REVIEW: SIGMA 15mm f/2.8 DIAGONAL FISHEYE LENS

Last fall, during a gap semester before college that I personally dub my "East Coast Adventure,"  I took the opportunity to acquaint myself with the intriguing world of fisheye lenses.  Thanks to friend Gary Farber of Hunt's Photo and Video, based out of Melrose, Massachusetts, getting my hands on one was no problem.

The fully-stocked Nissan Versa in Fontana Village, North Carolina.  My first application of the Sigma fisheye lens.
Photo by Matt Reilly

    My tool of choice was the Sigma 15mm f/2.8 autofocus diagonal fisheye lens that fits the mounting ring on my Nikon D3200.  It performed well, with little in the way of a learning curve due to the fixed focal length and auto-focus features.

    While the Sigma Fisheye Lense was tucked away safely in my Lowepro camera bag, another field-test product was enjoying a position as my new favorite and go-to fly rod--the Scion Series Tycoon Tackle fly rod in a 9' 4-wt. model.  The Sigma lens enabled me to capture a few quality shots for my review, while emphasizing one of the novel considerations that shooting with a fisheye lens poses.

  

The Tycoon Tackle Scion riding shotgun.  Photo by Matt Reilly.

    In case you didn't notice in the photo above, the photo above has dark corners, and when I tried to crop them out using Photoshop, it negatively altered the composition of the photograph.  This taught me a valuable lesson about fisheye lenses.

The Scion flexin' on a Rose River rainbow.  Photo by Mat Reilly.

    There are two types of fisheye lenses--circular and diagonal (or "full-frame").  Both lenses achieve the same end--a wide-angle, barrel distortion to images.  However, they achieve this end by different means.  A circular lens features an image circle that is smaller than the sensor.  A diagonal lens's image circle is larger than the sensor, and thus the resulting image is captured with dark edges.  I had the latter.

Marabou Roadrunner jigs made for an exciting evening of fall crappie fishing, and a tasty dinner too!  Photo by Matt Reilly.

    Now I know.  After a full-immersion crash course in fisheye lenses, I now have a slight clue as to what I'm looking for and how to use them.  Regardless of what lens I purchase in the future, the Sigma is a solid option and performs well.□

SG-20: THE BEST NEW PRODUCT FOR KEEPING YOU DRY AND WARM

Two years ago, the second column of the new year was the result of a New Years Day field testing of my new chest waders, entitled "Dressing For a Winter Wade."  Despite the tips offered in that write-up, the most vital step in keeping dry and warm is in regularly checking for and repairing holes, gashes, and thin spots in your waders; and the best preventative measure to take is to own a waterproof sealant that you are confident in.  For me, SG-20 has become that product. 

    SG-20 is an adhesives company that has provided quality, innovative products to the automobile and veterinary industries for more than 20 years.  Now, outdoors enthusiasts will be excited to learn that their most recent project marries a legacy of industrial strength and dependability to recreational applications.

    Recommended for use on neoprene, rubber, canvas, nylon, felt soles, wood, aluminum, steel, polyurethane, cotton, and Gore-Tex® and other breathable fabrics, the new SG-20 is an invaluable tool to all outdoor enthusiasts who expect long life from their gear, as I do.  The product sets in one minute, and is watertight, flexible, and ready for field use within one hour, even on damp surfaces—freshwater or salt.

    Earlier this year, I got my hands on a kit to field test for myself.  I can now say with the utmost confidence that this product is the best sealant I have seen or used—worlds stronger and longer-lasting than the favorite, Aquaseal—and a stronger, easier-to-use, and more versatile adhesive than the common industry favorites.

    My first application involved a pair of seasoned felt-soled wading boots almost totally separated where the rubber midsole meets the the fabric foot liner—trashed after a weekend of garage cleaning.  A zig-zagged bead of SG-20 adhesive along the separation and a minute of constant pressure bonded the two materials and restored the boot’s value.

    My favorite pair of wading boots, a pair of Korkers—a brand featuring interchangeable soles, allowing anglers to utilize the different gripping potentials of felt, rubber, and studs with the same shoe—became my next target.  The plastic button glued into the back of the heel, where a tab on the heel of the snap-in soles secures the sole to the boot, had broken away several months ago, and I was unable to reliably repair it with another adhesive.  A puddle of SG-20 squeezed into the original hole and surrounding the button secured it to the point where I could pull on it with all my strength and not move it.  I have since worn the boots in icy water, tropical climates, and warm saltwater.  The bond remains strong as ever!

    This recommendation comes from someone who is extremely rough on their gear almost every day, yet cannot afford to replace it at a moment’s notice.  Check out SG-20.com and try out this new product for yourself this winter against leaky waders, boots, raingear, and more!□