p.1 #1 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
I have an array of both Nikon and Sigma Art lenses so I love both the Nikon and Art lenses
Nikon: 20/1.8G, 50/1.4G, 50/1.8G, 58/1.4G, 85/1.4G, 85/1.8G, 105E and 70-200/2.8E
Art: 20, 24, 35 and 50 lenses.
I am finding I am using more of the Art lenses particularly with the D850 the 24/35/50 Art combo.
The reason for the thread is to accumulate people's experiences and techniques to get the best from the Art lenses.
With the D850 and using the Sigma USB hub I re calibrated all my Art lenses again. Previously I just used my lens align system and adjusted the 4 distance table values appropriate for each lens.
This time I used the automatic fine tune with the D850 for each of the 4 distance scales for each lens. It is neat as you can automatic fine tune for far or infinity distance subjects. Surprisingly I came up with different values and the calibration now appears to a lot more accurate at all distance. This is important for many of us who embrace the Art lenses as alternative.
The thread is here to share our experiences and images.
p.1 #3 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
gdsf2 wrote:
How did you use auto fine tune for multiple distances?
You just setup the tripod at the set distance to your target and run the automatic fine tune at least 5 to 10 times initially. The D850 compensation value that is recorded can then be inputted to Art lens table. So if you have a fine tune correction of +10 recorded on the D850, then a value near or close to -10 is to be inputted into the Art lens table. You quickly get a feel for the correction required but it is usually a 1:1 or sometimes 1:2 correlation of the Art to D850.
You just run it for each distance as specified in the Art lens table.
p.1 #4 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
I've owned 2 Nikon 24mm 1.4g's and one Sigma 24mm 1.4A and preferred the Nikon (all have been sold to fund the Nikon 28mm 1.4E)
I owned both the Nikon 58mm 1.4 and Sigma 50mm 1.4A and sold the Nikon. The 50mm Art is an amazing lens... but at this point the rest of my kit is Nikon.
Will test and report back once my D850 ships!
charles.K wrote:
You just setup the tripod at the set distance to your target and run the automatic fine tune at least 5 to 10 times initially. The D850 compensation value that is recorded can then be inputted to Art lens table. So if you have a fine tune correction of +10 recorded on the D850, then a value near or close to -10 is to be inputted into the Art lens table. You quickly get a feel for the correction required but it is usually a 1:1 or sometimes 1:2 correlation of the Art to D850.
You just run it for each distance as specified in the Art lens table.
p.1 #5 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
Blakehfreeman wrote:
I've owned 2 Nikon 24mm 1.4g's and one Sigma 24mm 1.4A and preferred the Nikon (all have been sold to fund the Nikon 28mm 1.4E)
I owned both the Nikon 58mm 1.4 and Sigma 50mm 1.4A and sold the Nikon. The 50mm Art is an amazing lens... but at this point the rest of my kit is Nikon.
Will test and report back once my D850 ships!
I am very tempted by the 28/1.4E But I suspect I will wait for now as I prefer the 35mm FOV, and if I need to go wide I prefer 24 or 20mm.
I am finding the 35 and 50 Art lenses to be superb. The 50 Art complements the 58G so well.
p.1 #6 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
I mean if you're ok not owning the best be my guest 😜... (sorry I enjoy spending others money )
Edit: I couldn't justify owning both the 50 and the 58mm. At the time I had a 45mm PCE, 50 and 58. Three very different lenses with very similar FOV. charles.K wrote:
I am very tempted by the 28/1.4E But I suspect I will wait for now as I prefer the 35mm FOV, and if I need to go wide I prefer 24 or 20mm.
I am finding the 35 and 50 Art lenses to be superb. The 50 Art complements the 58G so well.
p.1 #8 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
I will need to try your method when I have time. So far, I only calibrate 50/1.4 Art with auto fine tune at near distance, more around where I would use it for tight portrait shot figuring that it would be where dof is the least and is most likely scenario that I would use widest aperture and hope that at longer distance, dof will be wide enough to overcome needs for fine tuning especially since I more likely would use smaller aperture anyhow.
p.1 #9 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
Charles what are you using as a test target?. A printout of sorts or just a random subject.
I've never calibrated any of my lenses on any body I've owned.
I do own a few sigma lenses, 50, 135, 50-100 and the 120-300 and the USB dock which has sat in the draw since been purchased.
Having received the 850 I might as well give it ago and see if there's a difference. I've always put a blurry image down to sloppy technique.
p.1 #10 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
suteetat wrote:
I will need to try your method when I have time. So far, I only calibrate 50/1.4 Art with auto fine tune at near distance, more around where I would use it for tight portrait shot figuring that it would be where dof is the least and is most likely scenario that I would use widest aperture and hope that at longer distance, dof will be wide enough to overcome needs for fine tuning especially since I more likely would use smaller aperture anyhow.
Generally this what I have done calibrating for the distance where I will use the Art lens the most. I often use the Art lens for street shots and it is great to be able to shoot almost wide open at middle to far distances which on the scale of focusing is very close to infinity. Since the scale is not linear, calibrating for these distances will give tack sharp images even wide open and will in effect calibrate for infinity.
p.1 #11 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
The trick is finding the correct adjustment in the Dock based on Nikon value. 1:1 or 1:2 is a big difference. Are you rechecking with auto fine tune after you use the dock to see if you get a correction value of 0 from Nikon?
p.1 #12 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
Blakehfreeman wrote:
I've owned 2 Nikon 24mm 1.4g's and one Sigma 24mm 1.4A and preferred the Nikon (all have been sold to fund the Nikon 28mm 1.4E)
I owned both the Nikon 58mm 1.4 and Sigma 50mm 1.4A and sold the Nikon. The 50mm Art is an amazing lens... but at this point the rest of my kit is Nikon.
Will test and report back once my D850 ships!
It would be interesting to see a comparison of the Nikon 28 and Sigma 35mm in terms if sharpness, bokeh, etc. Does anyone know of one?
p.1 #13 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
bbourizk wrote:
Charles what are you using as a test target?. A printout of sorts or just a random subject.
I've never calibrated any of my lenses on any body I've owned.
I do own a few sigma lenses, 50, 135, 50-100 and the 120-300 and the USB dock which has sat in the draw since been purchased.
Having received the 850 I might as well give it ago and see if there's a difference. I've always put a blurry image down to sloppy technique.
There are many excellent test targets that you can down load from the web. It is very important to have a good target parallel and well secured. Steve Perry's guide to AF and techniques is superb and worthy of reading before.
If you have the Sigma USB dock it is a must using it even just for checking FW updates. Each of your Art lenses has the ability to be fine tuned at 4 distance settings. No lens is perfect so the ability to tweak these lenses is amazing. Just wish Nikon lenses had this ability.
For zooms this is great, but can be a pain as you end up with 4 distance settings for 4 different focal lengths. I have just calibrated a 24-105/4 Art zoom which was very non linear and had to be adjusted.
Of course if you become frustrated sent it to your local lab with the camera, lens and USB dock in hand
p.1 #14 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
gdsf2 wrote:
It would be interesting to see a comparison of the Nikon 28 and Sigma 35mm in terms if sharpness, bokeh, etc. Does anyone know of one?
I do not have the 28/1.4 E... yet but I do think the 35 Art is probably one of the best lenses in terms of sharpness along with the 50 Art. The only question is how the bokeh compares in terms of our personal taste.
I have attached a few shots, two in Spain with the D810 in Spain and the third just a day after I received the D850 all with the 35 Art.
p.1 #16 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
MikeInPa wrote:
Am I correct in reading that if the D850 Fine Tune gives a value of +8 for example,
in the USB Dock you enter a value of -8?
Thanks for this thread.
You are welcome Yes, that is correct. In essence you don't want to have a fine tune AF correction on the D850 if possible. The correlation of 1:1 is close but you do need to try and get a feel. For far and infinity, the corrections on the Art lenses is more sensitive and just +/-1 will correlate to about +/- 2 to 4 on the D850.
p.1 #17 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
Great. Thanks Charles. I'll have to go in and reverse my offsets
I only bought the 135mm f1.8 and dock before I went on vacation and hurriedly entered the values obtained from the corresponding distances from the D850.
Now I have time I'll pay particular attention to the far and infinity distances.
p.1 #18 · Nikon D850 with Sigma Art lens image and resource thread
MikeInPa wrote:
Great. Thanks Charles. I'll have to go in and reverse my offsets
I only bought the 135mm f1.8 and dock before I went on vacation and hurriedly entered the values obtained from the corresponding distances from the D850.
Now I have time I'll pay particular attention to the far and infinity distances.
Thanks very much for the info.
Cheers
Mike
I will also mention after calibrating do check the 135 Art for the distances you use most and tweak the corrections to suit.
But I suspect I will wait for now as I prefer the 35mm FOV, and if I need to go wide I prefer 24 or 20mm.
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