![]() ![]() At the time that this lens was released, that wasn’t really a big deal, as the main competitors from Canon (35L) and Nikon (35mm f/1.4G) also lacked any kind of weather sealing. In that sense the beauty is only “skin deep”. If there is a shortcoming here it is that the lens does not have any kind of weather sealing. The final flare is to the front of the lens where the lens hood bayonet attaches with a soft touch material transition to the hood. Making a fine manual adjustment can be difficult due to the very small focus throw of only about 90 degrees (the Tamron 35 VC has nearly double that!). The movement isn’t as smooth as, say, Tamron’s new 35mm f/1.8 VC lens, but no real complaints about the feel of the focus ring. It has a nicely ribbed, slightly rubberized texture. The next bevel moves into the slightly wider focus ring. The HSM (Hypersonic Motor) allows for full time manual override. The first bevel flares from the lens mount section into the area of the distance window and the single switch that controls focus (Auto/Manual). The lens has four distinct bevels that flow into a wider section as you move towards the front element. On the bottom of the barrel is an 0xx number which clearly and obviously states the year of manufacture (bravo for simplicity!) An elegant little silver circle with the letter A (for ART) rests next the focus distance window. Less obvious is a very small sized serial number in a grey text that is only obvious under close examination. The lens has small white text on one side that says, “Made in Japan”, an understated SIGMA brand on the top, and then the lens designation and filter thread size near the distance window of the top of the barrel. The blend of textures keeps the lens from being monochromatic or boring. There is a very pleasing blend of glossy, matte, and ribbed surfaces that has both a modern yet elegant design. I’ve reviewed the 50mm, 18-35mm, 24-35mm, and now this lens from the ART series, along with the 150-600mm in both “Sport” and “Contemporary” variants, so the new Sigma look is not quite so new any longer, but I still favor it over most all other lens designs. This lens has brought Sigma a LONG way towards credibility, launching Sigma’s rebranding/coming out party with their Global Vision initiative.Īfter nearly four years Sigma’s somewhat nonsensical “Art” and “Contemporary” categories still make no more sense, but I will concede that Sigma not only dramatically improved upon their older design (which frankly I was not a huge fan of), but have designed some of the best looking modern lenses, period. The importance of this lens to Sigma can been seen in the fact that in the mind of many this lens was considered the benchmark to compare these new lenses to. If you want to see my more typical in depth thoughts, you can find them in this review here. While I will share a brief review of my own here, my goal is more to share some thoughts on how the Sigma compares with other 35mm options like Canon’s new Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM or Tamron’s new 35mm f/1.8 VC lens (click links for CR’s review of these lenses). Justin has already done a great review of the lens several years ago. It has been on the market for more than three years, and has gotten both writer’s ink and photographer’s dollars like no Sigma lens before it. I recognize that I’m a little late to the party in reviewing the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART lens. By: Dustin Abbott – WWW | Facebook | YouTube ![]()
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