Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM ART review

Sigma 24-35mm f/2
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Wedding photographer and CW reader Chris Giles shared another review with us (after having felt the pulse of the EOS 5Ds R). This time Chris posted his impression and thoughts on Sigma’s new 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM “Art” lens, the world’s first zoom lens for full-frame DSLRs with a constant aperture. And a lens that sells at a very competitive price ($999).

I like Chris’ reviews because they are truly “real-world”. I am much more interested to know how a given camera or lens performs for a professional photographer than to know how it scores at purely engineering-oriented benchmarks. What makes this review even more interesting is that it was done using a Canon EOS 5Ds R, Canon’s new full-frame megapixel champion.

As we all expected, the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM ART lens is another masterpiece by Sigma:

At f/2 this is a sexy lens, I am totally made up with the micro contrast, colour rendition and lens falloff I’m getting. Some of the Canon glass does suffer a little on the 50.6 mp sensor of the 5DSr. Even the 24-70mkii tends to get a kicking (albeit slight) at the outer edges of the frame but this isn’t so apparent on the Sigma 24-35 Art.

About the Canon EOS 5Ds R coupled with Sigma 24-35mm f/2 Chris says:

[the Sigma] just renders so beautifully and I love love love the colours. The Canon 5DSr has a beautiful way of representing colour but that sensor is also totally unforgiving to poor glass when you put an image under scrutiny.

Finally:

I’ve not been so impressed with a lens since the Canon 24-70 mkII and that statement alone says a lot. Even if Canon were to release something with a similar range I’d find it hard to justify the purchase because I can’t see how a lens can be better. Not right now anyway.

If you are on the fence for this lens, you’ll find a lot of helpful information. To some people the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 may look strange. It has a very reduced zoom range and might be better seen as a “bag of primes”. However, you may also say that the “bag of primes” paradigm doesn’t really work since you can get excellent primes that have f/1.4. Chris’ experience turned out to be different:

I didn’t think this lens would suit me. Yet, for medium to close combat scenarios (weddings are a battlefield, soldier), then absolutely this is a lens to use. Looking back I’ve found it hard to accept I was using it just as much as I did.

Chris made all sample pics he shot for his review available for download (64 files, 400MB, a donation is required), just scroll to the end of part 2 of the review. You’ll find many sample pics, shadow recovery examples, and more.

Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM ART is in stock in the USA at $999: Amazon | Adorama | B&H Photo

Sigma 24-35mm f/2

  • EF Mount Lens/Full Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2 to 16
  • FLD & Special Low Dispersion Elements
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor
  • Internal Focus; Manual Focus Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Thermally Stable Composite Material
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Sigma 24-35mm DG HSM ART price check for your country: B&H Photo, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

[via Chris Giles Photography]

Canon deals of the day: EOS 7D Mark II ($1,150), EOS 5D Mark III ($1,999), Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART ($740)

EOS 7D Mark II
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I found some very good deals on eBay.

Top Rated Plus seller GetItDigital on eBay (99.7% positive ratings) has the Canon EOS 7D Mark II . Compare at $1,499. Free shipping in the USA. Please note: this is likely a grey import item.

Same seller also has the Canon EOS 5D Mark III . Compare at $2,499. Here too: most likely a grey import item, free shipping in the USA.

Authorised Canon dealer Camera Land on eBay (100% positive ratings) has the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART lens . Compare at $849. Free shipping in the US. This is an in store demo unit.

More Canon deals on eBay.

Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM

 

Premium deal for our readers: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART at $849 (reg. $949, deal over)

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art
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Edit: the deal is over.

I am very happy to offer an exclusive deal to all Canon Watch readers, kindly sponsored by authorised Canon dealer Adorama.

Get the awesome Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART lens with a $100 discount. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 is yours at $849 by clicking this link and entering coupon code CWWEEKEND at checkout. Regular price is $949. The offer ends Sunday, 8/2/15, 11.59 PM EST.

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens got only excellent reviews. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 competes handily with Zeiss’ Otus 55mm f/1.4, a lens that sells for $4000! Among all the masterpieces Sigma’s optical engineers delivered in the last years, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 might be the best. And, yes, the lens hood is included.

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM

Short Sigma 50mm f/1.4 overview after the break.

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Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM price announced, available for pre-order ($999, coming late July)

Sigma 24-35mm f/2

  • EF Mount Lens/Full Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2 to 16
  • FLD & Special Low Dispersion Elements
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor
  • Internal Focus; Manual Focus Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Thermally Stable Composite Material
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Sigma announced price and availability of the Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM lens, the world’s fastest full-frame zoom lens, and the first with constant f/2. The price is $999, availability expected for late July.

You can already pre-order the Sigma 24-35mm f/2: Adorama and B&H Photo.

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens and camera manufacturer, today announced that the new Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens will become available in late July for the street price of $999.

The 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens is the market’s first full-frame zoom that allows photographers to carry one fast aperture lens that can do the work of three popular fixed focal length lenses – the 24mm, 28mm and 35mm. It includes an optimized autofocus (AF) algorithm for smooth, fast, and accurate focusing, a manual focus (MF) override functionality, and is made of Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) reducing its size and weight.

Built upon the impressive versatility offered by Sigma’s 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens, the new 24-35mm continues the Art line tradition of top optical performance that’s comparable to Sigma’s 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art. It offers optimized lens power distribution, and minimizes spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature. The Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens also features a video-friendly, inner focusing system that eliminates front-lens rotation, enhancing the lens’ stability as well as a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) that ensures a silent, high-speed AF function.

“The combination of fast, constant aperture and zoom versatility will make this lens exceptionally popular for photographers who crave the convenience of wide angle zooms, paired with the performance of fast, wide primes,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The Art lenses have raised the bar for total imaging performance, and this lens is going to make a lot of photographers very happy.”

As with all new lenses under the Global Vision categories, every 24-35mm will be tested using Sigma’s own modulation transfer function (MTF) measuring system, “A1,” in the company’s factory in Japan. It is compatible with Sigma’s USB DOCK, which allows photographers to update the lens’ firmware, adjust focus points and customize full-time MF function settings by using Sigma’s Optimization Pro software. Sigma’s exclusive Mount Conversion Service, which enables users to easily convert the lens’ camera mount between supported versions, is also available for a fee. The lens will be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts.

The Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art lens will also feature:

  • Large-diameter, aspherical lens elements, which require advanced technologies to produce, one “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass, and seven Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements with two aspherical lenses. The advanced optics and optimized lens power distribution minimizes spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature, resulting in outstanding optical performance
  • A video-friendly, inner focusing system that eliminates front-lens rotation, enhancing the lens’ stability and allowing use of circular polarizing filters
  • A Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) that ensures a silent, high-speed AF function. Smoother AF is achieved when the this AF algorithm is optimized
  • Full-time MF by rotating the focus ring of the lens while auto focusing
  • A nine-blade, rounded diaphragm creates an attractive blur to the out-of-focus areas of the image
  • Specifications: Lens construction containing 18 elements in 13 groups; a weight of 33.2 ounces; a diameter and length of 3.4 inches by 4.8 inches, respectively; a minimum aperture of F16; and angle of view (35mm) of 84.1° to 63.4°; minimum focusing distance of 11 inches; and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.4

For information about Sigma, go to www.sigmaphoto.com or follow the company on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Pre-order the Sigma 24-35mm f/2: Adorama and B&H Photo.

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Sigma instant rebates on wide-angle zoom lenses

Sigma 10mm-20mm f/3.5
Sigma 10mm-20mm f/3.5

Adorama has new instant rebates on select Sigma lenses, saving goes now up to $200 (previously $150):

Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM “Art” lens announced, world’s fastest full-frame zoom lens

2435

The Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art lens has been announced. This is another game-changer kindly delivered by Sigma. It’s the world’s first full-frame zoom with constant f/2. Don’t approach it as a zoom, see it as a bag of primes. Pre-orders are not yet open, but you cab get notified when they are: B&H Photo

  • EF Mount Lens/Full Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2 to 16
  • FLD & Special Low Dispersion Elements
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor
  • Internal Focus; Manual Focus Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Thermally Stable Composite Material
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock
Sigma has expanded their ever growing Global Vision line with the world’s first constant f/2 aperture on a full-frame zoom lens, the 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art Lens, available here with the Canon EF lens mount. The groundbreaking aperture combined with the versatile wide-angle 24-35mm focal length allows photographers to easily replace three common lenses, the 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm, with one piece of gear. The lens also offers exceptional control over depth-of-field with an aperture range from f/2 to 16, and when used on APS-C camera bodies it has an equivalent focal length of 38.4-56.

Along with the rest of the Art series, the 24-35mm offers high quality optics with the use of one “F” Low Dispersion and seven Special Low Dispersion glass elements in addition to two aspherical lenses. This system minimizes the appearance of spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature. A Super Multi-Layer Coating is present to reduce flare and ghosting for sharp, high-contrast images and it can focus as close as 11″.

In terms of speed, this lens is equipped with a Hyper Sonic AF Motor which is nearly silent and has an optimized autofocus algorithm for fast, accurate tracking. The body of the 24-35mm is constructed of a Thermally Stable Composite material which performs well in all conditions. The barrel also has a focus ring with grants full-time manual override and the system is designed for completely internal focusing. Further ensuring optimal performance is compatibility with Sigma’s USB Dock for firmware updates and AF microadjustment.

As part of the Art line within Sigma’s Global Vision series, this lens’ is designed to achieve truly notable optical performance and is ideally suited for creative and artistic applications.
The wide-angle 24-35mm focal length effectively covers three common lenses: the 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. This allows users to shoot with just one lens and not worry about carrying additional equipment or swapping out optics in less-than-ideal weather conditions. When used with an APS-C-format sensor, the lens offers a 38.4-56mm equivalent focal length.
Fast f/2 maximum aperture is well-suited for working in low-light conditions and also provides greater control over the focus position when using shallow depth of field techniques.
This lens has been designed using an advanced optical structure to achieve both high resolution and sharpness, along with consistent edge-to-edge illumination. A pair of aspherical elements correct for sagittal coma flare, distortion, and axial chromatic aberration, while also enabling full use of the fast f/2 maximum aperture with maintained peripheral brightness and sharpness.
One FLD and seven SLD glass elements have been incorporated within the lens design to correct for chromatic aberrations throughout the entire focusing range and help to ensure high image sharpness, clarity, and contrast regardless of focus point or aperture setting.
A Super Multi-Layer Coating has been applied to lens elements in order to minimize lens flare and ghosting and contribute to producing contrast-rich and color-neutral imagery, even in backlit conditions.
The integrated HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) realizes quick and quiet autofocusing, which is further complemented by an optimized AF algorithm to produce smoother focusing performance. The HSM also permits full-time manual focus control simply by rotating the focus ring at any time.
A rounded nine-blade diaphragm helps to produce an attractive out-of-focus quality.
The lens is constructed using a Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) material along with traditional metals for greater precision and use in wide temperature variations. The outside of the lens barrel is also engraved with the year of production.
The included lens hood is fitted with a rubber connection for a secure fit.
This lens is compatible with the optional Sigma USB Dock for fine-tuning different lens characteristics and updating its firmware.