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Sigma 35mm F1.4

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I shot a commercial shot the other day of a guy leaning against a wall . Waist up horizontal with a good amount of space around him. Shot at 1/20th at F8 with two strobes and at 100 percent it's a freaking laser. Maybe one of the sharpest lenses I have seen so far and I had two extremely good Nikons the 85 1.4 and 200 F 2 and this lens is in the same ballpark. Ill post it soon. I landed a huge gig this month that already has me out scouting and getting ready to shoot in a couple week and this lens is going to get a real workout. I am also after a Zeiss 135 f2 ZF.2 coming out which I want really bad for this job. Anyone seen one in a store please let me know.
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Laser says it all, Guy :D.

Which actually makes me a little angry. I mean, why now? Why have we had to put up with second rate, soft wide open, mediocrity from so many lenses for so long? Better late than never I suppose.
 

kuau

Workshop Member
I was thinking about getting this lens also, and like Tim, I am looking for the exact same thing, good planar performance at distance. I am starting to think that this new lens was not designed for this. How I understand it, especially with WA lenses, that something has to give.

The image that Guy is talking about which I am sure is outstanding sounds like what the lens was designed for. Or the image above that Quentin posted, short distance and wide open.

To bad one has to spend almost 3K for a super HQ FF 35mm lens in the form of a Sony RX-1 that Tim tells us all at distant this is the ultimate combo.

It seems unfortunately as MP go up so does our expectation for perfection which in this case why I ended up selling my D800/e. Though as better lenses start to appear I may buy one again, though I will probably wait for the next Nikon body which I hope will have even yet a better LV for critical focus. I like to shoot long lenses, 85mm and up, and at the time, there was no Zeiss 135 yet and I did try the Sigma 180/2.8 but for me I must have gotten a bad copy, and that's when I gave up. Though for me I have to say my Zeiss 35/2 and Zeiss 50/2 shot at F5.6 were actually pretty good at distance. note to Tim A, did you ever try the Zeiss 35/2? It's a great lens at F5.6 at distance. I am finding that all these faster lenses on a D800/e which in theory should be great but at distance they are not.

If I want to get really sharp Landscapes I just pull out my Sinar arTec and 33MP back which is much more forgiving then a D800/E.

Lastly Quentin is correct on his analysis on the Sigma DP2M and DP3M
Outstanding IQ by far best deal going if you can live within its limitations.
I have a DP2M and love it and waiting a bit for the price to come down on the DP3M, I gave up the DP1M because at distance, could not get clean corners.
Though I was not surprised, DP1M with a fixed 19mm lens, not so easy to pull of, again at that focal length something has to give.
 

AreBee

Member
Steven,

I was thinking about getting this lens also, and like Tim, I am looking for the exact same thing, good planar performance at distance. I am starting to think that this new lens was not designed for this. How I understand it, especially with WA lenses, that something has to give.
You make it sound like planar performance is the benchmark to which all lenses should aspire. :confused:

It's a very fast lens. Why would you think the design was optimised for infinity focus? :confused:

Why are you so interested in planar performance? Of all the genres of photography, architecture is probably the only one that comes to (my) mind for which planar performance from a lens is considered by most to be a must. Even then, planar performance is really only an asset if you shoot square on to a building, and more often than not that will return an image lacking in depth, an image less strong than it can be, or both.
 

kuau

Workshop Member
Rob,
Sorry if that's how my post came across to you, yet that is what I am not implying buy any means. Maybe I used the word "Planar" incorrectly.

I was just referring to folks who like to shoot landscape and most of us landscape shooters are usually looking for even sharpness across the frame.

Most lens testing is done at much closer distances and this does not tell the whole story on how a lens performs and most everyone is looking for different characteristics when purchasing a lens.

This is why guys like Lloyd Chambers does a very good job when he reviews lenses, he tries to give the "whole" picture on how a paticular lens performs
 

Shashin

Well-known member
There is nothing on Earth at infinity. To get a sharp landscape, you will want to focus at some other distance.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Well, Steve, how do you account for people getting sharp landscapes from systems that you have decided cannot achieve that? Perhaps these people do know something you don't.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Okay see what you folks think . Shot with the 35mm Sigma at 1/20 at F8 focused right on his face. I did use two strobes and ISO 100 and the slow shutter was to burn in the TV. On tripod. Normal sharpening that I always do, what I find interesting is at 100 percent the micro detail is really damn good.



here is a 1200 pixel crop at 100 percent

 

AreBee

Member
Steven,

No need to apologise. I simply am perplexed as to why some apparently place high value on planar performance from a lens intended to be used for genres of photography other than architecture.

I was just referring to folks who like to shoot landscape and most of us landscape shooters are usually looking for even sharpness across the frame.
I like to shoot landscape. :) A lens' non-planar field of focus is not necessarily a bar to high sharpness across the frame; it simply means that depth of field is closer to the camera in some areas than it is in others. When was the last time you viewed a landscape in which all parts of the composition were equidistant from the camera?

Man makes planar objects. Nature very rarely does.
 
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Hulyss Bowman

Active member
Laser says it all, Guy :D.

Which actually makes me a little angry. I mean, why now? Why have we had to put up with second rate, soft wide open, mediocrity from so many lenses for so long? Better late than never I suppose.
Why now ??

The answer is simple :

The Foveon Merrill sensor.

Some of you might not know it but, with the venue of the DPms, SIGMA developed his own MTF test and computing engine, the A1, which use a sensor derivative from the Merrill Sensor.

Other manufacturers use, in general, Zeiss bench and bayer sensor.

The Power of SIGMA is to have his own EXTREMELY critic MTF machine and the wonderful foveon technology. That lead to better lenses than other manufacturers.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Btw I did use the keystone tool in Capture one but I purposely did not make it dead accurate either for a good reason. If its dead on than the image looks somewhat fake. Funny thing is not sure I'm dead on with focus but damn close enough. I still have to do another fine tuning test on the AF adjust from the repair.

Looking forward to more of these Art series lenses from Sigma. Ill post final after client picks it.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I dunno, focus looks pretty good to me... I can tell by the catchlight in his pupils that Guy was using what looks like the shape of a Dynalight(?) in a white umbrella! Close enough for sure, especially for a moderate-wide :cool:
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Yes exactly whats from this travel kit. I went out with just the umbrellas for this one. Funny i used Dynalites for many years and got away from them but have gone back to them and have to say they improved them a lot and they are so easy to travel with and they get the job done for little money and you dont look cheap on set either. LOL

Dynalite MK16-1222V RoadMax 1600W/s 2 Head Kit (120V) MK16-1222V

For bigger shoots I will add heavy duty stands and big Octa boxes and soft boxes . So I can go very light or go for broke with everything on hand.
 
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