![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma1424_dark.jpg\")
<\/a>Construction and Handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 is a lens that is both small and large, depending on your perspective. In absolute terms, the lens is fairly large and moderately hefty, with a large, bulbous front element, an approximately 5 inch length and a weight coming in at a substantial 795g. Compared with the svelte Tamron 17-28mm f\/2.8<\/a>, it’s nearly double the weight and a good bit larger as well, while being about 115g heavier than Sony’s 16-35mm f\/2.8 GM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, compared to other full frame 14-24mm lenses, it’s actually quite small. Nikon’s venerable 14-24mm f\/2.8 is 200g heavier and a half-inch larger in diameter, while Sigma’s own DSLR version (with a different optical design) of the 14-24mm f\/2.8 is a whopping 1150g. That extra few mm of width compared to a traditional 16-35mm results in a significant increase in size and weight, but the Sigma 14-24mm DG DN manages to keep that size increase fairly manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With all that said, the lens balances quite well on my A7R IV, and I was pleasantly surprised at how little the size and weight is really felt in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 DG DN is, like all of Sigma’s Art series lenses, constructed with tight tolerances and a very solid-feeling build. The lens is predominantly finished in high-grade plastics, with the closest portion of the lens barrel constructed of metal. The fit and finish of the lens is impeccable. Most apparent of the high quality of the build is the smoothness of both the zoom and focus action. This is probably the smoothest zooming lens I’ve ever used. It’s like the lens elements are on silky, well damped rails. It’s just exceptionally smooth. The focus ring is similarly smooth and nicely damped, though like almost all E-mount lenses, it’s focus by wire. The lens includes an AF\/MF switch on the side, which sits above a programmable lens button marked AFL, but this can be assigned to any function in the camera’s menus. This makes the Sigma one of the few non-Sony lenses to include the extra programmable button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 is a native E-Mount lens, and overall it focuses like one. The lens focuses quickly and accurately in continuous AF. In single-shot AF, the lens isn’t a speed demon, with a fairly deliberate focus action before locking. I’m not sure why it’s notably slower in single shot than it is in continuous, but it’s definitely something I noticed. In practice, for this type of lens, that more deliberate single-shot AF isn’t an issue, but it’s worth shooting in C-AF if focus speed is of prime importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not a normal section in my lens reviews, but given that those in the market for a top-notch ultra-wide often need filters, it bears discussing. Because of the extremely wide 14mm focal length and the resulting bulbous front element, the Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 can’t take traditional screw-in filters. This is true of essentially all lenses that are 14mm or wider, but it is definitely a down side. I am one who uses a polarizing filter quite often, as I shoot a lot of waterfalls around Ohio, and a polarizing filter can help to dramatically cut glare from wet rocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, I have employed one of the few external filter systems available for the Sigma 14-24mm. In my case, I’m using the Nisi S5 filter holder with their 150mm round landscape filter. I’ll give a quick overview of this filter system for those who may be interested in using external filters with the 14-24mm. The Nisi S5 is not a cheap, nor discreet solution. It uses 150mm round polarizing filters (and 150x150mm square filters if using the square filter holder), and the holder with a polarizer costs between $450 and $500 depending on which polarizer you get. As such, if you need a polarizer regularly on a lens like this, be sure to count the cost of a filter system into your decision-making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the large size of the filter holder, if using just the round polarizer, you can utilize the Nisi 150mm filter cap to protect the filter while mounted to the holder, and add any generic 100mm slip on cap on the rear opening to protect the system and filter. With the filter protected, I can fit the whole thing in the front pocket of my shoulder bag, making it no less convenient than a screw in filter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nisi S5 system is quite easy to use in the field, and can be attached with ease in a matter of seconds. You simply slide the opening at the rear of the filter holder over the hood, with the four small alignment tabs towards the indented parts of the lens hood. This alignment is shown below without the filter installed, but you can attach it without removing the polarizer if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You then simply tighten the rear locking ring by rotating it about 30 degrees, which locks evenly around the hood. A thumb screw is present as well, which doesn’t attach the holder to the lens, but rather prevents the unlocking ring from moving and accidentally unlocking the holder from the lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the polarizer installed, the filter system does not vignette at all, even at 14mm. The polarizer can be rotated by either of the two geared wheels, which move smoothly and precisely for setting polarization. Though not shown in the images here, the holder also comes with a square filter attachment which very quickly snaps on to the outer portion of the holder with a spring-loaded knob. Two square 150mm x 150mm filters, such as neutral density or graduated neutral density filters can be slid into the square holder. The square holder can then be rotated as well, and the rotation is independent of the polarizer rotation. It’s a slick system, though you pay for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s also worth noting that Sigma has a nice flip-lock system for securing rear filters, which can be very useful for using neutral density filters. The lens includes a template for cutting ND film gels to fit this rear filter slot, though a few filter makers have created optical glass rear filters for the Sigma 14-24mm. I use the Kase glass filters. They’re a little fiddly to install, but work well, with essentially zero impact image quality. Be sure to watch the thickness of the rear filters, though. Try to stick to filters that are 0.3mm or thinner, as thicker filters start to induce substantial field curvature, which can negatively affect edge sharpness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s sometimes said that a zoom lens is like having a bag of primes in one lens. It’s a nice sentiment, and can be accurate in some situations, especially with mid-range telephoto zoom lenses like the high-end 70-200mm f\/2.8 lenses that each manufacturer makes. However, ultra-wide zoom lenses have always had some level of compromise when compared with the very best prime lenses, and this has especially been true of those that push the envelope beyond 16mm. However, the Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 DG DN is the first ultra-wide zoom lens I’ve used that is truly<\/em> like a bag of the very best wide-angle prime lenses throughout the focal range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve been shooting with the Sigma 14-24mm for about three weeks now, and one word continually escapes my lips when looking at the images after offloading my memory card. “Wow.” I honestly have lost track of how many times “Wow!” has escaped my lips when reviewing images from this lens. I’m shooting on the A7R IV, a camera that pushes glass to its limits with its 60 megapixel resolution, and the 14-24mm is capable of producing sharp images to the very extreme corners, at all<\/em> focal lengths in the zoom range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting right from f\/2.8, the lens is sharp over 90% of the frame, with only the very last part of the image softening slightly. <\/em>Stop down just a stop or two and the lens sharpens to become extremely impressive into the very corners. While some of the very best primes can match the Sigma in the 18-24mm range, I don’t know if I’ve seen any lens resolve like the 14-24mm does between 14mm and 18mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are two examples at 14mm, though the lens is truly outstanding throughout the range. The first shot is at 14mm, f\/10 with a circular polarizer and 1.3 second exposure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And a 100% crop from the extreme upper right corner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That kind of corner resolution would be impressive on a lens of any focal length, though not unprecedented for top-notch glass. But for 14mm? That’s simply remarkable. Another example shows how good it still does even wide open. The (rather mundane) image below was taken at 14mm at f\/2.8, at a fairly close focus distance (where the lens isn’t quite as good as it is at further distances….but still very, very good.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now take a look at the 100% crop very near the corners. This is simply stunning sharpness, wide open at the extreme 14mm focal length, and close focus, on a 60 megapixel sensor. Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are only a handful of wide primes with this level of performance. In my use with this lens, I’m seeing quality generally on par with the Zeiss Loxia 21mm, throughout the zoom range. It’s worth noting that it bests the Loxia 21mm in one key way, though: the image plane for the Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 is almost perfectly flat, with no perceptible field curvature when shooting near infinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would be remarkable enough if the lens were simply extremely sharp, but the positives keep coming. The Sigma 14-24mm produces images with excellent contrast throughout the focal range, right from wide open. There’s a richness to the color and contrast profile that I only see on the best lenses. There’s a subtlety to the tonal rolloff, despite high overall contrast: a rare trait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like most Sigma lenses, the 14-24mm does tend to the warm side, which I like, though if you prefer more neutral colors, you’ll want to adjust the white balance in post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sigma 14-24mm also shows remarkable resistance to chromatic aberration. Lateral chromatic aberration is negligible, and longitudinal CA and purple fringing are also essentially absent. This is especially amazing at the 14mm focal length, where many primes near that focal length struggle to correct color aberrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While bokeh is not typically a chief concern among wide-angle zoom lenses, the fast f\/2.8 aperture and reasonable close-focus ability of the lens do allow for the ability to blur the background fairly sufficiently if desired. The quality of that blurred background is fairly good for an ultra-wide zoom, though in absolute terms it’s nothing special. Bokeh is somewhat high in contrast, but specular highlights are generally evenly lit, with a hint of a bright edge to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally we come to a ‘weakness’ of the lens, and that’s with distortion at the wide end. The lens displays fairly strong barrel distortion at 14mm, which will not generally be noticed in landscape work, but is visible when shooting architecture. The distortion can be corrected via a lens profile with minimal impact to sharpness, given the outstanding starting point in that regard. Zoom in a bit, and the distortion eases significantly, such that by 24mm, the slight pincushion distortion that remains is barely field relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lens performs very well with regards to flare, however. The 14-24mm can produce small colored ghosts in certain circumstances, but they are rarely distracting, and the veiling flare performance is outstanding. Essentially zero loss of contrast occurs when shooting into the sun, regardless of where the sun falls in the frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another weaker point is with regards to vignetting. Vignetting is fairly high at wide apertures and eases somewhat when stopping down, though never fully disappears. For me, this is a complete non-issue, but others may feel differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sigma 14-24mm continues its optical prowess with very low coma throughout the zoom range, making this a very competent lens for astrophotography. On the flip side, when shooting the bright star in the center of our solar system, you can create rather busy 22 point sunstars, that are fairly poorly defined until about f\/16, where they become more structured and pleasing. This is one area where a lens like the Loxia 21mm or any of the Voigtlander wide primes easily surpass the Sigma zoom, if sunstars are important to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In all, the Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 DG DN is simply remarkable optically. It’s exceptionally sharp throughout the zoom range, with very low chromatic aberration, great flare control and outstanding color and contrast. It’s not only the best ultra-wide zoom lens I’ve ever tested, it’s right up there with the absolute best wide-angle prime lenses I’ve ever used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 DG DN is not a cheap lens at $1,399 US, but it manages to justify that cost and then some, producing some of the highest image quality I’ve ever seen at these focal lengths. Truly exceptional image sharpness, even at 14mm, with outstanding color and contrast, great flare control, virtually non-existent chromatic aberration and an outstanding build quality make this lens not only outstanding for an ultra-wide zoom lens, but outstanding for an ultra-wide prime lens. I have heard some reports of people getting sub-par copies of the lens that don’t perform as well, which happens with every lens, but on a lens that can be so good, it stands out when a sub par example is found…don’t settle for less than exceptional with this lens, though: that’s the way it should be with this optic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As no lens is truly perfect, you can point to some barrel distortion at the wide end, and somewhat high vignetting as marks against it optically, but that’s about it. The biggest detriment to the lens is one that is the case for all 14mm and wider lenses: the lack of a front filter thread. If you don’t use front filters often, it’s not a big deal, and if you only use ND filters, the rear filter slot has you covered; but for polarizer use, you’re limited to large and expensive filter holder systems. Whether that’s worth it to you will be the big choice here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking at competing lenses, the Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 goes up against the Sony 16-35mm f\/2.8 GM, the 12-24mm f\/4 G and the Tamron 17-28mm f\/2.8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to the Sony 12-24mm, the Sigma is a little bigger and heavier, and not quite as wide, but has that extra stop of aperture. It’s also significantly better optically, and that’s saying something considering the 12-24mm is a good lens. However, given that the Sony 12-24mm is not only $400 more expensive than the Sigma, and also can’t take screw-in filters, this is a lens that I think is only worth it if you absolutely need 12mm in your ultra-wide zoom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sony 16-35mm f\/2.8 GM was the gold standard for E-mount wide zooms. I haven’t personally used the 16-35mm GM, but from what I’ve seen, it’s very, very good. I’m not sure if it as good as the Sigma, though, in the overlapping range. What you do get is the ability to use 82mm screw-in filters and a significantly broader zoom range going all the way to 35mm. On the negative side, it’s not quite as wide at the wide end, and it’s a hefty $800 more expensive than the Sigma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The really tough decision is between the Sigma and the Tamron 17-28mm. The Tamron is significantly smaller and lighter, $500 less expensive, takes reasonably sized 67mm filters and is still very good optically. For those shooting on Sony’s 24 megapixel bodies, the optical advantage of the Sigma in the shared range will be fairly small. However, on the A7R series cameras, the Sigma will show a fairly substantial improvement at the corners and edges of the frame. The Sigma is also quite a bit wider. I think the Tamron will make sense for most shooters if the more limited 17mm wide end isn’t a problem, while the Sigma will be the choice for those who want the extra width or demand the ultimate in image quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the front filter situation and the high total cost including those filters, the Sigma 14-24mm f\/2.8 may not be for everyone, but if you want the best optical quality you can get in a wide-zoom, this is it. It’s by far the best ultra-wide zoom lens I’ve ever used, and I have personally swapped out my Tamron 17-28mm and a few of my wide-angle primes in place of the Sigma, which handily improves on all of those lenses in a single unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Click on an image to enlarge:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sigma has slowly morphed over the past several decades from a budget lens maker into one of the premier lens makers in the industry. Their Art series lenses have continually raised the bar for high quality, yet reasonably priced lenses, and their first few mirrorless-specific entries have also been outstanding. Today I’m looking at one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[413,359,26,9,8,203,181,249,354],"class_list":["post-9887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-14-24mm","tag-e-mount","tag-lens","tag-mirrorless","tag-review","tag-sigma","tag-sony","tag-ultra-wide","tag-wide"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma1424_dark.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p28RGq-2zt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9887"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12640,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9887\/revisions\/12640"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma_tamron.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma1424.jpg\")
<\/a>Autofocus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Filters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/nisi_s5-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/nisi_s5-2.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/nisi_s5-5.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/nisi_s5-3.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/kase1_al.jpg\")
<\/a>Continue: Image Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Image Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sharpness<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/honey_run4.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma_crop-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma_14mm_close.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma_14mm_crop.jpg\")
<\/a>Color and Contrast and Chromatic Aberration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/house_chamber.jpg\")
<\/a>Bokeh<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/mainst_post.jpg\")
<\/a>Distortion, Flare and Vignetting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"http:\/\/www.admiringlight.com\/2020\/rocks_sun.jpg\")
<\/a>Coma and Sunstars<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Continue: Conclusion and Image Samples<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Cons<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
Image Samples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"http:\/\/www.admiringlight.com\/2020\/hidden_falls_ice.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"\/](\"http:\/\/www.admiringlight.com\/2020\/side_falls.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/mainst_bridge_bw.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/north_market_side-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/honey_run2.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"\/](\"http:\/\/www.admiringlight.com\/2020\/cedar_falls1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/orange_rock_stream.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/battleship-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sigma_sunstars.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/honey_run5.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/north_market1-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/dramatic_clouds.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/house_balcony.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/columbus_statehouse.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/hidden_falls.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/skyward_brick-1.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/hidden_falls_hdr.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/honey_run6.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/sun_trees.jpg\")
<\/a> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/cedar_falls_swirl.jpg\")
<\/a>If you enjoyed this review, check out my other reviews in the Review Index<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"