LENS REVIEW : SIGMA 20MM F1.4 ART LENS | LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

If you don’t know Sigma Art Series lenses yet, you are missing out. Their well-established art lenses are shining in the market but it’s very hard to believe it took this long for a wide angle 20mm f1.4 art to make it out into the real world. But the moment I began shooting with this lens is the moment of past did not matter anymore.

 INTRODUCTION

During the last decades, zooming lenses have dominated the ultra-wide angle segments but if prime lenses are about to enter renaissance. Lately Nikon released a 20mm f/1.8 and we’ve seen a bunch of updates from Zeiss and some promising announcements Now Sigma wouldn’t be Sigma if they didn’t come up with their own interpretation of the topic – the new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art. The most significant feature is, of course, the speed – at f/1.4 it is the fastest lens of its kind

 FEATURES: 4.5/5

· It got decent auto focus and convenient AF/ MF switching, physical switch is solid and impossible to accidentally bump up.

· Auto focus window is there although the focus throw is so short that even on such a wide lens, they barely have room for hyper focal markings at f8 and f16, let alone enough distance markings to make them useful

· It is not fully weather sealed despite it has resistance to water.

· It is made with precise tolerance and seems to be impervious to both moist and dusts.

PERFORMANCE:  4/5

· The center-to-edge image quality is in fact entirely adequate for both print work and 4K time lapse work. However, if you’re going to make a lens as exotic as a 20mm f1.4 and do it hot on the heels of a 50mm f/1.4 that gives even a Zeiss Otus a run for its money, I feel like it ought to be almost completely flawless, even if it costs double and weighs an extra half-pound.

·Based on the MTF Chart , it almost looks like Sigma just took their 24mm f1.4 art tweaked the light path ever so slightly to make it a 20mm .

· Sigma’s HSM autofocus is impressive, quiet, and snappy, but both Nikon and Canon shooters will find it to be ever-so-slightly more “hit-or-miss” than a ‘name-brand’ lens.

QUALITY: 5/5

·  They’re rugged, finely crafted tools that one feels proud to mount on their camera. The heft and solid feel of the 20mm f1.4  is as reassuring as it looks

· There have been claims and examples of heavily abused Sigma Art lenses that broke down or fell apart, but in my experience, aside from Sigma’s oldest Art lens, the 35mm f/1.4, build quality has never been a concern at all.

· Contrast is punchy, color rendition is fantastic, and there’s an air of sharpness surrounding every image in a way that makes me awesome over the results.

· Sigma 20mm f1.4 is sharper than the Nikon and Canon 24mm f/1.4 lenses in the center, and at least equal in corner resolution

CONCLUSION:

• The Sigma 20mm f1.4 is an accomplishment for Sigma, a bragging right, and a specialty tool that is the only show in town if you need what it has to offer.
• Just seriously consider both focal length and aperture before deciding to take the plunge on this lens. But if you do decide that 20mm f1.4 is for you, then you’ll not be disappointed.
• Overall its highly recommended for landscape and astro shooters.
• This shot was taken at Marina beach and I love the sharpness despite auto focus was used.
  
• I was able to freeze the moment of moving people in spite of low light condition.   Result is very sharp since hyper focus is quite fast. 
• Classic example of environmental portrait using Sigma 20mm f1.4 art
  
• sigma 20mm f1.4 is very applicable for landscape/Stair trail/ Nightscape photography since the widest aperture is available.
  
• Distortion is quite visible on the edges of the frame since 20mm lens is used 
• All pictures are copyright protected and please do not use them without permission.