Pros & Cons
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- Very sharp.
- Wide aperture.
- Attractive price.
- Available for multiple camera systems.
- Solid build quality.
- Eligible for mount conversion.
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- Heavy vignette effect.
- Omits image stabilization.
- Not the best option for ultra-high-resolution cameras.
Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Specs
| Type | Lens |
At the time of its launch in 2013, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($899) was a revelation. As the first full-frame prime lens in the company's Global Vision Art series it made a big impact, undercutting other f/1.4 lenses in price without sacrificing image or build quality. Over the time since we first reviewed the lens the competition has gotten stiffer, and image sensors have dramatically increased in resolution, so we're updating our take to look at the lens on both 20MP and 50MP bodies. Even though it falls a little short of the Canon competition when paired with a 50MP sensor, it retains our Editors' Choice based on its value and superb performance with more mainstream cameras. The stiffest competition in its price range is the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD ($599.00 at Amazon) , another Editors' Choice that sacrifices some light-gathering capability and shows more chromatic aberration, but adds image stabilization, a boon for handheld video recording.
Design
The 35mm Art ($642.78 at Amazon) is typically sized for an f/1.4 prime of its focal length. It measures 3.7 by 3 inches (HD), weighs 1.5 pounds, and supports 67mm front filters. Its barrel is a mix of metal and polycarbonate, finished in black. A reversible lens hood is included.
Sigma markets the 35mm for a number of SLR systems: Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sigma SA, and Sony A. There are are also mirrorless versions for Leica/Panasonic/Sigma L-mount and Sony E-mount cameras. It can be paired with either a full-frame or APS-C camera body, and if you change systems at some point you can send the lens to Sigma to have its mount changed for a nominal fee.
An internal motor drives focus quickly on the bodies with which I've paired the lens. Full-time manual focus override is available by turning the focus ring, which sits at the front and is covered in textured rubber. There is a focus toggle switch, useful if you want to disable autofocus entirely.
Focus is possible as close as 11.8 inches, magnifying subjects at 1:5 life-size. That's pretty typical for a 35mm f/1.4 lens. If you want a 35mm with near macro performance, consider the Tamron SP 35mm—it locks on at 7.9 inches, which results in a 1:2.5 magnification ratio. A small window at the top of the barrel shows the current focus distance, with markings in feet and meters.
Image Quality
I've tested the Sigma 35mm with a pair of cameras, the 20MP Canon EOS 6D ($1,999.99 at Amazon) and the 50MP Canon EOS 5DS R ($3,699.00 at Amazon) . With the 6D, which has a sensor resolution in line with most current full-frame SLRs, the lens manages a very strong 2,438 lines per picture height on the center-weighted Imatest evaluation. That's better than the 1,800 lines we want to see at a minimum from a lens when paired with a sensor in the 18 to 24MP range. It increases slightly as you stop down, peaking at 2,625 lines at f/5.6—that's about as much resolution as you can hope for from the 6D.
When paired with the 50MP 5DS R, results aren't quite as outstanding. At f/1.4 the lens shows 2,567 lines, which is better than the 2,220 lines we want to see at a minimum from a high-resolution system. But it's a bit shy of what the pricier Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM ($1,699.00 at Amazon) scores at the same aperture with the same camera body—3,448 lines. If you're shooting with a 5DS R you're likely in want of resolution above all, and will find it worth it to pay for the Canon lens.
That's not to say the Sigma is a poor performer when paired with a high-resolution sensor. Its center is extremely sharp at f/1.4, although as you move away (to the middle and outer third of the frame) the resolution dips to about 2,100 lines, which appears slightly soft.
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Narrowing the aperture to f/2 improves overall score to 3,100 lines, with strong performance in the middle and edges of the frame (2,400 lines). There's further improvement at f/2.8 (3,226 lines), f/4 (3,809 lines), and f/5.6 (4,386 lines). Diffraction sets in at f/8 with the 5DS R sensor, cutting the resolution a bit, but still managing a superb 3,985-line score. It's more of an issue at f/11 (3,630 lines) and f/16 (2,966 lines).
Canon isn't the only camera maker out there with a high-resolution sensor, of course. Both the Nikon D810 ($1,996.95 at Amazon) and Pentax K-1 ($1,335.00 at Amazon) sport 36MP imagers, and the upcoming Sony Alpha 99 II pushes the envelope to 42MP. Results from different cameras aren't direclty comparable, but you can get a ballpark idea from looking at test numbers from one system to another.
I recommend the Sigma 35mm Art over the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G ($1,546.95 at Amazon) , which underperforms when you consider its price. The closest lens to the Sigma in the Pentax world is the SMC FA 31mm Limited ($896.95 at Amazon) , an f/1.8 prime that isn't the Sigma's optical equal, but has a distinct look and charm of its own. Sony sells a 35mm f/1.4G ($1,499.99) for the Alpha 99 II, but we haven't tested it. It's an older lens with a screw-drive focus system, and others who have evaluated it state that it's on the soft side, which makes the Sigma sound like a better option.
Sharpness isn't the only aspect of lens performance that's important, of course. The Sigma 35mm shows about 1.6 percent barrel distortion, typical for a lens of its type. It's a mild effect that you'll likely notice in architectural shots or images with a clear horizon line, and is easily removed using a lens profile or the distortion correction tool available in Lightroom ($9.99/Month at Adobe) .
The Sigma 35mm does show a strong vignette effect, dimming corners and edges at wide apertures. Image corners lag behind the center by -5.7EV at f/1.4, a deficit that's cut to -3.2EV at f/2, -1.5EV at f/2.8, and -1EV at f/4. At narrower apertures it's not noticeable in field conditions. As with distortion, you can brighten corners and edges in Lightroom. The pricier Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM shows about the same amount of the vignette effect. The best fast 35mm we've seen in controlling it is the Tamron SP 35mm, which shows just -1.4EV at f/1.8. But the Tamron has more of a tendency to exhibit chromatic abberation, in the form of purple color fringing, which both the Sigma and Canon lenses avoid.
Conclusions
The Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art isn't the only third-party option in town. The Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 has its own set of benefits, including a lower price tag, more uniform illumination, closer focus, and image stabilization. But it also has two big drawbacks—a maximum aperture of f/1.8, which cuts light-gathering by close to half, and a tendency to exhibit chromatic aberration.
For most SLR owners, the Sigma is the best 35mm f/1.4 lens available. It captures crisp images at every f-stop, has a wide maximum aperture for shooting in low-light and capturing photos with a shallow depth of field, and comes in at a much lower price than alternatives from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony. The only caveat I offer is that owners of the Canon EOS 5DS ($1,216.28 at Walmart) and 5DS R should consider the EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM—it's twice the price, but worth it for phographers in search of the highest resolution when shooting at wide apertures. For everyone else, the Sigma remains the best option, and our Editors' Choice.
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