[Brightcolours]

But next to this heavy file size battle for me is the problem, the lenses DPReview used to produce the samples are all Art lenses, therefore the camera is merely an appendix to a fat piece of glass - and I'm not even talking about the latest monsters like 20/1.4, 85/1.4 or 135/1.8 (why didn't the y go the full f/1.4? 1 kg are or less, do they care about weight?).

A reason no to make a 135mm f1.4 is limited mount diameter. The Nikkor 105mm f1.4 already shows the effects of that (strong "swirly bokeh"), with a 135mm the problem would be bigger.

[JJ_SO]

They could make it just for Canon. I don't know, first I don't fancy this FL at all, second this glass is massive and strongly forbidden to buy by my back 

 

The "strong swirly bokeh" is something that happens with a lot of lenses if the background is contrasty and speckled enough. Most pictures I've seen showed a pleasing bokeh - but again, that depends on a lot of things.

[Rover]

A reason no to make a 135mm f1.4 is limited mount diameter. The Nikkor 105mm f1.4 already shows the effects of that (strong "swirly bokeh"), with a 135mm the problem would be bigger.

Yea, check out that Mitakon 135/1.4. And it's not even an AF/AE lens!

[JJ_SO]

Originally, Klaus mentioned new firmware for sd quattro, which is alright. The representative of Sigma Switzerland mentioned a couple of quirks on them like a flickering LCD and is not too convinced, but I decided to see for myself as I'm very curious about handling and general features of these bodies. Tomorrow I will travel to La Tour de Peilz, close to Lausanne, and maybe find out some things. More on that later.

 

This evening I already found out: It's not only to latest sd quattros were receiving new firmware. Since this evening I can develop my Sigma files with Capture One and that's pretty aweseome - at the cost of double file size (110 MB... for "only" 19.6 MP). The other downside: PhotoPro 6.5.3 needed and either the software or the camera are showing smearing details.

 

Tomorrow I expect the sd quattro and quattro H to see and try

85/1.4 Art

135/1.8 Art

500/4 Sports

12-24/4 Art (the 14/1.8 Art is not available yet)

24-70/2.8

100-400 contemporary

 

50-100/1.8 I hope they have the Sigma mount with them to try the quattros

 

Oh, and Fuji will bring a GFX50S to the show. I expect a lot of people...

[obican]

Used the new Quattro H with the new 135/1.8 the other day. I don't think anything I've seen comes close to that combo. I want that sensor tech as a digital back for my HB, I don't even care about the resolution. 25MP is enough, I don't care. 

 

Good luck with your tryout tomorrow. You'll have a lot of giggles with the ART series lenses.

[JJ_SO]

The tryout was today 

 

The 135/1.8 and the 12-24/4 made it to my list of investments - these two lenses were the most impressive today, by far. 

 

The 500/4 is lighter than the 120-300/2.8, 80 grams says the specs, but it feels like 2 kg more. The 500 is really nicely balanced. My main reason was the 85/1.4 Art because I wanted to replace the old Nikkor 85/1.4G because of it's massive aberrations wide open - well, massive compared to contemporary tech. Unfortunately AFMA +20 was not enough to correct the AF.

 

A nice surprise was the 100-400/5-6.3 comtemporary, especially because it's FF  :blink:  light and easy to handle, performance was very close to the Fuji 100-400.

 

Well, everything I say: just consider I had not much time to adjust AFMA, the cameras I tried (sd quattro H and Fuji GFX50S) I simply was not used to and I managed somehow, that the SD card I had in the Sigma later at home was not recognized at all by any card reader.  A pity, I wanted to see it's DNGs. I'm pretty sure it's my fault.

 

Some bits I like at the sd - the grip and the battery grip makes it a unit pretty well to handle. Menus are more clear than the Fuji's, but I miss a tilting screen - and the button to move the AF-field is simply misplaced.

 

No matter what, I enjoyed this day very very much. The location could not have been better, the weather was great and I came home with some corrected views and changed opinions.

[Klaus]

I thought you are through with Sigma (cameras)! ;-)

 

The main issue with the Quattros is the lack of appropriate standard zoom lenses.

The upcoming 24-70mm doesn't cut it on the H and the 17-70mm is a bit bleh for the APS-C one (and the 17-50mm is stone-age).

 

The 135 should be here soon. I'm still trying to track down the 100-400mm.

[Klaus]

So how bad is the AF ?

I mean they are using DSLR lenses on a mirrorless camera. The live-view performance on an EOS is Okay for the lab but that's barely something you would you in real life (compared to PD-AF).

[JJ_SO]

I still was curious about the feeling of a sd quattro - to me, it's on par or better than the GFX50 although the cameras are not that much comparable.

 

The AF was doing alright. For a Sigma. Mind you, I'm used to stone age Merrills. And they had the 35/1.4 Art in front of it = small DoF which I can't do with f/2.8 Merills. I'm not a person who cares about standard zooms, so don'r ask me. It's one of few MILC with a 150-600 in front of it - whoever would dare to use it. The shutter reminded me on the clacking choir of a Nikon in LiveView, but who cares when it takes around 4-6 seconds to save the bloody raw?

 

Now, what I definitely loved was when AF missed or dozed or whatever was needed, the mechanical turn of the lens is sooooo much better that Fuji's focus by wire, honestly. And the level: one click and it was visible, perfectly done, one click and the full finder was available. The dials for AF-L or AE-L, for EVF | Auto | LCD - Fuji, you can make these things usable! Sigma prooves it!

 

Of course, I will not spend 2000 bucks on a sd quattro H. I will wait. And wait... I got each Merrill around 300€  No one of the photogs around even cared for the sd quattro section, all were putting their ID cards on the battery of lenses and took their item outside - it was a supercool event, really, you just go, choose and shoot a couple of pics and you go again. The location provided subjects like birds, architecture, landscape, water, macro details like bees

 



 

Original

 



 

Original

 

I was no fan of 135 mm, but this lens is stunning.

 



 

If you need thin DoF with fast AF, this beast is the way to go!