Sigma 4.5mm f/2.8 for Nikon DX

4.5mm? Totally amazing and it even has autofocus.

 

Very tempting. Any comment?

I took a look at the lens on the Sigma site. They have some interesting examples of photos taken with this fisheye lens:

 

4.5mm F2.8 EX DC HSM Circular Fisheye | Sigma Corporation of America

 

At $900, it is a lens most might rent rather than purchase.

 

Thank you for the post.

Mary, The hyperfocal distance of this lense on a Nikon Dx camera is 7.2 inches at f 5.6. If you can deal with the circular fish eye aspects it could be alot of fun for close up wide angle work. I would buy a software correction for circular fish eye lenses to go with it. I have the Nikon 10.5 and the Tokina 10-17 for Dx. and the Sigma 15 for FX underwater. They are all fish eye lenses but not "circular " fisheye lenses. They focus close and work well behind a dome port that creates a virtual image at a distance that is three times the radius of the dome. There are few straight lines underwater so you can get away with a fish eye most of the time for underwater wide angle work. I only occasionally use my fish eye lenses on land. If you think you can make compelling images with the 4.5mm I would say go for it. Good hunting.

I have the Nikon 8mm f2.8 AIS circular fisheye that I use both on DX and full frame. For the price of $700 that I paid for it about 10 years ago, I will likely never get rid of it. I do not use it often but for the price I can justify that. When I do manage to find a subject for it, a few times a year, results are spectacular.

 

 

My first question, considering the investment, is how long do you plan to stick with DX format? For only $100 more the Nikon 8-15 is more flexible, but is more appropriate for full frame cameras.

Here is a Nikkor 10,5 mm on a Canon EOS 20D (APS-C).

Here is a Samigon/Kenko (X0.15) auxiliary lens on a Canon EOS 20D 50mm

Just showin'

Edited February 24, 2019 by JDMvW

I do love Nikon lenses and have enough of them - the fisheye have always been very interesting, and on some occasions, with some subjects will do a magnificent job. To me, other than those unusual images, they are an interesting curiosity. Back in the Fall, I bought the AF-P Nikkor 10-20 4.5 5.6 - inexpensive, and quite good. I got to do some street and landscape with it - I can't readily imagine a situation where I would need a wider field of view.

A bit cheeky (or lazy) of Sigma not to bother making a dedicated lens cap, and then asking $33 for a kludgy spacer ring.

 

I totally agree that this is probably a lens to hire rather than blow nearly a grand on owning outright. And you'd probably get the spacer/lenscap thrown in with the rental cost!

Just wondering what 4.5mm(!) can do that the others cannot. Obviously the circular effect is one. Will I rent it? Probably not - not important enough. I Just think it's something nice to have for some potential images. Thanks for your input.

I've never been sold on diagonal fish-eyes - though my 8mm Peleng got used on an APS-C Canon when that was all I had. I'd rather have the full circular effect, as this lens would provide. You can get an entire night sky in (although given the absolute aperture, not with so many stars...) but it also works if you're just trying to capture a whole environment or confined space. These are with my 8mm Sigma on full frame, which would be similar to the 4.5mm on DX; Ely cathedral looms over you, and Antelope (to my mind) shows how squashed it is:

 

 

Think my 10.5 fish eye did something like that too, perhaps just a bit less circular. Thanks for your comments and ideas. Brainstorming with you folks always yielded some solution for me.

 

Now I have found a good deal for this Sigma 4.5mm at mpb.com - "like new" condition for less than $500. Ordered. Thanks.

I bet we're all anxious to see what amazing things you do with it.

It was shipped as I last checked. I stumbled on this company on Google. It appears they operate both in the UK and NY. Reviewed to be a reliable company: mpb.com.

Not sure what to do with this lens yet - give it a whirl in the state house?

Edited February 27, 2019 by Mary Doo