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rbussmann
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Registered: Apr 11, 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: May 12, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, sharp, sharp, great build, silent and very fast AF
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Cons:
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Maybe that it is not weather-sealed, but neither is the Canon 35 L
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An amazing lens, certainly the sharpest lens I have ever used. Had a Canon 35L at some point, buy was not happy with the corners. This is simply a fabulous lens, and very cheap for what it does.
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 May 12, 2013
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Matthew0404
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Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 15, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 134
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Review Date: May 11, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very sharp at all apertures, great bokeh, impressive build quality
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Cons:
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None
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One of, if not the, most impressive lens I've owned. Sharpness wide open at f1.4 is unrivaled. Autofocus is fast, silent, and, most importantly, accurate. Build quality is great. The lens has a good weight to it and feels solid in the hand. No need to spend more money on the Nikon or Canon counterparts, the Sigma is a winner in all aspects.
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May 11, 2013
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vbourrut
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Registered: Oct 13, 2005
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 259
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Review Date: May 4, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp even at full aperture, focus is fast and accurate , beautiful bokeh, much cheaper than the Canon 35L !
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Cons:
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I had to play a bit with the micro-adjustment feature of my 5D Mark III in order for the focus to be perfect.
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I owned a canon 35L a few years ago, it was very soft at full aperture, and not so much better than my canon EF 17-40 @5.6 The focus was not accurate and a lot of pictures was out of focus, even at smaller apertures. Hence, I sold it a few month latter...
I was waiting for the 35L II, but I heard about this Sigma, and decided to give it a chance ! I've owned the sigma for a week now, and I can say that it is much, much better on every aspect than the canon I had !
I posted some full screen sample @ f1.4 taken with my 5D Mark III on my blog :
http://www.vincentbourrut.ch/blog/materiel-2/exemple-en-full-size-du-sigma-35mm-f1-4-dg-hsm-a-pleine-ouverture
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May 4, 2013
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davidsee
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Registered: Apr 28, 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 4
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Review Date: May 3, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.95
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Not as fast at af as the 35 l at focusing but it locks on better. Is quite a bit sharper then the 35 L wide open that is.
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Cons:
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this lens shocked me it was so much better then my 35 L so I kept it. Much sharper wide open slightly slower af but it locks on better then the 35 L My second sigma but the first I liked the 120-300 2.8 was a dog. I had the original
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May 3, 2013
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Rob Ernsting
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Registered: Jun 24, 2004
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Apr 4, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast focus, bokeh, extreme image quality even wide open. Fun to work with, solid mecahnical performance
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Cons:
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None found after 4 weeks of usage. Someone mentioned hunting; that can happen with any fast lens in low light or extreme low contrast. I found nothing of the kind, just perfect focusing in AI servo.
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Astounding image quality in the corners even at f 1.4 on a Canon EOS 5D mark III full frame. It is the best lens I ever acquired. For the record I have several Canon L lenses including T/S 24mm L to compare with. Amazing fast focus, ease of use and a pleasure to use with f 1.4 to f 3.5 for the selective focus and bokeh.
The points mentioned earlier by others like vignet are common for fast lenses. Using DXO or LR4 will allow for automatic lens and vignet correction. Compared to Canon or Carl Zeiss it is a bargain price and provides better performance than the competitors as shown in several tests.
I have been pondering to either buy the Canon 35mm f/2 IS or this Sigma 35 mm. I am glad I chose the latter.
Admittedly I was apprehensive about buying a Sigma but I am overwhelmed by the image quality and the overall mechanical perfection of the Sigma 35mm lens. Almost every shot is technically a keeper.
A slight autofocus micro adjustment on short focus distance was necessary.
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Apr 4, 2013
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3cameradog
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Registered: Apr 3, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Mar 22, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Image quality is excellent. Build is solid.
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Cons:
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AF tends to hunt wide open in low light, but focusing is fast and silent.
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Without a doubt, the sharpest lens I own, or have ever owned. The lens set a new bench mark with DxO lens testing with no other lens coming close. Sigma has set a new standard for better quality at a comparatively lower price. I am in awe.
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Mar 22, 2013
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fsiagian
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 23, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 1212
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Review Date: Mar 20, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, well built
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Cons:
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None
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Excellent lens. Very sharp and well built. AF is fast. I like the rendering and for a lot less than the main brands, it's a no brainer.
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Mar 20, 2013
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Ulan
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Registered: May 14, 2008
Location: Belgium
Posts: 98
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Review Date: Mar 19, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very well built, very sharp even at f/1.4 in the central area
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Cons:
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some lateral CA, vignetting
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This lens is extremely well built with an ideal mix of metal, plastic and rubber. The rubber focus ring is large, a good thing. The barrel gives an impression of solidity, pity there is no rubber joint at the mount.
Sharpness is outstanding, even at f/1.4 on the focus points. This lens is a jewel when coupled with a 5DIII. However my copy had a front focus and I had to correct in camera with the micro-adjustment feature. That done, AF is reliable at close and far distances.
I noticed some greenish lateral chromatic aberration on high contrast edges in out of focus areas at f/1.4. Also some vignetting. All of this can be corrected in LR.
All in all a great lens.
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Mar 19, 2013
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zesto
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Registered: Jun 26, 2010
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 326
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Review Date: Mar 7, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Extremely sharp, solidly built, fast and quite autofocus, excellent value for the price, a well designed front lens cap, large AF/M switch, excellent manual focus for a AF lens.
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Cons:
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None that I can think of.
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This lens is sharp almost beyond belief. The build quality is very impressive and has a few extra nice touches such as a rubber grip underneath for mounting/unmounting the lens. I don't know why someone said the lens hood is flimsy because mine is very solid; far better than most of my Nikon pro lenses. It does require a bit of force to click the lens hood home but once that's done it's rigid with no play. This has to be one of the best lens I've ever owned.
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Mar 7, 2013
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keithdunlop
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Feb 11, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 557
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Review Date: Feb 14, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great build quality, sharpest of any DSLR 35mm lens, quick focusing, minimal color fringing wide-open.
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Cons:
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Slight front focus (but quickly fixed with in-camera adjustment), larger than other 35mm f/1.4 lenses, no IS for video work.
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Other than my Leica lenses, this is hands-down the best 35mm f/1.4 lens I have ever shot. It is tack sharp wide open, very quick focusing, and has very minimal color fringing. The build quality is fantastic -- it's a metal barrel and feels very solid in the hand. The focus ring is also very well dampened should you want to focus manually. It's a bit larger than the Canon and Nikon versions, and it's heavy (being of good construction), but none of those issues overshadow the incredible image quality.
On the downside, my copy front-focused very minimally (perhaps 2-3 ticks on the SpyderLensCal chart) , but I was able to dial-in a little correction with my 5D Mark II -- problem solved. There is also no image stabilization which makes it less attractive for handheld video shooting.
The lens is a winner, and I only hope that Sigma can duplicate the quality with the rest of the "Art" prime range.
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Feb 14, 2013
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rpavich
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Registered: Feb 13, 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 13, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $799.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Amazing IQ, built like a tank.
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Cons:
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None that I see.
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I love this lens. I bought it to replace my EF 50mm f/1.2L which admittedly is not that sharp wide open, and for what I paid for it, that was unacceptable. I sold that, bought this, and got a cornea slicing sharp lens and pocketed a chunk of change in the process.
There may be "duds" out there, and you might have to trade one or two to get a good one but to me...that's worth a lens that is this deadly.
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Feb 13, 2013
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Cagey75
Offline
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Registered: Feb 11, 2013
Location: Ireland
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Feb 11, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Tack sharp, well balanced on the D800, slick looks, sealed hood, great contrast and colours, price towards the Nikon is very competitive - creamy bokeh!
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Cons:
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The first copy I got had horrible back focus issues, sigma QC same as ever. Vignettes strongly at 1.4 - f/2, not sealed at the mount.
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Once I got over the initial frustration of the first copy sent to me being off focus, no matter how much MA I dialed in [you shouldn't have to with a brand new lens!] - And received a good solid replacement, I began to enjoy this little gem of a lens. For the money, it delivers what you would expect from an official Nikon, it's that good. I've shot through the aperture range, in and outdoor, at all ISO levels, and it's been sharp all the way. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's not sealed around the mount - and I can't see why!? As they put a rubber sealing on the hood!! Which is handy, if it's raining, water won't get in there, but that about the other end??
Solid, sharp, great value.
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Feb 11, 2013
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cnaderfre
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Registered: Jan 26, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Feb 1, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Beautiful design, sharpness
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Cons:
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Chromatic aberration (possibly a bad copy?), weight
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Frankly, I feel a little uncomfortable going against the trend of outstanding reviews of this lens. I had received the new Canon 28mm f2.8 IS USM for the holidays (see my review of this lens if you are interested), and at about the same time the Sigma was gaining prominence in review circles. So, I ordered a copy of the Sigma to specifically compare against the Canon.
Did a number of basic tests at various apertures, and I was very surprised to see significant CA in at below f2.8 in some circumstances. Specifically, the circumstance was bright sunlight shining on the chrome trim surrounding the windows on my Honda Accord. The trim literally appeared purple on photos under f2.8. Above f2.8 the problem disappeared.
To make sure I wasn't seeing things (I thought that I was), I retook the pictures with the Sigma, and then did the same test with the Canon 28 f2.8 IS. There was no problem at all with the Canon images. I ended up returning the Sigma and keeping the Canon.
Know that I currently own a Sigma lens which I like a lot (the 30mm DC) and I am rooting for Sigma as a maverick to challenge Canon and Nikon with some good competition. That's why I tried the new Sigma 30 f1.4. But, maybe mine was a defective copy and so it ended up being much less than I expected.
I'm not surprised by all of the positive reviews though. The Sigma definitely has the potential what everyone describes, as long as you're sure to check your copy in various challenging lighting situations and confirm it works to your expectations. I *am* rooting for this lens.
Sigma needs to keep a closer watch on it's quality control.
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Feb 1, 2013
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Bruce Sawle
Online
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Registered: Sep 26, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 3976
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Review Date: Jan 30, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast and accurate focus
Sharp images at all apertures
Beautiful build
Half the price of other brands
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Cons:
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One of the most elegant lenses created by any manufacture. I love Sigmas new desigNonen and finish. Optically this lens is Sharper than any 35 lens I have owned. I have owned both the Canon and Nikon.
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One of the most elegant lenses created by any manufacture. I love Sigmas new design and finish. Optically this lens is Sharper than any 35 lens I have owned. I have owned both the Canon and Nikon.
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Jan 30, 2013
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samfowler
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Registered: Feb 18, 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 73
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Review Date: Jan 29, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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This lens is sharp as a Zeiss with the added option of a quite AF system. No regrets as this is a fantastic lens and worth every penny and more.
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Cons:
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none
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I have been a Zeiss fan for years. This Sigma 35 just came out and all I can say is WOW. This bad boy is sharper and easier to work with than Zeiss. If they keep this momentum up I will be changing all together to Sigma permanently. This is a lens you have to buy to appreciate. Its even configurable via a USB adapter to adjust focus sharpness in minute increments. I am looking forward to getting the USB adapter just for the reason of making sure sharpness is at its best. Highly recommended lens.
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Jan 29, 2013
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Straydog
Offline
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Registered: Nov 4, 2002
Location: United States
Posts: 814
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Review Date: Dec 22, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $899.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, great colors, interesting effects with night shots. For some reason, the bokeh creates a sort of 3D effect with night shots...
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Cons:
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None yet...I just got this yesterday...
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I shoot a Canon 5D at 1600 ISO on the streets of Detroit at night. This lens is a dream come true...
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Dec 22, 2012
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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18
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22468
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May 12, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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100% of reviewers
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$892.14
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.72
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9.72
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9.6
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