Sigma 35mm f1.4 Review

After a few months of thought and debate, just before I left the UK to travel around Asia for 5 months and then onto my new home of New Zealand, I decided to pick up the Sigma 35mm f1.4.

In this blog I’ll be reviewing this dynamic prime lens, including my initial impressions after 6 months of solid use.

I use this lens paired with the Sony A7 IV, which you can read the review of in a separate blog here.

Why 35mm?

First things first, this focal length won’t be for everyone, and it does take some getting used to, especially if it’s your first prime lens. I’ll admit, at first I was unsure, however after I pursued with it and kept practicing, I can honestly say I’ve fallen in love with this lens, and it’s now my favourite out of the four I own.

As mentioned, depending on your photography genre and style, it may or may not be for you. 35mm is the perfect focal length for street photography, it is wide enough to view the whole scene, being tight enough and not too close to one subject. Therefore as a result of this, the lens is great for storytelling and documentation, enabling you to tell a story through the photos you take. Furthermore, this also enables it to be a great choice for other genres such as portrait, wedding, and event photography too.

All in all, this focal range is extremely versatile, and a fantastic choice for a style of photojournalism within your photography. I personally feel it is also a great one and done prime lens while on the move if you want to travel light.

Build Quality

Overall it is a well-built, solid lens. The exterior is mainly made of metal, including the mount, to give it that solid, sturdy, and rugged feel. Even though the switches on the outside of the lens are made of plastic, they are fixated enough onto the exterior to feel stable and care free of any easy damage.

Compared to a number of lenses in the Sigma range, the 35mm f1.4 feels as though it’s more than built to last. Perhaps by being a compact prime lens, this was always going to be the case. On a side note however, this lens isn’t weather sealed, therefore don’t go out shooting in the rain without a camera cover or some kind of protection when using it.

Ergonomics

The lens is small and compact, giving the duo of the camera and lens a well balanced feel. Although not as small in size as for example a Fujifilm branded prime lens, all in all it is still comfortable and light enough to use as a day-to-day travel combination. Its lightweight design is also a reason why it can be considered a ‘one-and-done’ lens, making it extremely versatile and agile to use with flexibility whilst on the move. The lens is just the right size, thinner and narrower than most, enabling you to get a good firm handle on the camera grip, which is always a plus.

One thing you’ll notice with the Sigma prime lenses compared to their zooms such as the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8, is that they feature the major benefit of an aperture ring. This comes as a huge bonus, simply because it enables you to change aperture directly at your fingertips whilst holding the lens, rather than reaching back and fiddling with the settings on the camera, saving you precious time when shooting in fast changing situations.

Of course, the lens also features the ever present focus ring at its top end, both rings of which give good resistance and are easy to manoeuvre. A few other buttons and controls on the lens exterior such as a focus mode switch, a aperture ring lock and a separate click switch, and an a autofocus lock (AFL) lock button, all contribute to an extremely tactile and enjoyable piece of equipment to use.

Image Quality

One of the major beneficial factors of any prime lens is the sharpness and depth of field they bring, and the Sigma 35mm f1.4 is no exception. In terms of image quality and the details this product produces, this lens is incredibly sharp, creating stunning imagery at every turn. The benefit of it having a low aperture of f1.4 is it also gives you beautiful results in low light and indoor situations, there is no event or conditions this lens will have trouble shooting in.

A noticeable difference I’ve found in this lens compared to the others I own is the natural colours and contrasts it gives to photos straight out of the camera. The colours feel and look more saturated, furthermore contributing to giving that deeper contrasted feel, with deeper and more meaningful blacks emerging from the image.

Below are some of my favourite images that I’ve taken using this lens over the past 6 months:

Autofocus

As a slightly wider angled lens, at times the autofocus feature can tend to be a touch wayward, especially when trying to shoot a fully fledged wide scene. However, as time has gone on I’ve found it has greatly improved, leading me to the fact once again it is a focal length which you need to be patient with to get used to, and therefore it may be more human error than a technical blip on the lens’ behalf.

Once you have spent time using this lens, and used it in various different scenes and scenarios, you’ll find that actually overall the autofocus is fast, increasingly accurate, and also noticeably quiet. Furthermore, the autofocus still shines when shooting in low light and dark conditions.

Summary

Overall, I feel the Sigma 35mm f1.4 is an incredible piece of equipment, one of which deserves a place in any kitbag. Furthermore, I was surprised to know it actually comes in at a very affordable price of roughly £700, less than half of what the branded Sony equivalent is priced at for example. Its high quality build and incredible image quality are features which help to make the lens stand out from the crowd, not to mention the wide aperture helping to achieve sharp and beautiful imagery in any situation, day or night. The lens is also a great choice for those who want a ‘one and done’ focal length, which in turn is easy to travel with and extremely versatile and flexible when on the move.

As mentioned previously, to get the best out of this lens you need to put the time in and practice with it in a variety of different scenarios, only then will you come to realise how great this piece of equipment and this specific focal length really is. It forces you to search for unique perspectives by moving yourself to or from subjects, therefore making you think about your photography more. Honestly, after mixed feelings at the start, this lens now rarely comes off my camera. I love the documentation and storytelling abilities it brings, as a street photographer myself, it’s such a joy to use, and I feel I’ve massively improved as a photographer because of it.

Obviously this lens wont appeal to everybody and their style of photography, but if you give it a chance and persist with it, you won’t regret it, and like myself, it might be the best lens you come to use.