.
Build quality is solid. Distortion is surprisingly low. At 8mm sharpness is excellent in center, acceptable at extreme corners, however at f9 is good. At other focal lengths sharpnes is very good. Super vide angle is lowable. Autofocus is precise and fast. No dencentering is visible at either focal lenghts. Vignetting can be corrected with software. Bokeh is non-existent. With 24 Mpixel sensor focusing is critical - there is no deep depth of field even at 8 mm. Lens hood is a mix of bugs.
I don't know why another reviewer here gave such a terrible review for this lens. I think the lens is amazing. I was using Sigma's 10-20mm for six years until I sold it to help pay for this one. Well, I can immediately tell you that it is very sharp in the centre, and wide open slightly less sharp at corners and edges - but once you get to f8 things change to an all over sharp image. It is NOT easy to use this thing at 8mm outdoors, If you have no previous experience of a super wide angle like this, you may take some time before you 'get it'. Composition is very important, and figuring out the hyperfocal distance is also essential to get front to back sharpness. It is astonishing to see how much you are getting into the frame, even when only 10" 250mm from your ... MoreI don't know why another reviewer here gave such a terrible review for this lens. I think the lens is amazing. I was using Sigma's 10-20mm for six years until I sold it to help pay for this one. Well, I can immediately tell you that it is very sharp in the centre, and wide open slightly less sharp at corners and edges - but once you get to f8 things change to an all over sharp image. It is NOT easy to use this thing at 8mm outdoors, If you have no previous experience of a super wide angle like this, you may take some time before you 'get it'. Composition is very important, and figuring out the hyperfocal distance is also essential to get front to back sharpness. It is astonishing to see how much you are getting into the frame, even when only 10" 250mm from your subject.You have to be brave with this lens, go low, go close to a foreground interest object, keep faces and circular objects away from the edge UNLESS you are trying to do special effects, in which case, go for it.I am staggered at how good this lens really is - but if you are not a wide angle shooter, you could hate it. I went mail order with Wex because I knew what 10mm was like on my older lens and knew how to use it (after a few months pottering about and learning) so I knew the 8mm would give me a bit more, and I still had the 10mm (it is 8-16mm remember) at my disposal should I want it.Shoot this at f8 at 8mm on a tripod for still life / cars / landscape (on a non windy day) and you'll adore and treasure it.
Hello, I bought this lens a while back. Here are the most obvious observations I've made from using this lens. The focus distance is great; you can be literally centimeters away from your subject and, it will still catch it in focus most of the time. This lens is wide! Ever since I bought this lens it has rarely seen its long focal length side. This lens is just insanely wide and, it is easy to forget that it's a zoom lens. Once you see how wide it is, you rarely want to zoom in on your subject. This is usually my go to lens when I'm in a crowded environment and, it's peeeerfect for landscape photography. This lens is great on color depth and has a good contrast on your image. It is definitely a great lens to have on your bag. The focus is accurate when it's bright. ... MoreHello, I bought this lens a while back. Here are the most obvious observations I've made from using this lens. The focus distance is great; you can be literally centimeters away from your subject and, it will still catch it in focus most of the time. This lens is wide! Ever since I bought this lens it has rarely seen its long focal length side. This lens is just insanely wide and, it is easy to forget that it's a zoom lens. Once you see how wide it is, you rarely want to zoom in on your subject. This is usually my go to lens when I'm in a crowded environment and, it's peeeerfect for landscape photography. This lens is great on color depth and has a good contrast on your image. It is definitely a great lens to have on your bag. The focus is accurate when it's bright. The zoom and focus rings are nicely constructed and smooth. The overall quality of this lens is great!Although it is a great lens, I sometimes find it a bit noisy on the shadow side, even on low ISO. The lens is a bit heavy, due to having many glass elements. Also, due to the round design of the front element, you cannot attach a filter to the lens. The lens can get a bit tough to clean sometimes. I have learned that this lens will show any dust or mark on the lens in the image. Overall, this is a very fun lens and offers a unique perspective.
| Lens Construction | 15 Elements in 11 Groups |
| Angle of View | 114.5 – 75.7 |
| Number of Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Mininum Aperture | f22 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 24 cm / 9.4 in |
