Sigma 10mm F2 8 EX DC HSM Fisheye Review | 54 Data compared

The Sigma 10 mm f/2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM is a diagonal fisheye lens designed for small APS-C sensor digital cameras, offering a maximum 180-degree angle of view. According to the LensTip review, the lens is a major success featuring top-tier EX-series build quality with a metal bayonet and a fast, silent, and highly accurate Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) autofocus system. Optically, it excels by delivering great frame-center picture quality even at its maximum f/2.8 aperture, alongside low coma, minor astigmatism, and remarkably low vignetting of only 15-20% despite the ultra-wide field of view. It also handles shooting against bright light exceptionally well with minimal ghosting and flare artifacts. The primary downside highlighted in the review relates to the physical design of its accessories, specifically that using the standard filters adapter significantly narrows the lens's field of vision. Outside of this accessory limitation, the lens proved so optically and structurally sound that the reviewer admitted they had to actively struggle to find any significant faults with it. The lens package is further enhanced by a generous selection of included accessories...

The Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Diagonal Fisheye is a top-tier lens for APS-C DSLRs, offering excellent, sharp, and well-corrected optical performance. Key strengths include fast, silent autofocus via the Hyper Sonic Motor and a robust, well-built design. However, the built-in, non-removable petal-type lens hood makes it difficult to securely place the camera down without the cap. Its specialized, extreme fisheye perspective is best suited for creative applications like architecture and panoramas, where it ranks as a high-performing, niche, or specialty option.

The Sigma 10 mm f/2.8 EX DC Fisheye HSM is a diagonal fisheye lens that offers an ultra-wide 180-degree viewing angle, which is equivalent to a 15 mm lens on a full-frame sensor. Tested on a Sigma SD1 Merrill with Foveon sensor technology, the lens body is constructed from high-quality plastic with a durable "New & Robust" coating and a metal mount, giving it a solid, tank-like build. Its Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) autofocus operates quietly and quickly, maintaining focus effectively even in low-light environments. Optically, the lens delivers impressive performance with exceptionally high sharpness from its maximum aperture of f/2.8 down to f/11 across both JPEG and RAW files. Vignetting remains virtually invisible during practical use, and the built-in lens hood successfully shields the convex front element against heavy flare and ghosting. The review highlights several distinct pros and cons regarding the overall utility of this specialized lens. On the positive side, it stands out for its high resolution, professional build quality, massive 180-degree field of view, and its ability to keep the entire background sharp from 70 centimeters...

The Sigma 10mm F2.8 EX DC Fisheye HSM is a capable, reasonably priced lens designed specifically for APS-C sensor digital SLR cameras, offering full-frame coverage across Sigma, Nikon, and Canon mounts. Its core strengths include a massive field of view—ranging from 154 to 180 degrees depending on the camera brand—and excellent physical handling, measuring 75.8mm in diameter by 83.1mm in length and weighing 475g. Performance pros highlight a fast, dependable autofocus system with zero issues across multiple tested bodies, alongside a highly practical close-focus distance of 13.5cm that enables 1:3.3 magnification for unique closeups. Furthermore, center sharpness is highly impressive when stopped down between f/8 and f/11, and extreme edge distortion remains well-controlled for a fisheye lens. However, the lens does come with specific drawbacks regarding image quality and application. While it performs beautifully at mid-range apertures, shooting wide open at f/2.8 or fully stopped down at f/22 results in images that are noticeably too soft, though f/4 and f/16 remain perfectly usable. As expected with this focal length, linear structures near the frame edges suffer from heavy curving, which...

The Imaging Resource overview details the launch of the Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC Fisheye HSM, an autofocus diagonal fisheye lens specifically engineered for digital SLR cameras with APS-C sensors. A standout feature of this lens is its dramatic field of view, producing a 180° diagonal angle of view on Nikon bodies (167° for Canon and 154° for Sigma), allowing for striking artistic imagery with highly exaggerated perspectives and barrel distortions. Key pros highlighted include its unusually close minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm (5.3 inches), which allows photographers to get as close as 1.8cm from the front element for macro-style close-up photography utilizing a large depth of field. Additionally, it boasts a fast and quiet Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) supporting full-time manual focus override, an integrated hood to minimize flare/ghosting, and a rear gelatin filter holder for added creative flexibility. While the literature frames the lens's extreme distortion and equisolid angle projection system as major benefits for artistic expression and scientific use, these characteristics also introduce inherent cons depending on the photographer's objective. The primary drawback is that its exaggerated...

The Sigma 10mm F2.8 EX DC HSM Fisheye review by Allan Lee on Shutter Journey Singapore highly praises the lens as an essential investment for travel, architecture, and interior photography on APS-C camera bodies. Tested during a project trip to the Philippines, the reviewer emphasizes that this true diagonal fisheye captures creative, ultra-wide corner-to-corner perspectives with unique distortion. He contrasts its optical performance with cheap in-camera digital filters that merely "bloat" the center of photos, highlighting that this lens preserves genuine depth and image quality. The review details a clear list of advantages and minimal drawbacks for the lens: Pros: It features exceptional build quality and a compact design weighing only 475g, making it highly portable for travel. It boasts a fast maximum aperture of f/2.8, an ultra-close focusing distance of 13cm, and Sigma's "Super Coating" to minimize flares. Additionally, its Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) delivers fast, silent autofocus—a rare premium for APS-C fisheye lenses. A major highlight is the included "Circular Adaptor," which allows users to easily alternate between full-frame diagonal coverage and a circular fisheye effect. Cons: The review...