Sigma AF 14mm 1: 3.5 for Nikon lens for review has provided Mad Nicholas.

Sigma AF 14mm 1: 3.5 is a super wide-angle lens from film cameras. The 14mm focal length is really very 'wide'. The lens has huge convex front lens , and because of this, it attracts unnecessary attention. The convex lens is the reason that with this lens Do not use filters .

The lens is very funny front cover which consists of two parts. The first part is put on the lens as a 'sleeve', and the second part is a regular 72mm diameter cap on this 'sleeve'. The first part has fabric-rubber inserts, with the help of which the sleeve fits snugly and keeps on the lens, but because of these inserts it is not very convenient to remove and put on such a cover. At first I thought that the lens could use light filters that screw into the sleeve instead of the cap, but the very first shots with the sleeve on (without the cap) gave strong vignetting throughout the image field. But here's the great news: when using the Sigma AF 14mm 1: 3.5 on a Nikon DX camera, vignetting from the front cover sleeve is removed and the lens can be used with 72mm filters.

It is convenient to shoot landscapes, architecture with such a lens, and can be used for creative play with perspective. I was pleased that the lens has a slight distortion, especially considering the 14mm focal length.

Auto focus speed is above average. The focus ring is rubberized and rotates 90 degrees. The lens has internal focusing , only the rear lens moves when focusing. The lens has a focusing distance scale and a depth of field scale. Infinity on the lens scale starts after 1 meter. MDF is only 18 cm. There is an infrared shift mark. The number of aperture blades is 6 pieces. The lens is very well assembled (Lens made in Japan), itself quite heavy and looks very good on the camera.

It's important : auto focus with this lens is available only when using him on cameras with built-in motor focusing.

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras with a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will focus automatically:

D1, D1h , D1x , D2x , D2xs , D2h , D2hs

D3, D3x, D3s , D4, D4s, D5, D6

D50 , D70 , D70s , D80 , D90

D7000 , D7100 , D7200 ,D7500

D100 , D200 , D300 , D300s ,D500

D600 , D610 , D750 , D780

D700 , D800 ,D800E, D810 , D810a, D850

Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro , S2 Pro , S3 Pro S3 Pro UVIR, S5 Pro IS Pro

Kodak DCS PRO 14n , DCS Pro SLR/n

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras without a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will not focus automatically:

D40 , D40x , D60

D3000 , D3100 , D3200 , D3300 , D3400 , D3500

D5000 , D5100 , D5200 , D5300 , D5500 , D5600

all digital mirrorless cameras Nikon ZDX , Nikon ZFX with Nikon FTZ/FTZ II adapter

Only auto focus and sound confirmation of focus will not work with these cameras, all other important functions, such as automatic exposure metering and automatic iris control, will work well.

You will find a lot of useful information on the types of cameras and lenses Nikon here .

For the lens to work properly on modern Nikon cameras, you need to set the F / 22 value using the iris control ring on the lens itself and snap the aperture lock button.

Sample Photos

The lens is sharp in the central part of the image, sharpness drops noticeably at the edges. Also at F / 22, sharpness drops throughout the image field. Sigma AF 14 / 3.5 has strong vignetting, even on covered diaphragms. The weakest side of the lens is low contrast and a strong fear of back and side light. Light sources in the frame create a strong veil. On my camera Nikon D700 there were serious problems with the exposure meter. It seems to me real aperture the lens is much lower than f / 3.5. Perhaps I came across not the most successful instance.

The parameters shown in the photo gallery:

Everything is filmed on Nikon D700 . On-camera JPEG L ('optimal quality' compression). Functions that enhance the image, such as vignette control, ADL , noise reduction at long exposures, noise reduction at high ISOs were turned off. All shot in Picture Control mode SD (standard mode): contrast correction - 0, brightness - 0, saturation - 0, hue - 0, sharpness - position 5 between 0 and 9. Used white balance : 'Auto' and 'Cloudy'. Photo size was reduced to 2048px by 1363px (approximately 3MP) using FastStone Photo Resizer 3.0. When reducing the size of the photos, quality equal to 85% of the original was used, the Lanczos3 compression method.

My lens experience

You need to be able to shoot with an ultra-wide-angle lens, it's not so simple. Sigma AF 14mm 1: 3.5 turned out to be a really weak lens. Cheap manual Samyang 14mm 1: 2.8 ED AS IF optically much better and yes aperture more, that's why I recommend it as an ultra-wide angle for full-frame cameras for amateur use. And for serious shooting, nothing better than the Nikon AF-S 14-24 / 2.8 has not yet been invented. By the way, Sigma is a record holder in many ways. In pursuit of wide angle, Sigma is again a winner - the company has an autofocus lens that can use 12mm focal length over a full frame - the Sigma AF 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG Asherical HSM.

On Nikon DX cameras EGF Sigma AF 14/3.5 will fit 21mm. I do not recommend this lens for Nikon DX, there is a great option for cropped cameras - Tokina AT-X 116 PRO SD 11-16mm F2.8 (IF) DX II Aspherical .

Alternatives

Below is a list of all ultra-wide angle lenses with auto focus support for cameras with an APS-C sensor (crop Kf = 1.5-1.6X) whose focal length is less than or equal to 14 mm .

Tokina (for different mounts):

With moderate aperture:

Tokina 124 AT-X PRO SD 12-24 mm F4 (IF) DX Aspherical , for Nikon F, Canon EFS

promaster Digital af 12-24 XR EDO F4 Aspherical, previous lens under the 'ProMaster' brand

Tokina 124 AT-X PRO SD 12-24 mm F4(IF)DX II aspherical , for Nikon F, Canon EFS

Tokina 128 AT-X Pro SD 12-28 mm F4 (IF) DX Aspherical , for Nikon F, Canon EFS

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-28 F4 (IF) DX V, Canon EFS only

Aperture:

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-16 F2.8 (IF) DX ASPHERICAL , since 2007, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Sony A

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-16 F2.8(IF)DX II ASPHERICAL , since 2008, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Sony A

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-16 F2.8 (IF) DX V, for Nikon F, Canon EFS

Tokina atx-i 11-16 mm F2.8CF , since 2019, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, black/white

Tokina atx-m 11-18 mm F2.8E , since 2022, for Sony E, black/white

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-20 F2.8 (IF) DX ASPHERICAL , from 2014, for Nikon F, Canon EFS

Tokina atx-i 11-20 mm F2.8CF , since 2020, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, black/white

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 14-20 mm F2 (IF) DX , from 2015, for Nikon F, Canon EFS

fisheye:

Tokina 107 Fisheye 10-17 mm F3.5-4.5DX AT-X , for Nikon F, Canon EFS

Tokina 107 Fisheye 10-17 mm F3.5-4.5 DX NH AT-X, for Nikon F, Canon EFS

Tokina 107 Fisheye 10-17 F3.5-4.5 DX AT-X V NH, Canon EFS only

Tamron (for different mounts):

Tamron SP 10-24 mm 1: 3.5-4.5 Di II B001 , from October 2008, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Pentax K, Sony A. Japan / China / Vietnam

Tamron 10-24 mm F/3.5-4.5 Diii VC HLD-B023 , from February 2017, for Nikon F and Canon EFS

Tamron Aspherical LD ​​DI II SP AF 11-18 mm 1: 4.5-5.6 [IF] A13 , since 2005, for Nikon F, Canon EFS, Sony A. Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 11-18mm 1: 4.5 (22) -5.6 D and Sony 4.5-5.6 / 11-18 DT (SAL1118) lenses are built on the same optical scheme )

Promaster Digital EDO AF Aspherical LD ​​(IF) 11-18 mm 1: 4.5-5.6, previous lens under the 'ProMaster' brand

Tamron 11-20 mm F / 2.8 Di III-A RXD B060 , from April 2021, only for Sony E

Sigma (for different mounts):

Sigma 4.5 mm 1: 2.8 EX DC HSM CIRCULAR FISHEYE , since 2007 for Canon EFS, Sigma SA and Nikon F. Since 2008 for Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A

Sigma 10 mm 1: 2.8 DC FISHEYE HSM , from 2007 for Canon EFS, Sigma SA and Nikon F. In 2008 a version for Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A was released

Sigma 8-16 mm 1:4.5-5.6 DC HSM, since 2010, Canon EFS, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sigma SA, Sony/Minolta A

Sigma 10-20 mm 1: 4-5.6 DC EX [+ -HSM, + -D] , since 2005 for Canon EFS, Sigma SA, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A. Since 2008 for 4/3 SLR system. 'D' prefix for select Nikon and Sony / Minolta A only. HSM motor only available for Canon EFS, Sigma SA, Nikon F and 4/3. The Pentax K and Sony / Minolta A versions have a different appearance (there is no focusing distance window). There are two sub-versions: with a matte finish and with a velvet finish on the body.

Sigma 10-20 mm 1: 3.5 DC HSM EX , since 2009, for Canon EFS, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sigma SA, Sony / Minolta A

SIGMA 10-18 mm 1:2.8 DC DN C , from 2023, for Sony E, FujiFilm X and Leica L

Nikon DX (for Nikon F mount):

Nikon DX AF Fisheye Nikkor 10.5 mm 1: 2.8G ED

Nikon DX VR AF-P Nikkor 10-20 mm 1: 4.5-5.6G

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 10-24 mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED SWM IF Aspherical

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 12-24 mm 1: 4G ED SWM IF Aspherical

Nikon Nikkor ZDX 12-28 mm 1:3.5-5.6PZ VR

Canon EF-S / EF-M

EF-S (Mirror APS-C)

Canon Zoome Lens EF-S 10-18 mm 1: 4.5-5.6 IS STM

Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 10-22 mm 1: 3.5-4.5 USM

EF-M (Mirrorless APS-C)

Canon Zoom Lens EF-M 11-22 mm 1: 4-5.6 IS STM [2013]

RF-S (mirrorless APS-C)

CANON LENS RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM [2023]

Pentax DA (+ Samsung / Schneider-Kreuznach, for Pentax K mount):

SMC Pentax-DA 1: 2.8 (22) 14 mm ED [IF] (Pentax 14)

SMC Pentax-DA FISH-EYE 1: 3.5-4.5 10-17 mm ED [IF] (Pentax 10-17) (FISHEYE, most likely optically identical Tokina Model 107 )

HD Pentax-DA FISH-EYE 1: 3.5-4.5 10-17 mm (FISHEYE, most likely optically similar to Tokina 107 NH)

HD PENTAX-DA * 1: 2.8 11-18 mm ED DC AW

SMC Pentax-DA 1: 4 12-24 mm ED AL [IF] (Pentax 12-24) (most likely optically identical Tokina Model 124 )

Samsung Zoom Lens Fisheye D-Xenon 10-17 mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AL, copy Pentax 10-17 optical scheme from Tokina Model 107

Samsung Zoom Lens D-Xenon 1: 4 12-24 mm ED AL copy Pentax 12-24 optical scheme from Tokina Model 124

Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenogon 1: 3.5-4.5 10-17 mm ED AL, copy Pentax 10-17 optical scheme from Tokina Model 107

Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 1: 4 12-24 mm ED AL, copy Pentax 12-24 optical scheme from Tokina Model 124

Sony / Minolta (A or E):

E-mount (E):

Sony E 4 / 10-18 OSS (2012)

Sony E 4 / 10-20 G PZ (2022)

Sony E 1.8 / 11 (2022)

A-mount (A):

Sony 4.5-5.6 / 11-18 DT (SAL1118) (most likely optically identical Tamron model a13 )

Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 11-18 mm 1: 4.5 (22) -5.6 D (most likely optically identical Tamron model a13 )

Samsung NX

Samsung Lens 1: 3.5 10 mm Fisheye

Samsung Lens 1: 4-5.6 12-24 mm ED I-FUNCTION

Fujifilm x

FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 8 mm 1:3.5RWR

FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 14 mm 1: 2.8 R

FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS NANO-GI XF 8-16 mm 1: 2.8 R LM WR

FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 10-24 mm 1: 4 R OIS

FUJINON ASPHERICAL LENS SUPER EBC XF 10-24 mm 1: 4 R OIS WR

Zeiss (E / X)

ZEISS Distagon Touit 2.8 / 12 T* (Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount)

VILTROX (E/X/Z)

Viltrox AF 13mm 1: 1.4 STM ASPH ED IF C (2021, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount, Nikon Z-mount)

Leica CL/TL/T/L

Leica SUPER-VARIO-ELMAR-T 1: 3.5-4.5 / 11-23 ASPH. (2014)

Leica SUPER-VARIO-ELMAR-TL 1: 3.5-4.5 / 11-23 ASPH. (2014)

Samyang (E / X)

Samyang AF 12/2E + Samyang AF 12/2X (2021, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount)

Yongnuo (E/X/Z)

Yongnuo 11mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL S/X/Z (2023, Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount, Nikon Z-mount)

Do you know more similar lenses? Or do you have experience with any of them? Then be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.

Catalog of modern Sigma lenses can look at this link .

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Conclusions

The Sigma AF 14mm 1: 3.5 is an ambiguous lens. The strengths are excellent assembly and a normal level of distortion. Among the shortcomings - a strong fear of backlight and low contrast.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval .

04.09.2013 in 20: 39 Reply