New Sigma 35mm f/1.4 keeps receiving lot of appraisals!
The new Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens keeps surprising the reviewers:
DSLRmagaizne (translation here) tested the lens on a Canon and writes that it has a “superb optical performance“.
Lenstip also tested the lens: “The Sigma has the best results of all 1.4/35 lenses, tested by us so far in the categories of resolution, distortion, chromatic aberration and coma correction. ”
This may be one of the nicest new lenses you can get for the A-mount system. And soon we hope to see that new Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 too 
Sigma A-mount 35mm f/1.4 lens preorders at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (click here).
andy
6 months ago |Hopefully we can buy it soon, since it’s been available only for Canon and Nikon :/
Joe
6 months ago |Anyone know if it needs to be rechipped for the A99? I always hesitate to buy Sigma lenses because deep down I worry I have to send it in to get rechipped.
NoName
6 months ago |If I’m not mistaken, there’s a USB dock to update the lens firmware.
Sedak
6 months ago |And what about bokeh guys, what about bokeh? Sony 50mm F1.4 was sharp as hell, but bokeh completely ruined the pictures to the point of me getting rid of this lens.
dennismullen
6 months ago |I’d like to compare it to my Minolta 35/1.4RS. I bet it’s sharp but I bet the Minolta 35/1.4 RS is richer.
Sean Lancaster
6 months ago |You might check more into it, but I had read that this lens has a USB port to plug in a thumb drive and update the lens from a file you download. In other words, no need to send the lens anywhere to update it.
Sean Lancaster
6 months ago |That was supposed to be posted above the comment where it ended up.
Matthew Durr
6 months ago |Sean, I really find that interesting, shows how lens manufacturers are trying to keep up with the technology age. By having the firmware in the lens, it can send its own correction profiles to the camera, rather than the other way around, correct?
http://matthewdurrphotography.com
OneTrackMind
6 months ago |@ Sean
I hadn’t read about the thumb drive aspect, but I do remember reading here back in November that Sigma’s new line of lens will work with a USB docking station. Here’s a clip from their press release:
“A newly developed USB dock, which will be sold separately and exclusively for new product lines, can be paired with new Sigma Optimization Pro software to update the lens firmware and adjust parameters, such as micro focus adjustment”
Maybe Adorama or B&H will do a bundle to help save on the cost.
mike
6 months ago |If it’s similar to my SIgma 50 f/1.4 HSM EX or my old 30 f/1.4 EX DC (without HSM) it will have a very smooth and nice bokeh. On these Sigma primes, it’s usually not the bokeh that’s the problem, but the sharpness when you leave the center and color fringing may sometimes be an issue. However, I like my Sigma primes – in particular for their bokeh.
Carl
6 months ago |There are samples out there, and it has a pretty distinct and clearly defined bokeh flavour.
It’s not smooth and creamy like the Sigma 50/1.4 is, neither is it particular funky or odd, just pretty neutral and plain, with a tendency to get noisy when foliage is involved. The lens seems to have some of the lowest levels of spherical aberration at wide apertures of all 35/1.4s (I’m not sure whether it’s lower than the Z* Zeiss, but likely is vs the Contax) which greatly limits its cream potential. On the flip side, wide open acutance is good, so it’ll make a good low light lens, but I’m not sure I’d want to use it for portraiture.
Steve
6 months ago |And what can be annoying; since lenses tend to outlive camera bodies, you may need to have it re-chipped for the a99 then re-chipped again for the next body you buy.
Ill buy this lens as soon as it ship.
g money
6 months ago |Last I saw, these new sigma lenses are end user firmware upgraded through a USB docking station. No more rechipping.
RickJ
6 months ago |This looks promising, I think I’ll hold off buying the 70-200G until the 120-300 is out for the A-mount.
Code
6 months ago |Pre-ordered and really looking forward to this lens.. it will be an absolute monster on the A99.
calxn
6 months ago |Sounds pretty awesome. Hopefully, Sigma makes a 24/1.4 also. I wouldn’t mind saving some bucks by buying it over the Nikkor version for my D800E. For 35mm, I already have the Zeiss 24/1.8 for my NEX-7. I don’t think I will touch anything wider for APS-C. I’ll reserve good wides for FF. My opinions of Sigma is changing with all the great lenses they’ve been putting out recently for both FF canikon and NEX. Man, the FF lens selection keeps getting better for Canikon all the time! Hopefully, Zeiss and Sigma jumps on board of FF NEX like they have for Canikon. No need to devote any resources to Alpha.
-
6 months ago |Besides the price tag (and 5mm), what’s the difference between this, and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4?????
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-30mm-Minolta-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000FG6CM4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355453167&sr=8-1&keywords=sigma+30mm+1.4+sony
Fokusnuss
6 months ago |The lens you mentoined is not working on full frame cameras.
Poke
6 months ago |I will probably pick this lens up. I really would love for sigma to release the 120-300/2.8 for the alpha mount. That is the lens I really want. I just cannot bring myself to get the 300G lens. Too much dinero.
Poke
6 months ago |Will definitely pick this lens up. Do not know how long we will have to wait for the Zeiss 50mm. I really want sigma to make the 120-300/2.8 for the alpha mount. Any idea when that lens may be coming out?
Richard
6 months ago |Based on your own experiences, how accurate is the lenstip’s test result? According to lenstip, the resolution score of Sigma 35mm (f1.4 and f peak) is better than every 35mm in the market (Zeiss 35/1.4, Nikon 35/1.4N, Canon 35/1.4L, Sony 35/1.4, and Samyang 35/1.4). Can it be true? OMG
Anon
6 months ago |Roger Cicala seems to agree with this.. at least against Canon 35mm.
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/12/another-35mm-lens-for-canon
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/11/sigma-35mm-f1-4-arrives-announces-new-world-order
Andrew
6 months ago |And how about a fast 24mm or 28mm for NEX at a decent price? Am I the only one who wants a quality prime that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg like the Zeiss 24mm?
Clifton
6 months ago |of course it wont need to be rechipped, such a situation only occurs when a camera is released (usually years) after the lens. Any lenses made today will be compatible with every camera out there. The situation with Sigma lenses and SLT isnt as big as everyone seems to expect.
The USB dock thing is an expensive add on too, it would probably work out cheaper to return your lenses to sigma if they did need updating for camera comparability, unless you owned a significant amount of sigma glass.
I am interested in this new lens, I am slowly getting used to using a sigma prime on my A700, if I were to upgrade to an A99, this will allow me to keep the focal distance without buying the expensive and seemingly mediocre G 35mm.
bro
6 months ago |Yeah the compatabilit thing is overblow.
However the USB dock lets you do a few things:
Front/Back focus adjust, great low-mid range bodies that don’t have micro focus adjust.
Adjust focus speed/accuracy ie: slower more accurate focus or faster less accurate focus.
In addition to firmware updates etc.
I’ve got the S35/1.4 pre-ordered and I might pick up the dock just to play with the focus speed stuff. Its a shame though, it looks like it won’t be compatible with older lenses even my S50/1.4. =(
matthew
6 months ago |I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this lens, and I immediately compared it to my Nikon 35 f1.4G. I don’t know what all the fuss is about, The nikon was sharper at every aperture, and noticeably sharper from 1.4-2.8. I verified this by testing both with identical setups and Reikan FoCal software. Reikan put the sigma at a full 1000 points lower than my Nikon in sharpness across the board. Disappointed, but will keep trying it out
bro
6 months ago |Bad copy?
Need to set up micro focus adjust?