Pros & Cons
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- 4.4x zoom range.
- Constant f/4 aperture.
- Quite sharp.
- Optically stabilized.
- Full-frame coverage.
- USB dock compatibility.
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- Some distortion throughout zoom range.
Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Specs
| 35mm Equivalent (Telephoto) | 105 mm |
| 35mm Equivalent (Wide) | 24 |
| Dimensions | 4.3 by 3.5 inches |
| Lens Mount | Canon EOS |
| Lens Mount | Nikon F |
| Lens Mount | Sigma SA |
| Lens Mount | Sony A |
| Optical Zoom | 4.4 x |
| Stabilization | Optical |
| Type | Lens |
| Weight | 1.95 |
The Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM ($899) is a standard zoom lens for full-frame cameras. Sigma sells it in Canon, Nikon, Sigma, and Sony mounts, and the lens is eligible for the company's mount conversion service if you choose to change systems. The lens doesn't offer the f/2.8 aperture of pro-level zooms, but if you can live with an f/4 zoom it's a great performer and its price tag is reasonable. It's not perfect—there's some distortion and the edges, while still quite crisp, lag behind the more central parts of the frame in terms of sharpness. But given its price, performance, and zoom range, the Sigma 24-105mm is well deserving of our Editors' Choice award.
It's fairly compact too. The lens measures just 4.3 by 3.5 inches (HD) when set to the 24mm position, but it does extend when zoomed. There's a lot of glass in the lens, and it weighs in at just a hair under 2 pounds with a big front element that requires the use of 82mm filters. Sigma includes a reversible hood, and an optical stabilization system is built into versions of the lens that are marketed for Canon, Nikon, and Sigma cameras; Sony shooters can rely on the in-body stabilization that Alpha SLRs provide.
There's a toggle switch on the barrel to disable stabilization when it's not desired—it's generally advisable to disable it when shooting on a stable tripod. The zoom ring sits toward the front of the lens, right behind the front element, and has marked positions for the 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 80mm, and 105mm positions. There's a smaller manual focus ring directly behind it; both have textured grips. The lens can focus as close as 17.7 inches; its maximum magnification is 1:4.6, which doesn't put it in the macro category. If you're in want of a zoom lens that focuses a bit closer, the Canon 24-70mm f/4L IS USM can get as close as 7.9 inches (1:1.4 magnification) at 70mm. The lens is compatible with Sigma's USB Dock, a unique accessory that allows you to customize aspects of lens behavior and adjust focus to perfectly match your camera body.
I used Imatest to check the performance of the lens when paired with the full-frame Canon EOS 6D. At 24mm f/4 that combination resolved 2,708 lines per picture height on our center-weighted sharpness test. Edges are really crisp here, showing 2,300 lines. Stopping down to f/5.6 bumped the overall score to 2,756 lines, and edges also improved to 2,550 lines. That's better than the 1,800 lines per picture height we use call an image sharp. There is some barrel distortion here, about 2.9 percent, which will be noticeable in photos. Straight lines will have a slightly outward curve; it's pretty easy to correct using software like Lightroom.
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At the 50mm position the center-weighted performance is still excellent; the lens approaches 2,500 lines at f/4. Edges are a little softer, but still above our cutoff at 1,806 lines. Narrowing the aperture to f/5.6 gives a very slight bump to the average score, but the edges noticeably improve to 2,160 lines. At f/8 the center-weighted score is just shy of 2,650 lines, and edges are just a bit softer at 2,475 lines. Distortion here, and through the rest of the zoom range, is of the pincushion variety—that causes straight lines to appear to have an inward curve. It's a little more noticeable, visually, than barrel distortion, but the 1 percent that the 24-105mm shows at 50mm, 80mm, and 105mm isn't a huge deal. If you do notice in a shot, a software correction will make short work of it.
At 80mm the lens retains its excellent performance for most of the frame, but the edges drop off in quality. The center-weighted score is 2,430 lines, and edges hit just 1,625 lines. Stopping down improves things; by the time you get to f/8 the edges improve to 1,780 lines and the center-weighted score is just about the same. At 105mm f/4 the average score is 2,500 lines, and edges are an acceptable 1,811 lines. Again there's a very modest improvement by the time you stop down to f/8—the average score hits 2,513 lines and edges near 1,900 lines.
The Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM is a great value for full-frame shooters. It's quite sharp, and although it's on the heavy side, its size makes it a good match for most full-frame D-SLRs, even the relatively compact Canon 6D. The lens is quite sharp throughout its zoom range, and while it doesn't deliver the even edge-to-edge performance the best prime lenses offer, the edges of the frame are, for the most part, quite crisp. If you're in the market for a zoom lens for a full-frame camera, and don't require the f/2.8 light-gathering capability that pro lenses like the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED provide, the Sigma lens is a solid choice, and one that earns our Editors' Choice award because of its value and the quality of images which it captures.
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