super wide lenses

Hi i would like any advice about super wide lenses for my k10d i am thinking about a sigma 10-20mm but i dont realy want the lens to be a fisheye. Are all super wide lenses fisheyes? i dont know please help..

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sanderscapes.com
Pentax k10d + battery grip
sigma 10-20mm
sigma 50mm 1:1 macro with x2 teleconverter
Tamron 17-35mm
Tamron 70-300mm 1:2 macro
Tokina 28-70mm 1:3 macro
Canon ix4000 A3+ photolab printer

The Sigma 10-20 is not a fish eye lens.

For super wide rectilinear, your choices are basically the Sigma 10-20, which is good providing you get a good copy, and the Pentax 12-24.

The Pentax is much more expensive, and 10 is a lot wider than 12. So in value for money, if not absolute quality, terms, the Sigma scores higher.

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Pentax K-3, DA18-135, DA35 F2.4, DA17-70, DA55-300, FA28-200, A50 F1.7, A100 F4 Macro, A400 F5.6, Sigma 10-20 EXDC, 50-500 F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS Samsung flash SEF-54PZF(x2)
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Wide lens designs generally fall into one of two categories, curvilinear (fisheye perspective) or rectilinear (normal perspective).

The Pentax 10-17mm is curvilinear, hence it's name, fisheye. The Pentax 12-24mm and Sigma 10-20mm are of rectilinear design.

Essentially this means that if you were to take a photo of a square building from a point exactly centre to the building, the building would look square in the image and have straight sides. The same image taken with a fisheye lens would produce a barrel shaped building.

That said, there is usually some barrel distortion in rectilinear design lenses causing straight lines to appear curved, especially at the extreme edges of the image. The Sigma 10-20mm is said to have some barrel distortion, the Pentax dA 12-24mm, less so.

These two lenses are about the widest you can go at the moment for reasonable money.

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Peter E Smith

My flickr Photostream

The Sigma 12-24mm is also an option, which again is more expensive but can be used on a film or full frame body unlike the 10-20. It's also said to have slightly better sharpness. I very nearly bought a used one, but instead chose the 10-20. I haven't looked back, it is a very impressive lens. Fingers crossed you can get hold of a good copy.

Toby

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Portfolio

As an amateur I would go for the Sigma, buy it from a reputable dealer like Chris at SRS and be prepared to take it back if you get a lemon.

I have had the pleasure of using the Pentax 12-24 it really is phenomenal, but for amateur use I couldn't justify the extra price tag.

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