Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | Sony Forum | Join Upload & Sell

1 2 3 … 24

26 … 71 72 end

Archive 2019 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Luvwine
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #1 · p.25 #1 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
I also prefer 10 or 12 straight blade sunstars but this stuff is actually very subjective just like bokeh rendering...

The surprise for me was the lack of flare ghosting which I was expecting a ton for such a lens. The negative for the Sigma in respect to sunstars is that one would need to stop the lens down to very small apertures. (just like with other lenses with rounded blades)

The use of filters is definitely a pain but there are great options out there being with a large front filter (NiSi, Haida, Fotodiox) or a ridiculously small gel...Show more →

No question the lens has many great attributes. I was just bemoaning the lack of things I want. I know I am hard to please, lol. The issue with stopping down to F16 or smaller is diffraction so for sun star fans there is no free lunch with this lens. I know there are filter solutions, but they are not small and the lens is already large. I guess I wish there were a Loxia or CV 15 or so but maybe it is not possible or not profitable enough to develop. The rear gel filters seem to have coloration issues from what I have seen, but perhaps that will get solved.

Oct 07, 2019 at 10:58 AM

Eruditass
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #2 · p.25 #2 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

vdo1 wrote:
Is there any trick like with the 12-24 where you could stuff a 77mm round filter in the barrel?

As scalanc2 noted, it's pretty limited. Here's the thread on it

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1614111

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #3 · p.25 #3 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Luvwine wrote:
No question the lens has many great attributes. I was just bemoaning the lack of things I want. I know I am hard to please, lol. The issue with stopping down to F16 or smaller is diffraction so for sun star fans there is no free lunch with this lens. I know there are filter solutions, but they are not small and the lens is already large. I guess I wish there were a Loxia or CV 15 or so but maybe it is not possible or not profitable enough to develop. The rear gel filters seem to have coloration...Show more →

I agree that sunstar rendering is a negative unless shooting with very small apertures. (And still not as good as CV or Loxia for my taste)
I'm planning on using my CV 21/3.5 under backlight situations with the sun in the frame but for scene that requires a wider FL, I would not hesitate using the zoom and taking a separate capture at f/22 (to avoid diffracting the entire image) just for the sunstar for a later composite in post.

For me, the Sigma 14-24 is mainly a landscape/nightscape lens where resolution, contrast, CA correction, flare resistance and low coma are the most important features. On the A7R4, I don't think there is better zoom lens and our best primes in the 14-17mm range can't match it either.

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:09 AM

TakenWild
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #4 · p.25 #4 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

You could always create various starbursts in photoshop by using your Loxia starburst as a luminosity selection and paint it in.

Luvwine wrote:
No question the lens has many great attributes. I was just bemoaning the lack of things I want. I know I am hard to please, lol. The issue with stopping down to F16 or smaller is diffraction so for sun star fans there is no free lunch with this lens. I know there are filter solutions, but they are not small and the lens is already large. I guess I wish there were a Loxia or CV 15 or so but maybe it is not possible or not profitable enough to develop. The rear gel filters seem to have coloration...Show more →

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:14 AM

SDTrojan
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #5 · p.25 #5 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
Try the Lee 1.2 from Adorama. ($7 sheet from England)
Way less color cast. I'm actually happy with it with a minor LR preset.

Fred, is this the one you used?
https://www.adorama.com/le299s.html

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:16 AM

chiron
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #6 · p.25 #6 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
I agree that sunstar rendering is a negative unless shooting with very small apertures. (And still not as good as CV or Loxia for my taste)
I'm planning on using my CV 21/3.5 under backlight situations with the sun in the frame but if the scene requires a wider FL, I would not hesitate using the zoom and taking a separate capture at f/22 (to avoid diffracting the entire image) just for the sunstar for a later composite in post.

For me, the Sigma 14-24 is mainly a landscape/nightscape lens where resolution, contrast, CA correction, flare resistance and low coma are...Show more →

Very interesting, Fred. Were you able to find some old test images for comparison from the Sony 16-35 2.8 GM?

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:17 AM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #7 · p.25 #7 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

SDTrojan wrote:
Fred, is this the one you used?
https://www.adorama.com/le299s.html

Yes, you can make dozens of filters from this gel sheet.

I'm also using the Lee polarizer gel:
https://www.samys.com/p/Color-Filter--Diffusion-Sheets--Rolls/239F/Lee-Filters-Polarizing-Gel-19-x-12/189519.html

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:18 AM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #8 · p.25 #8 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

chiron wrote:
Very interesting, Fred. Were you able to find some old test images for comparison from the Sony 16-35 2.8 GM?

I've been hesitant to post this comparison because it was not captured under similar lighting and this Sony 16-35/2.8 GM was not the best copy I've seen. (high variation with the GM zoom)...But it's the only one I found so far; Both lenses at 16mm and f/5.6 and focused at center.

Keep in mind that the GM crop is from the A7R3 and the Sigma is from the R4...

Center

Mid-field

Extreme corners

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:41 AM

MikeEvangelist
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #9 · p.25 #9 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

This thread is going to cost me some money.

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:45 AM

chiron
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #10 · p.25 #10 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
I've been hesitant to post this comparison because it was not captured under similar lighting and this Sony 16-35/2.8 GM was not the best copy I've seen. (high variation with the GM zoom)...But it's the only one I found so far; Both lenses at 16mm and f/5.6 and focused at center.

Keep in mind that the GM crop is from the A7R3 and the Sigma is from the R4...

Thanks, Fred. The difference in the cameras, lighting, and copy variation does make it hard to interpret, as you said. But the direction of quality difference, if not the degree, seems able to be inferred.

Oct 07, 2019 at 11:52 AM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #11 · p.25 #11 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

I've posted previously that I will be testing 6-stop and 10-stop ND gel filters soon.
They are the Kodak Wratten 96 ND gels.

Here is the B&H link selling these filters:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=%20(6)%20Kodak%203%20x%203%22%20Neutral%20Density%20(ND)%20%2396&N=0

The Watten 96 2.0 is ~6-stops and the 3.0 is 10-stop. (see chart below):

Oct 07, 2019 at 12:03 PM

Bobu
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #12 · p.25 #12 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
I've posted previously that I will be testing 6-stop and 10-stop ND gel filters soon.
They are the Kodak Wratten 96 ND gels.

Aren't the Kodak Wratten filter real gelatine filter and therefore extremely sensitive to any moisture or wetness? Or has this changed and they are now also polyester? Last time I used them was about 20 years ago.

Boris

Oct 07, 2019 at 02:24 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #13 · p.25 #13 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Bobu wrote:
Aren't the Kodak Wratten filter real gelatine filter and therefore extremely sensitive to any moisture or wetness? Or has this changed and they are now also polyester? Last time I used them was about 20 years ago.

Boris,
Gel filters is what fits on the Sigma real slot. Anything thicker than that would not even slide into the slot.

Oct 07, 2019 at 02:32 PM

Bobu
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #14 · p.25 #14 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
Boris,
Gel filters is what fits on the Sigma real slot. Anything thicker than that would not even slide into the slot.

Yes, I know. But Gel filters from Lee are not made of Gelatine but are Polyester based, while Kodak Wratten filters were made out of real Gelatine, at least 30 years ago if I remember correctly. And real Gelatine is very sensitive to moisture. That's why I asked.

Oct 07, 2019 at 02:38 PM

Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #15 · p.25 #15 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Bobu wrote:
Yes, I know. But Gel filters from Lee are not made of Gelatine but are Polyester based, while Kodak Wratten filters were made out of real Gelatine, at least 30 years ago if I remember correctly. And real Gelatine is very sensitive to moisture. That's why I asked.

Kodak claims that their new Wratten version 2 is more rigid and less sensitive to humidity:
https://www.kodak.com/PK/en/motion/Products/Lab_And_Post_Production/Kodak_Filters/WRATTEN_2_Filters/default.htm

Oct 07, 2019 at 02:41 PM

Bobu
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #16 · p.25 #16 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
Kodak claims that their new Wratten version 2 is more rigid and less sensitive to humidity:
https://www.kodak.com/PK/en/motion/Products/Lab_And_Post_Production/Kodak_Filters/WRATTEN_2_Filters/default.htm

It seems they have at least slightly improved the robustness of their filters. But according to several sources on the net they still have problems with humidity and temperatures above 50°C. Here is another description I found on the net which doesn't sound very promising:

Gelatin filter were and are for the most part made of Gelatin and as such are very fragile and next to imposible to clean because their so soft and absorbent, a reason why some are glass mounted. Gelatin filters will fade with time and should be replaced occasionally and stored in their original packaging.
Source: https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/40407/how-do-rear-gelatine-filters-compare-optically-with-regular-front-mounted-filt

I'm really interested in your experience with the Kodak Wratten filters. Especially how they compare to the Lee filter foil (both optically and regarding robustness).

Oct 07, 2019 at 02:51 PM

SDTrojan
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #17 · p.25 #17 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

Fred Miranda wrote:
I've been hesitant to post this comparison because it was not captured under similar lighting and this Sony 16-35/2.8 GM was not the best copy I've seen. (high variation with the GM zoom)...But it's the only one I found so far; Both lenses at 16mm and f/5.6 and focused at center.

Keep in mind that the GM crop is from the A7R3 and the Sigma is from the R4...

Hi Fred, are you seeing that 16 mm on the GM is equivalent to 14.6 mm on the Sigma, per your comparison? Is the Sigma that far off in terms of actual FL?

Oct 07, 2019 at 04:24 PM

rvh23
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #18 · p.25 #18 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

MikeEvangelist wrote:
This thread is going to cost me some money.

Not necessarily if you are selling other lenses it replaces

Oct 07, 2019 at 04:43 PM

rvh23
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.25 #19 · p.25 #19 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

chiron wrote:
Thanks, Fred. The difference in the cameras, lighting, and copy variation does make it hard to interpret, as you said. But the direction of quality difference, if not the degree, seems able to be inferred.

Despite the camera/condition differences, I think you can assess degree pretty well too because the centers are very similar, but increasingly as you move towards the corners the Sigma shows a clear advantage.

Oct 07, 2019 at 04:46 PM

chiron
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.25 #20 · p.25 #20 · Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN first impressions

rvh23 wrote:
Despite the camera/condition differences, I think you can assess degree pretty well too because the centers are very similar, but increasingly as you move towards the corners the Sigma shows a clear advantage.

Maybe, but as Fred said, the 16-35 GM he was using was not the best copy, suggesting decentering. And the differences in the colors are hard to interpret. But the general trend does seem clear.

Oct 07, 2019 at 08:08 PM

1 2 3 … 24 25 26 … 71 72 end
FM Forums \| Sony Forum \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 … 24 25 26 … 71 72 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.