Gear Review: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5

Looking for an ultra wide angle lens I decided to give the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 a try. Saying the 10-20 is a wide angle lens is an understatement. At 10mm and close focus the lens acts more like a fisheye than a rectilinear lens; there's tons of stretching, bending, and distortion. This evens out when your focal point is at a distance but up close it's rather wild. It's not the sharpest lens in my bag but few UWA lenses are razor sharp and it's hardly "bad". Actually it's pretty good if you stop down to f/5.6 or so. I found the AF motor (Sigma's HSM) to be fast and quiet, rarely hunting for focus even in challenging light.

I'll say at this point I'm satisfied with the performance of the lens and give it a solid B+ based on my limited experience with it.

From Sigma's Website:

SPECIFICATIONS

Lens Construction	13 Elements in 10 Groups
Angle of View	102.4° - 63.8°
Number of Diaphragm Blades	7
Mininum Aperture	f22
Minimum Focusing Distance	24 cm / 9.4 in
Filter Size (mm)	82
Maximum Magnifications	1:6.6
Dimensions (Diameter x Length)	87.3 x 88.2 mm/3.4 x 3.5 in
Weight	520g / 18.3oz.
HSM - Hyper-Sonic Motor EX - EX Lens DC - DC for Digital Lens Hood: Petal Type * The appearance, specifications, and the like of the product are subject to change for improvement without notice. * Vignetting will occur if the lens is used with 35mm SLR cameras or digital cameras with image sensors larger than APS-C size. * Pentax mount, if the camera body does not support HSM, auto focus will not be available. * Nikon Mount Built in motor lens: compatible with D40, D40x, D60, D3000, D5000

Checkout some sample photos for the first outing here:
Sigma 10-20mm Sample shots

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