Lens Reviews / Sigma Lenses i Not yet tested

14-24mm	$1,249 average price

Updates:
03/24/2018: Field Test & Gallery Images posted
06/27/2019: Field Test updated

 

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art Field Test

A fantastic ultra-wide-angle zoom lens earns its "Art" designation

by Jeremy Gray | Posted 03/26/2018

 

Update, 06/27/2019:
Note: In my original Field Test of the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens, I really liked the lens, although I had a few issues with image quality. Upon revising my sharpness test shot methodology in more recent lens Field Tests, I revisited the Sigma 14mm-24mm f/2.8 Art lens -- this time with a Nikon version of the lens rather than a Canon version -- to see if the lens was better than I had originally thought. Therefore, the sharpness section of this Field Test has been redone with new test images and analysis. Additionally, I have revised the conclusion of this Field Test with new findings.

 

14mm, f/11, 1/100s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The ultra-wide zoom lens market just became more competitive. Sigma's new 14-24mm f/2.8 lens is not only poised to deliver excellent image quality, it's also designed to do so at a low price while remaining aimed squarely at enthusiasts and professionals. It undercuts Nikon's highly-acclaimed 14-24mm f/2.8 by nearly $600 and Canon's similar -- although not a matched substitute -- 11-24mm f/4 by $1,400.

Ultimately, the question with a lens like the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 is not just how good is it, but is it similar or better than the Canon and Nikon competition? In the following Field Test, we will certainly be looking at how good the lens is, but we will also be able to compare it directly against the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, which continues to be a benchmark lens in this category.

Key Features and Specifications

• Ultra-wide-angle fast zoom lens
• Weather-sealed
• 17 elements across 11 groups
• 3 FLD, 3 SLD and 3 aspherical elements
• Super Multi-Layer coating
• 9-blade aperture diaphragm
• 10.2-inch close focus distance
• Hyper Sonic Motor autofocus
• Available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts
• US$1,299 price

Design and Handling

The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art lens has the standard Sigma Art lens look and build quality. This means that the lens looks stylish and feels great in the hands. In the case of the 14-24mm f/2.8, it feels heavy. It weighs just over 2.54 lbs (1.15 kg). It is also rather large, at least in terms of diameter. The 14-24mm is just over 5 inches long (135 millimeters) with a maximum diameter of 3.8 inches (96 millimeters). If you're familiar with the Canon 11-24mm f/4 or Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, the Sigma 14-24mm is almost the same size and weight as the Nikon lens and lighter and with a bit less diameter than the Canon zoom, although it's roughly the same length.

Much like the Nikon, the Sigma has a built-in petal-shaped lens hood -- which can actually be removed by Sigma if you don't mind letting in light and leaving the front element exposed -- and the zoom ring is closer to the camera body than the focus ring. Both of the rings on the Sigma have ridged rubber surfaces that offer good grip. They rotate with a heavy feel but with nice smoothness. The zoom ring requires less than a quarter turn to go from 14mm to 24mm, which is nice, and the 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24mm focal lengths are marked with painted numbers. The zoom ring is about three-quarters of an inch wide (just under 20 millimeters) and the focus ring is a bit wider, around an inch (25 millimeters). Between the focus ring and the zoom ring is a focus scale. Thanks to the heavy feeling of the focus ring, it's very easy to make precise focus adjustments.

The lens is weather-sealed and has a brass bayonet mount. The lens certainly feels rugged in the hands and should stand up to challenging shooting conditions. Further, the front lens element -- which inevitably will get touched at some point thanks to its very bulbous nature -- has a special coating to allow easy removal of water and oil. It isn't just on the camera that the lens feels protected, but when you aren't using it as well; it includes a very nice rectangular soft case, which is robust. Further, the lens cap slips on easily while doing a good job staying in place on the lens. It has a soft-lined interior to ensure you don't damage the barrel of the lens when taking the cap on and off too.

Overall, the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens looks good, feels great and has been very intelligently designed. While I don't have the Nikon version on hand, Sigma states that each version follows the same rotation pattern as its original mount -- so in the case of the Canon, you zoom in by rotating in a counter-clockwise direction. It's thoughtful design elements like this that make the Sigma's very reasonable price point look all the more attractive. It's a high-end lens that doesn't break the bank.

Optics and Image Quality

The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 has 17 elements across 11 groups. Of those 17 elements, there are three each of FLD, SLD and aspherical elements. The lens also includes Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce lens flare and ghosting.

Sharpness

I was dissatisfied with the original sharpness test images I shot with the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens, so I redid them. The crops below are from raw files which were processed with Adobe Camera Raw default settings and lens profile corrections enabled. You can download the original raw files in the Gallery. Further, these new test shots were captured on a Nikon D800E, whereas my original sharpness tests were performed using a Canon-mount 14-24mm on a Canon 5DS R.

14mm

The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens is impressive throughout the entire focal length range. At 14mm, even when shot wide open at f/2.8, center sharpness is very good. There is a good amount of detail resolved, as you can see in the detail of the brickwork on the building. Corner sharpness is quite good too.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 14mm, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 14mm, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 14mm, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/4.0, center and corner sharpness improves a bit, but there's a more noticeable difference in terms of corner sharpness when you stop down to f/5.6.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 14mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/8.0, the performance across the board is impressive. Center sharpness remains very good and corner sharpness is further improved by a slight margin.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 14mm, f/8, 1/250s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 14mm, f/8, 1/250s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

When you stop down further to f/11, performance remains good. At f/16 and f/22, the entire frame is softer, although I think you could still work with an f/16 file. The f/22 file, on the other hand, is very soft. If you need a slow shutter speed and want to stop down, the use of a neutral density filter is definitely recommended in lieu of stopping down past f/11.

19mm

In the middle of the 14-24mm's focal length range, 19mm, performance is very good. Both center sharpness and corner sharpness are really strong at f/2.8.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 19mm, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 19mm, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 19mm, f/2.8, 1/1600s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/4.0 and f/5.6, image quality improves slightly, although the improvements are not very noticeable. At f/8.0, center sharpness is relatively unchanged, but the corner performance improves more noticeably.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 19mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 19mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

As was the case at 14mm, performance at f/11 is still good and then drops off noticeably at f/16 and worsens considerably at the minimum aperture of f/22.

24mm

At the longest focal length, 24mm, performance is less impressive. As was the case with the Canon sample I tested last year, the 14-24mm is better across the frame at its widest focal length of 14mm than it is at its longest focal length of 24mm. This is a rather interesting result, although not necessarily bad because photographers interested in a 14-24mm are likely more inclined to use the lens closer to 14mm than to 24mm. At 24mm, wide open sharpness is only okay. You may notice that the center is quite bright, this is due to the vignette the lens produces at 24mm and the camera's overcompensation during metering. This is something you will need to look out for when shooting this lens wide open, especially at 24mm. Corner sharpness is not very good at 24mm.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100. RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Fortunately, by stopping down to f/4, center sharpness at 24mm improves a lot. Unfortunately, the corner continues to be soft. At f/5.6, center sharpness remains very good while the corner becomes a bit clearer. At f/8.0, the corner performance improves further and enters what I think is pretty good territory. Corner performance improves further at f/11.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/4, 1/800s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/5.6, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/8, 1/250s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/8, 1/250s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 100. 100 percent center crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Nikon D800E. 24mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 100. 100 percent top right corner crop from RAW processed image with Adobe Camera Raw defaults and lens profile corrections enabled. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/16 and f/22, as was the case at shorter focal lengths, sharpness across the frame goes down a bit at f/16 and goes down a lot at f/22. With that said, given how corner performance changes as you stop down at 24mm, f/16 is perhaps more interesting for landscape shooters at 24mm than it would be at 14mm or 19mm.

Overall

Overall, the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens performs very well across the frame at most focal lengths. At 14mm and 19mm, performance is great, even wide open. At 24mm, the sharpness at f/2.8 is noticeably worse, although by stopping down the lens, you can achieve strong overall sharpness.

Vignetting

When shooting with the 14-24mm lens at its focal length extremes and a wide-open aperture, there is moderate vignetting. In the test shots below, I reduced clarity to lessen the impact of detail in the frame, but otherwise simply converted the RAW files in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings. You can see that stopping down to f/4 at 14mm makes a big difference with vignette, although there are still issues in the corners.

14mm, f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 100. Vignette test image. Processed RAW file with Adobe Camera Raw defaults. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

14mm, f/4, 1/500s, ISO 100. Vignette test image. Processed RAW file with Adobe Camera Raw defaults. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At 24mm, the story is much the same. There's noticeable falloff in the corners with some rather significant darkening at f/2.8 which is reduced by stopping down. I think that the vignette is worse at 14mm than it is at 24mm, which is not very surprising. In any case, much like it is with sharpness, you will want to stop the lens down to f/5.6-11 to ensure the best optical performance, including dramatically reduced vignette.

24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 100. Vignette test image. Processed RAW file with Adobe Camera Raw defaults. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

24mm, f/4, 1/500s, ISO 100. Vignette test image. Processed RAW file with Adobe Camera Raw defaults. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Aberrations

The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 delivers good control of aberrations and other optical issues, in most cases. It also mostly avoids issues with lens flare thanks to the built-in lens hood, although on rare occasions, particularly at wider focal lengths when the front element is further forward, the lens can experience some flare, which is the case with other ultra-wide lenses I've used.

14mm, f/8, 1/125s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 typically handles flare well. You can see only a small bit of lens flare here despite the sun being pointed right at the left side of the lens. The petal-shaped lens hood does a good job of keeping light off the front element.

24mm, f/18, 1/25s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. Even shooting into direct sunlight didn't result in many issues. There's a bit of flare beneath the sunburst, but it's very manageable, and the lens produced an image with good contrast and colors.

While the lens does a good job of minimizing chromatic aberrations and purple fringing -- neither of which were an issue for me during my time with the 14-24mm -- the lens does suffer from some comatic aberration. This relatively obscure aberration is very rarely an issue during most types of photography as it only affects small points of light. However, this is precisely what you photograph when doing night sky photography. I regularly use my Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 for night photography, and it has some issues with corner performance and comatic aberration, so I was curious to see how the Sigma performed.

Conditions were very rarely good for night shooting during my brief time with the lens, but I did grab a few test shots to check for coma, and it's certainly there at 14mm. As you can see in the 100% crop below, which was taken from the edge of the frame, the star is not a circular point but is rather more like a blob. The coma isn't bad nor is it unusual, but it is still something worth keeping in mind if you plan to use the 14-24mm f/2.8 for night photography. You may need to crop a bit of the final image if making large prints, otherwise the stars won't have the desired pinpoint appearance. Overall, despite weather conditions limiting my time for night photography during my review period, I'd say that comatic aberration from the Sigma was very similar to what I've seen from my Nikon 14-24mm lens.

22mm, f/2.8, 6s, ISO 800. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

22mm, f/2.8, 6s, ISO 800. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. In this 100% crop from the above image, we can see that there is some comatic aberration near the edge of the image. It's not terrible and can be dealt with by stopping down or cropping, although neither of those are perfect solutions. It's worth keeping in mind if you intend to do night shooting with the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens.

 

14mm, f/2.8, 8s, ISO 800. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In the Field

Close Focus

The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 is not a macro lens, of course, but close focus performance still matters to many photographers, especially those who like to utilize foreground elements in landscape images. The minimum focus distance for the lens is an impressive 10.2 inches (26 centimeters), which allows for a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:5.4. This is adequate for nearly all foreground situations.

14mm, f/2.8, 1/320s, ISO 100. Close focus distance test image at 14mm. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

24mm, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 100. Close focus distance test image at 24mm. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Autofocus

Autofocus performance is notably quick and decisive. The 14-24mm lenses uses a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) and offers an optimized AF algorithm that Sigma states provides smoother autofocus performance. The lens focuses smoothly, to be sure, but I was impressed by how quiet the autofocus is. There is also full-time manual focus override, which is nice.

Real-world Images

14mm, f/8, 1/15s, ISO 100. 14mm image. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

24mm, f/8, 1/15s, ISO 100. 24mm image. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

14mm, f/2.8, 1/2000s, ISO 100. Testing the 14-24mm f/2.8's depth of field at 14mm and f/2.8. Compare to the depth of field available when you zoom in to 24mm by checking out the image below. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000s, ISO 100. Testing the 14-24mm f/2.8's depth of field at 24mm and f/2.8. Compare to the depth of field available when you zoom out to 14mm by checking out the image above. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

23mm, f/8, 1/320s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

14mm, f/5.6, 1/8s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

24mm, f/16, 0.8s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Field Test Summary

An excellent wide-angle zoom at a very fair price

What I like:

• Very good build quality
• Excellent center sharpness
• Very good corner performance when stopped down
• A good value

24mm, f/8, 1/6s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

What I dislike:

• Corners are soft wide open at 24mm
• Vignette is moderate to severe at fast apertures
• No easy way to use filters

17mm, f/20, 1/5s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

With their new 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art lens, Sigma has continued their tradition of releasing excellent lenses with great build quality at a fair price. The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 costs less than Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 and is an appealing alternative to Canon's even-pricier 11-24mm f/4 lens. While not quite as wide as the latter, the Sigma 14-24mm is plenty versatile for an ultra-wide angle lens, and it delivers good-to-great optical performance across the board. It is built to professional standards, delivers high-end results and is less expensive than the competition. There's very little not to like here, and Sigma has delivered yet another great lens.

 

• • •

 

Product Overview

(From Sigma lens literature) SIGMA is introducing the 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art as the ultimate ultra-wide-angle zoom. While minimizing distortion, this lens offers outstanding F2.8 brightness throughout the zoom range and delivers top-level image quality at every focal length and every shooting distance. For these reasons, it is the definitive wide-aperture ultra-wide-angle zoom lens.

Key Features

1. Outstanding Art line image quality
Designed to team up with 50-megapixel-plus cameras and offer top-level optical performance throughout the zoom range, the 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art incorporates three FLD glass elements, three SLD glass elements, and three aspherical lens elements, including one large-diameter aspherical element. Effective distribution of these high-refractive-index glass elements further enhances the corrective effect of the FLD and SLD glass. This optical system minimizes transverse chromatic aberration and other optical aberrations, resulting in outstanding high-resolution image quality.

The first element in the optical system is a large-diameter aspherical lens. Optimizing the power distribution of this and the other lens elements minimizes distortion to 1% or lower.* As a result, points of light appear as points without streaking from the center of the image to the edge, and the light volume is also abundant throughout the frame. In addition, simulations performed from the design stage onward have helped minimize flare and ghosting. In combination, these technologies ensure excellent ultra-wide-angle performance.
*At infinity focus

2. Compatible with Canon Lens Aberration Correction
The Canon mount lens is compatible with the Canon Lens Aberration Correction function.* Matching the optical characteristics of the lens, this function performs in-camera corrections of peripheral illumination, chromatic aberrations, distortion, and more, further enhancing image quality.
*Function not available on all Canon cameras. Further, available corrections may vary by Canon camera model.

3. Professional specifications
Like SIGMA's Sports line lenses, the 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM |Art features a highly effective dust- and splash-proof structure with special sealing at the mount connection, manual focus ring, zoom ring, and cover connection, allowing photographers to work in all types of weather. In addition, the front of the lens is protected by a water- and oil-repellent coating that makes cleaning easy. The high-speed, high-accuracy autofocus helps photographers react in an instant to get those special shots.

4. Introducing the new Front Conversion Service
Today's virtual reality creators favor multi-camera videography that leverages the capability of ultra-wide-angle lenses. Addressing this trend, SIGMA is offering the new Front Conversion Service, in which SIGMA converts the petal-type hood of the 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art lens to an exclusive round component. This altered front structure allows the lens to be deployed with greater freedom in multi-camera VR videography. The new front also helps prevent the lens from interfering with other lenses or from casting a visible shadow. The use of this service has no impact on the validity of the product warranty.
Start of service: TBD

Other Features

• Rounded diaphragm
• Fast AF with full-time manual override
• Compatible with Sigma's MC-11 Sony E-mount converter
• The Nikon mount features a brand new electromagnetic diaphragm
• Available SIGMA USB DOCK makes customization and flexible adjustment possible
• Available Mount Conversion Service
• Brass bayonet mount
• Evaluation with SIGMA's own MTF measuring system: A1
• "Made in Japan" with outstanding craftsmanship

The ultra-wide angle Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art lens will begin shipping in mid-March 2018 for a retail price of $1,299.00 USD.