We here at Unique Photo have always been longtime fans of Sigma. Therefore, it wasn't at all surprising that we were excited to get our hands on two brand-new entries to Sigma's lens lineup: the 35mm f1.4 DG HSM and the 17-70 f2.8-4 OS HSM, the latter of which has yet to arrive as a production model in America. Sigma classifies the 35mm f1.4 as "A", for Art, and the 17-70 as "C", for Contemporary, part of its new Sigma Global Vision which categorizes lenses into the two aforementioned groups, as well as "S" for Sports lenses.
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Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM (Photo by Dan Schenker)[/caption]
The 35mm f1.4 is perhaps one of the best lenses I have ever handled. It is engineered to an incredibly high standard, and it shows: it is perfectly balanced while on a 5D-III and feels as precise in manual and auto focus as any first-party lens you'll find on the market. Focus noise is nearly nonexistent, merely a faint whir, barely above the noise floor of your average carpeted room. Optically, focus is tack-sharp and colors are rendered with rich contrast and depth; it's damn near perfect. With a retail of $899 for Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Sony mounts, this lens looks to be - pardon the cliché - a game changer.
More lenses are expected to arrive over the next few years, all branded under Sigma's Global Vision. If they're anything like the two lenses we sampled, Sigma will be a revolutionary in the digital camera market. Keep an eye here on the Unique Photo Blog for more information on Sigma's up-and-coming photography gear.
(Special thanks to Jack Howard, New Media Specialist at Sigma Corporation of America. Read some of his work over at the Sigma Blog.)
Update: The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 for Canon Cameras is now in stock at Unique Photo.