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All posts tagged Art Lens

sigma_24-35_f2_with_lens_hoodAt the end of July 2015 the eagerly awaited Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG HSM Art Lens will be released. This lens will be offered for Nikon, Canon and Sigma lens mounts and is compatible with Sigma’s mount swapping service. What has photographers chomping to get their hands on this lens it will be the first constant aperture f/2.0 zoom lens designed for the DSLR full frame cameras, meaning in plain English you will get three prime lenses in one with this unique innovation.

There is no need to swap lenses with the Sigma 23-35mm F/2 as you will have a 24mm, 28mm and 35mm all in one lens.   Those who have been lucky enough to give it a trial run report it is solidly built with excellent sharpness all in one single zoom lens.

Sigma has been knocking it out of the park with their Global Vision Art-series lenses and the Sigma 24-35 F/2 is definitely a home run. This lens produces crisp images and at F/2.0 the only reported issue is a little softening around the edges that clears up as you stop down with a sweet spot sitting at F/4.0 to 5.6 providing ultra-crisp images.

There is very little chromatic aberration and only minor fringing can be seen in the outside corner of the frame.   The Sigma 24-35mm F/2 has some vignetting in full frame at f/2.0 but tapers off as you stop down. Barrel distortion was detected which wasn’t surprising considering the wide-angle lens but it is well controlled throughout the focal length with the distortion most noticeable at 24mm focal length. The distortion is well under the 1% average and improves with the longer focal lengths to almost zero barrel distortion.

Physically the Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG is well built with Sigma’s Thermally Stable Composite material, matte black finish and well gripped focus and zoom rings. This lens is quite hefty because of being so solidly built weighing out at slightly over two pounds. This makes the lens heavy on the camera with 18 lenses in 13 groups with 9-bladed circular aperture diaphragm, a single flurite like glass element , seven SLD elements and at least one aspherical lens but it is a shorter lens so it isn’t overly awkward or unbalanced.

Sigma continued with their Hyper Sonic Motor drive in the 24-35mm F/2 providing the quick and quiet autofocus. The AF motor is virtually silent and you can feel it more than hear it working. Naturally there is the standard manual focusing with distance scale and an AF/MF switch right on the barrel and 90 degrees of rotation on the manual focus ring.

The early reviews are good for the Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG SHM Art Lens. Those lucky enough to have tested this full-frame three in one lens are excited about the build quality but also the outstanding performance with only slight barrel distortion, vignetting and limited chromatic aberration that most people wouldn’t notice but in testing it was pixel scoped.   It will be a big hit when it hits the stores at the end of the month.

Set your price on the Sigma 24-35mm F/2 DG HSM ART Lens with Greentoe here. 


Overview sigma_311101_50mm_f_1_4_dg_hsm_1045458

Although larger and more expensive than similar lenses, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is a perfectly servicable lens suited for art applications and shooting scenarios where more manual precision may be required. At the time of its release, it was considered one of the better auto-focus 50mm prime lenses on the market.

This lens produces great images with refined sharpness, minimal abnormalities and very little distortion. It’s also great to use if shooting out of focus backgrounds, thanks to the elements that work hard in its camera. Its multifaceted lens elements help it output content most expect of Sigma lenses.

Features At A Glance

  • Compatible with Canon EF cameras
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • Measures 3.36 inches by 3.93 inches, weighs 1.79 pounds
  • One Molded Glass + Three Special Low Dispersion Aspherical Elements
  • Compatible with 35mm and Full-Frame Digital Sensor formats
  • Focal Length: 50 mm
  • Refined Auto-Focus allows more accurate auto-focus
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces glare and ghosting

Key Characteristics

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is compatible with Canon EF cameras. This standard length lens is specifically designed for high optical performance by utilizing its refined components.

The lens possesses a large 85.4mm diameter with a floating system that helps correct vignetting, ensuring peripheral brightness is maintained within images.

This Sigma lens is constructed using Thermally Stable Composite material and traditional metal, affording this lens better precision and versatility in all sorts of temperatures.

Its 9-blade circular diaphragm helps the camera produce great-looking out of focus images.

Lens includes a brass bayonet mount for better accuracy and durability.

Key Features

Four elements comprise this lens’ image refinement system – one molded glass aspherical element and three Special Low Dispersion glass elements. All components help reduce the appearance of sagittal coma flare and chromatic abnormalities, producing high quality image quality and sharpness as a result.

Lens elements have been treated with a Super Multi Coating, which helps reduce glare and ghosting, producing better high quality color fidelity and contrast.

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Hyper Sonic AF Motor features a highly optimized Auto-Focus algorithm. As a result, the lens produces a smooth, fast and silent auto-focus performance. AF Motor also features a full time manual focus control for fine precision through turning the lens’ focus ring when needed.

Fully compatible with optional Sigma USB Dock to fine tune lens characteristics and also updating its firmware.

Pros

  • Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is specifically designed for high optical performance by utilizing its refined components. Best suited for shooting art-related scenarios, due to its optical performance.
  • One molded glass aspherical element and three Special Low Dispersion glass elements do a lot of the lifting work in producing high quality images, along with the lens’ other essentials. They help reduce image abnormalities and produce high quality image quality and sharpness as a result.
  • Large 85.4mm diameter lens with floating system maintains peripheral brightness within images.
  • Thermally Stable Composite material and traditional metal affords this lens better precision and versatility in all sorts of temperatures.
  • The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Hyper Sonic AF Motor produces a smooth, fast and silent auto-focus performance. AF Motor also features a full time manual focus control allow for fine precision.

Cons

  • The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens doesn’t have finely tuned image stabilization when compared to competitors. Chromatic abnormalities may crop up in images at certain settings.
  • The lens isn’t reinforced against the elements like competitors, so it may be tricky to use in different environments.
  • This Sigma lens is heavier and more expensive than similar lens of its class.

Why Should You Buy Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF?

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is a great lens for certain applications, most notably art-related applications. It’s not, however, the best lens for situations where a lot of dust or moisture may be, since it’s not weatherproof. Users of full frame cameras will enjoy this lens simply because it possesses a decent aperture range that outputs very sharp images. For its price, it’s a great alternative to similar cameras of its class.

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