Sigma 14mm f_1.4 DG DN Artwork review_ A robust astrophotography software
We might earn income from the merchandise accessible on this web page and take part in affiliate packages. Be taught extra ›
Astrophotography is among the extra technical genres of images and doing it nicely requires particular abilities and gear. Sigma aimed to fulfill these wants with its just lately launched Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork lens for Sony E and Leica L cameras. This lens is spectacular for a number of causes, however its largest declare to fame is the widest-ever most aperture at this focal size on a full-frame lens. Additionally, since Sigma designed this lens for astrophotographers, it gives a number of options supreme for capturing the evening sky. That features a devoted place for a lens heater, a lens cap with filter slots, and a guide focus lock swap. Sigma despatched me a duplicate of this lens to check out on my Sony a7 III digital camera, and I had enjoyable stretching my astrophotography abilities a bit.
Overview
The ultra-wide and ultra-fast design is right for astrophotographers.
It is extremely feature-rich and boasts a lens heater slot, a spotlight ring lock, and loads of different lens controls.
The 14mm focal size gives a 114-degree angle of view on full-frame cameras.
Its close-focusing potential provides some versatility.
The $1,599 price ticket isn’t overly steep, but it surely isn’t an inexpensive lens, both.
Professionals
Wonderful general picture high quality with edge-to-edge sharpness
Quick f/1.4 aperture
Climate sealed
Silent autofocus
Can focus as shut as 11.9 inches
Cons
Heavy and hulking
Protruding entrance factor precludes it from utilizing typical filters
Verdict
The slew of lens controls make this ultra-wide angle lens straightforward to make use of with out fussing with digital camera settings. It gives quick and correct autofocus once you want it and leads to wonderful picture high quality with edge-to-edge sharpness, even when taking pictures broad open. The beefy weight of the lens is unquestionably a draw back, however the tripod collar helps.
I didn’t use any filters whereas testing the lens, however you’re restricted to rear filters solely because of the bulbous entrance factor. Abby Ferguson
Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork design & construct high quality
After I took this lens out of its field, and my non-photographer husband noticed it, he exclaimed, “Wow, that’s a severe lens.” Such feedback are usually reserved for large telephoto lenses, which ought to inform you one thing about this Sigma 14mm. It’s a massive, burly bit of substances weighing 2.6 kilos and measuring 5.9 inches lengthy.
Whilst you definitely can hand maintain it (although we hope you’ve been lifting your weights these days for those who go that route for lengthy durations), SIgma included a rotating and detachable tripod collar. The tripod foot is Arca suitable, which many will like to see for easy compatibility. As with every heavy lens, you’ll need to mount the tripod to the lens as a substitute of the digital camera, as in any other case, it gained’t steadiness nicely, and it’ll put undue pressure on the lens mount.
One of the distinctive options of this lens is the groove on the entrance of the barrel that Sigma designed particularly to carry a lens heater. In the event you aren’t acquainted with astrophotography, lenses may be susceptible to fogging when working in chilly, damp situations as a result of moisture from the air condenses on the chilly steel and glass. A lens heater is the way in which to forestall that. Having a devoted place to place such a tool in order that it’s held in place and out of the way in which of different issues may be very useful. I didn’t want to make use of this in any respect, however it’s sensible to incorporate on such a lens.
As with all of Sigma’s Artwork lenses, it’s constructed with a mud and splashproof building to face as much as the weather. It options an built-in lens hood, which largely simply goals to guard the protruding entrance factor. Because of the bulging lens, the filters go on the again through a rear filter holder.
It feels a bit bizarre to focus on a lens cap, however Sigma constructed this one to be further particular. Abby Ferguson
Lens cap
It appears odd to have a piece only for a lens cap, however the one Sigma created for this lens is sort of totally different from most. For starters, it gives filter storage on the within of the lens cap. These slots solely open a slight quantity, although, and I didn’t use them in any respect, so I’m undecided how helpful they may truly be.
Sigma did away with the everyday sliding design that sits on the built-in lens hood. These lens caps have the tendency to fall off, leaving the lens unprotected. As a substitute, this lens cap contains a entrance pinch design and locking mechanism to maintain it firmly in place it doesn’t matter what. I by no means had it fall off, even when pulling it out of a comfortable digital camera bag. That’s spectacular.
There are many useful controls on the lens physique, together with a guide focus lock swap. Abby Ferguson
Lens controls
There isn’t a scarcity of controls on the physique of the Sigma 14mm f/1.4, which makes it simpler to make use of. There’s a devoted aperture ring that may be clicked or de-clicked for video use. Or you possibly can set it to Auto and alter the aperture in your digital camera if that’s your most well-liked fashion. The guide focus ring is clean and simple to rotate with simply sufficient resistance. There’s no massive danger of by chance bumping it and having it drastically change focus like some lenses, which may be very good. And when you’re manually focusing, there’s much less danger of considerably overshooting the place you are attempting to focus, making the guide focus course of simpler and sooner.
Sigma doesn’t present any info on focus throw (the quantity of rotation wanted to show the main focus ring from its minimal focus distance to infinity), but it surely appeared very cheap. I didn’t have to show the main focus ring an extreme quantity in an effort to change focus. Granted, as a result of there’s such an enormous focus distance vary on this lens, it does want lots of rotation in case you are making an enormous change to your focus. However for small modifications, it’s straightforward and fast to regulate.
One wonderful characteristic for astrophotographers is the guide focus lock swap. This swap permits you to lock your guide focus ring so that you just don’t by chance bump it after dialing in focus for an extended publicity. Or, you possibly can set your focus and journey to your taking pictures location with out having to redo something. I discovered this lock extraordinarily helpful, and it positively saved me from screwing up just a few pictures.
You’ll even have entry to an autofocus/guide focus swap and a spotlight maintain button, which may be programmed for use for numerous features within the digital camera menus.
I wouldn’t name myself an astrophotographer, however this lens makes it a bit simpler to get good outcomes. This picture, just like the others on this web page, solely has slight changes to publicity and computerized lens correction. Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/2.2, 20 sec., ISO 1000. Abby Ferguson
Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork picture high quality
Since that is an Artwork lens—which is Sigma’s high tier—we anticipated wonderful picture high quality. That expectation was even increased due to the comparatively excessive value and the truth that Sigma didn’t attempt to compromise something in an effort to make a compact and light-weight lens. And fortunately, that’s simply what the lens gives.
The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 lens gives extraordinarily sharp photographs all the way in which to the sides, even when utilizing a wide-open aperture. That’s critically spectacular for a lens of this focal size. Extremely-wides usually get noticeably softer across the edges, particularly within the corners. I additionally didn’t see any chromatic aberration or fringing in any way. Photographs from this lens have been remarkably clear and clear.
As that is an astrophotography lens, there are some particular picture high quality options to contemplate when photographing stars. Sigma constructed the lens with 19 components in 15 teams, which embrace one SLD (Particular Low Distortion), three FLD (Low Dispersion), and three aspherical components. The intention is to get rid of sagittal coma flare, which distorts star form. The optical design seems to have labored. Star factors are clearly outlined and formed as we’d count on, even on the sides of the body.
Distortion & vignetting
The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 does present pretty heavy distortion and vignetting, however we count on that in an ultra-wide. If you cease down the aperture a bit the vignetting may be very minimal. Sigma despatched me a pre-release model of the lens, and this meant I used to be utilizing a beta model of the correction profile. However even with that beta model, correction was easy. I sometimes like some refined vignetting, so there have been some photographs that I felt the automated vignette correction went too far. However that was a matter of private desire for explicit photographs.
This boring photograph exhibits simply how shallow of a depth of discipline you possibly can obtain with this lens. Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/1.4, 1/60 sec., ISO 200. Abby Ferguson
Shut focusing & bokeh
Huge-angle lenses aren’t usually recognized for his or her shallow depth of discipline. However because of the f/1.4 aperture and the power to focus as shut as 11.9 inches, the Sigma 14mm is definitely able to very shallow depth of discipline and really enticing bokeh. It’s not probably the most flattering focal size for portraits, however you might create some uniquely dramatic portraiture for those who embrace the inherent distortion. And whereas it gained’t exchange a macro lens, it could actually take some good element pictures.
The bokeh from this 14mm is basically pleasing. It’s good and spherical with no aberrations or fringing on the sides. And the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus areas is sort of clean, with no jarring or distracting areas.
The lens autofocus was in a position to sustain with my transferring canine with no actual points. Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/4, 1/160 sec., ISO 125. Abby Ferguson
Autofocus
Sigma utilized its comparatively new HLA (Excessive-response Linear Actuator) autofocus motor in its 14mm f/1.4. The result’s an almost silent autofocus. There may be some audible noise when in a totally silent room. However it’s very refined and wouldn’t forestall anybody from utilizing this lens for video functions. The autofocus can also be very quick, with it discovering focus virtually instantaneously when it locks on to one thing.
Who can buy the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork lens?
As must be clear by now, Sigma very a lot intends this lens for severe astrophotographers. And whereas calling a 14mm prime versatile is a little bit of a stretch, its strong characteristic set additionally makes it supreme for a variety of different functions. Panorama photographers depend on most of the similar options as astrophotographers, so anybody who desires to seize dramatic, sweeping landscapes would profit from this one. Likewise, architectural and actual property photographers will benefit from the broad angle of view and very good picture high quality. And whereas this definitely isn’t a macro lens, it could actually focus fairly shut and leads to very shallow depth of discipline for an ultra-wide. That opens it up for alternatives to take distinctive wide-angle element pictures.
The closest various for Sony customers is Sony’s personal 14mm f/1.8 GM lens. It’s proper across the similar value as Sigma’s lens and in addition gives very good picture high quality. However it doesn’t supply fairly as broad of an aperture or any of the astrophotography-specific options. It does, nonetheless, solely weigh one pound and is roughly half the size, making it way more compact than Sigma’s lens. Which you should purchase actually comes all the way down to your priorities and what you’ll primarily be taking pictures.
Sigma’s 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork appears to be like large in comparison with its 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork lens. Abby Ferguson
Last ideas on the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork lens?
This lens suits a little bit of a distinct segment nook of the images market, so it isn’t one which I can extensively suggest. That stated, Sigma didn’t skimp on options or high quality with this 14mm. It produces remarkably sharp and clear photographs and gives quick and correct autofocus. All the high quality and options come at a value, although. At $1,599, it isn’t an inexpensive lens. And the two.6-pound weight is a draw back for a lot of. But when you will get previous these two issues and are in want of a high-quality ultra-wide-angle prime, this lens positively suits the invoice.
Extra photographs from the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/4, 1/100 sec., ISO 640 Abby Ferguson
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/3.2, 0.6 sec, ISO 400 Abby Ferguson
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/1.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 80 Abby Ferguson
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/7.1, 1.6 sec., ISO 80 Abby Ferguson
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/2.8, 1/500 sec., ISO 125
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/4, 20 sec., ISO 500 Abby Ferguson
Tech data: Sony a7 III, Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork, f/3.2, 15 sec., ISO 800 Abby Ferguson