Sample Shots

Click on a thumbnail to view the original file (opens in a separate window).

Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 42.0mm Aperture: f/8.0 Exposure 1/320s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 82.0mm Aperture: f/6.3 Exposure 1/320s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 160 Focal Length 24.0mm Aperture: f/7.1 Exposure 1/320s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 160 Focal Length 58.0mm Aperture: f/4.0 Exposure 1/1250s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 160 Focal Length 105.0mm Aperture: f/5.6 Exposure 1/250s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 160 Focal Length 48.0mm Aperture: f/4.0 Exposure 1/1600s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 105.0mm Aperture: f/4.0 Exposure 1/1250s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 35.0mm 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 105.0mm Aperture: f/5.6 Exposure 1/400s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 38.0mm Aperture: f/6.3 Exposure 1/400s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 48.0mm Aperture: f/8.0 Exposure 1/400s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 95.0mm Aperture: f/8.0 Exposure 1/400s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 105.0mm Aperture: f/8.0 Exposure 1/400s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 38.0mm Aperture: f/6.3 Exposure 1/640s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 28.0mm Aperture: f/5.0 Exposure 1/640s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 105.0mm Aperture: f/4.0 Exposure 1/320s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 62.0mm Aperture: f/5.6 Exposure 1/500s
Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 35.0mm Aperture: f/7.1 Exposure 1/80s	Make NIKON CORPORATION Model NIKON D3X ISO Speed 100 Focal Length 48.0mm Aperture: f/8.0 Exposure 1/500s

Verdict

A highlight of the lens is certainly its amazing center performance - images are really tack sharp here and that's throughout the zoom range. The borders/corners are less impressive but still decent. However, the last bit of the extreme corners are blurry at 24mm.

Distortion is not really extreme but certainly not negligible either with the usual weak spot at the wide end. From a real world perspective, the light falloff is also a bit disturbing at f/4 at the long end of the range.

Coming back to positive aspects, the level of chromatic aberrations is relatively low and the quality of the bokeh is quite good for a standard zoom lens.

Another highlight is the mechanical quality of the Sigma lens. The used materials feel really superb and it's hard to spot weaknesses here. However, we'd like to mention the lack of weather sealing and we tend to put question marks behind the long term reliability of zoom mechanisms based on two inner lens tubes (duo-cam design). The HSM AF works as fast and noiseless as Nikon's AF-S and Sigma's optical image stabilizer is a handy and proven value-add by now.

The question of the day is, of course, how the Sigma lens can be seen vs the Nikkor AF-S 24-120 f/4 VR. Honestly, they are very close with the Sigma offering a slightly better optical performance vs. a longer focal range on the Nikkor. Depending on your preferences, the edge may be on the one or the other side.

Click here for an explanation of our star ratings