180 lens for digital slr aps format !!! what for a good new !!!
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0711/07111402sigma45fish.asp
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3336&navigator=6
By the sounds of it, it will be very good news for those with the smaller sensor DSLR's like the D40 and 400D etc allowing for just three shots like you would if using a Nikon Coolpix.
The big question will be what it does when fitted to a full frame sensor camera like the Canon 5D, 1Ds etc. Maybe two shots? Will depend on clarity.
We await news on a release date and a price.
Very interesting!
Regards, Smooth 
Quote: Originally posted by smooth on November-16-2007
By the sounds of it, it will be very good news for those with the smaller sensor DSLR's like the D40 and 400D etc allowing for just three shots like you would if using a Nikon Coolpix.
The big question will be what it does when fitted to a full frame sensor camera like the Canon 5D, 1Ds etc. Maybe two shots? Will depend on clarity.
We await news on a release date and a price.
Very interesting!
Regards, Smooth
Fitted on a 5D Body (24x36 sensor) I think you'll get a cirdular image, like the one you get with the sigma 8mm, but smaller, with black all around. Low interest.
The own indicated price I've seen is 120000 yens, it means 1087 USD or 743, cheaper tha 5DBody + 8mm Sigma !
Looks very nice - I've been holding off buying a fisheye for my new D300 (which arrived yeserday - whoohoooo) and this is very interesting as it uses less shots.
I've posted a very belated thanks for all the help I was given with my 'what fisheye' question earlier this month.
One thing - I'm sure DigitalRev, who sold me the D300, said that Sigma HSM lenses have issues with the D200 which needs some kind of free upgrade.
Vignetting looks minimal which is good (just like the Sigma 8 f/3.5) Chromatic Aberration is quite evident but easy to correct in ACR. Seems a complete waste of sensor pixels and because of this you are far better off with a Sigma 8mm and drum images on a APS-C sensor. All that BLACK is just a waste.
The fact the price is almost twice that of the Sigma 8mm another good reason to avoid it. You would need a very good reason in my opinion to buy a 4.5mm over an 8mm or 10mm.
Thanks for sharing your link and I assume your images..
Regards, Smooth
The best reason is... faster !
Faster taking shots (only 3 instead of 4+top), even with people on the photo, faster and easier stitching.
Another good reason is making panos in small spaces, inside a car for instance.
And with the (announced) 450D, you'll get 12Mpix. I've tried panos with 5D + Sigma 8mm : very nice, very accurate pano.
So I think I'll buy one...
Ooops...
I'm afraid you are right, smooth...
I've followed your link with a few hi-res samples.
I didn't imagine there were so many black pixels with the 4.5 mm... I thought it was like a 5D + 8mm, but it seems it doesn't. About 40% more lost pixels.
Why all this black around the fish image? They shoud have made a 5.5 or 6mm instead of a 4.5mm... I can't believe it. 
Perhaps I'll buy a 8mm instead of a 4.5mm...
Even with the Canon 5D Full Size Sensor and Sigma 8mm you waste a lot of pixels to black but nowhere near what the 4.5mm Fisheye on the APS-C Sensor. 4 (Drum) shots on my 6.3MP Canon 10D APS-C with Sigma 8mm Fisheye gives larger final panoramas than the Sigma 8mm on the 12.7MP 3 shots on the Canon 5D. (taking more shots will not increase this of course because you are just adding "only" to overlap)
OK, the truth is 4 shots on the APS-C sensor camera is enough to cover the full 360x180 panorama except some small patching of the Nadir (bottom) after tilting the camera lens up 4 to 5 degrees to close the Zenith (top) totally.
While I agree with the faster shoot and minimal shots, masking with alpha channels will deal with people moving etc and with a bit of planning and shooting in the direction of "flow" you can minimise double ups.
I don't want to put any Fisheye lens down "I Love them all" I own many and possibly will add a 4.5mm to my collection but it should always be pointed out what their short comings are and as good as this lens appears to be the fact it wastes so many available pixels is a shame. It is a real pity you cannot "zoom" with this lens.
If you want decent output size and quick shooting with minimal shots you need a Sigma 8mm or "Shaved" Tokina 10-17mm Zoom Fisheye and Canon 5D, Canon 1Ds or "Shaved" Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye & Nikon D3.
Regards, Smooth
Thanks for all this infos, I have no doubt you are right, Smooth.
I had a 8mm a few months ago. I have used this 8mm only a few days which before it was stolen (with a 20d and other lenses...) but encountered stitching problems with this lens, perhaps beacause of a bad nodal point adjustment. I have an Agnos M Rotator TCP head.
The subject is common on this forum, but I would like to know your 8mm user's advice : is the nodal point exactly at the gold ring of the fisheye ?
And you mean I can take the 4 shots pointing 4 of 5 degrees above the horizon ?
I thought the fisheye axis should be absolutely horizontal ?
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