I'm thinking of getting a wide angle zoom for landscapes. I sometimes take nighttime shots as well.

I have a Sigma 17-70 which is reasonable wide open but a little soft. Sigma10-20mm zoom seems like it would fill in the lower end for me - but would I be better off getting a prime? Samyang 16mm seems the main choice for night photography and it may be a good one for landscapes - but how much difference would it be to the 17mm end of my Sigma. Would I be better going for 14mm or is there a better wide angle zoom for landscapes?

[Driline]

I was in your same predicament just a few months ago. I purchased the Sigma 10-20 F4-5.6 and ultimately sold it to buy the Pentax DA 14 which I am Very Happy with. The reason I sold the Sigma was that the corner's were somewhat mushy even at high F stops. Also it was slightly de-centered on the left side which apparently is common for this lens. So off it went. The Pentax DA 14 is sharp in the corners at higher F stops and the color and contrast is much better than the Sigma. I was lucky and got mine for about $100 in a camera package on Ebay. Used they go for around $400 or so. Well worth the price though. I highly recommend this lens. I was also looking at the Pentax DA 15, but it's corners were also not that great even at high F stop. Plus if you're taking indoor pics the DA 14 mops the floor with the DA 15

Here's a comparison of the Sigma 10-20 and the DA 14.

Sigma 10-20

You can see how mushy the left side is. Look at the buildings.



Here's the DA 14 NO crop at all needed for sharp corners.



Yea, I know lighting and time are different on both pictures shown here, but I've done the brick wall test and it's quite noticeable here.

Sigma 10-20

[redrockcoulee]

My wife uses both a DA 16-45 and a Sigma 10-20. I use the DA 15 Limited. Each millimeter on the short end makes a noticeable difference. Do you normally prefer zooms over primes and how much too tight or is that your lens is too soft at the wide end?

I am not a wide shooter and since I bought the 15 I seldom borrow the 10-20. A fast wide prime will be close in size to the 10-20.

[eonb]

I've actually got both lenses, the "old" Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4 and the Sigma 10-20 f3.5, not the variable aperture one. I've also got the Pentax 18-135.
Personally, the 10-20 gets used more than the 17-70 (which is ok, but I've never been mega impressed with unless it is stopped well down.) The 10-20 gets used quite often as it is so wide and is handy for shooting large groups of people in a close space. I still fancy a fast prime though...DA 15 limited would be nice!

[robgski]

FWIW, I've used the Pentax 10-17mm quite a bit with my K-5, nice and fishy on the 10mm end, Ultra wide with practically no distortion on the 17mm end, sharp all the way through, great colors as well.

[mgvh]

I have the Sigma 10-20 and the Pentax 10-17 FE. I have taken many good pics w/ the 10-20, but, like @drline, it can be a bit soft at the edges at the wide end. I've ended up using the Pentax 10-17 much more often, partly because it's noticeably smaller and does give great results across its range.

[Kozlok]

The Sigma 8-16 is another choice. Talk about wide!

[mtgmansf]

I have the Sigma Ultrawide 10-20mm f4-5.6 and the Samyang 14mm f2.8 and both are not satisfactory at their widest aperture for night photography, but good stopped down. Overall, I would say the Sigma zoom is not terribly sharp on the K3 or K5 cameras! Pentax 12-24mm might fit the bill and be better, although they are planning a new version of this lens soon that should be weather-sealed and go wider- if you can wait? Have friends that have the Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 fixed aperture and that one is sharper at wider/open apertures. Also, the Rokinon/Samyang 16mm f2 seems to be a good lens for night photography, but not wide enough for me! Agree with other forum members about the Pentax 14mm would be a good choice for wide/night photography. Overall, I would consider two lenses - one for the night photography and a ultra-wide zoom for landscapes. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies. It'd be nice to have both but I'm not sure I could afford both.

There's a Tamron 10-24 as well. Is that softer than the Sigma?

[mtgmansf]

The Tamron 10-24mm is generally not rated as highly as the Sigmas for sharpness. Which DSLR do you have?

[Igor123]

I second the DA12-24...I mostly shoot primes but this one almost satisfies the "stack-of-primes"-concept for me, and I've never had to get anything else in that range. It's good wide open but is a bit on the slow side for night perhaps, F4, but other than that it's great in most aspects throughout the range. Not quite as controlled flare as the the da15 for example, but a lot more versatile with the zoom range. Just my 2c.

The Tamron 10-24mm is generally not rated as highly as the Sigmas for sharpness. Which DSLR do you have?

I've got a K30. K30 seem to have a few issues. I'm thinking of picking up a K5iis if I can find one at a good price.

Lenses so far are the WR kit lens, DA55-300. (Also picked up a Tamron 70-300 macro when the 55-300 was faulty) And the Sigma 17-70 OS HSM.

So I've only got zooms which all can be a bit soft at one end or the other. Something sharper and wider is basically what I'm after.

[clackers]

I've got a K30.

The K-30 is a fine camera, and never mind Driline's unfortunate experience, the Siggy 10-20 is a very good lens, and recommended by this forum's editors. As always, send an individual bad copy back for exchange or refund.

I did this shot with the K-30 and 10-20:

[mtgmansf]

I've got a K30. K30 seem to have a few issues. I'm thinking of picking up a K5iis if I can find one at a good price.

Lenses so far are the WR kit lens, DA55-300. (Also picked up a Tamron 70-300 macro when the 55-300 was faulty) And the Sigma 17-70 OS HSM.

So I've only got zooms which all can be a bit soft at one end or the other. Something sharper and wider is basically what I'm after.

I do not think most wide-angle zooms will be sharper than the 55-300mm - which I also have - and the kit zoom lenses. Probably the best two options that might be good for you= the Pentax 12-24mm and, especially, the Pentax 14mm! However, the 12-24 will be replaced soon and the 14mm is not wide enough for me and many others! (I find myself shooting the Sigma 10-20mm mostly at the 10-12mm end of things!). FYI, I have the Pentax K5II, K5IIs, and the K30. Very little difference - same sensor- in picture quality between them, especially when using the Sigma 10-20mm, 18-55mm, and the 55-300. Especially disappointed by the K5II vs. K5IIs, since I cannot discern a real difference. Maybe if I had some of the better primes - 14mm, 31mm, etc.??? Biggest difference between the K5's and K30, is the build quality IMO, but have not tested the K30 in the same extreme conditions I have used the K5II/s in yet. (used the K5II/s in blistering cold and snow last year in Canadian Rockies at -15 to -25 F, when many Nikon D810's and D800e's failed temporarily, until warmed up!)

[KC0PET]

I considered the 10-20 Sigma also. However, after a lot of reading and pondering I have put that aside for various reasons including some of those stated above. I have a DA15 (which is somewhat redundant to the 10-20) and the DA15 is a very nice lens and recommended from where I sit. What I would really like is a relatively compact 10-12mm prime (the Samy 10mm is too big for my taste). We will just have to see what time brings.