Price Comparisons Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras

Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras Product Description:

• Large-aperture, wide-angle lens for close up photography
• Features a super multi-coating that reduces flare and ghosting that tends to occur when using digital SLR cameras
• Focusing capability down to a minimum of 18 centimeters, or f1.8 aperture speed, which provides a reproduction ratio of 1:2.7
• Constructed with 10 elements in nine groups of diaphragm blades, and allows filters that are 77-millimters in diameter
• Weighs 17.1 ounces, and measures 3.3 x 3.2 inches (diameter x length)

Product Description

Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro is one of the EX Series lenses. This lens has a fast F1.8 maximum aperture with macro focusing capability of minimum focusing down to 18cm/7.1inches (reproduction ratio 1:2.7). The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus image. It incorporates the floating focus system and uses two aspherical lens elements for minimizing distortion and spherical aberration and astigmatism. Internal focus system eliminates front lens rotation, thus allowing the use of a Perfect Hood and the easy use of polarizing filters. The lens incorporates non-vignetting optical construction, in order to obtain adequate peripheral brightness even at open aperture. This is desirable for digital cameras. The lens also incorporates dual-focus mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, and yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The lens materials used in this lens are lead and arsenic free ecological glass.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful.
Great quality but a little heavy and big.
By Matt
I wanted a wide angle prime lens that I could take to parties where the shooting distance is always about the same and I could get higher quality pictures than with zoom lenses. Since this lens is fast, f/1.8, it focuses very quickly even in low light. It doesn't have an ultrasonic focusing mechanism, but focus speed is very fast and it has a clutch focusing ring so I can hold the lens and not interfere with the rotation of the focusing ring. The body feels very tight and well put together. The texture and feel are perfect. Picture quality is extremely good. The colors are natural and it's very sharp at 1.8 and is even better at 2.0 and above. Macro is excellent and since it has 9 curved aperature blades, the bokeh looks very pleasing. There is almost no distortion or abberation and focus is accurate. So even though this lens is a bit bigger and heavier than I would like in a prime lens like this, the benefits of brighter viewfinder (due to f/1.8), extemely sharp pictures and very good build quality makes it worthwhile purchase (especially for the price).

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Fast and sharp
By M. Olson
Let's face it - Sigma lenses are just NOT built like the great mid grade Zuiko lenses from Olympus that we know and love. Okay? Now that we've got that out of the way let me be clear: I love this lens. It's fast, it's as wide as an old "standard" lens that we all knew and loved back in the days of film SLRs and it's plenty sharp. I'd rate the sharpness about the same as my Zuiko 14-54mm but not as sharp as my 11-22 DZ or the 50-200 DZ (the best lens I've ever owned) and from what I've seen so far it's sharp at maximum aperture from edge to edge.The manual focus system on this (and other Sigma lenses) is a bit odd and not as convenient as the Olympus system (you have to throw a switch and slide the barrel ring) but it works just fine and has excellent feel and sensitivity (much better than the focus-by-wire on the Zuikos) when you do use it. The autofocus is relatively slow and can hunt or just give up in poor light, but when it grabs a lock it is very accurate on my example and of course in good light it works fine. This lens is advertised as a macro and that is a true statement - it focuses very close and this is but one reason why it's a really wonderful walkabout lens. The bokeh wide open at maximum aperture is fantastic but is only so-so when stopped down - much like the mid-grade Zuiko digital lenses - and seems to be a curse of lenses in this price range.The build quality is just fine and certainly better than the kit lenses that come with Olympus DSLRs in the box and unlike my Sigma 105mm macro lens it does not feature an annoying screw on lens shade but instead uses a tulip shade just like the ones you are used to using with your Olympus lenses. This lens is not weather sealed however, which one must bear in mind if they're used to the weather sealed Olympus lenses. Also, this lens takes a ridiculously large filter for the size of the lens (it's not a super wide angle lens so I really don't understand the overly large flange on the front of the lens barrel) so plan on your spending there - a top quality front filter and polarizer will easily set you back over a hundred bucks.I have been very pleased with this lens and at the end of the day that's what counts. Olympus does not offer a lens like this and the similar Leica lens (not yet available at the time of writing) will undoubtedly be much more expensive, so with that in mind you've got this lens and the somewhat similar Sigma 30mm lens to chose from if you want a fast prime lens. I chose this one because of the focal length and the macro capability. I've been very pleasantly surprised.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
WAY better than I expected!
By Technology Guru
Let me put the light gathering abilities of the Sigma 24mm F/1.8 lens in perspective.The Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens, at wide open aperture and set to a 24mm focal length, is an f/4.7 lens. Ouch. With the kit lens wide open and set to 24mm focal length, I need 1600 ISO to get a tripod shot of my kitchen at around 1/50th of a second. With the Sigma, I get the same shutter speed with the camera set to 200 ISO. At 1600 ISO, the Sigma shoots the same image at 1/400th of a second.A tripod mounted test on an illuminated indoor target shoots 1/320th of a second at f/5 with the kit lens, while the Sigma set to f/5 shoots the same scene at 1/400th of a second. Another test of another target, this time at F16, has the kit lens at 1/60th of a second, the Sigma at 1/80th. I believe the Sigma has superior lens coatings and more light reaches the image sensor.The 4/3rds mount version of this lens does not have an aperture ring. I was a little disappointed, having hopes I would be able to turn the ring in aperture priority instead of the knob on the camera. Having owned a series of film SLR's going back to the 70's, I still catch myself trying to twist a ring that isn't there!There are a few things to consider...1. Because the sigma is a full frame lens with a four thirds mount, its much heavier than a purpose-built 4/3rds lens. But I must say, it looks good on the front of my E-510, like what one would expect an expensive lens on a high end DSLR to look like. The lens hood is flat black, adding to the appearance.2. It focuses fast IF you remember to disengage the manual focus ring. The user guide says you MAY damage the motor in the *camera* if you leave the manual focus ring engaged in auto focus. However, since our motor is in the lens, I'm not sure if this applies. The instructions don't even reference a 4/3rds mount.3. This lens comes with a one year international warranty, automatically upgraded to FOUR by Sigma for USA purchasers of the lens from an authorized USA Sigma dealer. The extended warranty is not transferable, which is something to keep in mind if you buy the lens used.4. On a full frame camera, this would be a wide angle lens and therefore takes a 77mm filter.Overall, I'm very happy with this lens. Photographs, even at f/1.8, are sharp and clear. Having such a fast lens has opened up whole new areas of photography for me to explore, and the fact I no longer have to use anything over 400 ISO for existing light photographs has made a quantum leap in the quality of my photographs.The biggest negative to the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 is I now despise the aperture of my kit lenses!

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For Sale Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras

Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras Product Description:

Product Description

Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro is one of the EX Series lenses. This lens has a fast F1.8 maximum aperture with macro focusing capability of minimum focusing down to 18cm/7.1inches (reproduction ratio 1:2.7). The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus image. It incorporates the floating focus system and uses two aspherical lens elements for minimizing distortion and spherical aberration and astigmatism. Internal focus system eliminates front lens rotation, thus allowing the use of a Perfect Hood and the easy use of polarizing filters. The lens incorporates non-vignetting optical construction, in order to obtain adequate peripheral brightness even at open aperture. This is desirable for digital cameras. The lens also incorporates dual-focus mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, and yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The lens materials used in this lens are lead and arsenic free ecological glass.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful.
Great quality but a little heavy and big.
By Matt
I wanted a wide angle prime lens that I could take to parties where the shooting distance is always about the same and I could get higher quality pictures than with zoom lenses. Since this lens is fast, f/1.8, it focuses very quickly even in low light. It doesn't have an ultrasonic focusing mechanism, but focus speed is very fast and it has a clutch focusing ring so I can hold the lens and not interfere with the rotation of the focusing ring. The body feels very tight and well put together. The texture and feel are perfect. Picture quality is extremely good. The colors are natural and it's very sharp at 1.8 and is even better at 2.0 and above. Macro is excellent and since it has 9 curved aperature blades, the bokeh looks very pleasing. There is almost no distortion or abberation and focus is accurate. So even though this lens is a bit bigger and heavier than I would like in a prime lens like this, the benefits of brighter viewfinder (due to f/1.8), extemely sharp pictures and very good build quality makes it worthwhile purchase (especially for the price).

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Fast and sharp
By M. Olson
Let's face it - Sigma lenses are just NOT built like the great mid grade Zuiko lenses from Olympus that we know and love. Okay? Now that we've got that out of the way let me be clear: I love this lens. It's fast, it's as wide as an old "standard" lens that we all knew and loved back in the days of film SLRs and it's plenty sharp. I'd rate the sharpness about the same as my Zuiko 14-54mm but not as sharp as my 11-22 DZ or the 50-200 DZ (the best lens I've ever owned) and from what I've seen so far it's sharp at maximum aperture from edge to edge.The manual focus system on this (and other Sigma lenses) is a bit odd and not as convenient as the Olympus system (you have to throw a switch and slide the barrel ring) but it works just fine and has excellent feel and sensitivity (much better than the focus-by-wire on the Zuikos) when you do use it. The autofocus is relatively slow and can hunt or just give up in poor light, but when it grabs a lock it is very accurate on my example and of course in good light it works fine. This lens is advertised as a macro and that is a true statement - it focuses very close and this is but one reason why it's a really wonderful walkabout lens. The bokeh wide open at maximum aperture is fantastic but is only so-so when stopped down - much like the mid-grade Zuiko digital lenses - and seems to be a curse of lenses in this price range.The build quality is just fine and certainly better than the kit lenses that come with Olympus DSLRs in the box and unlike my Sigma 105mm macro lens it does not feature an annoying screw on lens shade but instead uses a tulip shade just like the ones you are used to using with your Olympus lenses. This lens is not weather sealed however, which one must bear in mind if they're used to the weather sealed Olympus lenses. Also, this lens takes a ridiculously large filter for the size of the lens (it's not a super wide angle lens so I really don't understand the overly large flange on the front of the lens barrel) so plan on your spending there - a top quality front filter and polarizer will easily set you back over a hundred bucks.I have been very pleased with this lens and at the end of the day that's what counts. Olympus does not offer a lens like this and the similar Leica lens (not yet available at the time of writing) will undoubtedly be much more expensive, so with that in mind you've got this lens and the somewhat similar Sigma 30mm lens to chose from if you want a fast prime lens. I chose this one because of the focal length and the macro capability. I've been very pleasantly surprised.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
WAY better than I expected!
By Technology Guru
Let me put the light gathering abilities of the Sigma 24mm F/1.8 lens in perspective.The Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens, at wide open aperture and set to a 24mm focal length, is an f/4.7 lens. Ouch. With the kit lens wide open and set to 24mm focal length, I need 1600 ISO to get a tripod shot of my kitchen at around 1/50th of a second. With the Sigma, I get the same shutter speed with the camera set to 200 ISO. At 1600 ISO, the Sigma shoots the same image at 1/400th of a second.A tripod mounted test on an illuminated indoor target shoots 1/320th of a second at f/5 with the kit lens, while the Sigma set to f/5 shoots the same scene at 1/400th of a second. Another test of another target, this time at F16, has the kit lens at 1/60th of a second, the Sigma at 1/80th. I believe the Sigma has superior lens coatings and more light reaches the image sensor.The 4/3rds mount version of this lens does not have an aperture ring. I was a little disappointed, having hopes I would be able to turn the ring in aperture priority instead of the knob on the camera. Having owned a series of film SLR's going back to the 70's, I still catch myself trying to twist a ring that isn't there!There are a few things to consider...1. Because the sigma is a full frame lens with a four thirds mount, its much heavier than a purpose-built 4/3rds lens. But I must say, it looks good on the front of my E-510, like what one would expect an expensive lens on a high end DSLR to look like. The lens hood is flat black, adding to the appearance.2. It focuses fast IF you remember to disengage the manual focus ring. The user guide says you MAY damage the motor in the *camera* if you leave the manual focus ring engaged in auto focus. However, since our motor is in the lens, I'm not sure if this applies. The instructions don't even reference a 4/3rds mount.3. This lens comes with a one year international warranty, automatically upgraded to FOUR by Sigma for USA purchasers of the lens from an authorized USA Sigma dealer. The extended warranty is not transferable, which is something to keep in mind if you buy the lens used.4. On a full frame camera, this would be a wide angle lens and therefore takes a 77mm filter.Overall, I'm very happy with this lens. Photographs, even at f/1.8, are sharp and clear. Having such a fast lens has opened up whole new areas of photography for me to explore, and the fact I no longer have to use anything over 400 ISO for existing light photographs has made a quantum leap in the quality of my photographs.The biggest negative to the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 is I now despise the aperture of my kit lenses!

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Low Cost Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras Product Description:

• Designed for use with full frame digital cameras. May also be used with smaller APS-c size sensors with a corresponding effective increase in focal length to about 35mm with most cameras
• Two Aspherical glass elements offer correction for distortion
• Floating internal focus system enables a minimum shooting distance of 7.1 inches
• Dual Focus system allows for easy manual override of the autofocus when difficult subjects are encountered
• 9 Blade diaphragm provides pleasant out of focus highlights

Product Description

Sigma's 24mm F1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro lens is a large aperture wide angle lens giving photographers freedom of expression with the ability to set the desired aperture and get as close as 7.1 inches allowing the photographer the juxtaposition between near and backgrounds in the distance. The 84 angle of view is perfect for landscape photos while also great for shooting group shots without distorting the subjects at the edge of the frame and compact enough for working in tight quarter with a single subject. This lens is perfect for photo journalists where it is essential to have a fast, wide angle lens, scenic, social and full-time professional photographers who are in need of a hardworking lens. Extremely compact within the category of super fast wide-angle lenses and totally affordable for the professional as well as aspiring professional and student photographers!

Features Extremely compact with a length of 3.36 inches and a weight of a little over one pound A lens hood, front/rear lens cap and carrying case are included with the lensSpecifications Lens Construction - 10 Elements in 9 Groups Angle of View - 84.1 Number of Diaphragm Blades - 9 Minimum Aperture - f22 Minimum Focusing Distance - 18 cm / 7.1 in. Filter Size (mm) - 77mm Maximum Magnifications - 1 - 2.7 Corresponding Mounts - Nikon (ASP, EX, DG, D) Dimensions (Diameter x Length) - 83 x 80 mm / 3.3 x 3.1 in. Extended Dimensions - 85 mm / 3.3 in. Weight - 485 g / 17.1 oz.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful.
Great quality but a little heavy and big.
By Matt
I wanted a wide angle prime lens that I could take to parties where the shooting distance is always about the same and I could get higher quality pictures than with zoom lenses. Since this lens is fast, f/1.8, it focuses very quickly even in low light. It doesn't have an ultrasonic focusing mechanism, but focus speed is very fast and it has a clutch focusing ring so I can hold the lens and not interfere with the rotation of the focusing ring. The body feels very tight and well put together. The texture and feel are perfect. Picture quality is extremely good. The colors are natural and it's very sharp at 1.8 and is even better at 2.0 and above. Macro is excellent and since it has 9 curved aperature blades, the bokeh looks very pleasing. There is almost no distortion or abberation and focus is accurate. So even though this lens is a bit bigger and heavier than I would like in a prime lens like this, the benefits of brighter viewfinder (due to f/1.8), extemely sharp pictures and very good build quality makes it worthwhile purchase (especially for the price).

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Fast and sharp
By M. Olson
Let's face it - Sigma lenses are just NOT built like the great mid grade Zuiko lenses from Olympus that we know and love. Okay? Now that we've got that out of the way let me be clear: I love this lens. It's fast, it's as wide as an old "standard" lens that we all knew and loved back in the days of film SLRs and it's plenty sharp. I'd rate the sharpness about the same as my Zuiko 14-54mm but not as sharp as my 11-22 DZ or the 50-200 DZ (the best lens I've ever owned) and from what I've seen so far it's sharp at maximum aperture from edge to edge.The manual focus system on this (and other Sigma lenses) is a bit odd and not as convenient as the Olympus system (you have to throw a switch and slide the barrel ring) but it works just fine and has excellent feel and sensitivity (much better than the focus-by-wire on the Zuikos) when you do use it. The autofocus is relatively slow and can hunt or just give up in poor light, but when it grabs a lock it is very accurate on my example and of course in good light it works fine. This lens is advertised as a macro and that is a true statement - it focuses very close and this is but one reason why it's a really wonderful walkabout lens. The bokeh wide open at maximum aperture is fantastic but is only so-so when stopped down - much like the mid-grade Zuiko digital lenses - and seems to be a curse of lenses in this price range.The build quality is just fine and certainly better than the kit lenses that come with Olympus DSLRs in the box and unlike my Sigma 105mm macro lens it does not feature an annoying screw on lens shade but instead uses a tulip shade just like the ones you are used to using with your Olympus lenses. This lens is not weather sealed however, which one must bear in mind if they're used to the weather sealed Olympus lenses. Also, this lens takes a ridiculously large filter for the size of the lens (it's not a super wide angle lens so I really don't understand the overly large flange on the front of the lens barrel) so plan on your spending there - a top quality front filter and polarizer will easily set you back over a hundred bucks.I have been very pleased with this lens and at the end of the day that's what counts. Olympus does not offer a lens like this and the similar Leica lens (not yet available at the time of writing) will undoubtedly be much more expensive, so with that in mind you've got this lens and the somewhat similar Sigma 30mm lens to chose from if you want a fast prime lens. I chose this one because of the focal length and the macro capability. I've been very pleasantly surprised.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
WAY better than I expected!
By Technology Guru
Let me put the light gathering abilities of the Sigma 24mm F/1.8 lens in perspective.The Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens, at wide open aperture and set to a 24mm focal length, is an f/4.7 lens. Ouch. With the kit lens wide open and set to 24mm focal length, I need 1600 ISO to get a tripod shot of my kitchen at around 1/50th of a second. With the Sigma, I get the same shutter speed with the camera set to 200 ISO. At 1600 ISO, the Sigma shoots the same image at 1/400th of a second.A tripod mounted test on an illuminated indoor target shoots 1/320th of a second at f/5 with the kit lens, while the Sigma set to f/5 shoots the same scene at 1/400th of a second. Another test of another target, this time at F16, has the kit lens at 1/60th of a second, the Sigma at 1/80th. I believe the Sigma has superior lens coatings and more light reaches the image sensor.The 4/3rds mount version of this lens does not have an aperture ring. I was a little disappointed, having hopes I would be able to turn the ring in aperture priority instead of the knob on the camera. Having owned a series of film SLR's going back to the 70's, I still catch myself trying to twist a ring that isn't there!There are a few things to consider...1. Because the sigma is a full frame lens with a four thirds mount, its much heavier than a purpose-built 4/3rds lens. But I must say, it looks good on the front of my E-510, like what one would expect an expensive lens on a high end DSLR to look like. The lens hood is flat black, adding to the appearance.2. It focuses fast IF you remember to disengage the manual focus ring. The user guide says you MAY damage the motor in the *camera* if you leave the manual focus ring engaged in auto focus. However, since our motor is in the lens, I'm not sure if this applies. The instructions don't even reference a 4/3rds mount.3. This lens comes with a one year international warranty, automatically upgraded to FOUR by Sigma for USA purchasers of the lens from an authorized USA Sigma dealer. The extended warranty is not transferable, which is something to keep in mind if you buy the lens used.4. On a full frame camera, this would be a wide angle lens and therefore takes a 77mm filter.Overall, I'm very happy with this lens. Photographs, even at f/1.8, are sharp and clear. Having such a fast lens has opened up whole new areas of photography for me to explore, and the fact I no longer have to use anything over 400 ISO for existing light photographs has made a quantum leap in the quality of my photographs.The biggest negative to the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 is I now despise the aperture of my kit lenses!

See all 35 customer reviews...


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Cheapest Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Product Description:

• Filter Size: 77mm f/Stop Range: 1.8-22 Minimum Focus Distance: 7.1 Magnification: 1:2.7 Zoom/Focus C

Product Description

Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro is one of the EX Series lenses. This lens has a fast F1.8 maximum aperture with macro focusing capability of minimum focusing down to 18cm/7.1inches (reproduction ratio 1:2.7). The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus image. It incorporates the floating focus system and uses two aspherical lens elements for minimizing distortion and spherical aberration and astigmatism. Internal focus system eliminates front lens rotation, thus allowing the use of a Perfect Hood and the easy use of polarizing filters. The lens incorporates non-vignetting optical construction, in order to obtain adequate peripheral brightness even at open aperture. This is desirable for digital cameras. The lens also incorporates dual-focus mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, and yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The lens materials used in this lens are lead and arsenic free ecological glass.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful.
Great quality but a little heavy and big.
By Matt
I wanted a wide angle prime lens that I could take to parties where the shooting distance is always about the same and I could get higher quality pictures than with zoom lenses. Since this lens is fast, f/1.8, it focuses very quickly even in low light. It doesn't have an ultrasonic focusing mechanism, but focus speed is very fast and it has a clutch focusing ring so I can hold the lens and not interfere with the rotation of the focusing ring. The body feels very tight and well put together. The texture and feel are perfect. Picture quality is extremely good. The colors are natural and it's very sharp at 1.8 and is even better at 2.0 and above. Macro is excellent and since it has 9 curved aperature blades, the bokeh looks very pleasing. There is almost no distortion or abberation and focus is accurate. So even though this lens is a bit bigger and heavier than I would like in a prime lens like this, the benefits of brighter viewfinder (due to f/1.8), extemely sharp pictures and very good build quality makes it worthwhile purchase (especially for the price).

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Fast and sharp
By M. Olson
Let's face it - Sigma lenses are just NOT built like the great mid grade Zuiko lenses from Olympus that we know and love. Okay? Now that we've got that out of the way let me be clear: I love this lens. It's fast, it's as wide as an old "standard" lens that we all knew and loved back in the days of film SLRs and it's plenty sharp. I'd rate the sharpness about the same as my Zuiko 14-54mm but not as sharp as my 11-22 DZ or the 50-200 DZ (the best lens I've ever owned) and from what I've seen so far it's sharp at maximum aperture from edge to edge.The manual focus system on this (and other Sigma lenses) is a bit odd and not as convenient as the Olympus system (you have to throw a switch and slide the barrel ring) but it works just fine and has excellent feel and sensitivity (much better than the focus-by-wire on the Zuikos) when you do use it. The autofocus is relatively slow and can hunt or just give up in poor light, but when it grabs a lock it is very accurate on my example and of course in good light it works fine. This lens is advertised as a macro and that is a true statement - it focuses very close and this is but one reason why it's a really wonderful walkabout lens. The bokeh wide open at maximum aperture is fantastic but is only so-so when stopped down - much like the mid-grade Zuiko digital lenses - and seems to be a curse of lenses in this price range.The build quality is just fine and certainly better than the kit lenses that come with Olympus DSLRs in the box and unlike my Sigma 105mm macro lens it does not feature an annoying screw on lens shade but instead uses a tulip shade just like the ones you are used to using with your Olympus lenses. This lens is not weather sealed however, which one must bear in mind if they're used to the weather sealed Olympus lenses. Also, this lens takes a ridiculously large filter for the size of the lens (it's not a super wide angle lens so I really don't understand the overly large flange on the front of the lens barrel) so plan on your spending there - a top quality front filter and polarizer will easily set you back over a hundred bucks.I have been very pleased with this lens and at the end of the day that's what counts. Olympus does not offer a lens like this and the similar Leica lens (not yet available at the time of writing) will undoubtedly be much more expensive, so with that in mind you've got this lens and the somewhat similar Sigma 30mm lens to chose from if you want a fast prime lens. I chose this one because of the focal length and the macro capability. I've been very pleasantly surprised.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
WAY better than I expected!
By Technology Guru
Let me put the light gathering abilities of the Sigma 24mm F/1.8 lens in perspective.The Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens, at wide open aperture and set to a 24mm focal length, is an f/4.7 lens. Ouch. With the kit lens wide open and set to 24mm focal length, I need 1600 ISO to get a tripod shot of my kitchen at around 1/50th of a second. With the Sigma, I get the same shutter speed with the camera set to 200 ISO. At 1600 ISO, the Sigma shoots the same image at 1/400th of a second.A tripod mounted test on an illuminated indoor target shoots 1/320th of a second at f/5 with the kit lens, while the Sigma set to f/5 shoots the same scene at 1/400th of a second. Another test of another target, this time at F16, has the kit lens at 1/60th of a second, the Sigma at 1/80th. I believe the Sigma has superior lens coatings and more light reaches the image sensor.The 4/3rds mount version of this lens does not have an aperture ring. I was a little disappointed, having hopes I would be able to turn the ring in aperture priority instead of the knob on the camera. Having owned a series of film SLR's going back to the 70's, I still catch myself trying to twist a ring that isn't there!There are a few things to consider...1. Because the sigma is a full frame lens with a four thirds mount, its much heavier than a purpose-built 4/3rds lens. But I must say, it looks good on the front of my E-510, like what one would expect an expensive lens on a high end DSLR to look like. The lens hood is flat black, adding to the appearance.2. It focuses fast IF you remember to disengage the manual focus ring. The user guide says you MAY damage the motor in the *camera* if you leave the manual focus ring engaged in auto focus. However, since our motor is in the lens, I'm not sure if this applies. The instructions don't even reference a 4/3rds mount.3. This lens comes with a one year international warranty, automatically upgraded to FOUR by Sigma for USA purchasers of the lens from an authorized USA Sigma dealer. The extended warranty is not transferable, which is something to keep in mind if you buy the lens used.4. On a full frame camera, this would be a wide angle lens and therefore takes a 77mm filter.Overall, I'm very happy with this lens. Photographs, even at f/1.8, are sharp and clear. Having such a fast lens has opened up whole new areas of photography for me to explore, and the fact I no longer have to use anything over 400 ISO for existing light photographs has made a quantum leap in the quality of my photographs.The biggest negative to the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 is I now despise the aperture of my kit lenses!

See all 35 customer reviews...


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Price Comparisons Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras Product Description:

Product Description

This super-wide-angle lens is ensured minimal light-fall-off with superior peripheral brightness. The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus images in the foreground and background. This is an ideal DG lens optimized Digital SLR camera. Minimum focus distance The minimum focusing distance of this lens is 20cm (7.9 inch) and it has maximum magnification of 1:4 with fast F 1.8 maximum aperture. The minimum focusing distance of 20cm (7.9 inch) and 94.5? angle of view allow close up photography surrounding the photographic subject. Handling The lens incorporates Dual-Focus (DF) mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since the focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The rear focus system eliminates the need for the front of the lens to rotate, thus allowing the use of a Petal-type hood, which is superior light blocking effect. Incorporated aspherical lenses The use of aspherical lens elements in both of the front and rear lens groups effectively compensates for distortion, spherical aberration and astigmatism.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful.
AMAZINGLY SHARP AND FAST SUPER-WIDE ANGLE
By Canon
I have used this lens extensively with the 1D and the Rebel XT. Results have been excellent. My suspicion is that the previous reviewer got a defective or damaged copy of the lens. It is incredibly sharp, even at f1.8, which I did not expect - generally you expect a lens to be a bit soft wide open, especially 1.8. The degree of sharpness of this lens is quite surprising.I have used, for example, both the Canon 50mm f1.8 and the Canon 35mm f2.0, both of which are deservedly renowned for their sharpness and contrast. I find this lens to be sharper than either of them wide open. The lens provides images which have excellent color saturation and contrast. Of course, at f1.8, depth of field is razor thin, by design, which is great for bokeh or out of focus background, but which also requires care concerning the desired focal point being in focus. Speaking of bokeh, I find it to be very attractive compared to any other lens I have used.Its minimum distance focusing is also quite remarkable. I think it is rated at just under 8 inches, but I routinely focus at distances which seem a good bit closer than that. The lens works well as a macro for many applications, with a relatively strong multiplication factor.Of course, given the inherent light-gathering of a 20mm focal length lens, combined with a huge aperture of f1.8, this lens is outstanding for shooting indoors or in other low-light situations with natural light and no flash.Canon's nearest competitor to this lens is the 20mm f2.8, which is a full stop slower in terms of light collection. I consider this lens to be an extremely good value at the retail price, new. If you can get a good copy used on-line, it will be an incredible value. You may find that you never want to take the lens off the camera because of its versatility as a walkaround lens.This lens has been extremely well-reviewed, by and large, on lens forum sites. I encourage you to check those out. Most people rate the lens 5 out of 5. A distinct minority give it 1 out of 5. I suspect that they either have defective copies which may need repair, or they have inaccurate perceptions of the lens. Also, popular photography magazine online reviewed this lens, as well as the 24 f1.8 and the 28 f1.8, very highly.I would highly recommend this lens to anyone who wants a fast, sharp superwide angle lens.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderful!!!
By Micah
This is one of my all time favorite lenses. I usually just leave it mounted. It's fast max aperture and close focusing make it indispensable to me. Check it out--it focuses to within an inch of the front lens element! [edit: re-checked and it's actually about 3" from the front element. For reference the Nikon 20/2.8 focuses about 9" and the 28/1.4 focuses about 11" from the end of the lens.]I've had one issue-it recently self destructed. The iris folded over itself. It's inside the four year warranty (and damn near the end I might add) so it's been fixed and is currently on the way back to me from sigma as I type this. I'm disappointed it failed, but considering the frame count and price, I can't really complain. [edit: ok, maybe I can complain. It took them no less than five (5) tries to repair it properly. But in the end they did and I only had to pay the cost of shipping the first time. Works at least as good as new.]I paid not much more than $300 for this lens new almost 4 years ago, and I'd gladly pay twice that for the shots this lens has gotten me. I've taken it out in the rain and snow and hail and the fact that it failed only recently attests to the build of this fine lens.Buy it while they still make it! I may buy a backup soon for this reason.[edit: falling in love all over again! This thing rocks on my new d700!]

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Ultra-wide lens with sharpest optics!
By Denzil Thakur
Sigma 20mm EX is an exceptionally well made lens. Performance is extremely satisfactory. It is almost indispensable for me to go without it when I am outdoors. Takes very good wide angle shots of buildings, parks and friends and family picnicking in the park. Shots have come very sharp and crisp with edge to edge brightness and sharpness. 20mm wide angle focal length gives you a very large depth of field which is essential for taking shots of wide open outdoors, filling your frame with a large expanse of ground/sky. Fast f1.8 aperture will let you take snaps indoors in natural light and hand-held shots of lighted buildings etc. in night time. Rear focusing feature of this lens results in fast AF and also the length of the lens remains same. Macro shots of subjects will give you convex mirror type of fascinating images and one can produce far more interesting effects depending on one's creativity.

Indoor flash photography may give rise to vignetting due to ultra wide nature of the lens as most flashes cover only 28mm span. This may probably be solved by using a wide angle attachment on the flash which to my disappointment was not available for my flash (Pentax AF-280T). Also 82mm filters may prove to be expensive. But I think a filter is essential for this lens as the front element glass is very near to the filter area.

All said this is an extremely satisfying buy (most bang for bucks) which gives you great results.

See all 40 customer reviews...


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For Sale Online Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DF RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DF RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DF RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras Product Description:

• Front & Rear Caps
• Lens Hood
• Case
• 1-Year Worldwide Warranty + 3-Year Extended USA Warranty

Product Description

Sigma 20mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical RF is one of several EX Series lenses. It is the first 20mm Super wide-angle lens in the world with a large aperture of F1.8 and angle of view 94.5°. It has Macro focusing capability with a minimum focusing distance of 20cm/7.9inches (reproduction ratio 1:4). The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus image. It incorporates an aspherical lens element in the front as well as rear lens groups, to minimize distortion, spherical aberration and astigmatism. The lens has non-vignetting optical construction, in order to obtain adequate peripheral brightness with open aperture. This is especially desirable for digital cameras. The lens incorporates a rear focus system eliminating front lens rotation, thus allowing the use of a Perfect Hood and easy use of polarizing filters. The lens also incorporates dual-focus mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since the focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The lens materials used in this lens are lead and arsenic free ecological glass.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful.
AMAZINGLY SHARP AND FAST SUPER-WIDE ANGLE
By Canon
I have used this lens extensively with the 1D and the Rebel XT. Results have been excellent. My suspicion is that the previous reviewer got a defective or damaged copy of the lens. It is incredibly sharp, even at f1.8, which I did not expect - generally you expect a lens to be a bit soft wide open, especially 1.8. The degree of sharpness of this lens is quite surprising.I have used, for example, both the Canon 50mm f1.8 and the Canon 35mm f2.0, both of which are deservedly renowned for their sharpness and contrast. I find this lens to be sharper than either of them wide open. The lens provides images which have excellent color saturation and contrast. Of course, at f1.8, depth of field is razor thin, by design, which is great for bokeh or out of focus background, but which also requires care concerning the desired focal point being in focus. Speaking of bokeh, I find it to be very attractive compared to any other lens I have used.Its minimum distance focusing is also quite remarkable. I think it is rated at just under 8 inches, but I routinely focus at distances which seem a good bit closer than that. The lens works well as a macro for many applications, with a relatively strong multiplication factor.Of course, given the inherent light-gathering of a 20mm focal length lens, combined with a huge aperture of f1.8, this lens is outstanding for shooting indoors or in other low-light situations with natural light and no flash.Canon's nearest competitor to this lens is the 20mm f2.8, which is a full stop slower in terms of light collection. I consider this lens to be an extremely good value at the retail price, new. If you can get a good copy used on-line, it will be an incredible value. You may find that you never want to take the lens off the camera because of its versatility as a walkaround lens.This lens has been extremely well-reviewed, by and large, on lens forum sites. I encourage you to check those out. Most people rate the lens 5 out of 5. A distinct minority give it 1 out of 5. I suspect that they either have defective copies which may need repair, or they have inaccurate perceptions of the lens. Also, popular photography magazine online reviewed this lens, as well as the 24 f1.8 and the 28 f1.8, very highly.I would highly recommend this lens to anyone who wants a fast, sharp superwide angle lens.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderful!!!
By Micah
This is one of my all time favorite lenses. I usually just leave it mounted. It's fast max aperture and close focusing make it indispensable to me. Check it out--it focuses to within an inch of the front lens element! [edit: re-checked and it's actually about 3" from the front element. For reference the Nikon 20/2.8 focuses about 9" and the 28/1.4 focuses about 11" from the end of the lens.]I've had one issue-it recently self destructed. The iris folded over itself. It's inside the four year warranty (and damn near the end I might add) so it's been fixed and is currently on the way back to me from sigma as I type this. I'm disappointed it failed, but considering the frame count and price, I can't really complain. [edit: ok, maybe I can complain. It took them no less than five (5) tries to repair it properly. But in the end they did and I only had to pay the cost of shipping the first time. Works at least as good as new.]I paid not much more than $300 for this lens new almost 4 years ago, and I'd gladly pay twice that for the shots this lens has gotten me. I've taken it out in the rain and snow and hail and the fact that it failed only recently attests to the build of this fine lens.Buy it while they still make it! I may buy a backup soon for this reason.[edit: falling in love all over again! This thing rocks on my new d700!]

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Ultra-wide lens with sharpest optics!
By Denzil Thakur
Sigma 20mm EX is an exceptionally well made lens. Performance is extremely satisfactory. It is almost indispensable for me to go without it when I am outdoors. Takes very good wide angle shots of buildings, parks and friends and family picnicking in the park. Shots have come very sharp and crisp with edge to edge brightness and sharpness. 20mm wide angle focal length gives you a very large depth of field which is essential for taking shots of wide open outdoors, filling your frame with a large expanse of ground/sky. Fast f1.8 aperture will let you take snaps indoors in natural light and hand-held shots of lighted buildings etc. in night time. Rear focusing feature of this lens results in fast AF and also the length of the lens remains same. Macro shots of subjects will give you convex mirror type of fascinating images and one can produce far more interesting effects depending on one's creativity.

Indoor flash photography may give rise to vignetting due to ultra wide nature of the lens as most flashes cover only 28mm span. This may probably be solved by using a wide angle attachment on the flash which to my disappointment was not available for my flash (Pentax AF-280T). Also 82mm filters may prove to be expensive. But I think a filter is essential for this lens as the front element glass is very near to the filter area.

All said this is an extremely satisfying buy (most bang for bucks) which gives you great results.

See all 40 customer reviews...


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More Info: See on Amazon.com!
See Customers Review: See on Amazon.com!

Cheap Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DF RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Buy Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DF RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DF RF Aspherical Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras Product Description:

• Lens Construction: 13 Elements in 11 Groups Angle of View: 94.5 degrees Number of Diaphragm Blades:

Product Description

Sigma 20mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical RF is one of several EX Series lenses. It is the first 20mm Super wide-angle lens in the world with a large aperture of F1.8 and angle of view 94.5°. It has Macro focusing capability with a minimum focusing distance of 20cm/7.9inches (reproduction ratio 1:4). The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus image. It incorporates an aspherical lens element in the front as well as rear lens groups, to minimize distortion, spherical aberration and astigmatism. The lens has non-vignetting optical construction, in order to obtain adequate peripheral brightness with open aperture. This is especially desirable for digital cameras. The lens incorporates a rear focus system eliminating front lens rotation, thus allowing the use of a Perfect Hood and easy use of polarizing filters. The lens also incorporates dual-focus mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since the focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The lens materials used in this lens are lead and arsenic free ecological glass.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful.
AMAZINGLY SHARP AND FAST SUPER-WIDE ANGLE
By Canon
I have used this lens extensively with the 1D and the Rebel XT. Results have been excellent. My suspicion is that the previous reviewer got a defective or damaged copy of the lens. It is incredibly sharp, even at f1.8, which I did not expect - generally you expect a lens to be a bit soft wide open, especially 1.8. The degree of sharpness of this lens is quite surprising.I have used, for example, both the Canon 50mm f1.8 and the Canon 35mm f2.0, both of which are deservedly renowned for their sharpness and contrast. I find this lens to be sharper than either of them wide open. The lens provides images which have excellent color saturation and contrast. Of course, at f1.8, depth of field is razor thin, by design, which is great for bokeh or out of focus background, but which also requires care concerning the desired focal point being in focus. Speaking of bokeh, I find it to be very attractive compared to any other lens I have used.Its minimum distance focusing is also quite remarkable. I think it is rated at just under 8 inches, but I routinely focus at distances which seem a good bit closer than that. The lens works well as a macro for many applications, with a relatively strong multiplication factor.Of course, given the inherent light-gathering of a 20mm focal length lens, combined with a huge aperture of f1.8, this lens is outstanding for shooting indoors or in other low-light situations with natural light and no flash.Canon's nearest competitor to this lens is the 20mm f2.8, which is a full stop slower in terms of light collection. I consider this lens to be an extremely good value at the retail price, new. If you can get a good copy used on-line, it will be an incredible value. You may find that you never want to take the lens off the camera because of its versatility as a walkaround lens.This lens has been extremely well-reviewed, by and large, on lens forum sites. I encourage you to check those out. Most people rate the lens 5 out of 5. A distinct minority give it 1 out of 5. I suspect that they either have defective copies which may need repair, or they have inaccurate perceptions of the lens. Also, popular photography magazine online reviewed this lens, as well as the 24 f1.8 and the 28 f1.8, very highly.I would highly recommend this lens to anyone who wants a fast, sharp superwide angle lens.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderful!!!
By Micah
This is one of my all time favorite lenses. I usually just leave it mounted. It's fast max aperture and close focusing make it indispensable to me. Check it out--it focuses to within an inch of the front lens element! [edit: re-checked and it's actually about 3" from the front element. For reference the Nikon 20/2.8 focuses about 9" and the 28/1.4 focuses about 11" from the end of the lens.]I've had one issue-it recently self destructed. The iris folded over itself. It's inside the four year warranty (and damn near the end I might add) so it's been fixed and is currently on the way back to me from sigma as I type this. I'm disappointed it failed, but considering the frame count and price, I can't really complain. [edit: ok, maybe I can complain. It took them no less than five (5) tries to repair it properly. But in the end they did and I only had to pay the cost of shipping the first time. Works at least as good as new.]I paid not much more than $300 for this lens new almost 4 years ago, and I'd gladly pay twice that for the shots this lens has gotten me. I've taken it out in the rain and snow and hail and the fact that it failed only recently attests to the build of this fine lens.Buy it while they still make it! I may buy a backup soon for this reason.[edit: falling in love all over again! This thing rocks on my new d700!]

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Ultra-wide lens with sharpest optics!
By Denzil Thakur
Sigma 20mm EX is an exceptionally well made lens. Performance is extremely satisfactory. It is almost indispensable for me to go without it when I am outdoors. Takes very good wide angle shots of buildings, parks and friends and family picnicking in the park. Shots have come very sharp and crisp with edge to edge brightness and sharpness. 20mm wide angle focal length gives you a very large depth of field which is essential for taking shots of wide open outdoors, filling your frame with a large expanse of ground/sky. Fast f1.8 aperture will let you take snaps indoors in natural light and hand-held shots of lighted buildings etc. in night time. Rear focusing feature of this lens results in fast AF and also the length of the lens remains same. Macro shots of subjects will give you convex mirror type of fascinating images and one can produce far more interesting effects depending on one's creativity.

Indoor flash photography may give rise to vignetting due to ultra wide nature of the lens as most flashes cover only 28mm span. This may probably be solved by using a wide angle attachment on the flash which to my disappointment was not available for my flash (Pentax AF-280T). Also 82mm filters may prove to be expensive. But I think a filter is essential for this lens as the front element glass is very near to the filter area.

All said this is an extremely satisfying buy (most bang for bucks) which gives you great results.

See all 40 customer reviews...


Latest Price: See on Amazon.com!
More Info: See on Amazon.com!
See Customers Review: See on Amazon.com!