Sigma 35mm 1.4 DG Review

THE SIGMA STIGMA...
Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG Hands on

The Sigma 35 1.4 Nikon versions only been out for a month or so and go for around $950 new. Compared to the Nikon 35mm 1.4G which retails for around $1850. There aren't too many used Sigma's on the market due to its age, but used Nikon 35mm 1.4G's are hard to come buy and sell quick. Usually selling for around $1600
Designed for full frame DSLR's this is not for DX or APS-C sized sensors. For DX rather pick up Nikon's 35mm 1.8G for $250

I have always been a Nikon guy and had bought nothing but Nikon lenses, with the exception of a Tokina 12-24mm F4 DX lens I had used and later sold early on in my career. (Which was great btw).
Sigma was just a brand that I steered clear of for obvious reason. I was surprised when I went to pick up a Nikon 35mm 1.4 at my regular camera store and my guy recommended the New Sigma 35mm 1.4. To say the least, I was a little taken back that he would suggest it to me. It was still in the pre-order stage and he said he would bring one in for me to try out. He guaranteed me it was not like the other Sigma's. When the lens came in I went to the store with no bias armed with both my D800 and D3s ready for a thorough examination. Needless to say I bought the lens. I was impressed... and still am.

I've had the Sigma 35mm f1.4 for just over a month now and it continues to wow me. I love the build quality which is actually slightly heavier and longer in length than the Nikon 35mm 1.4G. In direct comparison the Sigma feels more solid and the Nikon more plasticy. Which seems to be a sad trend with Nikon's G series using more plastic nowadays. The focus ring is nice and large and stiffer than the Nikon. Not problem stiff but smooth with a quality glide. The overall ergonomics are very nice across the board. You can tell Sigma spent some quality time redesigning the look and feel. Not that the exterior matters towards the pictures it takes, but this is a nice looking lens. After all, I'll have to walk around with this lens hanging off my body! 

It has become my goto, never leave behind, single lens D800 combo. The image quality paired with the Nikon D800 is all I ever need in most situations.  The biggest test for me was how it performed at 1.4 after all, any lens can be sharp at f5.6 and this ain't the F64 club!  If it's not sharp and usable wide open then whats the point! Let me tell you it did not disappoint. 




Image sharpness is excellent and focus is fast and precise. Even at 1.4 the in focus areas are crisp! Compared directly to the Nikon 35mm 1.4G, there are on par and I can't say which is sharper when side by side 100% crops. If you can tell me which is Nikon or Sigma without reading the caption I call bullshit. 

Sigma's field of view is a little wider as you can see from these shots taken on a tripod. Why? I have no idea.

Left: Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG @ 1.4    -    Right: Nikon 35mm 1.4G @ 1.4

Vignetting is heavy at 1.4 as expected and pretty much identical to Nikon's. It's barely noticeable by f2.8, the slightest hint at f4 if side by side, and completely gone at f5.6. If you shoot 1.4 you've come to expect this and many like the look it brings. There are also many ways to reduce the effect of vignetting in the camera or in processing after the fact. Nikon 35mm 1.4G vignetting is about the same and no better.

Here's samples shot on Grey to exaggerate the effects 

Distortion is there is none

Bokeh (or out of focus characteristic) are very creamy. Bokehlisious!  This is a shot of my friends dog @ f1.4 Gorgeous George! This is also a vertical crop which was taken horizonally on my D800 @ 20mp Jpeg. The eyes are super sharp without any sharpening or post editing

Sigma 35mm @ f1.4

Both Nikon's and Sigma have notable Chromatic Abberation. Also know as color fringing with the areas behind the point of focus having a greenish outline and the foreground having a purple edge. This has never really bothered me as no one ever looks a photo and says "Holy crap, look at that Chromatic Aberration!!" 

The coloration between the two are slightly different with the Nikon being slightly saturated and the Sigma more realistic. I could say which I liked better just that they were different.

FLAWS - There is one thing that really bugs me. Being new to the Sigma world, I don't know if this is an common Sigma focus problem. I noticed that on Nikon's focus mode AF-C. The manual focus override doesn't take over. Rather fights the camera's focus which continues to try and focus.  The manual override works fine on AF-S.

CONCLUSION - This is a professional grade lens. A huge step in the right direction for Sigma lenses. I had to constantly check the metadata to see which shot was taken with my Sigma and which was Nikon. So at half the price or Nikon's 35mm F1.4 its a bargain. Personally I like the look and build quality of this Sigma better than Nikon's.