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Conclusions
The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM must be considered one of the finest 35mm DSLR lenses available today. The sharpness and contrast, bokeh, and correction of color errors is first rate. The resulting images have a terrific “3D” look to them.
Testing done on the Canon 5D Mark III shows that the Sigma 35/1.4 DG HSM is a significant step up from Canon’s venerable 35mm f/1.4L.
Nikon testing remains (against the Nikon 35/1.4G), but the results on Canon suggest that the Sigma will compete quite favorably against the Nikon 35/1.4G, and (speculation) possibly outdo it in some ways (such as correction for color errors). In fact my impression is that the Sigma compares very favorably even against the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon.
Build quality appears to be of a high order (clearly Sigma’s best to date as of late 2012), but until a lens is out there in the field proving itself for at least a year, commenting on reliability and longevity is not possible: pro shooters should keep this in mind prior to making a lens swap.
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Diglloyd DAP is DSLR-oriented, but also contains workflow and other topics. Much of the focus is on Canon and Nikon but also Pentax and Pentax medium format.
Special emphasis is placed on lens evaluation, focusing on Canon and Nikon and Sigma lenses, but with a few others like Rokinon/Samyang.
- Make better images by learning how to get the best results right away.
- Save money by choosing the right lens for your needs the first time, particularly some of the new Sigma Art lenses vs Nikon and Canon.
- Workflow discusses image organization, raw conversion and post processing. Many examples show processing parameters for direct insight into how the image was converted.
- Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops [past 2 years or so].
- Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
- Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
- Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.
Want a preview? Click on any page below to see an excerpt as well as extensive blog coverage, for example on Nikon or on Canon or on Pentax.
