SIGMA 14-24MM F/2.8 DG HSM | A
The latest in a long line of Sigma ultra-wide zooms, this one is the best yet
SIGMA’S 12-24MM MARK II LENS WAS A GREAT CHOICE FOR ANYONE WANTING TO SUPERSIZE THEIR VIEWING ANGLES, AND THE NEWER ART EDITION IS EVEN BETTER, GAINING AN F/4 CONSTANTAPERTURE RATING. THE MORE RECENT 14-24MM ART LENS IS MODEST IN ITS MAXIMUM VIEWING ANGLE BUT AIMS TO BE A ‘DISTORTION-FREE’ OPTIC, WHILE ALSO BOASTING A FASTER F/2.8 APERTURE.
BOTH LENSES ARE AVAILABLE IN CANON EF AND NIKON F MOUNT OPTIONS. A REDESIGNED ‘DG DN’ EDITION OF THE 14-24MM IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR MIRRORLESS CAMERAS IN SONY E MOUNT AND LEICA L MOUNT OPTIONS, THE LATTER WORKING WELL ON PANASONIC’S FULL-FRAME BODIES.
AT THE FRONT END OF THE OPTICAL PATH
THERE’S AN ULTRA HIGH-PRECISION MOULDED GLASS ASPHERICAL ELEMENT. TWO ADDITIONAL ASPHERICAL ELEMENTS ARE INCLUDED, ALONG
WITH THREE TOP-GRADE FLD (‘FLUORITE’ LOW DISPERSION) ELEMENTS AND THREE SLD (SPECIAL LOW DISPERSION) ELEMENTS.
THE BARREL AND MOUNTING PLATE ARE IMMACULATELY ENGINEERED, AND THE CONSTRUCTION FEATURES A FULL SET OF WEATHERSEALS. AS WITH MOST ULTRA-WIDE LENSES,
THERE’S AN INTEGRAL HOOD THAT PROTECTS
THE PROTRUDING FRONT ELEMENT, AS WELL AS REDUCING GHOSTING AND FLARE. WHILE THE OVERALL PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS REMAIN FIXED THROUGHOUT THE ZOOM RANGE, THE FRONT ELEMENT EXTENDS TOWARDS THE FRONT EDGE OF THE HOOD AT SHORTER FOCAL LENGTHS.
THE FOCUS RING HAS A SMOOTH AND FLUID FEEL, AND ENABLES MANUAL OVERRIDE OF AUTOFOCUS AS WELL AS PURELY MANUAL FOCUSING. AS YOU’D EXPECT IN THIS CALIBRE OF LENS, THERE’S A FOCUS DISTANCE SCALED BENEATH A VIEWING PANEL.
THE RING-TYPE ULTRASONIC AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM IS FAST AND WHISPER-QUIET IN OPERATION.
AS WITH OTHER GLOBAL VISION LENSES FROM
THE ART, CONTEMPORARY AND SPORTS LINES,
IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH SIGMA’S OPTIONAL
USB DOCK, FOR FINE-TUNING, CUSTOMISATION
AND THE APPLICATION OF FIRMWARE UPDATES. IN-CAMERA CORRECTIONS FOR COLOUR FRINGING, LATERAL CHROMATIC ABERRATION AND PERIPHERAL ILLUMINATION ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE CANON EF EDITION, WHEN USING RECENT CANON DSLRS.