Nikon VS Sigma lenses

I'm confonted with more and more options as I'm getting more information...

It might have been better not to know anything at all

Anyway, now I know more or less which lenses are best I see I can buy Sigma lenses a whole lot cheaper than Nikkor ones.

Does any of you have experience with Sigma or even Tamron lenses?

Are they any good compared to the Nikkor?

Will you see the difference only if you blow up the picture to huge dimensions?

This question is almost a Nikon vs Cannon type of question !

There are a lot of in depth lens reviews on the net, and it is dificult to generalize.

For my 2cc's worth I have found Sigma to produce excellent lenses with good build quality. For the class of pictures that I take I doubt I am limited in any way by any lens.

I have a 10.5mm Nikon and a 15mm Sigma and the build quality of the Sigma is better. Sigma do not make a 10.5 or I may well take it over the plastic Nikon offering.

A more important question is "would the lens that I am thinking of be suitable for the type of pictures that I want to take ?"

Paul C

I can only speak of one Sigma Lens, the 10-20mm f4-5.6 EX.

I am a 20-year canon user who recently purchased a nikon d200 to house. (my Canons haven't spoken to me since, even though I still use them outofwater).

I looked at the 12-24 nikkor, and did extensive real-world tests on it vs the 10-20 sigma.

In the end my choice was the Sigma, for two reasons:

1. Optically it performed no better or worse than the nikon. They both have stong and weak points, and on balance it was impossible to pick a winner.

2. the Sigma's extra 8 degrees angle of view over the nikkor 12-24 (it is approx 108 degrees), same as my EF 16-35 2.8L on my full frame EOS 1ds, is very significant.

Depending on your circumstances, the $s may be an issue, and in this case the Sigma is well ahead. I have found build quality to be fine.

Thanks for your opinions. Sounds like I'm going to have a closer look at Sigma, because yes, $$$ is an issue!

Anyone compare the 105 Nikon and 105 Sigma?

Any difference there?

Sigma and Nikon both made good and less good lenses. Good quality Sigma lenses are not necessarily much cheaper than the Nikon equivalent.

In determining which one to go for, look at how "fast" the lens is (e.g. a constant F2.8 zoom lens will be better and more expensive than say a F3.5-6.3 zoom), and how fast it focuses (e.g. Sigma's HSM lenses are more expensive than non-HSM ones).

If two lenses have similar performance, i.e. same angle of view, same aperture range, and same focusing speed, you should seriously look at the cheaper one.

Also, as suggested by PRC, there are lots of unbiased reviews and side-by-side comparisons on the net.

Hmm - this isn't going to be an obvious "no brainer" like one is cheaper or one focuses faster - but the biggest distinction IMO between Sigma and Nikon or Canon lenses is that the Sigma lenses just don't render as much color or contrast. It's hard to understand this until you've used a few. The sigma's will usually yield a more yellow/orange warmer picture.

Cheers

James

 

"For the class of pictures that I take I doubt I am limited in any way by any lens."

 

How refreshing it is to read something so honest and sensible.

 

"I have a 10.5mm Nikon and a 15mm Sigma and the build quality of the Sigma is better."

 

When you say "build quality" are you speaking of the external casing, or do you have some information about the internal assembly of the Nikon being less than the Sigma? I have no idea one way or the other having never disassembled a lens again after once trying to repair my own Nikonos 15

 

I ask only because I no longer believe we can interpret much from the exterior of our lenses as to the complete quality of the piece in question. Plastics, resins and apoxies have come a long way and in many cases outperform metals in optical applications. And it is sometimes less expensive to build from alloys than it is advanced plastics.

 

On top of that, most of the people on these forums have probably spent thousands of dollars on external plastic camera bodies.

 

And despite the fact that it has quickly become my favorite lens in a housing, the 10.5 really does "feel" like a toy

Hmm - this isn't going to be an obvious "no brainer" like one is cheaper or one focuses faster - but the biggest distinction IMO between Sigma and Nikon or Canon lenses is that the Sigma lenses just don't render as much color or contrast.  It's hard to understand this until you've used a few.  The sigma's will usually yield a more yellow/orange warmer picture.

 

Cheers

James

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with James. I have used both the Sigma 15 and the Nikon 10.5 extensively and the 10.5 beats the 15 in both shapeness and contrast...not even close. I keep the 15 because I like the focal length but shots taken at the same site and similar conditions you will see a definite difference.

As far as the build quality is concerned, I don't know what you're talking about Paul. Other than the 10.5 being smaller I can't perceive any difference in build quality.

Don't get me wrong, I have two Sigma lenses and I like them, but keep in mind that the resulting image will probably be different. I like the Sigma 15mm quite a bit, and I also used a Sigma 150mm f2.8 and liked it as well, although it had strange bokeh. Now I have a 24-70f2.8 Sigma that I use topsides, but its IQ not as good as the Canon version.

Cheers

James

If you are looking for wide angle lenses to put onto a camera that will go into a housing pay close attention to the minimum focusing distance of the lens. I bought a sigma 18-35mm for my F90x film cameras and housed it and always had trouble with it focusing, then I got my hands on the Nikon 18-35mm and the focusing worked first time,every time. Turned out that the dome ports"apparent image"was too close for the sigma but within the focusing range for the nikon.Also look at the diameter of the threads on the front of the lens, if you have to fit a dioptre on the lens the largest I have found "off the shelf " was 77mm. Nikon have a 12-24mm wide angle zoom lens which is being used, and recommeded by several people on this website but check out the tokina 12-24, the specification are almost identicle but the lens is half the price!

Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 EX 's minimum focus is better for dome port use :

Sigma 10-20 = 24cm

Nikkor 12-24 = 30cm

Also don't be confused by Sigma's 102.4 degree angle of view specfication. This is when it is used on a Sigma camera, which has a smaller chip (so it sees than), your d200s chip, which as stated earlier is more like 108 degrees.

Warmer (yellow /orange) bias is helpful U/W (think "Magic Filters")