Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- User Rating: 
Summary for Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- Not s bad as most people think...
Notes on Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- I've been using this lens for about 3 years now and wanted to upgrade so I read all good things about Tokina (since I could not afford the Nikon). I purchased the 12-24mm Tokina and returned it because of horrendous camera flare which the Sigma does not have. Granted there is "some" flare issues with most wide angle lenses but the Tokina was totally unacceptable. I didn't see any major differences in picture quality either. Both lenses must be used at F/8 for the best sharpness. I am keeping the Sigma and buying a Nikon D300 instead.
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- User Rating: Summary for Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- Not better than Nikon, but much cheaper.
Notes on Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- Sigma has been much maligned by the Nikon-brand lens snobs, and not without good reason. The build quality and optical clarity of the average Nikon lens easily trounces the average Sigma.
This particular Sigma lens has been in my bag since 2004 (three years now) and has performed flawlessly in dusty, humid, and rainy conditions. I can't say that about every Nikon lens I have owned.
Don't get me wrong-- this is not a flawless lens. It is weather sealed enough, but I doubt it would survive being dunked in water the way some (but not many) Nikon lenses would. It focuses faster than many Nikon lenses, but slower than competing Silent Wave Motor Nikons. It is quieter than any non-SWM Nikons, and almost as quiet as SWM. It focuses as well as any Nikon f/4.5-5.6 lens in similar lighting conditions.
Now for the flaws. It has more chromatic aberration than Nikon's 12-24mm DX and 14-24mm FX lenses. It isn't as sharp, especially near the edges. But if your maximum print size is 8x10 you'll likely never notice.
UPSIDES: Even though it works at full frame (important for those of us that still shoot film as well as digital) it is much cheaper than Nikons 12-24 f/4.5-5.6 DX lens-- a lens that is only good for DX-sized sensor digital Nikons. It is less than 1/3 the price of the recently released FX (full-frame) 14-24mm f/2.8 Nikon lens.
Granted, the professional Nikon 14-24mm lens is clearly the best of the bunch, but most of us can't afford that extravagance. When I bought this lens it was the only 12-24mm lens available, and given the offerings from Nikon and other third-party lens makers, I can't regret this purchase for one moment.
While I'd like to own the new professional Nikon 14-28mm f/2.8 lens, that won't be in my budget in the foreseeable future. My buying advice: take your camera to a good local camera shop and try this lens (and its competitors) for yourself. I'm confident many of you will agree that the Sigma, while it is not the best lens, is good enough and the best compromise-- given the price.
Cheers.
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- User Rating: Summary for Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- Excellent ultrawide
Notes on Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- The Sigma 12-24 is an excellent ultrawide. It is very sharp with very little barrel or pincushion distortion. It is a true 12-24 fullframe with a film SLR (love it with my Nikon N80) or full frame digital slr, and effectively an 18-36 with an APS-sized sensor digital SLR. Excelleent ultrawide for architecture, landscapes etc. At 12mm though, it is so wide that you must be careful of distortion introduced by shooting off-level. This is not to say this particular lens is faulty and distorts, but would be true of any ultrawide lens with this wide degree of coverage. While I have heard much talk of supposed poor Sigma quality control, I have no qualms at all about this lens - It is sturdy, tough, smooth and has performed flawlessly for me for years.
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- User Rating: Summary for Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- versatile wide-angle
Notes on Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM ...- I got it because I intend to use it on both my film and my digital bodies. For ultra wide angles I'll use it with film (Nikon N-80) and for more conventional wide angle with my Nikon D-200. It's one of three lenses I'm taking with me on vacation to the mountain states. The others are a Nikkor 28mm - 85mm and a Nikkor 70mm - 300mm with 2X Tamron SP doubler. Since I don't yet have photoshop or similar I wanted to be able to take real wide shots without having to paste them together.
