Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview: Introduction

These acquainted with Sigma’s Artwork sequence realize it presents a variety of fantastic quick primes for full-frame cameras, overlaying focal lengths as huge as 14mm proper via to 135mm. Whereas some have a most aperture of f/1.8 or f/2.8, a number of are f/1.4, of which there are some standout examples.

When the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork was introduced in late 2018, it sat in-between Sigma’s 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, each massively well-liked with image-makers of all ranges. You’ll be able to learn why we charge the latter as an incredible used lens right here.

New and used costs

The Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork information worth at launch was $1399 / £1099. Now just a few years later you possibly can decide it up within the retailers for a lot much less. The Nikon F mount model may be purchased new for $718 / £579, whereas the Canon EF, Sony E Mount and and L-mount variations value $780 / £629 from new.

On the secondhand market costs vary between £449-£644 relying on the situation of the lens that’s being bought. As you’ll learn on this overview, we actually charge this 40mm lens and it made our choice of the Finest Canon EF lenses cash should purchase in 2023.

You would possibly effectively ask; why the necessity for a 40mm f/1.4 when Sigma already produces such good 35mm and 50mm lenses? The 40mm focal size has lengthy been well-liked with cinematographers, so after producing the 40mm T1.5 FF cine lens, Sigma determined they do what they’ve finished earlier than and utilise the identical optical design, however supply it as an Artwork sequence lens for photographers and videographers who would possibly desire this barely much less typical focal size. This setting is actually ultimate for road images so click on right here for our greatest lenses for road taking pictures.

The focal size, maximim aperture and filter thread measurement (82mm) are all printed on the barrel simply behind the main target distance window

Past Artwork

The phrases ‘Past Artwork’ that Sigma affiliate with its 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork lens additionally suggests it goes above and past the optical efficiency of different Artwork lenses we now have examined beforehand. For extra on nice lenses for low gentle images click on right here. As an proprietor of each the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, I’m intrigued to learn how this lens compares.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview: Options

The very first thing that’s apparent while you examine this lens is its massive measurement and the way a lot heavier it feels within the hand than the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork. I’ll contact on this in additional element shortly, however to be able to obtain the corporate’s aim of making the best optical high quality for full-frame DSLR and mirrorless cameras providing a 50-million-pixel decision, Sigma’s engineers first needed to work out one of the best optical formulation.

The 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork flanked by the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork (proper) and the 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork (left)

It’s the primary 40mm f/1.4 lens the corporate has ever made and the development unites 16 components in 12 teams – a extra complicated association than the 13 components in 11 teams discovered contained in the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and the 13 components in 8 teams you get contained in the 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork.

Low dispersion glass

To maintain chromatic aberration in verify, the lens arranges three FLD (‘F’ Low Dispersion) glass components and three SLD (Particular Low Dispersion) glass components collectively. The entrance component encompasses a water and oil repellent coating that enables it to be simply cleaned in difficult taking pictures environments and Sigma’s Tremendous Multi-Layer Coatings are as soon as once more employed to curtail flare and ghosting when taking pictures instantly in direction of the sunshine.

The entrance component options Sigma’s water and oil repellent coating, which is designed to repel water drops and supply resistance to fingerprints

Sigma is clearly very pleased with the way in which the lens handles distortion, claiming a distortion determine of lower than 1%. Simply as we’ve seen many occasions earlier than, the lens is provided with Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), licensing quick and quiet focusing and full-time handbook focusing, whereby customers can regulate the main target manually at any time with out the necessity to flick the AF/MF swap to handbook first.

Spherical bokeh

The lens’s nine-bladed aperture diaphragm presents settings from f/1.4 to f/16. Used at its most aperture, these 9 aperture blades are designed to create a beautiful blur within the out-of-focus areas of a picture, with pleasing spherical bokeh within the highlights. The minimal focus distance is 40cm and what with it being significantly bigger than the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, it received’t come as an incredible shock that filters and adapters are mounted by way of an 82mm thread somewhat than a 67mm or 77mm one.

This picture illustrates the brass metallic mount. There’s additionally a rubber seal on the mount connection that does a advantageous job of stopping moisture and filth creeping between the digicam and lens

In addition to being made within the typical Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts, it’s additionally one in every of Sigma’s new lenses to be supplied in E-mount for Sony customers, ruling out the necessity for a Sigma MC-11 converter. The Sony E-mount model performs the identical capabilities because the converter, together with in-camera picture stabilization and in-camera lens aberration correction, with the good thing about it additionally being appropriate with Sony’s steady AF modes, which aren’t supported by the MC-11.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview: Construct & Dealing with

Considered alongside Sigma’s 35mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 Artwork lenses, the 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork is a little bit of a brute. In addition to having a chunkier barrel than the corporate’s 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, it’s 31mm longer and 385g heavier.

The 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, pictured right here within the centre, is a significantly bigger and heavier lens than the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork (left) and the 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork (proper)

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Artwork appears somewhat diminutive alongside it too and with a considerable 535g weight distinction, the additional glass contained in the 40mm f/1.4 could be very noticeable, particularly over extended spells of taking pictures. Being as massive and heavy as it’s, the lens balances greatest with full-frame cameras with sized handgrip, or one which has a battery grip fitted. Couple it to smaller APS-C DSLR or mirrorless fashions and the digicam/lens mixture tends to really feel somewhat entrance heavy.

For testing functions, the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork was predominantly paired up with Canon’s 50-million-pixel EOS 5DS R

Extremely easy focus ring

When it comes to look, the lens conforms to many different Sigma’s Artwork primes. The barrel widens simply past the lens mount to a big, thinly ribbed rubberised focus ring. This operates extremely easily with simply the correct degree of resistance. You may get from one finish of its focus distance vary to the opposite with simply over 1 / 4 flip, and although it’s not not possible to shoot with it single handedly, you’ll discover that you just’re very reliant in your left hand to distribute the load of the lens and supply some extra help.

The rubber texture of the lens hood is inclined to getting marked and choosing up mud

Mud-and-splash proof

The AF/MF swap on the facet of the barrel is effectively positioned and properly profiled. It may be simply flicked together with your thumb and the main target distance window on prime clearly shows its info in toes and meters. To make sure it meets the calls for of execs and those that don’t get put-off by opposed climate circumstances, it additionally encompasses a dust-and splash-proof construction with seals on the mount connection, handbook focus ring, zoom ring, and canopy connection. No points had been encountered when it was examined in persistent drizzle, so customers may be assured it received’t get broken when moist.

The petal-shaped lens hood has a lock to stop it getting dropped. You’re required to carry the button and twist the hood to launch it. The hood additionally locks when it’s reversed

The lens additionally comes equipped with a brand new hood with a lock. It’s the bayonet sort and secures with a 90-degree twist, however can’t be eliminated till a small launch button is depressed. The hood has a strip of rubberized texture to make it simpler to grip too, however I did discover that that is vulnerable to getting marked and is a magnet for filth.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview: Picture High quality

After we visited Photokina and inspected the lens for the primary time we had been informed it’s one of many sharpest primes Sigma has ever made. To seek out out if this declare is true, our Canon-fit pattern was coupled to the Canon EOS 5DS R and run via the lab earlier than a sequence of comparisons had been made in opposition to the corporate’s 35mm f/1.4 Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 Artwork lenses.

Canon EOS 5DS R, Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, 1/320sec at f/1.4, ISO 100

Our Utilized Imaging assessments inform us the lens resolves degree of sharpness within the centre when it’s used huge open at f/1.4, which is evident to see within the real-world pattern pictures that help this overview. The centre and corners get a lot sharper by stopping the aperture down, with the candy spot of sharpness on the centre and edge being situated round f/5.6. Sturdy outcomes are additionally obtained at f/8 and f/11.

Canon EOS 5DS R, Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, 1/4000sec at f/1.4, ISO 100

Chromatic aberration

Though it’s tough to identify an apparent distinction in sharpness between this lens and the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork when it’s used huge open at f/1.4, you can also make out that it’s barely sharper between f/2 and f/5.6 when advantageous element is inspected at very shut magnification. What’s extra noticeable is how effectively the lens controls chromatic aberration. Whereas I’m used to having to right for some inexperienced and purple fringes of color in pictures taken with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, chromatic aberrations are fantastically managed and virtually utterly absent.

Canon EOS 5DS R, Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, 1/320sec at f/1.4, ISO 100

Vignetting

As for vignetting, corners to photographs taken at f/1.4 seem roughly 1.5EV darker than the centre, enhancing to 0.7EV at f/2. Cease the lens all the way down to f/2.8 and shading is just traced on the very far corners. Some photographers will discover the vignetting the lens creates at f/1.4 tasteful, and somewhat than have it corrected in-camera or take away it later, decide to maintain it to attract viewers eyes in direction of the center of the body.

Canon EOS 5DS R, Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 100

Distortion

Distortion is one other space the place this lens excels and with a distortion determine of -0.4%, customers may be assured that any traces in direction of the sides of the body might be rendered straight and true.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview: Decision, shading and curvilinear distortion

Decision

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork MTF50 on Canon EOS 5DS R

Our Picture Engineering MTF assessments had been carried out with the lens mounted to Canon’s 50-million-pixel DSLR, the EOS 5DS R. The strong crimson line spike tells us sharper outcomes may be achieved within the centre of the body because of stopping down from f/1.4, nevertheless this shouldn’t put individuals off profiting from the quick most aperture accessible. Nook sharpness, illustrated right here by the dotted line peaks at f/5.6, past which level diffraction regularly takes the sting off sharpness.

Shading

Shading is noticeable in pictures taken at f/1.4, measuring roughly 1.5EV darker on the edge than on the centre. Cease the lens all the way down to f/2 and this falloff is lowered to round 0.7EV, which was nonetheless seen in a lot of our real-world check pictures. Cease the lens all the way down to f/2.8 and vignetting can solely be traced on the very far corners, disappearing utterly by f/4.

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork @ f/1.4

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork @ f/2

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork @ f/2.8

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork @ f/4

Curvilinear distortion

The curvilinear distortion efficiency is simply pretty much as good as Sigma claims it to be. You received’t want to stress about barrel or pincushion distortion inflicting issues and with a really low -0.4% distortion determine you possibly can confidently go about your work figuring out any topic with straight traces might be rendered faithfully.

Uncorrected curvilinear distortion, -0.4% TV SMIA

Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork overview: Verdict

Sigma’s Artwork assortment continues to go from energy to energy and introductions to the sequence up to now couple of years embody the 20mm f/1.4, 24mm f/1.4 and, most just lately, the 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Artwork in Sony E and L-Mount fittings.

A elegant performer

There is no such thing as a denying that the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork is elegant performer. Chromatic aberrations and curvilinear distortion are just about non-existent and the extent of sharpness and exquisite bokeh it creates at huge apertures are past criticism. Nevertheless, it’s a weighty lens in use and it comes with a hefty price ticket too. Its information worth at launch was $1399/£1099 which made it considerably dearer than the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork that had information costs of $899/£799 and $949/£849 respectively.

Nevertheless, everyone knows that costs come down after launch and the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork – introduced in November 2018 – has actually benefitted on this respect. It’s now accessible within the retailers new at $780/£629 (barely cheaper nonetheless for Nikon F mount customers) and used at $557-798 / £449-644. That makes it a extra engaging proposition when considered alongside the 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork and 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork, which have present road costs of $899/£649-699 and $949/£619-649 respectively.

In fact, it’s nonetheless a heavy lens, however it’s an astonishingly good performer and if its natural-looking angle of view appeals, the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Artwork may very well be the lens for you.