Sigma’s commitment to mirrorless cameras is strengthened today with the announcement of the all-new 35 mm f/1.4 DG DN Art prime for L mount. The revised model is lighter and smaller than its predecessor and will sell in the UK for a reasonable £750. It is also available in the Sony E mount.
This second-generation 35 mm is smaller and lighter than the existing 35 mm f/1.4 Art, which was launched nine years ago. At the time, it set the standard for all subsequent Art-series lenses. The new lens has been designed from scratch specifically for mirrorless cameras.
Built entirely at Sigma’s Aizu factory in Japan, the 35 mm f/1.4 DG DN Art claims class-leading optics. Sigma says that it provides outstanding levels of sharpness throughout the frame at all apertures. It offers exceptionally smooth and attractive bokeh and remarkably well-controlled optical aberrations.
The lens includes 15 elements in 11 groups, one FLD, one ELD, two SLD and two aspherical elements and an 11-blade rounded diaphragm. It features internal focusing, compatibility with high-speed autofocus systems. The body is dust and splash-proof.
The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens weighs 645g and is 109.5 mm long, with a diameter of 75.5 mm. It will be available in the UK on May 14 with a recommended selling price of £749.99
PRESS RELEASE
SIGMA’s iconic 35mm F1.4 Art has been reimagined for L-Mount and E-mount mirrorless systems, bringing improved optical performance and advanced features in a more compact body. Its wide-standard focal length and bright aperture make it the perfect tool for a range of applications, including wedding, portrait, astro and travel photography and film-making.
The existing 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art was SIGMA’s first GLOBAL VISION lens. Released in 2012, it set the standard for all of SIGMA’s subsequent Art-line lenses, and thanks to its exceptional image quality it is still the 35mm prime lens of choice for many professional photographers. Nine years on, the 35mm F1.4 has been redesigned from the ground up specifically for mirrorless cameras, and is the culmination of much of the optical design expertise and advanced production techniques gained over the past decade of GLOBAL VISION lens development. As with all of SIGMA’s lenses, the 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art is built entirely at its sole factory in Aizu in Japan, where the standard of craftsmanship is of the highest level.
As is true with all SIGMA lenses, class-leading optics are right at the heart of the design concept of this new 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art. Despite being significantly smaller and lighter than the existing 35mm F1.4, it displays an outstanding level of sharpness right to the edges of the frame at all apertures, as well as exceptionally smooth and attractive bokeh and remarkably well-controlled optical aberrations.
Designed exclusively for use with mirrorless cameras, the 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art is light enough to feel perfectly balanced on a compact mirrorless camera, yet is packed with an array of professional features including ultra-fast AF, a de-clickable and lockable aperture ring and a customisable AFL button. This gives the lens operability and portability without compromise, making it as ideal for professional projects as it is for casual outings, and as well-suited to video as it is stills.
SIGMA is delighted to introduce you to the new gold standard in wide-aperture 35mm primes.
Key features
Exceptional optical performance
Central to the design of the 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art is its sophisticated optical performance, which is consistent with the development of all Art line lenses. The lens is constructed with 15 elements in 11 groups, incorporating two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) elements, an Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) element, an ‘F’ Low Dispersion (FLD) element and two aspherical elements, and as well as other high-performance glass. The lens’ advanced optical construction utilises SIGMA’s state-of-the-art optical design technology, minimising all types of aberration including axial chromatic aberration, which cannot be corrected in-camera.
In spite of having a very wide aperture of F1.4, the lens is able to control sagittal coma flare extremely well even wide open, stopping bright points of light from flaring out near the edges of the frame. This will be particularly appealing to night sky photographers.
Owing to its 11 rounded diaphragm blades, the lens displays smooth, round bokeh so that out-of-focus areas are not distracting. This makes the 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art well-suited to portraits, supported by its ultra-sharp image quality and minimal color bleeding. It also performs very well in backlit conditions thanks to SIGMA’s anti-ghosting and anti-flare technology that it has cultivated through countless simulations and real-life testing in our many years of lens development. This keeps shots high contrast and free of excessive flare even when working in difficult light.
Fast and quiet AF in a compact body
The focusing mechanism in the SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art features a stepping motor. This motor controls a focusing lens group composed of a single, lightweight element, which means AF is responsive and quiet, and is able to keep track of moving objects very effectively. Manual focusing is smooth and precise, but with the right amount of resistance for film-makers. Certainly, this lens has a focus mode switch on the body.
The SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art wholly embraces the Art line concept, which is “designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance”. This—paired with its advanced autofocus performance and the convenience of a compact size—makes for a lens that raises the standards.
Professional feature-set
On the body of the SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art is an aperture ring that allows aperture to be controlled via the lens, or when set to Auto, using the camera. An aperture lock switch on the lens body allows the aperture ring to be locked in Auto so that it’s not accidentally knocked during shooting. A big plus for film-makers, the aperture ring can be de-clicked, allowing users to seamlessly adjust exposure. Also on the lens barrel is a focus mode switch and an AFL button, which can be customised to a desired function from within the camera menu (depending on the model). The switch is ergonomically positioned to be controlled by the thumb during use.
A petal type lens hood is included in the box, which helps reduce flare and offers the lens added protection if dropped. The hood has a lock mechanism that keeps it attached securely to the lens, and its rubberised grip makes it quick and easy to attach and remove.
On top of this impressive array of features and elegant exterior, the body of the 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art offers an exceptional level of durability that helps it withstand long-term professional use as well as individual operating parts that give a good fit to the hand. The dust and splash proof structure provides sealing on buttons and along joins between constituent parts, and there’s a rubber gasket around the mount. There’s also a water and oil repellent coating applied to the front element ensures that photographers can rely on it in any conditions.
Additional features
- Lens construction: 15 elements in 11 groups, with 1 FLD, 1 ELD, 2 SLD and 2 aspherical elements
- Internal focusing
- Compatible with high-speed autofocus
- Stepping motor
- Compatible with lens-based optical correction
- Super Multi-Layer Coating
- Water and oil repellent coating (front element)
- Aperture Ring
- Aperture Ring Click Switch
- Aperture Ring Lock Switch
- AFL button
- Focus Mode Switch
- Support DMF, AF+MF
- Dust and splash proof structure
- Petal type hood with lock
- Compatible with SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 (sold separately / for L-Mount only)
- Designed to minimise flare and ghosting
- Every single lens undergoes SIGMA’s proprietary MTF measuring system ‘A1’
- 11-blade rounded diaphragm
- High-precision, durable brass bayonet mount
- ‘Made in Japan’ craftsmanship
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I am still on the original SL and I am not getting rid of it, but at the same time I am also not further investing in it till I see Leica addressing their size and weight handicap. If Sony can release a well received 35mm f1.4 GM that weighs 524g Leica should be able to do the same. I am afraid that we will need to go through another iteration of the M and perhaps also the Q first though before that happens…
My Canadian friend would use one of his favorite words to describe this. HUMONGOUS!
F1.4 lenses were never this big 40 years ago!
I tend to agree, Steven. I know we can’t compare with an M lens but the difference is now stark. I read Sigmas assertion that the new lens is “small and light”, but that holds up only in relation to its predecessor. And just look at Leica’s offerings.
Check out Sigma’s 35 f1.2 for L mount…
It has earned the nickname “Bigma”.
Curiously, people have generally gotten bigger over the past 40 years as well. Bigger and faster seems to be confused with better. I would be happy with f/2 to f/4 with most glass as I only really need a fast 50 or 85.
Unfortunately, Sigma and others would not make these humongous lenses if there was not a market for them. I wonder how many stay at home collecting dust when people make choices on what to carry. I used to have that problem until I sold them.