Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM A Canon review: A Prime Example of Lens Design

By Ben Boswell - Sunday, December 16, 2012

Lens Review
Introduction | Measurement | Comparisons | Conclusion

Bravo Sigma

It is clear that Sigma has done something very special with the 35mm f1.4 DG HSM A, they have produced a lens that performs better than Canon’s own 35mm lenses and better than a Carl Zeiss 35mm f1.4. When an independent manufacturer’s lenses can do this, it must make the customers think carefully about their buying decisions. It is also good to see a manufacturer recognise the demand for optics that provide pleasing bokeh and to address this specifically.

There are really only two contenders where 35mm lenses for Canon are concerned. If you want the best then Sigma is the choice for you and if you want a bargain, then Canon’s EF 35mm f2, launched in 1990 could be a good alternative.

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Added by kharnak |  March 19

Newer Canon camera bodies for measurement?

I'm actually very interested to know why the canon lens tests are still based on 1ds Mk 3 or 5D mark II, both of which are quite old models, while Nikon has already started using D800.

Or is DxO expecting very close performance between 5D mk 3 and these models?

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First replies for this comment
Added by Emilie_DxOMark |  March 20

Re: Newer Canon camera bodies for measurement?

Hello,

Thanks for your interest in DxOMark.

Your question is very relevant: we are about to review 90 lenses mounted on the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the results are amazing...

Stay tuned !

The DxOMark team

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Further readings for the Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM A Canon review: A Prime Example of Lens Design

To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.

Lens Review  |  April 03
Which lenses should you choose for your Canon EOS 5D Mark III?

The second in our series of selecting the best-quality lenses for your camera concentrates on one of the most highly-anticipated cameras of our time, the successor to the hugely popular EOS 5D Mark II. But by the time it was announced, in early March, it’s probably fair to say Nikon had taken fair amount of interest away by announcing the 36M-Pix D800 and D800E models the month before. Be that as it may, there’s no denying the 22.3 M-Pix EOS 5D Mark III is a remarkably capable camera, and a formidable rival to the Nikon.