The Sigma 10-20 3.5 lens is an update to the old Sigma 10-20 lens. Sigma made the aperture bigger and constant on this lens (f/3.5 compared to the f/4-5.6 lens on the previous model). Sigma made this lens for Sigma
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Now, many people are very excited about this lens, but not me.
Why?
First of all, I don’t find the constant f/3.5 aperture overly impressive. Had they done a f/2.8 one, I would be more excited about this lens.
Also, the change resulted in many undesirable things. First, the lens dimension is now bigger. The filter thread used to be 77mm and now it is 82mm. This means that you need to buy more expensive filters.
And then the price. It is more expensive than the previous model.
But that is not all. The worst part is that the optical quality is worst compared to the older model.
It is still sharp, but distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration is worse compared to the older model.
I would recommend you get the Sigma 10-20 lens instead of this one.
If you are still curious on how this lens perform, read the full Sigma 10-20 3.5 review below.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Sigma 10-20 3.5 Specs
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Official Name:
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length Markings:
10, 12, 14, 17, 20mm
Features:
EX – Excellent – Sigma’s designation for their high end lenses.
DC – Digital Crop – Sigma lenses with this geek word can only be used for cropped sensor DSLR camera. Don’t ever use this lens with a full frame DSLR or film SLR otherwise you’ll get the ugly vignetting effect.
HSM – HyperSonic Motor – Sigma’s smooth and fast autofocusing technology. Very similar to Canon’s USM. Lens with this designation can autofocus with Nikon’s entry level DSLR such as D40, D40x, D5000, D3000 and D3100.
Full Technical Specs (from Sigma’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 9 / 10 |
| Angle of View | 102.4 – 63.8 |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/22 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 9.4in. (0.24m) |
| Filter Thread | 82mm |
| Weight | 18.3oz. (520g) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | 3.4 x 3.5in. (87.3 x 88.2mm) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 1:6.6 |
| Available for | Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax |
Optical Performance
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Sigma 10-20 3.5 Sharpness
Center sharpness is excellent on this lens at any focal length and aperture.
Border sharpness is also great at any focal length and aperture.
The optimal aperture on this lens is from f/5.6 to f/8.
See the full center and border sharpness test table below.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 10mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 14mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 20mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 10mm | Great | Great | Great | Great |
| 14mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Great |
| 20mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Great |
Distortion
Barrel distortion is visible at 10mm. At this focal length, it is worse than the old lens.
At 15mm, distortion is non-existent. At 20mm, there is a very slight pincushion distortion, but it is too small to be taken into account.
See the distortion test result for this lens below.
Vignetting
Just like the previous version, vignetting is visible at any aperture and focal length.
In my observation, the vignetting is worse on this lens compared to the older version.
See the vignetting test results below.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is well controlled on this lens. It ranges from low to very low at any aperture and focal lengths.
See the full chromatic aberration test below.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 10mm | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| 14mm | Very Low | Low | Low | Low |
| 20mm | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low |
Build Quality
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials
Build quality of this lens is excellent. Typical of any Sigma EX lens, it has the crinkle finish.
Zoom Ring
Zoom ring is a bit stiff, but still easy to rotate. The lens will extend a little when zoomed.
Focusing
This lens has no aperture ring. Front element does not rotate so you can use a polarizing filter easily. However, the filter thread is 82mm now, which is bigger than the older version. Naturally, the filter that you need to buy will be more expensive.
New on this lens is the AF/MF switch.
This lens has an HSM motor which means it can autofocus when used with entry level Nikon DSLR such as Nikon D40, D40x, D60, D5000, D5100, D3000 and D3100.
Autofocus is fast, silent and accurate.
Image Stabilization
There is no Optical Stabilization built into the lens.
Compatibility
Being a DC lens, this lens is ony compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera. It is not compatible with full frame or film SLR camera.
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
The following are some images taken with this lens. Click any of them to enlarge the image.
Get the best price online from Amazon: Sigma
Conclusion
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Alright, here I will conclude the Sigma 10-20 3.5 review.
This lens performs quite well optically. Sharpness is great both on the center and borders.
However, in terms of optical control, the older lens is better. Distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration is more pronounced on this lens compared to the previous one.
The dimension is also bigger and it costs more expensive.
Sigma is being brave by offering the f/3.5 aperture, but I don’t see it as a big advantage over the older model (unless they make a f/2.8 one).
I would still prefer the old Sigma 10-20 lens to this one.
Drawbacks
- More expensive
- Bigger dimension compared to the previous version
- Worse optical control compared to the older version
- f/3.5 constant aperture is not overly impressive (wish they did a f/2.8 one)
Positives
- Sharp on the center and borders at any aperture
- Nice build and crinkle finish
- Quick enough autofocus
Good For
- Landscape photography
- Indoor shooting
Not So Good For
- Architectural photography due to the barrel distortion
What Others Are Saying…
by “Chris Inoue”
I compared performance and test images taken with the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 against my Nikon 16-85 VRII, which I consider to be my sharpest lens. The photos were taken with a Nikon D5000…
Click here to see the full review
by “Mario Curcio”
A lens can be judged only in connection with a specific camera body as it may perform differently with different sensors. So, I can speak about it together with the Nikon D300…
Click here to see the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Sigma 10-20 3.5 lens from Amazon (best price online):
If the mount you’re looking for is not available on Amazon, check out B&H Photo (Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax) or Adorama (Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax)
To see the related Sigma macro lens review, check out the following post below.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Sigma 10-20 3.5 lens review and I will catch you in the next review!
The Sigma 10-20 3.5 lens is an update to the old Sigma 10-20 lens. Sigma made the aperture bigger and constant on this lens (f/3.5 compared to…
The Sigma 10-20 3.5 lens is an update to the old Sigma 10-20 lens. Sigma made the aperture bigger and constant on this lens (f/3.5 compared to…
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
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