The Sigma 10mm Fisheye lens for APS-C sized digital SLR cameras offers strong capability at a decent price.
Fisheye lenses for digital cameras are not that common. Sigma has lately released a number. The 10mm offers full coverage of APS-C sensor digital cameras. The lens comes in mounts for Sigma, Nikon and Canon dSLRs and offers a field of view of 154 degrees on Sigma, 180 degrees on Nikon and 167 degrees on Canon (due to the slightly differing sensor sizes).
We tested the lens on Canon cameras, specifically the 350D, 400D and 40D. The field of view is huge and, as you would expect from a fisheye, linear structures near the edges get heavily curved. It is a handle size of 75.8mm diameter and 83.1mm in length (3.0in and 3.3in respectively) and weighs 475g (16.8oz).
Close focus is 13.5cm (5.3in), giving a 1:3.3 magnification, which is quite handy for closeups. Focusing is fast and sure. I had no focus issues with any of the cameras tested.
The aperture ranges from f2.8 to f22. I found f8 to f11 the sharpest in the center. At the extreme edge there are distortion effects but it is quite well controlled. Wide open and fully stopped down are a bit too soft for my taste but f4 and f16 are very useable.
This is a much less WOW! lens than the 4.5mm circular fisheye reviewed elsewhere, but it is more widely applicable. With care such a lens can be used in a wide range of applications from interiors to landscapes, as well as environmental portraiture, for example.
This is another impressive lens from Sigma and well worth consideration if you are looking for such a lens.
If you want to see how this lens handled infrared photography, checkout these articles:
More Infrared Shots with Fisheye Lenses
The Sigma 10mm Fisheye Lens in Infrared
The Sigma 10mm Fisheye has a recommended retail price in the US of US$1,000.