Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Review L Mount

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Review L Mount:

As many of you know, the 28mm is a focal length that is quite popular do to its versatility.  It’s great for landscape, street photography, travel, and even environmental portraiture, just to name a few, so it makes sense that companies invest quite a bit in designing a 28mm that photographers want to buy.  Sigma has a 28mm that comes in several different mounts including L mount.  It’s the Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art, and thanks to them, I was able to get my hands on one to test.  Here’s what I think of it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If it helped, please consider purchasing from any of the links mentioned in this post, which in turn, helps support this site.  I get a small commission but it will not cost you anything extra.  Thank you!

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Build Quality:

Let’s start off discussing the build quality.  The 28mm f1.4 is a Sigma Art Series lens, so it’s designed for pro use, which means it should be built better.  From what I see, it definitely impresses.  This lens has a rather dense feel and it is very solid.  Nothing here rattles or creaks.  The build is downright excellent, and it feels like a high quality product in every way.  Furthermore, the design of the lens is clean and simple, which I like very much.  There’s a large rubberized focus ring, which is easy to grip and use even when it might be a little wet from just being out in rough weather.  Plus, there’s a switch for AF/MF options.  There is no image stabilization but I don’t feel IS is needed at all here.  I don’t believe many 28mm lenses in this category have it either.

↑ Panasonic Lumix S5 with the Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art lens attached.

To top it off, the 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art is splash and dust resistant, so you can continue using this lens even when the weather isn’t ideal.  I reviewed this lens in the middle of the summer, so there wasn’t much rain; just a lot of heat ;).  However, I did encounter a couple of short rain storms while I was out shooting, and I did not have any issues with this lens.  There’s also a water, and oil repellent coating on the front element, which helps prevent oil and fat from sticking.  It also makes it easier to wipe water away, if you happen to get some on the front glass.

↑ Top view of the S5 with the 28mm f1.4 attached.

As for size, the 28mm f1.4 isn’t exactly a small or ultra light lens.  The dimensions are 82.8mm × 131.7mm/3.2in. × 5.2in., and it weighs 960g/33.8oz.  It has a 77mm filter thread as well.

With all that said, this is an Art Series lens, so optical performance will always come first, and sometimes to achieve that, the downside is increased size and weight.  Grant it, this may not be for everyone but if you’re someone who is in need of a 28mm lens with an f1.4 maximum aperture while also requiring top quality results, pro level build, and autofocus, this will probably be the type of lens you’ll turn too.  I, for one, don’t mind carrying around a larger lens, if I know it can deliver the goods, and produce the level of quality I expect for my work.  As you will see down below, this is definitely that type of lens; you can fully depend on it for whatever you need photographically.

To finish off the build section of this review, accessories include a soft zippered case, and a lens hood.  The lens hood is a bayonet type that locks on with a simple twist.  It stays securely on the lens, and it’s also reversible for easier storage.  The lens proved to be quite resistant to flare, so with the heat of the summer, and me walking around a lot, I just to have a smaller lens in general with me.  I chose to go without a lens hood for most of the time.

↑ The 28mm f1.4 Art lens with the lens hood attached.

↑ Here’s a top view of the lens with lens hood attached.

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Autofocus:

As for the autofocus, the 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art uses an integrated Hyper Sonic Motor that I found to be very quiet in operation.  The HSM also allows for full-time manual focus control by simply rotating the focus ring at any time.  Focusing depends on a lot of different factors including the camera but for the most part, I found the autofocus to be fast, and trouble free.  I tried to shoot a variety of different subjects and in different lighting conditions.  I didn’t run into any major issues.

Accuracy is also another important area, especially since this lens is able to produce a thin depth of field with its maximum aperture of f1.4.  I found this lens to be excellent in this area as well.  I used several different focusing modes including face detection.  This lens kept up with my needs, and for the most part, I was very happy with the results.

It’s also worth noting that the minimum focus distance of this lens is about 11 inches.  While 28mm lenses may not be known for their macro capabilities, it’s nice to know you can focus pretty closely, and maybe use it for more creative opportunities.  It makes the lens more versatile, and can maybe help further take advantage of the f1.4 aperture by producing images with a shallower depth of field, since you can get pretty close to your subject.

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Image Quality:

Sigma Art Series lenses are known for their optical quality, and the 28mm f1.4 is no exception.  This is a high performance lens that, in my opinion, is worth every bit of its asking price of $799.  The image quality is truly up there with the best, in my opinion.

↑ This was taken using f8 and 200 ISO.

↑ This was a long exposure shot taken with the lens set at f8 and the camera set at 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken at Sagamore Hill National Historical Site.  The settings were f11 and 500 ISO.

Sharpness, for one, is excellent.  At f1.4, the 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art is very sharp in the center with not much fall off on the edges and corners.  In other words, even at wide open aperture, it’s pretty evenly sharp across the entire frame.  As you stop down, things sharpen up a bit but I feel the improvements are not hugely noticeable, since it is already pretty great at f1.4.  From what I’ve experienced, I would say f8 or f11 is where you’ll want to be around for the best quality.  However, we’re talking about pixel peeping here, and maybe with scientific testing gear.  The truth is, this lens can be used at any aperture to produce absolutely stunning results.  As far as I’m concerned, you’re only playing around with the aperture setting here to change depth of field or to manipulate light.

↑ Here’s a photo taken at f1.4 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.  This lens captures tons of detail at f1.4.

↑ Here’s a photo taken at f5 and 500 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

↑ Here’s a photo taken using the settings f6.3 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

Of course, sharpness isn’t the only feature of this lens’ optical capabilities.  Color and contrast rendering are excellent.  From my testing, I also found the 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art to be highly resistant to flare.  As for chromatic aberration, I’m not a huge stickler about this usually but from what I shot, I found it to be well under control.  Distortion is also minimal.  If there is one area where this lens may be a bit weaker, it’s the vignetting at wide open aperture.  It is definitely noticeable but with that said, stopping down just one stop reduces it significantly, and it is nearly gone by f2.8.  Overall, I feel this is one impressive piece of glass.  I am actually not a fan of the 28mm focal length in general regardless of manufacturer but I really did enjoy my time with the 28mm f1.4 Art.

↑ This was taken using f8 and 320 ISO.

↑ Here’s another photo taken with f8 but with the camera set at 640 ISO.

↑ Here’s another photo taken at Sagamore Hill.  The settings were f8 and 320 ISO.

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Bokeh:

Besides all of the features I’ve mentioned, one of the main reasons to buy a lens like this is for the f1.4 aperture.  It’s great to have a larger aperture because not only does it increase the versatility of the lens by allow one to have more flexibility in all types of conditions, it allows one to produce a shallower depth of field.  Longer focal lengths in general are better at further isolating a subject than say a 28mm lens but even with that said, the depth of field can definitely get pretty thin, especially if you are a bit closer to your subject.

↑ This was taken with f1.4 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s another taken at max aperture using 100 ISO.

↑ This photo is taken with the same settings as above.

When you do achieve that shallow depth of field, the quality of it coming from this lens is ultra smooth and inviting.  I said this about the Sigma 40mm f1.4 (review here) but I also love the way that this lens can transition from the sharpness of the subject to the background.  It just looks really nice because it does it in such a natural way.  I’ve reviewed quite a lot of Sigma lenses before, and in my opinion, they generally produce very beautiful shallow depth of field.  The 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art is no exception to this rule.  Sigma did a really nice job here.

↑ This photo is taken with the same settings as above.

↑ This photo was taken with maximum aperture with the camera set at 1250 ISO.

↑ This photo was taken with f1.4 and 100 ISO.

Grant it, f1.4 is probably a waste for me because I generally like to shoot my wide angles stopped down 🙂 but even I had moments where I wanted that f1.4 and at least for me, I felt it only improved my photo.  For instance, I tried a few environmental portraits with this lens, and it really did offer what I felt was just the right amount of isolation for my subject from the background.  I wish I could post those photos here but the person I photographed preferred to keep them offline.  Getting back to the lens, if you’re looking for a 28mm f1.4, this is truly a nice option.  I know cameras these days have such great ISO capabilities but if you ask me, there’s times when you still can’t replace a large aperture lens.

Pro And Cons:

Pros:

• Solidly built lens designed for pro use.
• Weather and dust resistant.
• Great autofocus.
• Image quality is excellent.
• When you can achieve it, the shallow depth of field and bokeh are beautiful.
• Price makes it quite a deal in my opinion.

Cons:

• Yes, this lens is FANTASTIC in pretty much every regard but you do pay for it in terms of size and weight.
• There is noticeable vignetting at wide open aperture.

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Verdict:

Overall, I feel the Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art is an impressive lens, and is a great option for those invested in the L Mount Alliance.  In other words, if you’re looking for a 28mm lens for your L mount system, this one should definitely be at the top of your list.  It has quite a bit going for it.  It’s solidly built, the autofocus is excellent, and the image quality is exceptional.  It also retails for just $799, which I feel is quite reasonable for what you’re getting here.

↑ `Here’s a photo I took using f8 and 200 ISO.

↑ This was taken using f6.3 and 400 ISO.

↑ This was taken in Sagamore Hill using f11 and 160 ISO.

I think the only real issues, and this only applies to some photographers, are size and weight.  This lens isn’t exactly compact or light.  However, as I stated before, it kind of comes with the territory when designing a lens with a no-compromise approach that produces great images all while having autofocus, pro build, and an f1.4 aperture.  If a reference level type lens is what you’re after, this is sometimes the price that has to be paid.

↑ This was taken using f8 and 125 ISO.

↑ Here’s one more from Sagamore Hill.  The settings were 100 ISO and f8.

↑ Here’s another photo of the Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art lens mounted on the Panasonic Lumix S5.

As I mentioned before, I am not even really a fan of the 28mm focal length because it just doesn’t suit my shooting style yet I seriously enjoyed using this one.  I imagine many will as this is not the type of lens to disappoint.  It’s really something special, and for those who are looking for a high end 28mm lens, this might just be the one for you.  I highly recommend it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If it helped, please consider purchasing from any of the links mentioned in this post, which in turn, helps support this site.  I get a small commission but it will not cost you anything extra.  Thank you!

Sigma 28mm f1.4 DG HSM Art at B&H Photo