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.
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The lowest price for Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (Canon) right now is $1,499.06 at Amazon.com.au.
The all-time low was $241.33 on 6 May 2026 — today's price is 521% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM (Canon)
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.
Prices last updated 24 Aug 2026.
Last updated at 24/08/2026 20:02:55
Sigma 4203954 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM Lens for Canon, Black
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
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.
Sigma 4203954 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM Lens for Canon, Black
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
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.
I got this lens mainly because of how wide it is. I've been wanting to get a super-wide lens for a while now and I'm very happy that I got this one. There are a lot of other great options, mainly the Canon 10-22mm but, since I currently have a Canon 15-85mm and usually would go to that for landscape photography I didn't see the need to only gain 5mm but instead opted for a larger gain. This is a superb lens. It takes beautiful pictures. It's sharp and has very nice contrast levels. There is some mild lens flare that occurs even when the sun/moon/light is just out of shot but there isn't so much if it's pointed directly at it. The only downside to this lens is that there is no way to screw filters onto the front since it's just a built-in lens hood, however, if you ... MoreI got this lens mainly because of how wide it is. I've been wanting to get a super-wide lens for a while now and I'm very happy that I got this one. There are a lot of other great options, mainly the Canon 10-22mm but, since I currently have a Canon 15-85mm and usually would go to that for landscape photography I didn't see the need to only gain 5mm but instead opted for a larger gain. This is a superb lens. It takes beautiful pictures. It's sharp and has very nice contrast levels. There is some mild lens flare that occurs even when the sun/moon/light is just out of shot but there isn't so much if it's pointed directly at it. The only downside to this lens is that there is no way to screw filters onto the front since it's just a built-in lens hood, however, if you don't plan on doing a lot of landscape photography than that shouldn't be an issue. In conclusion, this is a lovely lens and it a whole lot of fun to use especially for architecture and landscape, and some distorted portraits if you really want to do that.
Great for all those situations that calls for ultra-wide: landscape, architecture, artistic. Good build quality, accurate autofocus, very good center sharpness and contrast - slightly warmer than my Sigma 17-50 f/2.8. Excellent rectilinear correction (straight lines stay straight)and flare control. Does exhibit extreme edge distortion (8mm )typically associated with such a wide lens. Easily correctable vignetting. Large lenscap and bulbous front lens (cannot easily accept filters) are a little odd but not a limitation for me. Overall - a lot of fun to use. I rated it only 4 stars for now since my copy exhibited beyond acceptable soft edges and one blurry corner. I have sent it back for exchange since I know what the lens is capable of, having seen numerous examples ... MoreGreat for all those situations that calls for ultra-wide: landscape, architecture, artistic. Good build quality, accurate autofocus, very good center sharpness and contrast - slightly warmer than my Sigma 17-50 f/2.8. Excellent rectilinear correction (straight lines stay straight)and flare control. Does exhibit extreme edge distortion (8mm )typically associated with such a wide lens. Easily correctable vignetting. Large lenscap and bulbous front lens (cannot easily accept filters) are a little odd but not a limitation for me. Overall - a lot of fun to use. I rated it only 4 stars for now since my copy exhibited beyond acceptable soft edges and one blurry corner. I have sent it back for exchange since I know what the lens is capable of, having seen numerous examples of edge to edge sharp images on the net. Intend to increase to 5 stars upon receipt of better copy.
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.
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 have had this lens for about 3 weeks now. It is nice and sturdy, not plastic like some kit lenses. The zoom works smooth and focus is good. The 4.5-5.5 aperture is fine for most shots but may not be as good as a faster lens for night photography. It has a petal lens hood built in with no way to use a traditional shaped filter for protecting the lens so caution is advised when up close focusing to your subject or you may bump the lens and scratch the coating. Overall for the price and quaity of the lens i would recommend it for those doing landscape or architectural photographs.
Bought this lens for interior real estate photography mounted on my Canon 60D. I already have the Canon 10-20mm lens which is plenty wide enough most of the time but I occasionally need something a little wider, thus I bought the Sigma 8-16.Pros: 1. Relatively little barrel distortion for such a wide angle.2. Images are sharp, clear, colors accurate. Image quality seems to be every bit as good as the Canon 10-20.Cons: Interior photos tend to be underexposed compared to the Canon 10-20, even at the same focal length and same external flash. With the Sigma I have to turn up flash exposure compensation and/or camera exposure compensation to +1 3/4 or even +2 or +3 to get proper exposure.
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.
