jfr1 Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I am considering buying the SIGMA 12-24mm F4,5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL HSM lens for my EOS 5D camera. Does anyone here have experience with this lens? Would you recomend it to other photographers? I know it has won awards and stuff, but I would like to hear from actual photographers.Thanks for feedback.Caspar Knox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_crist Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I'm not familiar with that lens but will it mount on a 5D? Usually the 10 and 12 mm lenses are EFS style mounts. I use the 17-40L on my 5D with great results and it's a constant f4 aperture throughout the zoom range. The 17mm end on a full frame is really wide unless you absolutely need the extra width. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam_gifford Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I don't have it but some info - The 12-24 is full frame, and accordingly ludicrously wide. No front mount filters - the front element is too curved. (Rear gel instead i think) Possibly the widest rectilinear FF lens you can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sattler123 Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I have it for the rare occasions when I want/need to go superwide for landscapes. The lens is very sharp in the center but very soft in all corners - even stopped down - I knew this was the case from the various reviews I had read about this lens. If you don't tilt the lens straight lines stay surprisingly straight - even at the wide end of the lens. It is indeed the widest non-fisheye lens you can get for FF cameras - I use it on my 5D. Focus is fast and quiet - no issues there. The front element almost looks like a fish-eye lens - it is very curved and you cannot put a filter on it - but that is really not an issue for me. Check out FredMiranda for additional user comments about this lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin carron Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Daspar, I have used the Sigma 12-24, (on 35 mm flm body) and the Canon 17-40mm on the Canon 5D. They are both good lenses with little to choose between them for sharpness and contrast though the Sigma has a warmer colour bias. However I would always pick the Canon over the Sigma unless I specifically wanted the 12-17 range. (which I would not characterise as 'quirky' rather than 'ridiculous - ':-)). The reasons why I would choose the Canon are that the Sigma is bigger, and heavier, does not easily accept front filters and the bulbous front element is rather vulnerable. In short the Canon handles much better. The Canon 16-35mm will get you that extra millimetre but if you specifically want the 12mm to 17 mm range then the Sigma is the only zoom lens that will do it. You could go gfor the 14mm prime but that reduces your versatility down to one focal length. So I would go for the Canon 17-40 (or 16-35) unless you really, really wnat the wider part of the range.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin carron Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Sorry,, typo....... that should be 'Caspar',and (which I would characterise as 'quirky' rather than 'ridiculous - ':-)). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfr1 Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 Thanks for illuminating the subject. Considering a 14 mm prime.. Caspar Knox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelance Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Here: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00PRaZ you can see a couple of picctures 5D+sigma 12-24 compared with Canon 16-35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotograf Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 You might consider Tokina's 12-24mm lens which is considered better optics than the Sigma. I think the Sigma will allow filters(82mm)but only screwed into the lens hood, when attached to the lens itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_mckee Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I also use the canon 17-40 and I absolutely love it. I have a couple of sigma lenses, not the 12-24 but it seems that I find myself never completely satisfied with sigma products in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark u Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Very recently discussed here: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00PXEd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_myers Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Sorry, the Tokina 12-24 will not work on a full frame camera like Caspar's 5D. It's a crop sensor only lens. The Sigma 12-24 is designed for full frame, but has it's share of compromises from what I understand. The EF 14/2.8L II is probably your best bet, but be sitting down when you look up the price. The new Nikon 14-24/2.8 might just motivate Canon to build something similar. The Nikkor is a full frame lens, and pretty amazingly high quality at that. It's also quite pricey, though. Other than that, Canon's 16-35/2.8L II is your next alternative, or the 17-40/4L for a few dollars less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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