Is the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 the lens I need?

[NickiNoo02]

I am really new to DSLR photography, I have recently bought a Canon 60D with the 18-55mm kit lens plus a 50mm 1.8 prime lens. I really only take pictures of my kids, they are 11 & 13 yo so are indoors alot of the time.

I am considering what my next lens purchase should be and thought about the Sigma 10-20mm as this fits my budget (around $600).

I'm would really appreciate any feedback or advice anyone has as to best options for lenses for indoors within this budget.

Thanks

Nicole

[PH005]

Hi Nicole. I really dont think that the UWA ( ultra wide angle ) is what you are after. Your 50mm 1.8 should be able to do most of your work indoors. I'm gueesing that you want to do some portrait type shots of the kids. My advise for the $600 would be a 430 EXII flash and a good quality tripod. Get an ext cable for the flash so that you can experiment with different angles of light. A good flash will certainly help and you can then easily shoot indoors with your 18-55. With a tripod, YOU can also be in the shot with your kids. Hope this is of some help.

[dbax]

Hey Nic,
Firstly let me say I haven't used that lens but, its primarily used by landscapers for its wide angle of view. As such many get the 4/5.6 version as its cheaper and they don't require the faster f stop or narrower DOF for landscapes. Also be aware that it will show significant distortion when used near wide open, so for photographing children its probably not the best option. Many on this forum use the Sigma 10-20, I'm sure some will be along soon with first hand advice and other options.

[Kym]

10-20 is great for landscape work. I've used mine for a large group shot at 20mm (but you have that covered already).

I'd probably want longer focal lengths than shorter, eg a 70-300 or something along those lines.

[unistudent1962]

My advise for the $600 would be a 430 EXII flash and a good quality tripod. Get an ext cable for the flash so that you can experiment with different angles of light. A good flash will certainly help and you can then easily shoot indoors with your 18-55. With a tripod, YOU can also be in the shot with your kids. Hope this is of some help.

You shouldn't really need an extension cable for off camera flash with the 60D, like the 7D and now the 600D it supports remote flash from the in-built flash.

This video explains it all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gefc3jgBXk

[PH005]

Well there you go. Another good reason to invest in a flash. Thanks Mark. :th3:

[Jaded62]

Ditto what others have said. The Sigma 10-20 is a great landscape lens and I use mine exclusively for this purpose. Lens distortion would be a big issue indoors with near objects.

[mistletoe]

Hi Nicole

here are a few test shots using that lens from www.the-digital-picture.com that I think show the pros and cons of using a wide angle indoors:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Pictures/Picture.aspx?Picture=2011-01-10_22-27-18&Title=A-Lot-of-Legs

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Pictures/Picture.aspx?Picture=2010-12-25_09-35-54&Title=Christmas-Morning-Hats

As you'ld expect you can cram in the whole family and get nice shots in tight spaces which is good, but theres a fair amount of peripheral distortion which maybe isn't good.

Good luck with your decision.

[Robbo7D]

I am really new to DSLR photography, I have recently bought a Canon 60D with the 18-55mm kit lens plus a 50mm 1.8 prime lens. I really only take pictures of my kids, they are 11 & 13 yo so are indoors alot of the time.

I am considering what my next lens purchase should be and thought about the Sigma 10-20mm as this fits my budget (around $600).

I'm would really appreciate any feedback or advice anyone has as to best options for lenses for indoors within this budget.

Thanks

Nicole

Nicole, sounds like you have the focal length covered for indoors. Why not spend $300 on a tripod & the other $300 on something for the kids to get them outside more.:)

[NickiNoo02]

Thank you all for the info, I had a man in the camera shop advise me that this was the best lens for indoor/kids photography so Im glad I asked for you advise first.

Mistltoe, thanks for those links, it really shows the distortion at the edges.

Robbo7D, my kids are horrified at the thought of doing things outdoors, its too far away from the Xbox/ TV/ Computer, however I have now started dragging them outside to do things so I can practice taking pictures.

I think that I will stick with the 50mm and invest in a good flash and Tripod. (and then keep saving for the 70-300mm which is my " A girl can dream" lens.)

Again thanks so much for the advise.

Nicole

[A Zed]

I got a tamron 24-70mm? (something like that) f2.8 for my canon for around $350 ditched the kit lens for this and it works fine for me, hardly use the 50mm because of it.

and I definitely dont always believe the man in the camera shop - Harvey Norman give some awesoem information (I know they arent a camera shop) explanation as to what more focus points gives was the best ive heard

[Bennymiata]

I'm also in the camp for the flash and tripod.
Once you get a good flash and learn to use it, you'll find it one of the most used accessories ever.
The 430 is very good, and the 580 is fantastic (if you can afford it).

A little tip, if shooting indoors with a flash, angle it up and bounce the light off the ceiling.
This way, the kids won't complain about getting the hard flash right in their eyes and will be happy to pose for more shots!

[lay-z]

Can I jsut pitch in and also suggest to get yourself a medium sized reflector if you have some change left over from the tripod and flash - it give you even more versatility with using natural light and bouncing the flash off the reflector.

[achee]

I had a man in the camera shop advise me that this was the best lens for indoor/kids photography...

Ahhhhhh!!! :eek:

That's disgusting.

[William]

Ahhhhhh!!! :eek:

That's disgusting.

I agree :eek: I've used the 10-20 for 4 years now , And I would'nt recommend it for indoor/kids photography , Full stop , Maybe at a pinch at 20mm , Maybe I should try to get a job at a Camera store if thats the information they are giving out , Hope it was'nt a well known store !! :(

[peterb666]

It is sometimes nice to get a little wider indoors but unless you want to head into landscaping, I don't think the 10-20mm f/3.5 is the right lens. If you want a different 'standard' lens, Canon make an EF-S 15-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens that adds a little versatility at both ends but the gains may not be worth the expense.

I think you could probably be better off looking at a longer zoom lens for when the kids are playing sport or running around in the back yard. A good choice would be the Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom. These are fairly cheap as they often come as part of a 2-lens kit with new cameras. Easy to pick up second hand or you should be able to buy a cheap new one from a debundled kit (i.e. where the kit has been broken apart and the lenses sold separately).

A flash is a good idea. If you don't want the expense of the Canon flash, I can recommend the Nissin Di622 Mk II. This costs around $299 in Australia or half that from overseas. The Canon version will work as a remote flash with Canon cameras that support that functionality. It also has an optical slave mode so you can trigger it with your camera's built in flash to provide side ligthing. Ideal for those family portraits.

[achee]

I have used 10mm (equivalent of 16mm) for shooting little kids - they're looking almost straight up, the camera is pointing straight down, and I'm trying to keep my toes out of the photo. It's a fun shot that gives the kids a huge head... but you'll be over that look after a few goes, and then you'll need a longer lens!

[Speedway]

I have the 10-20 f4-5.6 sigma and it is great for landscapes and buildings but next to useless for people, I can't justify the extra cost for the f3.5 version. My general purpose lens is the 18-250 sigma and I use this for everything except birding, macro and wildlife, the hsm focus is fast enough for 8 fps at motor sport and the IQ is good.
Keith.

[Schmenz]

I have been considering a 10-20 (or canon 10-22) sorry to chime in on this thread, but for landscapes do people have a preference between the sigma and the canon?