Photography News

Spend enough time around other photographers and you start noticing patterns. Not in their work, but in their behavior. The same archetypes show up at every wedding, every event, every multi-photographer commercial job, and every workshop. You'll recognize most of them immediately. You'll probably recognize yourself in at least one, and if you don't, you're in denial. Here are the thirteen photographer personality types that exist at every shoot, identified for science. 

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Sigma lenses are divided into groups: Art, Contemporary and Sports. The Art group are lenses that aim to reflect the pinnacle of the lens makers' art, billed to be the cream of the crop, the best that can be delivered. This is a claim that has been upheld very well, continuously and reliably. Sigma have been consistently making some very fine lenses indeed. Of course, there are many companies who offer very fine lenses, so the competition is fierce. Let's see if Sigma have offered here something that is indeed a cut above the rest and can take on even the very expensive top marque optics. To take us on this voyage of discovery, we have  the lens plus the very capable 42MP Sony A7R III body. Let battle commence....

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Handling and Features

The lens is solid, but not onerously so, using Aluminium and Thermally Stable Composite. These materials work well together as they have the same coefficient of expansion. Weight is a reasonable 525g, and dimensions measure 73.0mm x 96.0mm. This is much larger than a traditional 35mm f/1.4 lens would have been, but is in keeping with current design and manufacturing parameters. The whole is dust and splash resistant. The front element also has an oil and water repellent coating in addition to Sigma's AAC (Advanced Amorphous Coating) multi-coating. 

There is a provided petal shaped lenshood that clips smoothly and securely into place. A flush locking catch ensures that it stays there, and this cannot be easily pushed by accident so there is little chance that the hood could be accidentally displaced. Within the bayonet fit for the hood is a standard 67mm filter thread.

 

 

First up is the generously sized focusing ring, utterly smooth in operation as befits its electronic nature. Behind this is a selection of buttons and switches. There is the usual AF/MF switch. All the usual Sony focusing options are available – AF-S (Single shot), AF-A (Auto selection), AF-C (Continuous), DMF (Direct Manual Focus) and MF (Manual Focus). DMF enables tweaks to the focus position to be made manually when AF is active. This can be particularly useful for close up shooting where the desired point of focus may be offset from where the AF system settles.

There are two AF-L buttons, a click on/off that refers to the aperture ring click stops and an aperture ring lock. This lock can be operated when the ring is set to A, preventing it from being nudged off that setting. It can also be set when using the aperture ring values, thus preventing A being selected in error. This is a very logical and useful arrangement. The aperture ring itself is clearly marked in one third of a stop steps and is very slickly engineered.

Focusing is down to 28cm, or 11.1”, for a maximum magnification of 1:5.4. This is in line with what we might expect from a 35mm lens intended as a standard lens. AF is driven by dual HLA (High Response Linear Activator) motors using a floating focus system. AF is smooth and virtually silent as well as being fast and accurate. 

 

 

Optical construction is 15 elements in 12 groups, including 2 SLD (Super Low Dispersion) and 4 Aspherical. The diaphragm comprises 11 blades for an impressively rounded aperture. This suggests that we might be finding some gorgeous bokeh.

There is no IS built into the lens. This is provided by the Sony camera body, and is still highly effective despite the A7R III not being the latest incarnation. It does the job extremely well.

The mount is the usual high quality Sigma, the fit being firm on this A7R III. It may not be the smoothest fit, but it is solid and does the job. There are Sony FE and L mount versions of the lens, the latter fitting the Sigma USB Dock UD-11. 

There are a few places where a well-established manufacturer such as Sigma could go astray with a quality prime lens such as this, and indeed, Sigma delivers the goods very effectively. The controls are high quality and operate flawlessly. Is this quality of construction and ergonomics matched by its technical performance? Time to find out.

 

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Performance

Central sharpness is excellent all the way from f/1.4, right through to f/11. It is still very good at f/16. The edges are also excellent from f/1.4 through to f/5.6 and then still very good from f/8 to f/16. This is a truly great performance.

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II MTF Charts Previous Next

How to read our MTF charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony A7R III body using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses?

 

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very well controlled throughout, and colour fringing is unlikely to be an issue.

Distortion is just -0.11% barrel, an impressively low figure. The slight residual barrel distortion is the right choice anyway, as that is what our eyes expect from wide-angle lenses.

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Chromatic Aberration Charts Previous Next

How to read our CA charts

Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony A7R III body using Imatest.

 

Bokeh is a subjective assessment of the quality of the out-of-focus areas in an image. This new lens is beautifully smooth, aided by the 11-blade construction of the diaphragm and the rounded aperture. Lovely.

Flare control is about as good as it gets and even the most harsh lighting is easily handled without any sign of artefacts.

Vignetting is present wide open, albeit not excessively so, and thereafter well under control.

 

Aperture   f/1.4 -1.6 f/2 -1.3 f/2.8 -1.3 f/4 -1.3 f/5.6 -1.3 f/8 -1.3 f/11 -1.3 f/16 -1.2

 

This all represents a very high standard of performance, definitely up there with the best.

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Sample Photos Previous Next

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Aperture range Previous Next

You can view additional images in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own reviews, photos and product ratings.

 

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Value For Money

The [AMUK]Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Art|Sigma+35mm+f/1.4+DG+II+Art[/AMUK] lens is priced at £849. It is possible that stocks of the original Mk I lens might be found at £769.

Some alternatives for Sony FE fit:

• [AMUK]Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 Prima|Samyang+AF+35mm+f/1.4+Prima[/AMUK], £528
• [AMUK]Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM|Sony+FE+35mm+f/1.4+GM[/AMUK], £1429
• [AMUK]Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 Distagon T” ZA|Sony+FE+35mm+f/1.4+Distagon+T”+ZA[/AMUK], £999

VFM is not only about price, so adding in the performance level, which is very strong, then this is excellent VFM.

 

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Verdict

For full-frame cameras, the 35mm lens has always represented an alternative standard lens for those photographers who prefer something a little wider than the ubiquitous 50mm. Many classic compact cameras have had fixed 40mm lenses, or thereabouts. For the experienced photographer, it brings the opportunity to step in a bit closer and feel more included and intimate with the subject matter. This is particularly ideal for street/reportage shooting and brings us into a more inclusive style of street photography, becoming a part of the events unfolding rather than just an observer. Beginners may appreciate a slightly wider view that avoids clipping the edges of the subject, allowing a little more space.

The new Sigma lens is a superb performer, fitting the hands well, delivering the quality at the highest level and yet being reasonably priced. The ergonomics is a lesson in good design, and the Sigma engineers can be truly proud of the fine lens that is the fruit of their labours. It duly receives the accolade of Editor's Choice.

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Pros

• Excellent central and edge sharpness
• Low distortion
• Low CA
• Fast, accurate and virtually silent AF
• Dust and splash-resistant construction
• Low vignetting
• Low flare
• Excellent handling

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II Cons

• No IS inbuilt

 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=4.5|R_handling=5|R_performance=5|R_value=5|R_overall=5|A_level=5|A_text=Editor's Choice – A superb “wide standard” lens for full-frame cameras|E_id=8027[/REVIEW_FOOTER]

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Outdoor portraits add levels of interest to a shot you can't always get from an indoor shoot and as this time of year particularly, it's the perfect excuse to wrap up in layers and pose in front of snow-filled scenes. No snow? Well, your highstreet at night can be an equally cool location as can be your local woods or even your backyard should you not want to walk as far. 

To kick-start your outdoor photoshoot, we've put a few easy to understand but rather essential outdoor portrait tips together for you to peruse. Plus don't forget to share your examples of outdoor portraits in our Gallery or Daily competition forum. 

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1. Get Your Lighting Right 

Once you've found a model brave enough to go out, possibly in the cold, you need to sort out your lighting. It is a good idea to have a friend or fellow photographer on hand. This applies to both male and female photographers and an extra pair of hands can be really handy to hold flashguns and look after things during the shoot.

If working a night, a powerful torch will help you focus. Just shine the light at the subject – not directly into the model's face and focus. It is worth considering shooting using manual focus for this subject because autofocus might continually adjust and throw the subject out of focus once the torch is switched off. Flash modifiers, coloured filters and lighting stands will find a use too. 

One of the big problems of using flash at night – apart from the attention (sometimes unwanted) that it attracts – is that a flashgun can pump out too much light and burn out the subject. You need to watch this and use flash exposure compensation to cut down the amount of light if that is the case. 

Another important thing to remember is the inverse square law – double the distance between the flash and the subject and the power output falls by a factor of four, not two as you might expect.

As well as on-camera type flashguns, there are several studio-quality flash units that run off portable batteries. These are more powerful than a typical flashgun and worth trying.
 

 

2. Tripod Or No Tripod? 

Your tripod is handy here too, especially if you want to mix flash and ambient lighting. That said, blurring the ambient light can be an effective technique. Any tripod will be fine, although if you have to walk some distance to your chosen shoot location you may want to consider packing a light-weight model. Carbon fibre models are lighter than those made of aluminium, although they can be cold to the touch but many tripods feature thick foam on the legs that enable a secure grip and stop you having to touch the cold surface.

 

 

3. Poses & Direction 

Make sure you've primed the model regarding poses, clothing and the location that you will be shooting in. You need to think of their comfort, dealing with the weather, keeping warm in between shots and so on. Conversation can help with the flow of the shoot but if you're not very good at banter, just be concise with your posing instructions and don't try to be something you're not. 

You can find plenty of ideas about posing in lighting in fashion magazines and in ePHOTOzine's gallery but just don't simply copy someone else's work, always put your own 'stamp' on it. You need to shoot quickly and have fresh batteries in the flashgun. Minimal messing around is a good idea too and show the model the effects you are getting as you go along. 

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition

Shooting in auto is normal. It is professional. The camera now takes over a technical layer that once demanded constant attention and experience. Exposure, white balance, tone mapping, and autofocus are handled quickly and with stable results. What used to require conscious monitoring now arrives as a reliable baseline. This does not mean the work disappeared. It means part of the work moved. 

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50mm remains the most popular prime focal length for a reason: it sits in a natural middle ground, neither compressing like a telephoto nor distorting like a wide angle, which makes it the lens many reach for first. Christopher Frost has now tested over 70 different 50mm lenses, and with a wave of new options hitting the market, his original ranking needed a serious update. 

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