Sigma 20mm f~1.8 (Great Deal)

[Andrew Walker]

So I've had this lens for a little over a week and I really like it. Its very sharp and can be used to shoot some rather close-up shots. Plus its cheap compared to similar lenses in the same focal length and speed. I have yet to take it out to shoot some timelapse but its on my things to do very soon list. Here are some grabs from last night when my actor friend and I were doing some tests.

 

[Paul Leeming]

Thanks for the info Andrew. I looked it up on a review site but they weren't too enamoured with it:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-20mm-f-1.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx

Any possibility of showing some 100% crops at f1.8 of a chart or the like? I assume you're using it with the Birger mount. How is the focusing with the Impero (if you are using it)?

Cheers,

Paul

 

[Andrew Walker]

Thanks for the info Andrew. I looked it up on a review site but they weren't too enamoured with it:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-20mm-f-1.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx

Any possibility of showing some 100% crops at f1.8 of a chart or the like? I assume you're using it with the Birger mount. How is the focusing with the Impero (if you are using it)?

Cheers,

Paul

I'll try and shoot some charts tomorrow with it at f1.8 and its the Nikon F-mount version of the lens that I'm using. I should have made that clear in my first post. When I was going to buy the lens I also hear some people complain that they got a bad lens, so that was my concern as well when mine came in. But after this last week I don't have those concerns anymore.

 

[JohnF]

Hi Andrew,

I'm also interested in using this lens though I heard that there was some serious fall-off/vignetting when running at f1.8. What have you found?

JohnF

 

[Andrew Walker]

Hi Andrew,

I'm also interested in using this lens though I heard that there was some serious fall-off/vignetting when running at f1.8. What have you found?

JohnF

I haven't seen any vignetting yet. The lens is very sharp and the only thing that I wish it had was a longer focal throw, like my set of Zeiss ZF's. But its still a good lens.

I'm going to post some charts here in the next couple minutes along with a clip that is a focus rack from one end of the lens to the other and back.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Here are some charts that I shot last night with the Sigma 20mm f~1.8. These were at a distance of about 5' 6".

f1.8

f2.8

f5.6

And a little flare test thrown in there.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Here are some more at 1' 11" with some 2K TIFFs and a little focus rack.

f1.8
2K TIFF f1.8

f2.8
2K TIFF f2.8

f5.6
2K TIFF f5.6

Video of focus rack.
http://599productions.com/RED_files/20mm_Rack.mov

 

[Mark Pedersen]

Hi,

What's the name of cool iphone slate app?

M

 

[Andrew Walker]

Hi,

What's the name of cool iphone slate app?

M

Its called iSlate.

 

[Paul Leeming]

Thanks Andrew, much appreciated! It certainly looks like it is high enough quality to put on the Red.

Cheers from Sigma-land (aka Japan),

Paul

 

[Roberto Lequeux]

Hey Andrew. Reviving this thread in light of the recent conversation about this 20mm to ask if you could shoot a wall with side lit texture or other flat surface head-on at close distances and wide open, to check for the possible curvature in the focus pane. And since those subway shots are probably Mysterium, it would be great if you had an M-X real world low-light to share. Thank you if you can, and thank you for the shots already posted.

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

I'm liking what I'm seeing here. But I want to know if it works with the Birger mount for focus!

Thanks guys!

Stephen

 

[Robert Jackson]

Thanks for the info Andrew. I looked it up on a review site but they weren't too enamoured with it:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-20mm-f-1.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx

The Digital Picture isn't really a review site. It's a promotional tool for Canon products. I don't think I've ever seen them "review" a third-party lens that didn't end with a paragraph about how the lens just doesn't compare favorably at all to its Canon counterpart. The only thing that makes that site useful is that it gives you much more detailed information on Canon products than their corporate web site.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Hey Andrew. Reviving this thread in light of the recent conversation about this 20mm to ask if you could shoot a wall with side lit texture or other flat surface head-on at close distances and wide open, to check for the possible curvature in the focus pane. And since those subway shots are probably Mysterium, it would be great if you had an M-X real world low-light to share. Thank you if you can, and thank you for the shots already posted.

Just saw this got revived Roberto. I'll shoot some shots with the Sigma 20mm this week and post the stills or video.

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

Hey there, Andrew. . . are you using this thing with the Birger mount? Any issues at all?

Can't wait to see more! I almost ordered this sucker today. . .

Stephen

 

[Andrew Walker]

Hey there, Andrew. . . are you using this thing with the Birger mount? Any issues at all?

Can't wait to see more! I almost ordered this sucker today. . .

Stephen

No, I'm using the All-Star Nikon mount. Kind of wish I had a Birger mount so I could use this 800mm with a 2x TC I have for the time being.