[mst]

Impressive.



http://www.opticallimits.com/nikon_ff/792-sigma3514dgfx



-- Markus

[WyldRage]

If I ever go FF, this is probably the first lens I will buy. Well done, Sigma!

[Rover]

4* and HR is an absolute minimum I expected from this lens. <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> Thanks Markus! I think we're living in exciting times for any (well-off) photographer. Most products released in the last few years are excellent, and tempting (if pricey). The few obvious clunkers are an exception that further proves the rule.

[JJ_SO]

The Sigma is rated a bit too low, I think  It's my favorite lens since I got it last december and it works just excellent with a D800


It costs

 

• 53% of [the Sony
  
• 55% of the Canon
  
• 50% of the Nikon
  
• 45% of the Zeiss
  

 

 

35/1.4


Show me one of these lenses worth the double price.


What I also really like, but was not part of the description: The caps - front and rear - are better than any Nikon caps I've used so far. The front cap is not slipping out of your fingers, the rear cap untightens much easier and is more difficult to loose than the Nikon genuine caps - I'm thinking of replacing about 10 rear caps with the Sigmas. The lens hood is a pleasure to use, this also can't be said of all Nikon lens hoods.


The only thing I found a bit odd: I needed to adjust the AF of the D800 more than average. If Sigma continues this way, I gonna buy the USB adaptor for lens adjustments. Because this lens won't stay alone in my photobag.

[borisbg]

Thanks for all of the reviews Markus. Sigma looks impressive. I was tempted to rent it two weeks ago, but something else came up.

[Guest]

"At f/11 (and beyond), diffraction limits the maximum resolution again."

 

I'm always a bit puzzled when I read this kind of statement because (in this case, and also in many others) it totally contradicts your own data. Your data suggests that every aperture after f/4 is diffraction limited already. You can say that the center resolution drops into very good territory at f/11, though. Anyways, no big deal, but it just feels strange to me to read this sentence and then look at your own graph that shows something else (to me at least). But then, being a scientist in "real life", I might be a bit anal about interpretation of data. 

 

Oh, and let's not forget: Thanks for the latest bunch of reviews. Appreciated. 

[JJ_SO]

Hmmm. beyond f/11 is only one other full stop, f/16 - that is the end of the scale of this lens.

 

At f/11 it is "as bad" as f/1.4, but the corners and borders are more closely to the center, resolutionwise. In practical photography it's very a narrow DOF, you need to focus really precisely on what you want. So, unless you're not trying to make reproductions, you will usually have a limited spot of sharpness in your frame. I think, it's a bit pointless to look for very high resolution over the whole frame.

 

Here I missed it, but if I look at the feathers, it's hard to complain:



 

For me it's as well a perfect lens for handheld nightshots

 



 

And improving my AF skills (or the knowledge how the AF will see what I want to be focussed) is one nice side effect. Matter of fact, I already changed some habitudes.

 

[Brightcolours]

One of those lenses you have to judge on other qualities than resolution measurements, like that 50mm f1.2 from Canon. This 30mm Sigma renders rather nice! 

[Martin_MM]

I do believe in secret oligopoly of CaNikon on the market. Dont tell anything contrary - if Samyang is able to build equal - some testers say even better - lens optically for 400 Eur (yes, no af, I know) and Sigma can produce even better 35/1.4 with even faster af than Nikon for 800€, the Nikon' s price of 1800€ is simply a sheer arrogance!

[JJ_SO]

CaNikon's fast 24 and 35 are somehow quite similar. I was wondering if these two are not cooperating from time to time? One could say, yes, but these are weather-sealed.

 

When I went with the fresh lens from the dealer to the railway station, it was snowing. I knew, it's not exactly weather-sealed, but some snowflakes did no harm to it and I got my first three dozen pictures  which already impressed me a lot.