SIGMA 35MM F/1.4 DG HSM | A
Uncharacteristically small for a Sigma Art lens, it nevertheless packs a hefty punch in terms of performance
LAUNCHED IN 2012, THIS WAS THE FIRST ART
LENS IN SIGMA’S GLOBAL VISION LINE-UP OF ART, CONTEMPORARY AND SPORTS LENSES. AS SUCH,
THE DESIGN FOCUSES ON ARTISTIC FREEDOM AND CREATIVITY. MANY SUBSEQUENT ART LENSES, INCLUDING THE 50MM AND 85MM F/1.4 PRIMES, ARE PARTICULARLY LARGE AND HEAVY MODELS FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE FOCAL LENGTHS, BUT THE 35MM IS RELATIVELY COMPACT, UNDERCUTTING THE CANON AND TAMRON LENSES FOR SIZE AND WEIGHT.
BUILD QUALITY AND HANDLING ARE VERY GOOD OVERALL, WITH A STURDY FEEL TO THE BARREL AND BRASS MOUNTING PLATE, AND A PLEASANTLY SMOOTH-ACTION MANUAL FOCUS RING. AS WITH
OTHER GLOBAL VISION LENSES, IT’S COMPATIBLE
WITH SIGMA’S OPTIONAL USB DOCK, IN THIS
CASE ENABLING AUTOFOCUS FINE-TUNING AND THE APPLICATION OF FIRMWARE UPDATES. HOWEVER, UNLIKE A NUMBER OF SUBSEQUENT ART LENSES, THIS EARLY MODEL LACKS ANY WEATHER SEALS.
ALTHOUGH IT’S ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS THE NIKON LENS, THE SIGMA HAS A MORE COMPLEX OPTICAL PATH, BASED ON 13 ELEMENTS. THE
OPTICAL DESIGN IS ALSO MORE HIGH-TECH, WITH TWO ASPHERICAL ELEMENTS, INCLUDING A LARGE-DIAMETER ONE AT THE FRONT. IT ALSO FEATURES A TOP-GRADE FLD (‘FLUORITE’ LOW DISPERSION) ELEMENT AND
FOUR SLD (SPECIAL LOW DISPERSION) ELEMENTS.
THE SIGMA IS MARGINALLY SHARPER THAN THE CANON AND NIKON LENSES AT THE CENTRE OF
THE FRAME AND NOTICEABLY SHARPER THAN THE CANON TOWARDS THE EDGES AND CORNERS. CORNERSHARPNESS IS RETAINED WELL WHEN SHOOTING
WIDE OPEN, WHERE AXIAL COLOUR FRINGING IS MORE MINIMAL THAN WITH THE NIKON, ON A PAR WITH THE CANON. RESISTANCE TO GHOSTING AND FLARE IS ALSO GOOD, HELPED BY SIGMA’S MULTI-LAYER COATING.