I use this lens, in fact this is the ONLY lens I use, it is rediculous in every possible way. the quality of the images is stunning, and it feels like you have a brick attached to your camera. I have absolutely no complaints. Another reason to pick this lens up is thats its now selling for around the £600 mark new. Its probably one of the finest technical achievements in the whole history of lens making. The lens is built to Cine standards(way better than a photography lens) and thats no hype from me, its from Sigmas own literature, its first incarnation was a manual focus only cinema lens.
Awesome review! This SIgma 40 1.4 is simply the best Sigma ever made. The MTF charts are insane on it. When I got this on my D810 it embarrassed my Sigma 35 1.4 and Tamron 35 1.8. It is truly an optics perfection on so many levels. Amazing sharpness (especially near infinity focus), rendering and colors. Truly a gem from Sigma. Luckily I got it when it just went on sale for 1 day at B&H and Adorama for $999 ($400 off). That was a damn good deal!
After getting the Sigma 105mm 1.4, I'm now seriously debating picking this up as well ... and I'm here because you're one of only two reviewers on the internet I trust to be fair, and unbiased.
What a monstrous lens, Whilst I could never justify purchasing it, I love it whenever a manufacturer throws sense to the wind and over engineers the best possible product.
$800 currently (Dec 2023) at US retailers. Pretty excited the price came down to something much more affordable now. Even better, found an open box copy at Adorama for $675.
The fun thing about sigma is that they exceed everyone even in apsc coverage. I use the sigma 56mm f1.4 on my FF a7III with only 1.1 crop and I’m good with no vignette. Basically a very sharp 60mm equivalent f1.4 at 320€
The wide open performance at infinity is just insane isn't it? I couldn't believe the amazing sharpness I was getting at really far distant objects. And from what I've seen the coma performance on it is great as well. It probably is even better on the A7R since you won't have to deal with focus shifting. Not that I actually even noticed it or that it bothered me on my D810! My only sort of wish is that it focused a bit closer but oh well...compromises when designing a lens.
I recently replaced all my Nikon lenses (only had 5) with Sigma Contemporary/Art lenses ...such good quality! I currently have the ... 18-35 f/1.8 (Art) 50-100 f/1.8 (Art) 100-400 f/5 (Contemporary)
Love my Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens, this one looks like another winner! I use the 35mm for portraits, so good... so I can see why this would be even better for portraits. 👍👍
@@dabj9546 , you can get some distortion if you get too close, like a persons nose can appear larger than it should... just have to watch your angles if you get close. But I have been able to get beautiful portraits with the 35mm. I don't have a portfolio online, but check out the videos of "Dirkson Photography" on UA-cam and search his channel for this 35mm lens and see his results. Also, check out @luizclas on Instagram, he uses this lens for portraits. Both great examples of the look you get with this lens.
Incredible lens, currently looking at fast 35mm lenses or around that focal length and this will definitely be a serious consideration. Great video as always! :)
Speedboosted onto my Canon R5 with some cropping in post, this lens essentially becomes a 32mm f/1. A little soft wide open and vignetting, but still sharper at f/1 than any other f/1 lens you can buy. The tradeoff is vignetting.
That doesnt make sense. You cant speedboost a full frame sensor. It only speedbosts the apsc crop modes. The field of view will not be as wide as 40mm.
The lens covers beyond full frame, low key it's super cringey for you to try and tell me how basic lens mechanics work - I'm a working professional, it goes far beyond 40mm with vignetting. 40mm x .71 = 28mm - crop in 20% and you get a perfectly usable 32mm f/1.15 image with some vignetting in 16x9 Having said that, it can also be used as a 28mm if you're opting for for a 1x1 image. I know all of this because I own and use the lens. Don't pick fights when you have no idea what you're talking about. Ask questions, don't boldly claim "that doesn't make sense" This lens is covers between full frame and medium format @@jonniecandito181
@@VRcation I understand that you're a "professional" with a lot of experience, but in this case, your explanation about using a "speedbooster" on a full-frame camera like the Canon R5 is not correct. A "speedbooster" is designed to be used with cameras that have smaller sensors, like APS-C, and what it does is concentrate the image projected by the lens onto the sensor, increasing the effective aperture and reducing the focal length. On a full-frame camera like the Canon R5, you can't use a "speedbooster" to increase the field of view or make the lens function like a 32mm f/1. The concept of "speedboosting" doesn't apply to full-frame sensors in the way you're describing. Additionally, while some lenses might cover beyond full-frame, that doesn't change the fact that a "speedbooster" can't be used to modify the field of view on a full-frame sensor.
Thank you so much for reviewing it! By far the most interesting Lens at the moment, thinking of buying it after my latest purchase, the 105mm Art. Hope that some other reviewers will check it for us. Greets from Germany ✌🏻
I have been using this lens for a year now. It was presented to me by Sigma as THE lens for the video / cinema shooter that wants autofocus. Image quality is just incredible, straight lines and super sharpness but the AF is the opposite for video. AFC cannot be used because it is too nervous and even in AFS the lens constantly makes noise that sometimes can be heard in audio recording. I asked Sigma about it and they told me the lens was technically designed for photography, AF would not be improved via firmware and that the same issues occurred while they did testing of their own. Of course I wasn't happy with that answer, but also I found it a strange choice, selling a lens for the cinema enthousiast that has a very bad and noisy autofocus performance.
Odd, autofocus is actually more determined by the camera body you’re using - what have you paired this lens with? A good af lens will perform badly on cameras with bad af. Whereas a bad af lens on a good af camera will still perform decently.
@@VRcation Used it on a Panasonic S1h, the S pro lenses have a lot better AF. But the S1h doesn’t have the best AF system so that would confirm your statement. However, on my Nikon Z9 the lens is also restless and noisy. The AF system is better though.
Hey man, I really appreciate your reviews. You’re my favorite reviewer when looking for new lenses for my music videos. Anyway, I’m about to buy this lens for my new blackmagic pocket 6K video cameras to use mostly wide open. However since they’re crop EF Mount bodies, do you think the ghosting you’re saw on your apsc test camera will show up? Or do you think that was a result of the camera sensor or adapter. I don’t know what would cause that to happen on a crop sensor but not full frame.
Anyone looking into this lens now the price has been dropped almost in half to $799. It's an insane lens if you can deal with it's size/weight, one of the most optically sound lenses of all time.
24 mp in the aps-c region of the lens is more demanding than 42 mp in the full frame region of the lens. just do the math, it's simple. 24 mp on aps-c is equivalent to approximately 57 mp on full frame. it's also clear that the resolving capability of the lens in the center is weaker than in the peripheral regions. so, it's not a mystery at all.
@@christopherfrost if you look closely at the mtf curves of this lens, the periphery of the center which corresponds to the corners of the aps-c region is slightly better than the center. when you couple that to the more demanding resolution of the aps-c sensor, the difference is most likely elevated, hence leads to the sharpness pattern you observed.
The fact that Sigma can get this kind of sharpness out of a DSLR lens makes me wonder what would happen if they just went for it and did a full frame mirrorless lens from the start.
@@christopherfrost Certainly hope so. Not that there's anything wrong with the current lenses. They're just a bit restricted in terms of design and needing that adapter.
There is one thing you usually say that has been bothering me for a while now. It's when you talk about depth of field on APS-C sensor cameras. You know if you stay at the same distance you'll have the exact same DOF, right? The only reason the DOF looks different is because you have to move back, when using APS-C compared to FF, to get the same framing.
CyphDK if you would have APS-C camera with 50mm (85mm on FF) f1,8 and FF camera with 85mm f1,8 the FF would have shallower depth of field because on APS-C you must multiply f-stop too.
@@filipsefcik4634 Interesting. You know there's actual formulas used to calculate depth of field, right? That's why we have those scales on lenses, they calculate how the depth of field is... Could you please tell me where I input sensor size (or film size for that matter), into the formula to calculate the DOF? Sure there is the circle of confusion, but that can be different even with the exact same sensor sizes, so that isn't it.
Hi Chris, would it be possible to review the Sony 90mm f2.8 macro lens? I've heard it's one of the best out there, but I prefer your objective examination to everyone else's. Thanks for the 1st class content!
We are in professional area. No matter how sharp and correct it can be, I would never carry such a huge and heavy lens. Compliments for your extremely clear and effective review, as usual.
@@shaolin95 that's what I meant. It's a lens for professionals and that's fine. Me, as a hobbyist, I wouldn't consider it. And this should be fine too.
@@user-zc5ft9nw9b i can definitely understand the desire , or necessity to get the gear which provides the best IQ possible. I have also been on that side and have been Nikon DSLR FX shooter for decedes. I still have and love my D700 and D850 with a decent lens collection. But years pass and when the OM-1 was released I decided to get the lighter and more compact Olympus/OM Systems set for travel photography, which is my main passion. The svelte backpack is a game changer, quickly became my go-to system and now I shoot much more, and with more pleasure. Yes the sensor does not provide the same DR, raw files are less workable, but PRO lenses are fantastic, built with the highest quality standards and the results I get are just enough for my needs. But that's just me of course. Horses for courses, to each his own...
I really need to see these example images back to back with what one would shoot with the RF50/1.8 at the same moment. There's nice bokeh, etc., but one wonders whether the 50/1.8 wouldn't be nearly identical. (They both have a 28mm aperture, so the amount of bokeh should be nearly identical.)
you deserve heaven man, fantastic job, as always... and as of the lens itself, I went to a retail shop, I attached it to my A7RIII, and simply fantastic, but something inside me told me not to buy it, maybe its size and weight... but no doubt, by far the best lens I've ever tested in my entire life. Possibly I'll end up buying it in the near future...
Zeiss makes a Milvus 35mm f/1.4 manual focus lens that retails for $2K. I wouldn’t call this lens “so expensive” because for what you get for your money, there really is no competition. Whether it’s more than you want to spend, that’s a different question. There are a lot of expensive lenses though, like an $11K Leica prime or possibly Canon’s new $2,700 85mm f/1.2. An extra thousand dollars for a mirrorless mount and maybe 10-20% better IQ.
Sigma cut the list price of this lens in half recently. Coudn't resist at an pricepoint below 700€ with some recent cashback. It is now a excellent value for money and definitly the best lens for astrophotography i have ever used in this focal range. Considering that sigmas profit marge would not have been that high as the recent price cut, this could mean, that they are selling off their stocks and phasing this lens out in the near future.
The 40 2.8 STM? One of my old fav trusty lenses too. Was a good lesson for me, discovering over time how that $140 (bought refurbished) prime was sharper than Canon's 24-70 2.8L
Weight sure matters, though. But performance.. for mirrorless, the 35 1.8 with 5 stop stabilization for being tiny, and this thing on an adaptor for ultimate image quality.
Great review thanks . I’m in love with this lens . Want this and their 28mm art ! Have the 50 and it’s not what I want just a hair tight most of the time for what I do or want . The 50 has a lot of the color fringing at close focus also .
As usual Chris, another great and tight review. Food for thought for potential Zeiss purchasers. The weight has never bothered me with FF Cameras such as my 6D, but I do love shooting with my Fuji XT 2 and the wide array of excellent value and quality zooms and primes...pity Sony have neglected the lens array for the apsc line of cameras...but that left the door open for Sigman
Hello Chris, i´ve been watching your lens reviews for a wile and would like to know if you recommend the new sigma 40mm instead of this 35mm a little bit older but cheaper version?
Chriss you should now upgrade both your sony and canon cameras. They might be viable still but there's heaps difference between them and current gen cameras. Even the 6Dii is wayy better than 6D.
I can't deal with this thing's size. Doesn't matter how perfect the optics are if one hates carrying it. Hoping Sigma makes some FF F/2 primes for the new MILC mounts. 40mm is my favorite FL so hopefully they do something there.
Their 50mm is same as everyone elses? Have you actually seen and used that lens? I have it, Its HUGE for a 50 f1.4 lens. Only Zeiss Ottus 55 1.4 beats it in size.
future62 I think the e mount lenses are bigger just because of the flange distances like they just get thinner and longer near area that fixates to the mount. The canon is a larger aperture so it doesn’t count. Even the Nikon 50mm 1.4 is tiny compared to the sigma.
Thank you for another great review and for finding another champion! This continuous sharpness in incredible and worth every Pound (or Euro or what so ever). Could that softness on APS-C be caused by internal reflexions maybe by the adaptor? - At 1.4 there´s a lot of light to be absorbed arond the relatively small sensor.
Possible - but the Sigma MC-11 adaptor is very nicely flocked so there are probably no more reflections than what you would see from within a digital SLR.
I got myself a Sony A7 Mark 3 after being a Canon fanboy with my 5d Mark 4. But i cant decide if i should get it with the sony mount or the canon mount. I already have a Metabones adapter but im worried that the autofocus will be inaccurate. Have you tried it with only the sigma MC-11 or do you also have a Metabones adapter to try it out?
Do NOT get it if you are not going to get the mc11. Metabones degrades IQ specially towards the edges. Look up a video of metabones vs mc-11 or something like that which shows clear differences specially with wider lenses
If you have a Sony camera just get the Sony mount version. But if you're using a Sigma lens then the MC-11 is what you should go for - it's their official one especially designed for their own lenses
Hi Christopher, Just a quick question... Firstly, As always, Thanks for this review. I was looking forward to you reviewing this lens as I wanted to here your thoughts on it. Great review as always. You mentioned that there is a weird ghosting issue on APS-C cameras at F1.4. Did you try it on one of your other APS-C cameras? Like one of your canons perhaps? You said that it was the canon version and you were using the adapter to fit it on your Sonys. It would be interesting to seen if the ghosting appears on all APS-C cameras regardless of brand and resolution of sensor or if it was just a one time thing. I don't suppose you tried multiple copies of the lens? Thanks.
Thanks Christopher for this post it was very informative and has caused me to think of what my next lens should be. The imagery looks tremendous would you recommend this over the sigma 24-70mm art.? as I have a friends wedding to go to soon and would like to take some great shots of the happy couple? advise always welcome. all the best . Ps i shoot Nikon D850.
This is a brilliant prime, and the most versatile FOV for a prime. Personally, I find that primes produce more skilled images than zooms, too. The ART40mm and the ART24-70mm together would make a brilliant kit, though personally I'd start with the 40mm.
Hi David! I tested the lens a few moths ago, and found it's focusing highly inconsistent on Nikon Z7, D850 and D5. Also, its huge and heavy-like lugging around a 24-70 2.8 vr. People literally stopped me in the street to ask 'what is that'. Depends of what you are shooting (and if you get a good copy-apparently I didn't) The images were beautiful but a lot of missed focus and for wedding photography I couldn't justify it so I stuck with my 35mm 1.4 ART (which I am in the process of replacing with a Tamron 35mm 1.4)
I'm curious why you say f/1.4 lenses are equivalent to f/2.2 on APS-C. I was under the impression that the difference was 1 stop. Shouldn't it be f/2 equivalent? Are you perhaps considering APS-C as the weird Canon 1.6x rather than the normal 1.5x of Nikon, Fuji, Pentax and Sony? Great review btw! I have been doing reviews of lenses for infrared use and am considering starting video reviews. I like your review style here.
I know it looks unusual but it is true. If the APS-C crop factor were 1.4x instead of 1.5x then it would indeed just be one stop of difference, because it's a ratio. It's the same with teleconvertors - a 1.4x teleconvertor will reduce the aperture by one stop. Glad you enjoyed the review!
@@dakmandotcom6682 I didn't mention which camera I used it on ... I used it on D610 , D7500 ,And Z7 ... I don't see how getting a bigger camera would help with my worries anyway... The lens weigh as much as a 70-200 2.8 (which comes with tripod foot) ... even my 70-200 2.8 is more balanced on the camera than this lens which is front heavy ... I bought a 3rd party tripod foot and it has its pros and cons ... I found myself able to handheld this lens for longer periods with the foot.
If you're watching this video in 2024, when the 40mm is selling for just $700 new, and you're wondering if there's a better value than this lens in terms of cost vs optical performance, there's not.
Looks like a very short focus throw for a lens of that calibre and price. Also doesn't seem to have VR judging by the single switch on the side. 1.2kg? I keep my weights at home... And they want how much for this!?
Outstanding lens.Razor sharp images.The only con is this lens is very huge.After a while becomes heavy lens.Better gain some muscles if you want to use this lens😎
1:38 I don't know that there's any particular photographic focal length that is "the natural perspective of the human eye." On one hand we can see as wide as 14mm with peripheral vision. On the other our field of acuity is probably smaller than an 135mm. Finally, when viewing a photo the real question is: does the photo subtend the same angle of view we'd normally see? a 10x15cm (4x6") print at arms length would match 100mm pretty well. double the width and 50mm would match quite closely. Double again and 25mm would match, etc. I think it's time to retire this old trope.
Sticking to my Sigma 35 for half the size, weight and price. That lens is great performer as well, and you have to pixel peep very deep to see the difference. Yes the 40mm is optical perfection, but if we consider that titanic weight and size, no doubt the the 35 Art is a much much more rational pick, especially for everyday usage.
Lol pixel peep???? This one has much smoother bokeh and sharpness is not even close. No need to pixel peep but it's OK...keep saying that to yourself until you believe it
Its no bigger than a 70-200, its not titanic. Its not like walking around with a 500mm f4 attached to your camera. stick to your pancake if your happy to turn down this ridiculous optical quality. This 40 is my walkaround lens....You cant compromise on IQ unless your going for intentionally flawed lenses for some artistic merit, hell you may as well buy a lomo or diana with plastic lenses 😉
I use this lens, in fact this is the ONLY lens I use, it is rediculous in every possible way. the quality of the images is stunning, and it feels like you have a brick attached to your camera. I have absolutely no complaints. Another reason to pick this lens up is thats its now selling for around the £600 mark new. Its probably one of the finest technical achievements in the whole history of lens making. The lens is built to Cine standards(way better than a photography lens) and thats no hype from me, its from Sigmas own literature, its first incarnation was a manual focus only cinema lens.
It's the Sigma that fights in the same weight class as the 55mm Zeiss Otus..
This guy has cost me several grand in camera gear lol.
Definitely...I literally dont TOUCH a lens unless Chris say I should
Instablaster
Awesome review! This SIgma 40 1.4 is simply the best Sigma ever made. The MTF charts are insane on it. When I got this on my D810 it embarrassed my Sigma 35 1.4 and Tamron 35 1.8. It is truly an optics perfection on so many levels. Amazing sharpness (especially near infinity focus), rendering and colors. Truly a gem from Sigma. Luckily I got it when it just went on sale for 1 day at B&H and Adorama for $999 ($400 off). That was a damn good deal!
That *is* a good deal!
After getting the Sigma 105mm 1.4, I'm now seriously debating picking this up as well ... and I'm here because you're one of only two reviewers on the internet I trust to be fair, and unbiased.
So true Christopher is one of the few Non Biased Fair reviewers on the Net. It is on my wishlist having now the 105mm F1.4 Art and the 20mm F1.4 Art.
What a monstrous lens, Whilst I could never justify purchasing it, I love it whenever a manufacturer throws sense to the wind and over engineers the best possible product.
around £600 now 😉
$800 currently (Dec 2023) at US retailers. Pretty excited the price came down to something much more affordable now. Even better, found an open box copy at Adorama for $675.
Christopher you are amazing!
the best photography reviews on YT !!!
Sigma is my favorite lens manufacturer.
Say it again in 2021!
Awesome video! I ordered this lens yesterday, and I'm super excited to try it out with my Panasonic Lumix S5! Love sharp photos :)
that 1.4 corner sharpness is mental
When you moved over to the corner I literally said “wow” out loud. As a Fuji user, the one thing I envy Sony users is their access to Sigma lenses
As a Sony-user who owns some Sigma-Art-lenses this is the reason that keeps me from switching to Fuji ;)
The fun thing about sigma is that they exceed everyone even in apsc coverage. I use the sigma 56mm f1.4 on my FF a7III with only 1.1 crop and I’m good with no vignette. Basically a very sharp 60mm equivalent f1.4 at 320€
The OTUS killer.. This lens is stunning..I am loving it on my A7R iii
The wide open performance at infinity is just insane isn't it? I couldn't believe the amazing sharpness I was getting at really far distant objects. And from what I've seen the coma performance on it is great as well. It probably is even better on the A7R since you won't have to deal with focus shifting. Not that I actually even noticed it or that it bothered me on my D810! My only sort of wish is that it focused a bit closer but oh well...compromises when designing a lens.
The 40mm Otus didn’t stand a chance... XD
been watching your review for a while, u really deserve 1 million subscribers ~ :P
At my channel's current rate of growth, that will happen! ...in about 18 years ;-)
I recently replaced all my Nikon lenses (only had 5) with Sigma Contemporary/Art lenses ...such good quality! I currently have the ...
18-35 f/1.8 (Art)
50-100 f/1.8 (Art)
100-400 f/5 (Contemporary)
Love my Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens, this one looks like another winner! I use the 35mm for portraits, so good... so I can see why this would be even better for portraits. 👍👍
Isn't 35mm a little wide for portraits?
@@dabj9546 , you can get some distortion if you get too close, like a persons nose can appear larger than it should... just have to watch your angles if you get close. But I have been able to get beautiful portraits with the 35mm. I don't have a portfolio online, but check out the videos of "Dirkson Photography" on UA-cam and search his channel for this 35mm lens and see his results. Also, check out @luizclas on Instagram, he uses this lens for portraits. Both great examples of the look you get with this lens.
By the way... if I did not have the 35mm I would def go for the 40mm if it's portraits you're interested in using it for.
@@dabj9546 just stand not so close for a person
Must say, I enjoy watching your reviews, even if I'm not intending to buy the lens. Keep up the good work mate - excellent stuff.
Thank you for the review Christopher, I'm about to buy this lens, your review has given me the confidence to bite the proverbial bullet!
Incredible lens, currently looking at fast 35mm lenses or around that focal length and this will definitely be a serious consideration. Great video as always! :)
Speedboosted onto my Canon R5 with some cropping in post, this lens essentially becomes a 32mm f/1. A little soft wide open and vignetting, but still sharper at f/1 than any other f/1 lens you can buy. The tradeoff is vignetting.
That doesnt make sense. You cant speedboost a full frame sensor. It only speedbosts the apsc crop modes. The field of view will not be as wide as 40mm.
The lens covers beyond full frame, low key it's super cringey for you to try and tell me how basic lens mechanics work - I'm a working professional, it goes far beyond 40mm with vignetting.
40mm x .71 = 28mm - crop in 20% and you get a perfectly usable 32mm f/1.15 image with some vignetting in 16x9
Having said that, it can also be used as a 28mm if you're opting for for a 1x1 image.
I know all of this because I own and use the lens. Don't pick fights when you have no idea what you're talking about. Ask questions, don't boldly claim "that doesn't make sense"
This lens is covers between full frame and medium format
@@jonniecandito181
@@VRcation I understand that you're a "professional" with a lot of experience, but in this case, your explanation about using a "speedbooster" on a full-frame camera like the Canon R5 is not correct. A "speedbooster" is designed to be used with cameras that have smaller sensors, like APS-C, and what it does is concentrate the image projected by the lens onto the sensor, increasing the effective aperture and reducing the focal length.
On a full-frame camera like the Canon R5, you can't use a "speedbooster" to increase the field of view or make the lens function like a 32mm f/1. The concept of "speedboosting" doesn't apply to full-frame sensors in the way you're describing.
Additionally, while some lenses might cover beyond full-frame, that doesn't change the fact that a "speedbooster" can't be used to modify the field of view on a full-frame sensor.
“Totally awesome!” Welcome to SoCal Chris! And wow... what a lens. Quite a behemoth indeed. But sometimes those chunky lenses can be fun to play with
this is by far my favourite lens! i can only recommend it.
I was waiting long time for this review. thank you very much
Thank you so much for reviewing it! By far the most interesting Lens at the moment, thinking of buying it after my latest purchase, the 105mm Art. Hope that some other reviewers will check it for us. Greets from Germany ✌🏻
I have been using this lens for a year now. It was presented to me by Sigma as THE lens for the video / cinema shooter that wants autofocus. Image quality is just incredible, straight lines and super sharpness but the AF is the opposite for video. AFC cannot be used because it is too nervous and even in AFS the lens constantly makes noise that sometimes can be heard in audio recording. I asked Sigma about it and they told me the lens was technically designed for photography, AF would not be improved via firmware and that the same issues occurred while they did testing of their own. Of course I wasn't happy with that answer, but also I found it a strange choice, selling a lens for the cinema enthousiast that has a very bad and noisy autofocus performance.
Odd, autofocus is actually more determined by the camera body you’re using - what have you paired this lens with? A good af lens will perform badly on cameras with bad af. Whereas a bad af lens on a good af camera will still perform decently.
@@VRcation Used it on a Panasonic S1h, the S pro lenses have a lot better AF. But the S1h doesn’t have the best AF system so that would confirm your statement. However, on my Nikon Z9 the lens is also restless and noisy. The AF system is better though.
Been waiting for this review - need a bigger bag before consider buying :-)
Hey man, I really appreciate your reviews. You’re my favorite reviewer when looking for new lenses for my music videos. Anyway, I’m about to buy this lens for my new blackmagic pocket 6K video cameras to use mostly wide open. However since they’re crop EF Mount bodies, do you think the ghosting you’re saw on your apsc test camera will show up? Or do you think that was a result of the camera sensor or adapter. I don’t know what would cause that to happen on a crop sensor but not full frame.
This + 135mm f1.8 is the best of Sigma primes. A great combo.
The 105mm, 28mm AMD 85mm are also top level performance. The others are older design not up to par with these recent ones
Anyone looking into this lens now the price has been dropped almost in half to $799. It's an insane lens if you can deal with it's size/weight, one of the most optically sound lenses of all time.
I bought it this summer for 750€ brand new; an amazing deal.
...but holy cow, that's a real brick ahahah
2024 here. Seeing copies for US$500 and maybe even lower
Holy smokes... I am mighty tempted.
Wow! I've been waiting for this one... Simply amazing....😌
24 mp in the aps-c region of the lens is more demanding than 42 mp in the full frame region of the lens. just do the math, it's simple. 24 mp on aps-c is equivalent to approximately 57 mp on full frame. it's also clear that the resolving capability of the lens in the center is weaker than in the peripheral regions. so, it's not a mystery at all.
That's not the 'mystery' I was talking about - the mystery is that it seemed to be sharper in the corners
@@christopherfrost if you look closely at the mtf curves of this lens, the periphery of the center which corresponds to the corners of the aps-c region is slightly better than the center. when you couple that to the more demanding resolution of the aps-c sensor, the difference is most likely elevated, hence leads to the sharpness pattern you observed.
Been looking at this lens but the weight is crazy
Have you checked out the Samyang 35mm f1.4? It's actually not that heavy :)
Holy!
What a lens!
The fact that Sigma can get this kind of sharpness out of a DSLR lens makes me wonder what would happen if they just went for it and did a full frame mirrorless lens from the start.
I can virtually guarantee you they're working on them right now
@@christopherfrost Certainly hope so. Not that there's anything wrong with the current lenses. They're just a bit restricted in terms of design and needing that adapter.
Even today, I don’t think this lens has been optically surpassed yet.
I don't think any wedding photographer would want to carry this all day
best sigma art lens ever
il be shooting a wedding next weekend with this lens And ONLY this Lens on a A7R3 i cannot Wait!
Let us know how it goes!
Its_Ezlan so? How did it go any online examples
There is one thing you usually say that has been bothering me for a while now. It's when you talk about depth of field on APS-C sensor cameras. You know if you stay at the same distance you'll have the exact same DOF, right?
The only reason the DOF looks different is because you have to move back, when using APS-C compared to FF, to get the same framing.
CyphDK if you would have APS-C camera with 50mm (85mm on FF) f1,8 and FF camera with 85mm f1,8 the FF would have shallower depth of field because on APS-C you must multiply f-stop too.
@@filipsefcik4634 Interesting. You know there's actual formulas used to calculate depth of field, right? That's why we have those scales on lenses, they calculate how the depth of field is...
Could you please tell me where I input sensor size (or film size for that matter), into the formula to calculate the DOF?
Sure there is the circle of confusion, but that can be different even with the exact same sensor sizes, so that isn't it.
Hi Chris, would it be possible to review the Sony 90mm f2.8 macro lens? I've heard it's one of the best out there, but I prefer your objective examination to everyone else's.
Thanks for the 1st class content!
One day, yes
We are in professional area. No matter how sharp and correct it can be, I would never carry such a huge and heavy lens. Compliments for your extremely clear and effective review, as usual.
Professionals don't put weight and size as their primary concern...
This is my walk around lens......And if you think this is big, take a look at the dedicated sony version I have, its even bigger.
@@shaolin95 that's what I meant. It's a lens for professionals and that's fine. Me, as a hobbyist, I wouldn't consider it. And this should be fine too.
@@user-zc5ft9nw9b if that's ok for you, the same is for me. I am sure you get great results, enjoy.
@@user-zc5ft9nw9b i can definitely understand the desire , or necessity to get the gear which provides the best IQ possible. I have also been on that side and have been Nikon DSLR FX shooter for decedes. I still have and love my D700 and D850 with a decent lens collection. But years pass and when the OM-1 was released I decided to get the lighter and more compact Olympus/OM Systems set for travel photography, which is my main passion. The svelte backpack is a game changer, quickly became my go-to system and now I shoot much more, and with more pleasure. Yes the sensor does not provide the same DR, raw files are less workable, but PRO lenses are fantastic, built with the highest quality standards and the results I get are just enough for my needs. But that's just me of course. Horses for courses, to each his own...
This is the Best Lens Review I have ever seen on UA-cam... and I have seen many. Great Job, Thumbs Up !
Just mounted the 40mm Art on my Z8 : it’s Zeiss quality with autofocus. The 24mm, 135mm 1.8 and 105 1.4 are perfect too
I really need to see these example images back to back with what one would shoot with the RF50/1.8 at the same moment. There's nice bokeh, etc., but one wonders whether the 50/1.8 wouldn't be nearly identical. (They both have a 28mm aperture, so the amount of bokeh should be nearly identical.)
Another great review! Thanks Chris.
Very nice pics as well Chris!
Hi,could you bring Sigma 40mm 1.4 art and Canon R5 together ? I hope you will get the best possible results because simply they are the best.
you deserve heaven man, fantastic job, as always... and as of the lens itself, I went to a retail shop, I attached it to my A7RIII, and simply fantastic, but something inside me told me not to buy it, maybe its size and weight... but no doubt, by far the best lens I've ever tested in my entire life. Possibly I'll end up buying it in the near future...
As excellent and reliable review as always!
It is so expensive.. And no stabilization...but the image quality is so impressive... Still a thumbs up... Thanks for the review sir..
Zeiss makes a Milvus 35mm f/1.4 manual focus lens that retails for $2K. I wouldn’t call this lens “so expensive” because for what you get for your money, there really is no competition. Whether it’s more than you want to spend, that’s a different question. There are a lot of expensive lenses though, like an $11K Leica prime or possibly Canon’s new $2,700 85mm f/1.2. An extra thousand dollars for a mirrorless mount and maybe 10-20% better IQ.
Would love to see a comparison between this and the Tamron SP45 WITH VR
no point.......this lens is better quality than that, or any lens you have ever used.....I aint trolling, try it.
Thanks for doing the review I asked you for!
Sigma cut the list price of this lens in half recently. Coudn't resist at an pricepoint below 700€ with some recent cashback. It is now a excellent value for money and definitly the best lens for astrophotography i have ever used in this focal range. Considering that sigmas profit marge would not have been that high as the recent price cut, this could mean, that they are selling off their stocks and phasing this lens out in the near future.
Awesome review, been looking for a better 40mm ever since I had canon's surprisingly sharp 40mm pancake! This will do me great 👍
The 40 2.8 STM? One of my old fav trusty lenses too. Was a good lesson for me, discovering over time how that $140 (bought refurbished) prime was sharper than Canon's 24-70 2.8L
Weight sure matters, though. But performance.. for mirrorless, the 35 1.8 with 5 stop stabilization for being tiny, and this thing on an adaptor for ultimate image quality.
Great review thanks . I’m in love with this lens . Want this and their 28mm art !
Have the 50 and it’s not what I want just a hair tight most of the time for what I do or want . The 50 has a lot of the color fringing at close focus also .
Do you mean the 50mm 1.4 Art from Sigma? You should return it, it must be faulty. I use the same lens and it's astonishingly good.
I’d like to see this retested in 2024 but which camera to test it on?
As usual Chris, another great and tight review. Food for thought for potential Zeiss purchasers. The weight has never bothered me with FF Cameras such as my 6D, but I do love shooting with my Fuji XT 2 and the wide array of excellent value and quality zooms and primes...pity Sony have neglected the lens array for the apsc line of cameras...but that left the door open for Sigman
The 6d is tiny and light.
@@user-zc5ft9nw9b I have a battery grip on my 6D and the combined unit is not at all heavy, and I am 72.
Hello Chris, i´ve been watching your lens reviews for a wile and would like to know if you recommend the new sigma 40mm instead of this 35mm a little bit older but cheaper version?
Chriss you should now upgrade both your sony and canon cameras. They might be viable still but there's heaps difference between them and current gen cameras. Even the 6Dii is wayy better than 6D.
What an optic
VERY exciting to see a third party lens achieving this quality but the 1.2kgs weight factor may be its Achilles Heel.
what is weight " factor"? Might also explain what is form "factor" and price "point" and how are they different from simple weight, form and price?
I can't deal with this thing's size. Doesn't matter how perfect the optics are if one hates carrying it. Hoping Sigma makes some FF F/2 primes for the new MILC mounts. 40mm is my favorite FL so hopefully they do something there.
future62 most of sigmas lenses are over sized compared to rivals.
@@avg4570 Not really. Only the new 28 and 40 are oversized. Their 35 and 50 is the same as everyone elses
Their 50mm is same as everyone elses? Have you actually seen and used that lens? I have it, Its HUGE for a 50 f1.4 lens. Only Zeiss Ottus 55 1.4 beats it in size.
@@Qlicky Yes the Sony and Pentax 50 1.4 are just as big. I think the new Canon 50 1.2 is big too. The smaller 50 1.4s suck so they don't really count
future62 I think the e mount lenses are bigger just because of the flange distances like they just get thinner and longer near area that fixates to the mount. The canon is a larger aperture so it doesn’t count. Even the Nikon 50mm 1.4 is tiny compared to the sigma.
Please review 70-200 sigma, many say it's as good as canon L 2.8 iii and nikon vrii
Thank you for another great review and for finding another champion! This continuous sharpness in incredible and worth every Pound (or Euro or what so ever).
Could that softness on APS-C be caused by internal reflexions maybe by the adaptor? - At 1.4 there´s a lot of light to be absorbed arond the relatively small sensor.
Possible - but the Sigma MC-11 adaptor is very nicely flocked so there are probably no more reflections than what you would see from within a digital SLR.
Exellent 🏆 review as always... Short and not too much bla bla 👌📷
I got myself a Sony A7 Mark 3 after being a Canon fanboy with my 5d Mark 4. But i cant decide if i should get it with the sony mount or the canon mount. I already have a Metabones adapter but im worried that the autofocus will be inaccurate. Have you tried it with only the sigma MC-11 or do you also have a Metabones adapter to try it out?
Do NOT get it if you are not going to get the mc11. Metabones degrades IQ specially towards the edges. Look up a video of metabones vs mc-11 or something like that which shows clear differences specially with wider lenses
If you have a Sony camera just get the Sony mount version. But if you're using a Sigma lens then the MC-11 is what you should go for - it's their official one especially designed for their own lenses
Please review Sony 50mm 1.4 and sigma 50mm 1.4 as well
+1 for Sony 50mm F1.4
Hi Christopher, Just a quick question...
Firstly, As always, Thanks for this review. I was looking forward to you reviewing this lens as I wanted to here your thoughts on it. Great review as always.
You mentioned that there is a weird ghosting issue on APS-C cameras at F1.4. Did you try it on one of your other APS-C cameras? Like one of your canons perhaps? You said that it was the canon version and you were using the adapter to fit it on your Sonys. It would be interesting to seen if the ghosting appears on all APS-C cameras regardless of brand and resolution of sensor or if it was just a one time thing. I don't suppose you tried multiple copies of the lens? Thanks.
It was very strange - I do wonder if it was an adaptor issue - but then again, it was the official Sigma MC-11 adaptor which is very, very good
@@christopherfrost If I ever get this lens I will test it on my APS-C camera and let you know if the same Ghosting happens.
0:30 "Making a mockewy of the wather small size of that pawticular miwwowless camewa" 😂😂 love that accent
Thanks Christopher for this post it was very informative and has caused me to think of what my next lens should be. The imagery looks tremendous would you recommend this over the sigma 24-70mm art.? as I have a friends wedding to go to soon and would like to take some great shots of the happy couple? advise always welcome. all the best . Ps i shoot Nikon D850.
This is a brilliant prime, and the most versatile FOV for a prime. Personally, I find that primes produce more skilled images than zooms, too. The ART40mm and the ART24-70mm together would make a brilliant kit, though personally I'd start with the 40mm.
Hi David! I tested the lens a few moths ago, and found it's focusing highly inconsistent on Nikon Z7, D850 and D5. Also, its huge and heavy-like lugging around a 24-70 2.8 vr. People literally stopped me in the street to ask 'what is that'. Depends of what you are shooting (and if you get a good copy-apparently I didn't) The images were beautiful but a lot of missed focus and for wedding photography I couldn't justify it so I stuck with my 35mm 1.4 ART (which I am in the process of replacing with a Tamron 35mm 1.4)
Great len, great review
Wow, im considering getting this now. Either this, or the 40mm f2.8 from canon to save some money. (I make terrible financial decisions)
2nd contender for lenses of the year
What's first?
@@JamesClark1991 viltrox manual 20mm .. its very sharp from 1.8 but obviously not quite as much as this sigma
I'm curious why you say f/1.4 lenses are equivalent to f/2.2 on APS-C. I was under the impression that the difference was 1 stop. Shouldn't it be f/2 equivalent? Are you perhaps considering APS-C as the weird Canon 1.6x rather than the normal 1.5x of Nikon, Fuji, Pentax and Sony? Great review btw! I have been doing reviews of lenses for infrared use and am considering starting video reviews. I like your review style here.
I know it looks unusual but it is true. If the APS-C crop factor were 1.4x instead of 1.5x then it would indeed just be one stop of difference, because it's a ratio. It's the same with teleconvertors - a 1.4x teleconvertor will reduce the aperture by one stop. Glad you enjoyed the review!
looks pretty solid to me~
How would compare this to Canon 35mm f1.4 ii? Is canon still the king?
This Sigma lens is sharper by my tests (I've tested the Canon but the review hasn't come out yet)
Not even close. Check lensrental tests.... This lens matches or beats OTUS so its on a whole new league. I had the Canon so I know.
What's the sharpest Prime lens u use?
Hello Christ. So using this lens with MC-11 on A7R2, the eye AF works? This is very interesting because with Metabones eye AF doesn’t work.
For its weight I wish it came with tripod mount ... I'm worried it might damage my camera mount if it is used without one
Get a bigger camera...
@@dakmandotcom6682 I didn't mention which camera I used it on ... I used it on D610 , D7500 ,And Z7 ... I don't see how getting a bigger camera would help with my worries anyway...
The lens weigh as much as a 70-200 2.8 (which comes with tripod foot) ... even my 70-200 2.8 is more balanced on the camera than this lens which is front heavy ... I bought a 3rd party tripod foot and it has its pros and cons ... I found myself able to handheld this lens for longer periods with the foot.
If you're watching this video in 2024, when the 40mm is selling for just $700 new, and you're wondering if there's a better value than this lens in terms of cost vs optical performance, there's not.
Aaaaaaand liking it before I begin watching :P
Looks like a very short focus throw for a lens of that calibre and price. Also doesn't seem to have VR judging by the single switch on the side. 1.2kg? I keep my weights at home... And they want how much for this!?
Better than OTUS performance for a fraction of the price...this is not for wimps...so go home and stop making a fool of yourself
Watch out guys, weve got a badass over here.
Looks really good
Just a little excited. :)
Amazing optics! But I still love my little Voigtlander VM MC 40mm f/1.4 on my A7iii and a close focus adapter. Great sharpness!
Thank you for the review.
I wish it was 45mm
Outstanding lens.Razor sharp images.The only con is this lens is very huge.After a while becomes heavy lens.Better gain some muscles if you want to use this lens😎
Its not that bad, but it might be a problem if your a budding photographer and 12 💪
...,,and i did test that quite carefully''.... ahahah famous sigma AF :-D
1:38 I don't know that there's any particular photographic focal length that is "the natural perspective of the human eye." On one hand we can see as wide as 14mm with peripheral vision. On the other our field of acuity is probably smaller than an 135mm. Finally, when viewing a photo the real question is: does the photo subtend the same angle of view we'd normally see? a 10x15cm (4x6") print at arms length would match 100mm pretty well. double the width and 50mm would match quite closely. Double again and 25mm would match, etc. I think it's time to retire this old trope.
Sticking to my Sigma 35 for half the size, weight and price. That lens is great performer as well, and you have to pixel peep very deep to see the difference.
Yes the 40mm is optical perfection, but if we consider that titanic weight and size, no doubt the the 35 Art is a much much more rational pick, especially for everyday usage.
Lol pixel peep???? This one has much smoother bokeh and sharpness is not even close. No need to pixel peep but it's OK...keep saying that to yourself until you believe it
convince me with some pics
(not that clients would notice it, regardless if you have any client or not)
Its no bigger than a 70-200, its not titanic. Its not like walking around with a 500mm f4 attached to your camera. stick to your pancake if your happy to turn down this ridiculous optical quality. This 40 is my walkaround lens....You cant compromise on IQ unless your going for intentionally flawed lenses for some artistic merit, hell you may as well buy a lomo or diana with plastic lenses 😉
I'm still recovering from that free giveaway loss @ChristopherFrost. But back for the reviews..
Which one would you recommend for a wedding photographer, if cost is not an issue? - Sigma 40mm 1.4 A or Tamron 35mm 1.4?
i am confused b/w 40mm vs 50mm sigma. any advise
I think sigma took 1 step ahead of sony in making their lenses, instead of engineers they hired scientist!
Yongnuo 35mm 1.4 and the canon 35 mk ii. Please? 🙂
Hi Christopher, how do you compare this lens to the 50 mm 1.4 which has been out for a number of years? The price difference is significant.
This lens is even sharper
Beast lens
I wonder why nobody knows and use this lens ? Is there a native version for Sony e mount without adapter in 2022 ?
Having my 6d for breakfast :-)
Thanks
is it required to be "Docked" like that of the 35mm Art or is it good to go right out of the box?
If you buy one that's been sitting on a shop shelf since it first came out then you may benefit to updating its firmware to some degree