The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye and the Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 106mm. The Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye with a length of 69mm, is 37mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM also has a larger diameter of 75mm compared to the Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye's 74mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye weighs 400g, which means it is 155g (27%) lighter than the Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM which has a weight of 555g.
Lens Mounts
Both the Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye and the Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM has the same Sigma SA lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sigma SA lenses are Sigma Quattro, Sigma Quattro H and Sigma SD1 Merrill.
Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye is also available in the Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM is also available in Canon EF , Pentax KAF3, Sony Alpha and Nikon F (DX) mounts.
Focal Range
Sigma 8mm F3.5 EX DG Fisheye is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 8mm.
On the other hand, the Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM has a focal range of 8-16mm and 2.0X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 12-24mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
