Help me choose which wide angle lens.

[Alter_Ego]

Just need a little help choosing a wide angle lens.

Option 1:
Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Fisheye Lens

Option 2:
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8

Price difference is vast but money isnt the issue right now.
Ill be shooting mainly landscapes and a few with people in them.

Can someone explain to me why the Canon is so much more expensive?
Also would they both fit on my rebel xs? (pretty sure they do but ill ask just to make sure)

If you guys have other suggestions with an explanation that would be great too. Im kinda in a rush cause i have to order it tonight in order to get it here on time.

 

[Overread]

Both will certainly fit on your Rebel XS - with the Canon EF-S (as in all EF-S lenses) only fitting onto other crop sensor camera bodies (Eg 7D, 60D, 50D all rebel series bodies).

Also the Sigma 10mm fisheye lens is not just a wide angle lens, but a fisheye lens; this means that it has that distinctive curved view to every shot taken with the lens. This effect (for most people) is generally used very lightly for specific shots and then never used again so for most people a fisheye lens is just not what they are really after.

You would be better served looking at options such as:
Canon 10-20mm
Sigma 10-20mm (sigma is cheaper and optically very similar in performance to the canon 10-20mm)
Sigma 8-16mm lens (widest wide angle zoom lens in production and a step above the 10-20mm listed above optically speaking). Note this lens is listed as "note filter compatable" because it has a bulb front element - there are some custom setups that let you use square filter holders and Lee Filters are said to be making a filter holder specificaly for this kind of lens.

There are also a few other options on the market in the wide angle zoom and prime lens options for you to consider.

 

[Alter_Ego]

Most of my shots go into postcards so im not sure if people like the fisheye look on a postcard? I personally like the curve, so im here for different opinions

Also the 10-22mm looks great just added it to my wishlist so right now its between the sigma fisheye vs canon 10-22mm.

 

[Overread]

I would say that for most people a regular wide angle lens like the 10-20mm is a more suitable option for regular wide angle work and people work. You might want to try buying one of the cheap fisheye adaptors sold on ebay. They won't give fantastic image quality (far from it) but they will let you cheapy play around with the perspective of a fisheye lens before you commit to a more serious investment.

The other option is renting the fisheye lens itself - might cost a little more, but at least gives you both the idea of working with that kind of perspective and also the proper image quality you'll get

 

[New Hampshire]

If you are going to use it for more "traditional" landscape shooting then the Canon is probably what you want. It also adds a bit more flexibility to your shooting. But if you are looking to experiment with the a different kind of photography then by all means get the fisheye Sigma. I guess it all comes down to what you are looking to do.

Brian

 

[Alter_Ego]

Thanks guys im gonna go with the canon.