Wow, it has been a really long time since I posted something here! If I was going for once a year, I sorta missed 2014…
Intro
Anyway, I just wanted to make a quick post about Sigma. Well, specifically the Sigma Art 50mm and 35mm lenses that I picked up before the holidays. This is still more of an initial impression (only have brought them on a few shoots), but they are freaking amazing. I have been loving the images so far.
(The 50mm looks freaky cool in infrared)
For now the review is just to say that I love the lenses and to list some pros and cons 🙂
Pros
- Sharpness. These things are so super sharp!
- Color quality. The color reproduction puts my Canon glass to shame (more like my Fuji lenses).
- Pop. The contrasty pictures just have this great pop.
- Coating. I’ve been amazed by the lens coating. The rest of my fast primes (both Canon and Fuji) require their hoods at all times and get crazy reflections when shooting into lots of light sources. The Sigmas are at a different level in this regard.
- Value. They’re not cheap, but they’re out-performing Canon glass that is 1.4-2x the cost.
- Weight. While on the big camera, the weighting is perfect (a beast on a beast).
Cons
- Pop. It’s both a pro and a con, depending on your style. If you like a softer look, you’re going to have to set up a profile.
- Focus tuning. They do require focus tuning. I don’t have the Sigma hockey puck to program them yet, but in-camera settings have worked great (and once set, it’s all perfect).
- Bokeh. Not the best bokeh. Not bad, either, but not the creamy goodness of the 85mm f/1.2L (I know, it’s a high bar).
- Weight. While on the 5D2 (w/o grip) they’re a little hefty (not a walk-around lens like the Canon 50mm f/1.4). That’s fine for me (since I’m used to holding 10+ lbs of camera) but if your wrists/arms aren’t the strongest, might be a bit much.
Summary
Really, though, this just comes down to one question: Do I recommend these lenses?
Yes. Very yes.
Great images, good value, hefty size.
Coming Up…
I’ve been working on what to do for a two-camera setup for wedding/event photography. Since getting the Fuji X-T1 as my travel camera, it has put me into a quandary as to whether I should use it or the 5D2 for the second camera. Most of the factors go back and forth (weight, sharing lenses, EVF, style consistency, etc), so it’s probably going come down to image quality in the end.
So, hopefully my next post on here will be a head-to-head between the 5D2 and the X-T1. And honestly, I don’t know who is going to win.
Since the 70-200mm will likely stay on the big camera, the test for the second camera will focus on the primes (adjusting for crop factor, both systems have the same primes) with emphasis on focusing and low-light performance (both at the same depth of field (favoring crop) and wide open (favoring full frame)).
-D.G.