Sigma AF 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A ("Art") (Nikon FX) - Review / Test Report - Sample Images & Verdict |
Lens Reviews -
Nikon / Nikkor (full format)
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Sample Shots
The following sample shots were taken with a D3x and RAW-converted via CaptureOne.
Click on a thumbnail to view the original file (opens in a separate window).
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/8.0 |
Exposure |
1/200s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/2.0 |
Exposure |
1/8000s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/1.4 |
Exposure |
1/8000s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/7.1 |
Exposure |
1/800s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/7.1 |
Exposure |
1/160s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/4.0 |
Exposure |
1/1250s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/5.6 |
Exposure |
1/125s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/8.0 |
Exposure |
1/320s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
125 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/8.0 |
Exposure |
1/400s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/4.0 |
Exposure |
1/1250s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/8.0 |
Exposure |
1/160s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/8.0 |
Exposure |
1/320s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/8.0 |
Exposure |
1/250s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/3.2 |
Exposure |
1/2000s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/1.4 |
Exposure |
1/8000s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/2.2 |
Exposure |
1/4000s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/7.1 |
Exposure |
1/250s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/4.0 |
Exposure |
1/1250s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/2.8 |
Exposure |
1/2000s |
|
Make |
NIKON CORPORATION |
|
Model |
NIKON D3X |
ISO Speed |
100 |
Focal Length |
24.0mm |
Aperture: |
f/1.8 |
Exposure |
1/6400s |
|
Verdict
So has Sigma done it again ? Well, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A isn't flawless but pretty good in summary, especially when compared to the most obvious competition, the Nikkor AF-S 24/1.4.
The center quality is excellent straight from f/1.4, but the borders are noticeably softer at large apertures. The full potential of the lens in terms of sharpness across the whole frame starts to kick in from f/2.8. The peak performance is reached around the f/4 mark. The lateral CAs are low and not disturbing. The same goes for the slight barrel distortion. A weakness is certainly the extreme vignetting at fully open aperture although you may argue that this can also be a desired effect at times (but then you could add this easily via post-processing anyway).
The quality of the bokeh is decent especially regarding the rendition of out-of-focus highlights - at least in the inner image zone, less so in the corners. You may spot a bit of bokeh fringing at large apertures but it's not obtrusive.
The build quality is clearly up to professional standards ... except for the lack of weather sealing. AF speed isn't a primary aspect on a 24mm lens but Sigma's HSM does a pretty fast and silent job here.
While the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A is certainly not a bad lens, it is still the weakest prime of the Art series that we have tested so far. To be fair - an ultra-large aperture 24mm lens is simply more difficult to design than a 35mm or 50mm lens. Still, Sigma did an excellent job in the end, and given it is considerably cheaper than the Nikkor AF-S 24/1.4 and at the same time outperforms the Nikon lens, it's really a no-brainer: if you look for an ultra fast 24mm prime, the Sigma is definitely one to seriously consider.
Mechanical Quality:
★★★★★
Click here for an explanation of our star ratings
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