Sigma 8mm , Nikkor 10.5mm or others ?

[kuangozz]

I'm hesitating about chosing a right lens for my panorama project .
I heard that Sigma 8mm gives less shots but not as sharp as Nikkor 10.5mm .
So what is more important for you ? number of shots or sharpness ?
I want to hear your suggestion .
Thank you very much !

[danilo]

It depends, if i want highest quality i use Oly 7-14mm, this lens is extremly sharp even at the corners. For quicker postprosessing i use Oly 8mm fisheye but the corners are a lot softer......

Amanda

[johnwilletts]

This is a problem I've been reseaching for months and I decided to go all the way and get a complete set of new kit - which I got yesterday.
It is:
1/ a Nikon D300
2/ a Sigma 4.5mm circular fisheye
3/ an Agnos click rotator with a Sigma mounting bracket

It produces equi's with 3 shots each with 5 bracketed exposures for HDR very quickly.

And, so far, today I think I've made thr right choice.

Do NOT get a cheap tripod though. Get the most stable (heaviest) you can afford/carry.

Regards,

John

[jaaaab]

Hi John,

It would be interesting to see Sigma 4.5mm coupled with D300 results.

Can you post a pano please?

Thanks :)

[gus]

Hi

Check out www.panoguide.com. The same question has been asked loads of times, Im sure you'll get some info there. Search the forums for "sigma 8m".

gus

[johnwilletts]

Sure - if and when the clouds lift in goddamn country.
In the meantime, have a look at the main Agnos site. There they have demos 2& 3 shots, HDR and regular exposures (albeit low-res JPEGs) and a PTGui template. There seems to be a bit of chromatic aberration at the very edge, but it's only apparent at the extreme nadir which anyhow is covered by a cap or ground shot.

[joantna]

Hi,
in this website you can find some photogrpahs made with sigma and nikkor lenses. The original photograps can be downloaded.

http://www.360precision.com/360/index.cfm?precision=products.camlensinfolist

The results with Nikon D300 + Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED DX are considerably better than with Nikon D300 + Sigma 4.5mm f2.8 EX DC

[izoneguy]

If you are using Nikon I would stick with the 10.5 Nikkor.
I have the Nikon D200 and 10.5 Nikkor and use it with a
precision 360 pano head. This combo gives excellent
results. Look on e-bay for good deals on the 10.5

[RCFisher]

I have both the Nikkor 10.5 and the Sigma 8mm f4 (not the newer f3.5). The Nikkor clearly wins in sharpness and contrast over the Sigma. The place I find that the Sigma breaks down is the clarity of the image beyond 100 ft. Up to that the clarity of the image is good and sharp. If you are shooting real estate and need quick panos then the 8mm is a good choice. Also with the D200 and most likely with the D300 the camera is very quick and with fast flash cards my buffer never fills. My previous camera was the Fuji S2 and I had lots of issues with the speed at which the camera saves the images.

[cheathamlane]

I'm with Bob on the Nikon 10.5 -- a sweet lens. I traded in my Sigma 8mm as soon as I picked up the 10.5. It's good for fewer shot panos, obviously, and was great with my Fuji S2. Also in agreement -- the Fuji S2 was veery slow. :(

Now, on my 5D I use the Canon 15mm or the 24-70 (at 24).