Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM

[Capture Lights]

I've been using the Tokina 20-35mm (good/cheap lens btw) on the D600 for some times now, and today, i got the option to get the Sigma 12-24mm for a relatively cheap price.

I've searches the forum a little bit, but it does not seems like there's much discussion on this lens.

Anybody got this lens and is happy with it? Is there's more options out there that's much better choice than this lens?

Here's what i know:

1. Nikon 14-24mm - too expensive

2. Tokina 16-28mm - good price point, and faster option, but 4mm less on the wider end is huge, but is the optical quality of this lens that much better to sacrifice the 12mm end?

3. Tamron 15-30mm - more than twice the price of the 12-24, but twice as good?

4. Rokinon 14mm - affordable and fast, but would you get this over the 12-24? i don't mind manual focus.

Thanks in advance!

--
Personal URL: http://www.capturelights.com/

 

[SushiEater]

I've been using the Tokina 20-35mm (good/cheap lens btw) on the D600 for some times now, and today, i got the option to get the Sigma 12-24mm for a relatively cheap price.

Which 12-24? V1 or V2.

I've searches the forum a little bit, but it does not seems like there's much discussion on this lens.

Anybody got this lens and is happy with it? Is there's more options out there that's much better choice than this lens?

I have V2 now but had V1 also. I also had Nikon 14-24. And now have Tamron also.

Hardly use Sigma anymore because Tamron is better in all departments except FL.

V2 is about one stop better than V1. That means to get corner sharpness on V1 I had to stop down to F11 or more. On V2 F8 does the trick. And of course finish of the lens is better. No more crinkling. V2 is also sharper in the center. V1 was sharp from 15-24mm but V2 is sharper through the whole range. The only negative is that V2 has more distortions. So called mustache distortions but correctable in ACR with profiles.

But Tamron 15-30mm is my all time favorite lens. It is sharper somewhat than Nikon 14-24mm has VC and much brighter than Sigma. I can handhold it to 1/2 seconds. Just can't beat that.

 

[Capture Lights]

I've been using the Tokina 20-35mm (good/cheap lens btw) on the D600 for some times now, and today, i got the option to get the Sigma 12-24mm for a relatively cheap price.

Which 12-24? V1 or V2.

Sigma 12-24 V1

I've searches the forum a little bit, but it does not seems like there's much discussion on this lens.

Anybody got this lens and is happy with it? Is there's more options out there that's much better choice than this lens?

I have V2 now but had V1 also. I also had Nikon 14-24. And now have Tamron also.

So you like the Tamron more than the Nikon?

If the price for the Sigma vs Tamron is such, and you're tight on budget, which would you get? Tamron is 3 times the price.

Tamron 15-30 - 900

Sigma 12-24 v1 - 300

Hardly use Sigma anymore because Tamron is better in all departments except FL.

Have you ever crave 12mm? i imagine you still have the lens, so you dont crave it, but have you ever regret not bringing the 12mm when you wanted it?

V2 is about one stop better than V1. That means to get corner sharpness on V1 I had to stop down to F11 or more. On V2 F8 does the trick. And of course finish of the lens is better. No more crinkling. V2 is also sharper in the center. V1 was sharp from 15-24mm but V2 is sharper through the whole range. The only negative is that V2 has more distortions. So called mustache distortions but correctable in ACR with profiles.

Each got their pro/con i guess, but considering the v2 is about twice the price of the v1, the pro of the v2 becomes negligible.

But Tamron 15-30mm is my all time favorite lens. It is sharper somewhat than Nikon 14-24mm has VC and much brighter than Sigma. I can handhold it to 1/2 seconds. Just can't beat that.

Do you got any insight on the Tokina 16-28 2.8? its just 1mm more narrow than the Tamron, but at half the price...

--
Photography Director for Whedonopolis.com

Thank you for your insights!

--
Personal URL: http://www.capturelights.com/

 

[SushiEater]

I've been using the Tokina 20-35mm (good/cheap lens btw) on the D600 for some times now, and today, i got the option to get the Sigma 12-24mm for a relatively cheap price.

Which 12-24? V1 or V2.

Sigma 12-24 V1

I've searches the forum a little bit, but it does not seems like there's much discussion on this lens.

Anybody got this lens and is happy with it? Is there's more options out there that's much better choice than this lens?

I have V2 now but had V1 also. I also had Nikon 14-24. And now have Tamron also.

So you like the Tamron more than the Nikon?

Yes.

If the price for the Sigma vs Tamron is such, and you're tight on budget, which would you get? Tamron is 3 times the price.

Tamron 15-30 - 900

Sigma 12-24 v1 - 300

Still Tamron. I do night photography (for fun and money) and I hate carrying tripod.

My bag is already up to 36lb.

Hardly use Sigma anymore because Tamron is better in all departments except FL.

Have you ever crave 12mm? i imagine you still have the lens, so you dont crave it, but have you ever regret not bringing the 12mm when you wanted it?

I do real estate photography with it only if I photograph houses in one particular neighborhood. The bathroom s are really small and many time even 14mm is not enough.

For landscape it is really doesn't matter much. If I really need wider than 15mm I will put 35mm on and take multi-row panorama. Obviously I don't need to take every picture at 12mm. Then I take a picture of the house outside I use 24-30mm range because at 12mm it looks ugly.

V2 is about one stop better than V1. That means to get corner sharpness on V1 I had to stop down to F11 or more. On V2 F8 does the trick. And of course finish of the lens is better. No more crinkling. V2 is also sharper in the center. V1 was sharp from 15-24mm but V2 is sharper through the whole range. The only negative is that V2 has more distortions. So called mustache distortions but correctable in ACR with profiles.

Each got their pro/con i guess, but considering the v2 is about twice the price of the v1, the pro of the v2 becomes negligible.

Find samples of V1 and V2 and you will see that even stopped down V1 corners are still a little muddy. One stop for corners and one stop for in low light makes a difference. But if you are using tripod it might not make the difference for you.

But Tamron 15-30mm is my all time favorite lens. It is sharper somewhat than Nikon 14-24mm has VC and much brighter than Sigma. I can handhold it to 1/2 seconds. Just can't beat that.

Do you got any insight on the Tokina 16-28 2.8? its just 1mm more narrow than the Tamron, but at half the price...

I don't know about Tokina. I prefer lenses with VR, VC, OS if possible. Most of my lenses except for 2 primes f1.4 and 12-24mm have image stabilization.

If you are on the budget by all means go for V1. I was not trying to discourage you, I was trying to report the truth. After all I had V1 for many years and was happy with it. But like with most things new stuff is better the the old stuff otherwise no one will buy it.

 

[Capture Lights]

I don't know about Tokina. I prefer lenses with VR, VC, OS if possible. Most of my lenses except for 2 primes f1.4 and 12-24mm have image stabilization.

If you are on the budget by all means go for V1. I was not trying to discourage you, I was trying to report the truth. After all I had V1 for many years and was happy with it. But like with most things new stuff is better the the old stuff otherwise no one will buy it.

 

[SushiEater]

I don't know about Tokina. I prefer lenses with VR, VC, OS if possible. Most of my lenses except for 2 primes f1.4 and 12-24mm have image stabilization.

If you are on the budget by all means go for V1. I was not trying to discourage you, I was trying to report the truth. After all I had V1 for many years and was happy with it. But like with most things new stuff is better the the old stuff otherwise no one will buy it.

 

[PK24X36NOW]

I've been using the Tokina 20-35mm (good/cheap lens btw) on the D600 for some times now, and today, i got the option to get the Sigma 12-24mm for a relatively cheap price.

I've searches the forum a little bit, but it does not seems like there's much discussion on this lens.

Anybody got this lens and is happy with it? Is there's more options out there that's much better choice than this lens?

Here's what i know:

1. Nikon 14-24mm - too expensive

2. Tokina 16-28mm - good price point, and faster option, but 4mm less on the wider end is huge, but is the optical quality of this lens that much better to sacrifice the 12mm end?

3. Tamron 15-30mm - more than twice the price of the 12-24, but twice as good?

4. Rokinon 14mm - affordable and fast, but would you get this over the 12-24? i don't mind manual focus.

Thanks in advance!