lwg Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 <p>I have the 28mm f/1.8 Nikon and find it's a decent lens, but I don't care much for the 28mm focal length. I have a 35mm f/1.4 Rokinon and it's pretty good on the D800E, but it's manual focus only. The Sigma looks to be sharper, have AF and is still f/1.4. So I am considering getting this Sigma. But I'm waiting for more reports (and some more cash). Now if only someone would make a fast high quality 24mm lens under $1K I would be set.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveysteeves Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 <p>I have the Sigma 35 on order but may not see it for a couple of months (going to a warm place as I sit here and watch the snow blow by at 50mph). I have the 28/1.8 but i think I am more of a 35 shooter. Don't like 50s. Already have the Sigma 85/1.4 ... So, from the samples I have seen, I like the colour, I mostly like the bokeh except some people don't know what that is, sharpness seems good. I also ordered in the new 120-300 - I have the original which I still like but now with the 70-200/f4, I am contemplating shipping off both the original and my 70-200 VRII which should cover it. I like the concept of that new dock thing of Sigma's ...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriscourt Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 <p>I've had my mind set on the 35G as my next glass purchase for quite a few months now - however after reading so many positive reviews of the new contender I'm strongly tempted to go in that direction instead, despite holding an all-Nikkor quiver at the moment.</p> <p>My previous experience with Sigma has been mixed - a 10-20, which was a truly great little lens for the price; and a 400 f5.6 APO which was soft enough that a crop from the 70-200 + TC14 was sharper!</p> <p>Regardless of whether or not I return to dabble in the murky waters of third-party glass, I believe that strong competition is good for everyone, especially the consumer, and so wish Sigma the best of luck in their self-reinvention.</p> <p>C</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 <blockquote> <p>I've had my mind set on the 35G as my next glass purchase for quite a few months now - however after reading so many positive reviews of the new contender I'm strongly tempted to go in that direction instead,</p> </blockquote> <p>Sounds like you aren't exactly in a hurry. IMO you might as well wait a little longer. If the Sigma 35mm/f1.4 turns out to be a winner, it is going to put a lot of price pressure on the Nikon AF-S version. Prices are always determined by supply and demand. When demand drops, the price will have to come down or Nikon would be stuck with a lens that won't sell. So even though you may still want the Nikon version, it pays to wait.</p> <p>If you need a 35mm/f1.4 immediately, that may be a different story.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_halliwell Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 <p>Maybe go and find a shop that has <em>both?</em> Neither is a cheap lens, so should realise you want to check quality and you're not just tyre kicking!</p> <p>From all accounts, they (Nikon) would be better off making a better lens, not dropping the price of a poor, non-competitive lens.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 <blockquote> <p>If the Sigma 35mm/f1.4 turns out to be a winner, it is going to put a lot of price pressure on the Nikon AF-S version. Prices are always determined by supply and demand. When demand drops, the price will have to come down or Nikon would be stuck with a lens that won't sell. So even though you may still want the Nikon version, it pays to wait.</p> </blockquote> <p>interesting logic. no one is saying the nikon 35G is a complete dud. however, it is clearly overpriced. but even if the price--which is currently $1600--drops, it doesn't change the objective fact: that the sigma outperforms it. in other words, even if the price were the same--and for that to be the case, nikon would have to discount its lens by almost 50%, which seems unlikely--the sigma would still be the sharper of the two.</p> <p>while price is almost always a factor in lens purchases, what's interesting about the sigma 35 isn't just that it's less expensive, but that it's optically superior to both the canon and nikon 35s, as well as the Zeiss. thus, brand loyalty is perhaps the only reason to get the OEM version. that's a complete game changer, IMO, as it could lead to a shift in conventional wisdom.</p> <p>as previously stated, nikon is unlikely to revise its 35/1.4 so soon after designing a new one. but what <em>does</em> seem likely is that sigma will follow up its 35/1.4 with a 24/1.4 -- a lens which is pretty much on everyone's wish list, with its high price being a major drawback. if sigma puts out a 24/1.4 at around the same price point as their 35, with similar characteristics, heads. might. just. explode.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_halliwell Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 <p>Eric!......Wot?....an end to the myopic Nikon fanboys?.... I like your thinking..:-)</p> <p>Blind brand loyalty has no place when IQ is the main driving force to most of us, well, me at least! Paying over the odds for substandard glass is daft. I'm not saying Nikon glass is rubbish or all off-brand glass is perfect, no way, but when it's as good or better for less $$$, economic forces start to bite.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 <p>brand loyalty has its place, but innovation is what drives a market. just ask Kodak.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>I wonder why there is so much interest in having fast f1.4 on wide-angle lenses now in 2013. Michael Bradtke mentioned that he wants very shallow depth of field. That is one possibility.</p> <p>Back in 1987, I bought my 35mm/f1.4 AI-S because I was (and still am) interested in indoor, available-light photography, and back then, ISO 400 color print film was "fast." ISO 800 film essentially provided unacceptable quality.</p> <p>Today, with modern high-ISO capability from DSLRs, neither the 24mm/f1.4 nor the 35mm/f1.4, from any brand, is on my wish list. I may change my mind if I get my hands on the Sigma. For me, those Nikkors are simply too expensive for very occasional use.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriscourt Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <blockquote> <p>If the Sigma 35mm/f1.4 turns out to be a winner, it is going to put a lot of price pressure on the Nikon AF-S version. Prices are always determined by supply and demand. When demand drops, the price will have to come down or Nikon would be stuck with a lens that won't sell. So even though you may still want the Nikon version, it pays to wait.</p> </blockquote> <p>Interesting viewpoint Shun, however this does not appear to have happened in the case of the 85 1.4G. The Sigma version, while perhaps not so universally lauded as their 35, nevertheless by many accounts is a worthy competitor to the Nikkor.<br> <br> As far as a usage scenario, last month I was covering the World Woman's Open Squash final. Shooting through the ports in the front wall of the glass court, relying solely on the court lighting was very challenging for the D700. The majority of my best shots were with the 85G at f1.4-1.6, as putting any of the fast zooms on involved cranking the ISO up to 3200 - 6400, at which point image quality was starting to degrade to a (to me) unacceptable level. 35mm would have been an ideal FL for wider compositions, and f1.4 would have let me keep SS and ISO within the ranges I was after. The supposedly superior focussing speed of the Sigma version would have been an asset here also. Obviously a D4 or D3s would have helped here, however my budget can not currently stretch to one of those monsters.<br> <br> Chris</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <blockquote> <p>Interesting viewpoint Shun, however this does not appear to have happened in the case of the 85 1.4G.</p> </blockquote> <p>Chris, interesting that you mentioned the 85mm/f1.4 AF-S G lens. After watching its price changes for a few years, I bought one a little more than a month ago.</p> <p>Recall that the 85mm/f1.4 G was introduced in August 2010 at $1650: <a href="../equipment/nikon/new-fx-lenses-telephoto-zoom/preview/">http://www.photo.net/equipment/nikon/new-fx-lenses-telephoto-zoom/preview/</a><br> Subsequently it went up to $1699 (USA and even the gray version) and was in major shortage for a long time, especially after the March, 2011 Japan earthquake. Some stores wanted around $2000 for one in the latter part of 2011 and 2012. That was precisely why I didn't buy one for a long time.</p> <p>Today, you can get a gray market one for below $1500: <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/729952-GREY/Nikon_2195_AF_S_NIKKOR_85mm_f_1_4G.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/729952-GREY/Nikon_2195_AF_S_NIKKOR_85mm_f_1_4G.html</a></p> <p>Whether the slight price drop is due to natural demand changes after the initial surge subsiding or due to competition from Sigma, Zeiss, etc., including Nikon's own 85mm/f1.8 AF-S G, which is very good itself at 1/3 of the price, or some combination of those is not clear, but I am glad that I got a bit of price break.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 <blockquote> <p>I wonder why there is so much interest in having fast f1.4 on wide-angle lenses now in 2013.</p> </blockquote> <p>ok, so last night i was shooting an art gallery opening with a D3s and 24-70 AF-S. the lighting was challenging--indoor and outdoor scenes, light sources very high up, not a lot of direct illumination. at 2.8 and 1/00-1/160, my ISO varied from 1600-6400. the D3s can handle 6400, ok, but sometimes you need that extra bit of latitude as far as aperture. when i shoot live shows, at some venues the lighting is very difficult, a combination of bright light sources and dark shadows. if you raise the ISO too high, you might get overexposure in some areas. which is where a fast prime comes in. being able to shoot at 1.6-2.2 enables you to keep the ISO low.</p> <p>as noted before, i have the sigma 50 and 85 1/4's. i like them both, but i'm starting to recognize the need for a wider FL. also, there's times when i just want to carry one lens. i've gotten used to shooting with the 50, but i'm thinking i might enjoy the 35 even more, especially since sharpness at 1.4 appears to be unparalleled.</p> <blockquote> <p>I am glad that I got a bit of price break.</p> </blockquote> <p>$150 is a price break on a $1600+ lens? i'm sure the 85G is an excellent lens, but still pricey. maybe if i shot more portraits or didn't have a 70-200, i would have been able to justify its cost. OTOH, i got the sigma 85 for $100 off on sale at adorama -- just $800. can't complain with either the price or the performance.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>Eric, as I said, a year, year and half ago, the 85mm/f1.4 AF-S G was going for like $2000 at some places and there was major shortage. That shortage is all but gone.</p> <p>I decided to pull the trigger at some point. I can wait another 6 months or another year. I am not going to predict how the price will change in the future. Another factor is that the Japanese yen is finally coming down. It has lost some value in the last 2, 3 months. Therefore, we may see some price reversal in camera equipment prices, after that major surge in 2009/2010.</p> <p>I simply don't like to shoot at f1.4 much. The depth of field is too shallow and the lens is certainly not at its sharpest. For a short tele such as the 85mm, I have no choice because I need to reduce camera shake. For a 35mm or 24mm, I can easily get away with 1/30 sec or even 1/15 sec. If I have to use 1/15 sec, I would take a few more samples and select one with less shake and subject movement.</p> <p>That was partly why I got the 28mm/f1.8 AF-S as a less expensive option.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>i was considering the 28G until i saw the reviews on the sigma 35. as far as shooting at open apertures, sometimes conditions demand that. that is why i usually bring at least one fast prime as well as a zoom, "just in case." but i'm also thinking that for some of my street shooting--i'm the official photographer for oakland's First Friday festival--a 35/85 combo might work better than just the 50. for those situations--outdoor night shots with only street lighting--2.8 zooms just don't give me enough light, even with the D3s. i'd much rather shoot at a wide aperture than raise ISO, but sometimes i find i need to do both to get the shot.</p> <p>at the end of the day, everyone has different criteria and parameters for their individual shooting style. that is why it's good to have many different options as far as lenses, so you can hopefully find lenses which work for you. i really dont think you can go wrong with fast primes, especially when you are just carrying one lens.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriscourt Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>That is certainly a sharp price on the 85mm Shun, and congratulations for taking advantage of it! I do observe that the non-grey market lens seems to be holding steady at $1649 - essentially the same price it was introduced at more than 2 years ago - which indicates to me that Nikon is (to date) not buckling to any pressure to lower it's price due to competition from Sigma - or elsewhere, for that matter.</p> <p>Chris</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>A bit off topic, I would like to point out that US$1 was in the 76 to 78 yen range for a couple of years. Since last October, the yen has been going down against the US$. Currently $1 is almost 89 yen: http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=USDJPY%3DX+Interactive#symbol=;range=2y;compare=;indicator=volume;charttype=area;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=undefined</p> <p>In North America, we may see some effects on camera equipment prices in general due to exchange rate changes.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>ok, but even if the nikon 35/1.4 G drops to $1000, i would still get the sigma. ;)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriscourt Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 <p>Haha, At $1000 I'd have to go for the Nikkor - but back in the real world that Sigma is looking like a true bargain. The trouble will be finding one locally.</p> <p>C</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_daniels2 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>I have one in my possession. It arrived last week but I have yet to test it out. But my initial findings like everyone else is the craftsmanship of this lens is superb. It reminds me of the old Contax film cameras and lenses. That metal gear type solid smooth and silky. I will get back to you on the test results after I test it on my D700. Firstly I will have to clean my sensor and camera before this puppy is mounted on there.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_daniels2 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>Here is second one from LR...no editing.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_daniels2 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>Lightroom 4.3<br> The first shot of the box was shot in manual mode at the following:<br> D700, ISO 800, 1/160s, f/2.8 on Auto Focus continuous, Auto White Balance, Focus point is on the 67 on the white and black Sigma Box<br> The second shot again was again shot in manual mode at the following:<br> D700, ISO 1000, 1/200s, f/1.4 on AF Single (Center), Auto White Balance, focus point is on the think tank logo on the 'ink'<br> Please Note: No sharpening or any adjustments whatsoever have been applied. NR is OFF, Fine tuning is off. This baby is straight out of the box spot on. All shots were hand held and were taken late at night in my office.<br> Robert Daniels</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>that's exciting, robert. please post more pics when you get a chance.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_daniels2 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>The next two are same shots but exported from Nikon View NX 2<br> here is the first . Black and White box.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_daniels2 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>Here is the second shot. Think Tank logo shot. again focus point is on 'ink'<br> I shall post again in a few days when I get time after the weekend.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 <p>thanks for posting. particularly interested in performance between 1.4-2.8. also AF speed/accuracy.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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