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Sigma 35mm F1.4

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Can someone explain to me why we are having to pay $60+ for a 'Lens Dock' to put firmware onto our lenses that might fix a problem that is Sigma's fault? They should be handing these out freely to anyone who has the issue, period.

Plus, AFAIK, there is no new firmware as yet for this focus error/field curvature problem. So the dock will be useless till that arrives, assuming it does.
Who is to say the problem being fixed is not with the lens but with the camera? I doubt this is in fact "Sigmas fault" at all. It is a solution to camera calibrations issues. Sigma should be applauded, not criticised, for a solution no other lens manufacturer has yet come up with.
 

spotmeter

New member
Just a heads up to those thinking of getting this lens, you might want to wait a little.

Most of the reviews I have read have been done on cameras of lower resolution than the D800/E and the only exception has only so far looked at close range usage. I have been using a brand new copy extensively for a few days now, intending to review it, and I have found that it is less impressive at the edges than early reviews and MTF charts had led me to hope. This finding is clouded by the fact that mine appears to have a mild decentering, making the right hand side slightly softer, but neither edge qualifies as great on this copy. I have sent samples to Sigma to see if they regard it as within spec but I suspect that, for those awaiting a really good landscape lens in this focal length, this might not be it. I suspect that field curvature is to blame but not until I have a certified good copy can I be sure.

It is remarkably sharp on centre, even wide open. But to give you an example, I was so surprised at the edge performance at far-mid and landscape distances that I made a comparison shot at F4 on a Sony RX1, which I regard as the gold standard for edge and corner sharpness in full frame mid wides, and then I down-resed the Siggy/D800 file to the same pixel dimensions and it was, literally, no contest: sure there was still a touch more detail on centre from the Nikon rig but the Sony easily took the edge trophy.

I have repeated my tests of the Sigma at closer range and it seems somewhat better there (excluding the right hand edge weakness) but still not what I would call critically sharp like the Sony is.

One snowfall does not a winter make, and I will report back on what Sigma have to say, but despite the fact that this lens is very nice on centre, has fairly low distortion and aberrations, good flare resistance and is very sharp indeed wide open on centre, it is not currently looking like the answer to 'sharp across the field' needs. For me, that's still the Sony...
Wish I read your post before I bought my Sigma 35mm--it has exactly the same problem. Sharp in the center, OK on the left but everything is smeared on the right. Sending it back to the vendor.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Wish I read your post before I bought my Sigma 35mm--it has exactly the same problem. Sharp in the center, OK on the left but everything is smeared on the right. Sending it back to the vendor.
Sorry to hear that... I have been wondering about whether I now should try a fourth copy, I so liked the look of the files, but it sounds like that water is still too cold...
 

Alon

Not Available
The only reason I stopped buying the Sigma is because of Tim.

Great review Tim. Thank you.

Now, what about the new Samyang T-S 24? And the upcoming Sigma 135mm?
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Thanks Alon - I am also itching to get my hands on the Samyang TS but my hopes are being moderated for the following reason:

The reason so many of us got excited was that the Samyang 14mm F2.8 is so great - but thinking about that it becomes clear that Samyang made the decision to allow distortion to 'all hang out' in order to get the other parameters of the lens to perform so well. But that is not an approach that works with a TS lens, because it has to be quite well-corrected since you can't apply lens corrections later with anything like the same simplicity as you can with a normal lens: there are too many permutations of T and S to allow for, and the EXIF doesn't record them for later correction. This, taken into consideration with the brave announcement and then the slow (and AFAIK delayed) delivery implies to me the possibility that Samyang spotted a good marketing gap in the market and decided to aim at it and work out the exact details later. And the devil, as we all know, is in the detail.

I will be the first to hand my congratulations to them if they get it right but I think the anticipation must be tempered by realism.

As per the Siggy 125. Hmmm. I think I'm about to drop some cash on the Zeiss 135 APO instead!
 
Wish I read your post before I bought my Sigma 35mm--it has exactly the same problem. Sharp in the center, OK on the left but everything is smeared on the right. Sending it back to the vendor.
I just boxed mine up to send it back as well. The smeared edges and pronounced field curvature are non-starters for me.
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
For my style the Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG HSM, is the best lens (18 to 35mm FL) I've used on my D800, period. There's no distortion for environmental portraits, the micro contrast is outstanding and colors are 3D like. Perhaps try using the center AF point and just recompose because this really is one of the best lenses for the D800. I've never been one to to toggle the AF points around while looking in the viewfinder, so perhaps It doesn't effect my work as much as others.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I only use the Center focus point as well pretty much all the time in landscape mode. In portrait mode though not so much with this lens but longer I will move the focus point more towards the top or the right CP in landscape mode. I never totally trusted any AF camera to begin with. I'm old school no doubt about it. I turn mostly everything off and many times I will go manual on everything. Frankly I'm better at manual focus than most AF systems, I'm just not as fast.

Starting in the morning the Sigma will be hard at work. I start a 5 day project that will be a lot of pretty close to wide open shots. Looking forward to finally getting some mileage on this lens. I still need a 135 and I may just get the Nikon 135f2 DC instead of the Zeiss.
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
I am not sure all of the negative comments about this lens are well founded. No lens is perfect but the Sigma is better than most. I can't be bothered measuring and testing the lens, I just go out and use it and get great results. Perhaps in different hands fault could be found. Maybe my copy is better than some others. Maybe I'm less fussy. But I'm happy with it and glad I purchased it.

For the record, I have had significant issues with some medium format lenses and the Sigma and D800E is in some small away responsible for my dumping medium format altogether.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
It's clear that some of us have good copies and some of us have had the 'smeary side' issue (me three times). If I could get a good one, it would be a vey key part of my kit but it just seems tough to achieve that....
 
I am going to be getting a D800e before going to Cambodia/Vietnam in June and I am considering getting one of these but worried Ill get a dodgy copy... should I risk it or just get a Nikon copy?? tough decision!
 

johnnygoesdigital

New member
I think that depends on who you ask. I absolutely love my Sigma 35mm 1.4. You might have enough time to demo a copy.

I didn't have time to adjust AF points as this skier went almost over me...center point and shoot, fast AF too.
 
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Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
I am going to be getting a D800e before going to Cambodia/Vietnam in June and I am considering getting one of these but worried Ill get a dodgy copy... should I risk it or just get a Nikon copy?? tough decision!
What makes you think the Nikon will be any more perfect that a Sigma? The risk, such as it is, applies to pretty much all makes of lens, so as the Sigma is the superior lens design, performs better and costs less, the choice seems simple to me.
 
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