Sigma 35mm f/1.4 - reliable investment or lottery?

turbo_911 wrote in post #16610486
Sigma 35mm behaves differently on different bodies. Even if someone checks it and finds a perfect copy and then you mount on different camera body, it might be off.

If you are buying Sigma 35mm, you have to buy USB dock with it, so you can do adjustments. Also make sure when you do adjustments, you use natural light and then test it in artificial. My second copy was way off in artificial light, and spot on outside, so now I'm on my 3rd copy.

^this.

There's no point pre testing and calibrating any lens for a customer as it's body dependant. You have to calibrate it to your own body with the dock. IMO there is no longer a lottery with sigma as the dock can sort the issues, I just wish these threads would stop though

xpfloyd wrote in post #16611090
^this.

There's no point pre testing and calibrating any lens for a customer as it's body dependant. You have to calibrate it to your own body with the dock. IMO there is no longer a lottery with sigma as the dock can sort the issues, I just wish these threads would stop though

you and me both.

turbo_911 wrote in post #16610486
Sigma 35mm behaves differently on different bodies. Even if someone checks it and finds a perfect copy and then you mount on different camera body, it might be off.

Thats because camera bodies, just like camera lenses, have adjustment variations. So ANY lens can behave differently on different bodies.

I don't own 35L or Sigma 35. I am looking to get a 35mm prime. So far, it seems the conclusion is that:
1. Sigma is less consistent out of the box
2. If you buy the dock as well, most front/back focus issue will be resolved by making adjustment

Not sure how much this is being over blown, but it does raise a concern tho especially the part someone mention this Sigmal behave differently on different body. I have 5Diii and 5Dc. So if I get Signa, I will have to get the dock, calibrated for 5Dc (since no MFA), then rely on MFA on 5Diii to handling any inconsistency??

Sigma should have just make a more consistent lens to begin with.

Charlie wrote in post #16611077
well the flipside is what happens with folks that shoot dual bodies? I know that on my 5D2 and 6D, I had different MFA values. Say I shoot a 35 and 85 combo, would that mean that one lenses would always have to mount on the same body? If I use one body with two lenses, then I'de be in trouble (hypothetically)...

thankfully, I'm not OCD'd enough to care about the small variances in MFA, otherwise, I'de drive myself crazy.

I did wonder about what would happen if shooting on two separate bodies. However, since when you use the Sigma dock, you are adjusting the mechanics in the lens itself for the different focus distances. So hopefully, once you have it set properly, focusing at those distances are correct (regardless of body). Then when you change the camera body, the entire focus range of the lens will be equally off either front or back focusing. So, then you just use the AF Micro-adjust on the new body to address it for that body and your lens now works on both. (I haven't tested this but I think it should work this way. I wouldn't be surprised if I was proven wrong though.)


What I think Sigma is doing with their Art series lenses is increasing the optical quality substantially, but since they also need to be cheaper than Nikon and Canon still, they are using looser tolerances in their manufacturing process. These looser tolerances require more fine tuning afterwards, so they throw out a dock to let the end customers do it themselves. Now they save money have not having as tight of tolerances, customers can adjust it themselves and not send them back as much for adjustments or as returns, and they can make money on the docks while keeping their costs lower. It is win, win, win, win for them.

eelnoraa wrote in post #16611274
I don't own 35L or Sigma 35. I am looking to get a 35mm prime. So far, it seems the conclusion is that:
1. Sigma is less consistent out of the box
2. If you buy the dock as well, most front/back focus issue will be resolved by making adjustment

Not sure how much this is being over blown, but it does raise a concern tho especially the part someone mention this Sigmal behave differently on different body. I have 5Diii and 5Dc. So if I get Signa, I will have to get the dock, calibrated for 5Dc (since no MFA), then rely on MFA on 5Diii to handling any inconsistency??

Sigma should have just make a more consistent lens to begin with.

1. Only slightly, if at all. But because this is a Sigma lens, people are looking for problems, whereas the buy Canon lenses in the expectation that they will be perfect out of the box.

2. Most likely.

ALL lenses behave differently, on different bodies, not just Sigma lenses, and not just the 35. Why? Tolerances. Read through this great article:
http://www.lensrentals​.com …s-is-soft-and-other-myths

Sigma DID make the lens more consistent to begin with. Their whole new line of lenses is precisely about consistency and quality control (they check each lens individually, but, again, because of tolerances, they can't make them perfect for everybody). For peace of mind just look at all the positive consumer reviews on e-tailer websites. You will see the vast majority have no issues.

Why then do they still have a bad reputation? Trolls like the OP in this thread, and unfortunately, people like you who make such statements as the one in bold without even having owned or tried the lens (I'm sure it was not your intention, but that is the effect of your statement).

You never know unless you try it. Guess what?, my 35L isn't the most consistent, especially in low artificial light so no lens is perfect and every body/lens combination varies. At least on my camera it's impressive with tracking and AI Servo though and using AF assist beam helps tremendously in challenging light.

My 35L needed +8 from memory. It missed focus sometimes and I put that down to user error. My sigma 35 was a nightmare out the box, I bought the dock and calibrated it and now its perfect. If it misses focus then its either user error or the light is too low for my 5D2 AF.

The issues in the sigma are looked for more, probably if I was to analyse my 35L I would have realised that it had inconsistencies too

xpfloyd wrote in post #16612454
My 35L needed +8 from memory. It missed focus sometimes and I put that down to user error. My sigma 35 was a nightmare out the box, I bought the dock and calibrated it and now its perfect. If it misses focus then its either user error or the light is too low for my 5D2 AF.

The issues in the sigma are looked for more, probably if I was to analyse my 35L I would have realised that it had inconsistencies too

shun the voice of reason!

eelnoraa wrote in post #16611274
I don't own 35L or Sigma 35. I am looking to get a 35mm prime. So far, it seems the conclusion is that:
1. Sigma is less consistent out of the box
2. If you buy the dock as well, most front/back focus issue will be resolved by making adjustment

Not sure how much this is being over blown, but it does raise a concern tho especially the part someone mention this Sigmal behave differently on different body. I have 5Diii and 5Dc. So if I get Signa, I will have to get the dock, calibrated for 5Dc (since no MFA), then rely on MFA on 5Diii to handling any inconsistency??

Sigma should have just make a more consistent lens to begin with.

Every single one of my Canon lens, some L, needed to be micro adjusted on my 5d2. These same lens would be SOL on the 5d. That is why Canon added MA to their cameras...their lens are not sharp out of the box.

One of my issues with the copies of Sigma I had was the lens MA was different in different types of light and it had a harder time focusing low light. In day light the MA was good on the second copy. Don't think anyone is saying the sigma is a bad lens. Why don't they purchase the license to for the canon AF system.

Does Canon licence their AF algorithms? I would seriously doubt it, but what do I know....

eelnoraa wrote in post #16611274
I don't own 35L or Sigma 35. I am looking to get a 35mm prime. So far, it seems the conclusion is that:
1. Sigma is less consistent out of the box
2. If you buy the dock as well, most front/back focus issue will be resolved by making adjustment

Not sure how much this is being over blown, but it does raise a concern tho especially the part someone mention this Sigmal behave differently on different body. I have 5Diii and 5Dc. So if I get Signa, I will have to get the dock, calibrated for 5Dc (since no MFA), then rely on MFA on 5Diii to handling any inconsistency??

Sigma should have just make a more consistent lens to begin with.

This.

Good point, thank you.

And Canon should lower prices.

Can't wait.

daleg wrote in post #16613962
This.

Good point, thank you.

And Canon should lower prices.

Can't wait.

And Hassie DBs should grow on trees, next to the Zeiss lens bush.