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Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM ART (Canon) - Review / Test |
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Lens Reviews -
Canon EOS (Full Format)
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Page 1 of 3
Review by Klaus Schroiff, published November 2017
Introduction
So Sigma went where no man has gone before ... again. This time we'll explore the new Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM ART. Typically such ultra-wide lenses peak at a speed of (warp ... ah no ...) f/2/8. A little while back two of the exotics started to offer something a little faster (Irix 15mm f/2.4, Samyang XP 14mm f/2.4) but the Sigma is faster still. And yes, it does make a difference when using the lens in the field although it doesn't make things any simpler. Yes, you can shoot in much darker conditions at large apertures but at f/1.8 the depth-of-field is often shallow even at this focal length. Emphasizing a subject is now a feasible option - whereas with f/2.8 lenses you have to get really close in order to do that. Of course, such capabilities come at a price - literally. However, at around 1600EUR/USD it's not excessively high and actually somewhat more affordable than the common gang of 16-35mm f/2.8 lenses and Canon's own 14mm f/2.8 USM L II for instance.
The other price that you have to pay is the burden of carrying it - at 1.12kg it's a brick. The immense bulb-like front element is not only quite a sight, it also makes the lens rather 'fat'. Professional photographers may be used to all that but to the uninitiated, it may come as a surprise.
As the name implies, we are talking about a Sigma ART lens here - thus a designated professional grade lens. The build quality is truly superb. Sigma used its usual recipe of TSC ( Thermally Stable Composite ) material based on a brass mount. The focus ring operates smoothly. The lens is also dust and splash-proof.
Sigma's "large" HSM drive is both fast and near silent. However, we weren't quite as impressed by the focus accuracy. Whether this is a fault of the lens is unclear though. Canon cameras (the 5Ds R in this case) aren't really super accurate with ultra-wide lenses anyway. In any case - we had several outliers in low light situations so you may prefer to switch to live mode for focusing and/or switch to manual focusing altogether when shooting at large apertures.
Available in native Canon and Nikon mount, it is possible to use Sigma's Mount Converter MC-11 for using the lens on Sony mirrorless cameras.
| Specifications |
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| Optical construction | 16 elements in 11 groups including 3x aspherical, 4xSLD and 3x FLD elements |
| Number of aperture blades | 9 (rounded) |
| min. focus distance | 0.27m (max. magnification ratio 1:9.8) |
| Dimensions | 95.4x126mm |
| Weight | 1120g |
| Filter size | - |
| Hood | petal-shaped (built-in) |
| Other features | weather sealing |
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