SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Full-Frame Lens (2021)

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN is very close to the Sony GM and much smaller and lighter than the Sigma F 1.2. Compared to the DSLR version the Sigma DG HSM you gain 10-15 in term of weight and size but with a less good build quality and without an aperture ring. In practice there is very little difference between these 3 lenses.

The Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG DN Art is a quality wide-angle lens for mirrorless cameras that’s capable of attractive rendering and sharp results. In my tests with a pre-production sample, the bokeh in blurred areas was not only a step-up from the original DSLR version, but up there with models costing a lot more. Focus breathing is however an issue for the Sigma 35 1.4 which visibly reduces the field of view as you focus from infinity to the closest distance of around 30cm. It almost appears as if the lens is zooming-in and this can be distracting when pulling focus for video. The winner of this particular foursome in terms of breathing is the Sigma 1.2 which may show a mild reduction and require quite a turn of the focusing ring to get from far to near and back again.

The 35mm F1.4 DG DN's 11-bladed aperture yields nicely-rounded bokeh. Stopping down helps, but cat's eye is always a factor with this lens. Lens flare is very well controlled, but with the sun in or near the frame, you can nevertheless get quite a bit of ghosting.

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art delivers good performance wide open (around 3,600 lines) on the a7R IV's demanding sensor. It's very good at f/2 (4,000 lines) and excellent at f-2.8 (4,.600 lines). Edges lag behind the center at bright f-stops, but you'll enjoy crisp edge-to-edge results from f/4 through f/11. The lens renders backgrounds with soft, pleasing defocus when used at bigger f/stops.