Have One to Sell? Sell Now Sigma 1835mm F18 Dc Hsm Art Lens for Canon

Shock, dismay, joy, and envy. These emotions have been running wild since Sigma announced their new 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM lens. Information technology'southward the start lens in our modern historic period to maintain that open of an aperture through a zoom range and it's as well equipped with auto focus. This type of innovation has been unheard of from Sigma until recently, but now it's about expected. The main question I wanted to answer about this lens was: "Is this lens for existent, or relying too heavily on the hyped, somewhat gimmicky nature of that innovation?"

As a note, nigh images below take been downsampled past our content management arrangement to allow for piece of cake and fast loading, but this does touch on image quality. Please click on images below to get the full resolution with proper color and contrast.

For starters, as many of your know, this is not a total frame lens. It is designed specifically for cameras with APS-C sensors, which means you tin't fit information technology on your 5D MKIII or D800. I personally retrieve that though the full frame sensors are dainty, their impact and necessity are generally overstated. Are they cracking? Absolutely. Are yous a bad photographer if you don't have i? That'due south cool.

One time we get past the physical limitations of the lens, nosotros tin can really start to appreciate its build. As I mentioned in my first expect back in May, this lens is cute. It's congenital only similar the 35mm f/one.4, and that's a good thing. It's a gorgeous blend of metallic and condom with but a few plastic parts. At one.78 pounds, the lens has heft, but information technology's not what I would telephone call heavy. Information technology balances deftly between the ii extremes of being too heavy and not feeling similar information technology has a quality build. I hand-held the lens a lot (as opposed to using a tripod) and I have to say I never felt like information technology weighed also much, which was a fear given the size of the lens.

While on that note, the lens is rather large, particularly for what many of you volition exist used to with this focal range. It's a few inches longer than a comparable Canon xviii-55mm or Nikon 18-35mm. The unabridged zoom range is internal, so information technology doesn't change sizes on you lot.

Using this lens is very easy, and the autofocus works, of form, very well in daylight. It's fast and, more often than not speaking, very accurate as all the new Sigma lenses have been. In one example (as you can encounter below) I had an issue with it forepart-focusing, but this is hands remedied with the USB Dock and Sigma software (which are very easy to use).

At dark, the lens is a chip less authentic, but information technology correctly focused (in nearly pure darkness) ten out of xiii times. In a couple cases, it was just a little ho-hum in finding a subject area, past which I hateful it took it about one and a one-half seconds instead of half a second. The performance is on par with what I have found with most good quality lenses on the market, third party or otherwise. No lens is going to hit every fourth dimension in exigent circumstances, so I'g pretty satisfied with how the Sigma did here.

I had a weird outcome with my lens and Sigma says that they haven't seen this earlier: while in automobile-focus, my photographic camera did non beep to alert me that an image was in focus. As shortly as I switched to manual focus, the photographic camera beeped as usual. It only affected the lens while in machine-focus manner. I know many people turn the beep off to brainstorm with, and then it's not going to be a big bargain to them. The viewfinder still flashed red when an image was in focus, I just got no auditory alert.

I actually loved the bokeh out of this lens. It's smooth and fluid, and makes the shallow depth of field really beautiful. Thumbs up here.

Chromatic aberration is extremely well controlled in this lens. It was here that I was probably well-nigh impressed. In studio situations, I saw no chromatic abnormality at all, even broad open up. I was ready to say that at that place was no CA present any until the last day of testing on location when I noticed a very slight majestic fringe appear around a stitched logo on one of my numberless.

This is the only time I saw whatever abnormality, and here it is pretty inconsequential. I dare say the chroma command is meliorate on this lens than on the 35mm f/1.four.

Flaring is decently controlled at well-nigh apertures, though you will see some issues arise when information technology is well-nigh open (between f/1.viii and 3.5). Be aware of this when backlighting with particularly bright light.

Many of yous might have been swayed by images posted that were taken prior to the terminal release of the lens. I'thou actually non sure why Sigma gave the thumbs up to posting images because they 1) were not done with the terminal release of the lens and 2) if the images appeared soft (which they did), they could but hurt the general stance of this lens. At all-time they could take looked good, only would that accept made a major departure to users? I feel like it was an unnecessary risk.

I tested the sharpness of this lens in a number of situations, and found it to be pretty consistent and abrupt at all focal lengths and apertures. Yes, it is most certainly sharpest between f/five.6 and f/7.i, with the best image quality at a broad angle produced at f/2.8. Notwithstanding, it still performs pretty well at f/one.8, just maybe non quite as adept equally many of us were hoping. It certainly is softer than the 35mm f/1.four, but is markedly better than any other variable focal length kit lens in this range that I have used.

Below are a sampling of images taken at 18mm testing sharpness at f/one.8, 2.8, 5.6, vii.1, 11 and 16.

And further are samples taken at the exact same altitude as the images in a higher place, only at focal length 35mm also at f/1.viii, 2.8, 5.6, 7.ane, 11 and sixteen.

You will notice that the 18mm images look a lot softer, and that has a lot to do with that wider focal length. Nosotros increased the angle of acceptance, therefore converging the lines of resolution, which now must fight for the few pixels that will accept their data. This equals less resolution. Below is an image where I increased the amount of space an image occupied in my frame, which gives another wait at the sharpness at 18mm.

In shooting with the lens, I found that it shows a lot of item, simply most of the super fine detail is only visible at the sweetness spot apertures between f/5.6 and seven.1-viii. I of the great things nigh the 35mm f/1.4 was the super fine particular that but seemed to pop out of the lens at any aperture. Though the xviii-35mm does perform admirably, it doesn't really give u.s. those astonishing details that I personally am used to seeing with the top-of-the-line Sigma glass. I suspect micro ghosting is the culprit. This issue is made more than complicated past the less sensitive and smaller APS-C sensor. It's hard for me to actually exist able to judge the lens on its own merits because of the limitations of the sensor.

This state of affairs, for me, keeps the lens under the drinking glass ceiling that exists right above the "prosumer" level of equipment, and for this lens I remember that's perfectly acceptable. Information technology's not designed, I don't recollect, to be pro glass. Information technology's designed to give those college-end consumers a lens that looks neat, shoots well, produces images vastly superior to competitors in the focal range and offers a uniquely wide-open aperture. For that, it easily stands out as a top contender for APS-C photographic camera owners looking to get something far better than a kit lens at a focal range that commonly screams "beginner." I would recommend this lens over the Catechism 18-55mm any 24-hour interval of the week.

I have a hard time deciding if this focal range is useful to a lot of photographers. I certainly appreciate the variable focal length with a constant discontinuity, but the difference between 18 and 35mm in a lot of situations isn't all that much. 18mm, which translates closer to 27mm, isn't super wide. 35mm is smashing (as information technology translates to around 52mm), only I could already own the 35mm f/i.4 if I wanted that. It's just a pasty spot and though it has its uses, they are limited.

The toll point is beyond solid, coming in under $800. For this aperture, that is a feat worth applauding.

What I liked:

Build quality
Wide-open up, constant discontinuity
Quality sharpness
Great chromatic aberration control
Beautiful bokeh
Price Point

What could utilize comeback:

Tin can front end focus (but fixable with USB Dock)
Micro ghosting at broad apertures
Flaring wide open

So is this lens a gimmick? No, it certainly isn't. For Sigma'due south first run at a previously never earlier seen lens concept, this is a rousing success. Information technology may not exist a home run, but it's a solid line-drive double. There are thousands of photographers who will not only love the cost bespeak, but the return on that investment. The issues I experienced with the lens are from a very high level, high expectation standpoint. This is so far Sigma'south best APS-C but lens, and it's the all-time past leaps and bounds.

The Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens will be available July 31 for Nikon, Canon and Sigma mounts.

All images shot on a Canon 60D.

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Source: https://fstoppers.com/reviews/reviews-sigma-18-35mm-f18-dc-hsm-art-lens-4796

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