Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Review

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Performance

At 24mm, central sharpness is off to an excellent start from f/2.8 all the way through to f/8. The standard is still very good at f/11 and f/16, becoming soft by f/22 as diffraction really takes hold. The edges are very good from f/2.8 to f/5.6, excellent at f/8, very good at f/11, thereafter falling to good at f/16 and quite soft at f/22.

35mm shows central sharpness to be excellent from f/2.8 to f/8 and very good at f/11 and f/16. f/22 is only fairly sharp. The edges are very good at f/2.8, excellent from f/4 to f/8, very good at f/11 and f/16 and again only fair at f/22.

50mm sees excellent central sharpness from f/2.8 to f/5.6. This remains very good from f/8 to f/16, softening at f/22 to fair levels. The edges are very good at f/2.8 and f/4, excellent at f/5.6, very good from f/8 to f/16 and just fair at f/22.

70mm sees excellent central sharpness at f/2.8 and f/4, very good performance at f/5.6 and f/8 and then just fair results from f/11 to f/22. The edges are just fairly sharp all the way through the range, from f/2.8 to f/22, peaking at f/4 but never becoming stellar.

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is very tightly under control in the centre at all focal lengths. The edges do show some fringing, but particularly at 70mm. This can, of course, be attended to in software, either in camera or in Photoshop and other suitable programs.

Distortion is good for a lens of this type. We find -2.86% barrel distortion at 24mm, quite visible in architectural shots, but correctable in software if deemed necessary. 35mm is almost perfectly rectilinear, measuring just -0.07% barrel distortion. This changes to +0.98% pincushion at 50mm, still very reasonable. 70mm measures +1.70% pincushion, noticeable in some shots but actually very fair for a zoom lens.

Flare does not seem to be a problem, despite the optical complexity of the lens. Clearly, the barrel design and coatings are efficient at reducing internal reflections. There may be a slight loss of contrast in the most challenging situations, but generally flare is not visible.

The 9 bladed diaphragm promised excellent bokeh, and indeed it is very smooth. This is also helped at 70mm in particular, where the lower sharpness levels of the outer areas of an image mean that portraits can be critically sharp at the eyes, but the background can be diffused and smooth. What is in technical terms a lens defect can often be turned into a pictorial advantage. There is potential here for use as a very satisfactory portrait lens at the longest focal length.

Value For Money

The 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art lens is priced at £1399. The Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 lens is priced at £1249. Both these lenses aim at the same ideal, the Sigma being available for Canon, Nikon and Sigma, the Tamron just for Canon and Nikon. It is worth repeating that the Sigma lens can also be used, via an adapter, on Sony E mount mirrorless cameras, at least in its Canon or Sigma variations. As the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens costs £1899 this is something that could well be of interest to Sony users.

For the sake of comparing what all marques offer their users, we can find the HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm f/2.8 ED SDM, a remarkably similar lens to the Tamron, at £1149. Canon offers the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM (£1699) and Nikon the 24-70mm f/2.8E AF-S ED VR (£1899) and 24-70mm f/2.8 G AF-S ED (£1549). Finally, there is the Tokina 24-70mm f/2.8 AT-X PRO FX at £949.

The new Sigma lens may seem expensive, but it is about par for the course and actually quite a bit less so than some of the other options. Value for money seems to be sound. For more options have a look at the Top 21 Best Sigma lenses.

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