Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art

Entry Date: 12/2/2024 (Summary in retrospect)

This was the first lens released under the Art line of the rebranded Sigma Global Vision lenses, and the very first f/1.4 lens I had purchased.

Back then I was contemplating getting the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G initially, but just coincidentally when I was shopping for it Sigma released their 35mm f/1.4 Art and after testing the lens in the shop I was surprised at the quality of the lens, and placed an order for it immediately - there was a pretty long waitlist, and I had to wait for a month or so before I could get my set.

I immediately attached it to my D700, and initial impressions were very positive - the lens was sharp even wide open at f/1.4, and it sharpens up really well throughout the frame when stopped down. There are some signs of LoCA when shot wide open, but spherical aberrations are non-existent so you do not get the “hazy” look when shooting wide open, even at close focusing distances.

I shot a lot at f/1.4 (because why not?), and at times when I stopped down to f/2 or f/2.8 for more DoF I was always in awe at the extra details and sharpness that this lens was able to produce - not just on the D700, but on the very temperamental high MP D800 as well.

Colors felt a bit cooler than the Nikkors I was using, but if shot in RAW it was not much of an issue as they could be easily accounted for. Distortion seem really well controlled also for a moderate wide-angle lens, and unless there were absolute straight lines near the edges of the frame, most of the time I do not even bother correcting distortion when post processing.

It was not a heavy lens per se (I am writing this summary in 2024, whereby behemoth f/1.2 lenses exist), but compared to the AF-D lenses of that era it definitely felt pretty substantial. It does balance really well on the D700 that I had though (and the D800 subsequently too).

Autofocus, while not instantaneous, was pretty quick and accurate for most times, though I needed to dial in a +5 in my AF fine-tune as it seemed to front focus just a little. (Side note: I am sooooo glad this is no longer required for current mirrorless cameras). There was some hysteresis in the AF of my copy - focusing from MFD is usually more accurate than focusing from infinity. I developed a habit of rotating the focus ring to near MFD before focusing for AF critical situations (like close-up shots at f/1.4).

As I was experimenting with circular polarizers at that time, I often used it with a CPL filter at the beginning. The lens with its f/1.4 aperture did not have much problems focusing with the CPL, and only in really dim situations AF performance got a hit if I forgot to remove the CPL filter. Side tracking a bit, it was (and still is) very intriguing to see reflections disappear from surfaces as you rotate the CPL filter.

I really liked this lens, and made many memories and photos with it throughout my time with it.

A lot of my favorite photos are actually made with this lens.

Ultimately I decided on the heartbreaking decision of selling it off as I was not using it enough to justify keeping it imprisoned in my dry cabinet. More details on this emotional moment can be read in my post here if you’re interested.