Pros & Cons
-
- Very sharp.
- Maximum f/2 aperture throughout zoom range.
- 11-inch close focus.
- Full-frame coverage.
- Solid build quality.
-
- On the heavy side.
- Distortion throughout range.
- Fall off at wide apertures.
- Very small zoom ratio.
- Omits stabilization.
Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art Specs
| 35mm Equivalent (Telephoto) | 35 mm |
| 35mm Equivalent (Wide) | 24 |
| Dimensions | 4.8 by 3.4 inches |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF |
| Lens Mount | Nikon F |
| Lens Mount | Sigma SA |
| Optical Zoom | 1.5 x |
| Stabilization | None |
| Type | Lens |
| Weight | 2.1 |
The Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art ($999) is the first full-frame zoom lens with a fixed f/2 aperture throughout its range. That means it captures a lot of light—twice as much when shot wide open compared with an f/2.8 zoom—and can shoot images with a very shallow depth of field. Photographers who often switch between 24mm and 35mm primes, or who simply want the versatility of a wide-angle zoom to cover events, are certainly going to be intrigued. But its limited zoom range may turn some shooters off, and while the lens is a strong performer in terms of sharpness, it does exhibit distortion throughout the zoom range and it vignettes at wide apertures. Still, if you don't mind the limited zoom range—and really love shooting with a shallow depth of field—it's a very good choice for a full-frame camera.
Design
Like other lenses in Sigma's Global Vision line, which categorizes glass as Art, Contemporary, or Sports, the 24-35mm ($949.00 at Amazon) is well-built. Its barrel is covered in hard polycarbonate with metal at the base, and tough rubber covers the zoom and focus rings. The zoom ring sits near the base and has markings for 24mm, 28mm, 30mm, and 35mm. The focus ring is larger and sits behind the front element. It requires about 100 degrees of rotation to move from the minimum focus distance to infinity, and has a soft stop at either end. You can continue to turn the ring beyond that stop with no ill effect. There is a distance scale, marked in feet and meters, but a depth of field scale is omitted (as this is a zoom lens). There's a single toggle switch on the barrel, to switch between manual and autofocus operation.
Despite its short range, the 24-35mm is by no means a compact zoom. At 4.8 by 3.4 inches (HD) and 2.1 pounds, it's bigger than Sigma's excellent 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($847.30 at Amazon) and 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($642.78 at Amazon) prime lenses, both of which measure about 3.7 by 3 inches and weigh 1.5 pounds. The 24-35mm has a large front element that supports 82mm filters. A reversible lens hood, front and rear caps, and a soft carrying case are included. The lens is available for Canon, Nikon, and Sigma SLRs.
Sigma uses an internal zoom design, so the element doesn't move or rotate when zooming or focusing, and supports a minimum 11-inch focus distance. It's by no means a macro lens—at 35mm it has a 1:4.4 reproduction ratio—but the lens can lock on to close targets, an effect which can be quite dramatic when shooting at its widest angle. There's no stabilization system, but that's not uncommon for fast zoom lenses—Nikon has just announced its first stabilized standard zoom, the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR II ($2,400), and Canon only offers stabilization in its f/4 standard zoom, the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM ($899.00 at Amazon) .
Image Quality
I used Imatest to see how the 24-70mm performs when paired with the 20-megapixel Canon EOS 6D ($1,999.99 at Amazon) . When it comes to sharpness, there's no disappointment here. At 24mm f/2 the lens scores 2,597 lines per picture height on a center-weighted test. That's better than the 1,800 lines we look for an image, and while there's an 11-percent drop in sharpness when you move from the center to the outer edges of the frame, those edges are still extremely crisp at 2,466 lines.
Stopping down to f/2.8 improves the score to 2,693 lines, and peak resolution is achieved at f/4 and f/5.6, both of which show 2,724 lines. The lens is still a strong performer at f/8 (2,710 lines) and f/11 (2,591 lines). Distortion is an issue, though; at 24mm the lens shows about 2.5 percent barrel distortion, which gives straight lines a distinct curved look. It's something that can be corrected in software like Lightroom CC ($9.99/Month at Adobe) , either manually or via a profile correction. At press time Adobe doesn't include a profile for the lens, but other Sigma lenses are profiled, so expect it in a future update.
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At 28mm f/2, the center-weighted score is 2,339 lines, with strong performance from edge to edge. It improves to 2,500 lines at f/2.8, 2,578 lines at f/4, and peaks at 2,617 lines at f/5.6. There's a small drop at f/8 (2,624 lines) and f/11 (2,539 lines). Distortion is best controlled here, recording 1.1 percent pincushion, which draws straight lines with a slight inward curve.
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At 35mm f/2, the center-weighted sharpness is still excellent—2,465 lines—with crisp (2,371 lines) edges. It improves to 2,500 lines at f/2.8 and f/4, and hits its peak at f/5.6 and f/8, showing just about 2,535 lines at both apertures. Diffraction is a minor issue at f/11, where the lens scores 2,467 lines. Distortion is more pronounced here, however. The lens shows 2.2 percent pincushion distortion, so straight lines will show a pronounced inward curve.
Regardless of focal length, the 24-35mm has an issue with fall-off when shooting at f/2. Images shots at the maximum aperture show a distinct darkening as you move away from the center of the frame. It's a fairly strong vignette, but can be compensated for with software tools (again, Adobe Lightroom CC performs this task admirably). At f/2.8 the loss of light is less severe, and it's imperceivable in field conditions by f/4, but it's something of which you should be aware. The shot below, captured at 24mm, has no distortion correction applied—but if you click on the image, a pop-up window will show the same image with +17 Distortion correciton applied in Lightroom.
Conclusions
The 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art is another unique lens from Sigma, and it's one that doesn't disappoint in terms of sharpness. At f/2 it gathers an incredible amount of light, twice as much as any f/2.8 zoom can, and is capable of capturing images with a very shallow depth of field. But it's hampered by a limited zoom range, especially when compared with its APS-C cousin, the 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art ($598.00 at Amazon) , which matches the field of view of a 27-52mm full-frame lens. If the 24-35mm had just a bit more reach it'd be a candidate for Editors' Choice, but as it stands, it falls just a bit short of that mark.
It's still an excellent lens, and for the right type of photographer—one who may opt for a 28mm prime but crave a slightly wider or tighter field of view when covering events or going on a photo walk—it's a great choice. But another Sigma lens, the 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art ($713.50 at Amazon) , is our Editors' Choice for a standard full-frame zoom lens. It's a very different beast—its 4.4x zoom ratio is more ambitious, but its maximum f/4 aperture isn't going to excite anyone—and is a better choice for most photographers. But if you're not in the majority, and you crave depth of field control, the ability to shoot in very dim light without a flash, and a modest zoom capability, you should give the 24-35mm F2 DG HSM some serious thought when considering a new lens for your gear bag.
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