I very rarely comment on reviews but that was probably the best lens review I have seen. Great content, clearly explained and high production values. Fantastic work.
I finally bought the 35mm SIGMA two and a half months ago and never regretted it. It's my favorite lens at weddings now and I'm using it at 75% of the time! :-)
I just rented it this weekend before I buy it because I've heard so many mixed reviews about the focusing. It does miss focus looking thru the VF, but in LV I had no issues. I'm using a Canon T8i
Matthew, thank you for your videos (especially the comparison vids) You present information beautifully and in a way that is clear, comprehensive and useful. DON'T STOP PRODUCING! You are great at it.
Thank you for doing my homework for me, and clarifying which lens I need to get. I JUST ordered it. Great and clear video, with time and care taken into the edits. Must have taken forever! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for the suggestion; I've been thinking about that one... or the Canon vs the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8, which is also a pretty worthy lens. I'll keep it in mind.
not IMO, the Leica 35 ASPH 1.4 summilux is very old and come close or even perform better than this two, the colors in the Leica lens are to me just awesome and the size and weight is incredible on the Leica for such a high performance, anyway i don´t want to argue all the three lens are the best 35 f/1.4 a viable, to me Sigma wins cause the price, i owned the Leica for a long time and i have a collection of amazing photos, but that said the Sigma is a temptation now
Hello, The answer there is that the lenses are not fixed at f/1.4. F/1.4 is their maximum aperture available, but not the only aperture available. When you see a lens like a 24-70 f/2.8, people may say that it has a fixed f/2.8 aperture, but what they mean is that it has an f/2.8 aperture available across the entire zoom range... unlike a lens like the 55-250 f/3.5-5.6, where the f/3.5 is only available at the 55mm end of the zoom range, but when you zoom it out to 200mm, only f/5.6 will be available as the maximum aperture.... it's not fixed. Hope that helps.
Yes, they are prime lenses, which so the f/1.4 is available all the time. But it's AVAILABLE the whole time, not fixed. The focal length is fixed (35mm)... that's what makes it prime. The 1.4 is always AVAILABLE as part of the aperture range, but you can always set it to f/2.8 or f/16 , etc. With some zoom lenses, the largest aperture at the near end of the zoom range is NOT available at the other end of the zoom range (so the aperture range is variable, not fixed).
Montague Films, my gosh did he save me lots of money as well. I shoot with a Canon and I’ve always bought Canon everything, but I’m definitely buying this lens.
The CA you do not expect to see at f/8 is of the lateral type, and as such it is not reduced by a smaller aperture. Correcting lateral CA is easy and improves resolution.
In my experience, even lateral CAs are usually improved by stopping down a lens. For a good example of this, take a look at my most recent video and the Tamron 35mm f/1.8. It has strong(ish) lateral CA at larger apertures, easily visible in the video, and they disappear after I stop down a few stops. As for correcting lateral chromatic aberration, it's true that it can be handled pretty easily in post processing, but not without image degradation, and never completely. I won't get into all the details here, but I'll cut and paste the Wiki bullet points: - Rescaling is only applicable to lateral chromatic aberration but there is also longitudinal chromatic aberration - Rescaling individual color channels result in a loss of resolution from the original image - Most camera sensors only capture a few and discrete (e.g., RGB) color channels but chromatic aberration is not discrete and occurs across the light spectrum - The dyes used in the digital camera sensors for capturing color are not very efficient so cross-channel color contamination is unavoidable and causes, for example, the chromatic aberration in the red channel to also be blended into the green channel along with any green chromatic aberration.
Yes! instagram.com/matthew.lightandmatter/ I'm on 500px too, but never use it anymore. You can find the rest of my social media through the website: www.lightandmatter.org
I liked the review but I really can't understand something...What's the point to do this kind of tests on a landscape photo???? I think it doesn't make sense at all :/ Expecially when you test the wide apertures, what's the sense of analyzing sharpness and contrast in the corner, which I'm sure are not on the focus plane? This makes confusion between the "softness" due to the out of focus area and the effective loss of sharpness at the corners! If you use those lenses at wide apertures you'd probably never shoot landscape photos but you'll have a main subject and a blurry background, and in this case the sharpness in the corners is not so important. For lower apertures you test makes more sense intstead
I bought this lens because of this video. tested the lens yesterday on my Canon 70D, and I was amazed how it shot outdoor. tested it out during low light at my friends party and boy! the lens was struggling focusing on my subject. the tone it produces is more on the warmer side compare to cooler image from the Canon 50mm f/1.8. For some weird reason the Canon 50mm f/1.8 images are way sharper that this lens. I tried to like this lens but the focusing is driving me nuts during low light. I will be returning this lens tomorrow. very disappointed. maybe my lens is defective?
L BS Hmm... that's interesting. I don't really shoot much video, and rarely use autofocus for it, so I can't say whether this is typical for the lens, or whether you just happened to be in a situation that your camera struggled with. It is very surprising to hear that the 50 1.8 is sharper... that just shouldn't be the case, so perhaps it is defective. It's also possible that it requires calibration. If you get a new one, I'd be interested to hear you results.
+Matthew Gore I'm not talking about using it as a video. I'm talking about image quality and focus. the focus was so inconsistent shooting indoor. it was pretty much a shoot or miss deal with me during my friends partay. I couldn't even upload it to show the the picture cause of the image quality is not even as good as the 50mm 1.8
L BS Got it. Just reread your post... not sure why I thought you were shooting video :) Anyway, it certainly sounds like there's something wrong with your lens; it should be significantly sharper than the 50 1.8, and I can at least say that I didn't have any trouble focusing with it in low light with the 5D III, though I didn't test it with an APS-C camera.
Matthew Gore I wouldn't be so sure. I am surprised as well, but my Canon 50mm 1.8 STM is incredibly sharp. So much so that it doesn't seem possible. At 2.8 the Canon 50mm is sharper than most L primes at F/3.2. I am not sure what they do to cause the 50mm to be pretty much perfect in a cheap case. I am testing via a full frame as well. It has become apparent to me that the L series zooms are worth it, but the L series primes do not seem worth it. Neither do the more expensive sigmas over the regular Canon USM primes. Except for durability of course. A good example of this, look at the 100mm F/2 USM, the 500 dollar one. Then look at the 100mm F/2.8. I've owned both. You can even compare the 135mm F/2L to the 100mm F/2. I would give the L series the win on the 135mm, but it's not by as much as I think people would assume. I am starting to realize that the L series is more about build quality, sometimes you get more sharpness, sometimes you don't. When you do, it's not as much as one would think. Canon somehow has done really well with their non L series USM primes. It's hard to justify the L series primes if one doesn't need weather sealing and build quality. The only L series lenses I would get at this point would be the 24-70 2.8 and the 135 F/2. I don't shoot longer than 135 so I can't comment on that. Any prime under 135 I would just get the Canon USM one.
I shot with both sigma and canon copies for weddings . I have to say that sigma 35mm does struggle focusing in low light. It has slight hesitation before locking in the focus. The canon version locks in subjects much better in low light settings
Does the lens suffer from BF/FF issues like the other Art series lenses? I was planning to get the 18-35 F1.8 or this lens, but the auto focus issue is holding me back from purchasing it, since I do street and low light photography. Could anyone advise me?
No, I've pretty much just been a photographer for over 20 years. I have been getting interested in video over the past few years, but I don't consider myself a pro yet.
Matthew Gore i got it well if in future i am looking for model photography i will contact you and i live in us dc I subscribed you and .. nice to meet you ..
Great to meet you too :-) I'm in Seattle, so it's a bit of a distance, but I'm always happy to travel for a good shoot. Best of luck with your channel!
Matthew, this is one of the best lens review videos I've seen in the three to four years that I've been pursuing photography. I bought the Sigma 35mm 1.4 "Art" lens a few months ago but just saw your video now. Well done, please keep up the good work and post more!
A good review/comparison. Just remember the Canon was released in 1998, the Sigma in 2012, lens design has come a long way in 14yrs. Many are waiting for a Mark II update, hoping it is as dramatic of an update like the 24mm f1.4 Mark II was. The Sigma look stunning, visually and IQ wise, the price is fantastic!
Thanks Matthew for doing these detailed reviews! I am in the market for the Sigma 24mm 1.4, can't wait to see your video about this lens. Greetings from the rooftop of the world (Nepal)
I've seen so many photographer comparing lenses. Nobody did what you do. Your way of comparing lenses side by side is the best ever in CZcams videos. I subscribed. Keep up the good work.
COPY THIS; Very rarely comment on reviews but that was probably the best lens review I have seen. Great content, clearly explained and high production values. Fantastic work. ;) ....
I can write 5-6 comments with full 500 characters to express how much I appreciate your detailed and "no-one done that before " work. (Because this comparisons of lenses means a lot to us who live in poor country where the borrowing lens for one day cost almost 1/10 of the price of the new) But I'll gonna just say: Tnx. FOREVER SUBSCRIBER.
I have the baby Sigma. My go-to lenses are the baby Sigma and a Zeiss 45mm 2.8 pancake, which is still head and shoulders above the Sigma in terms of richness whenever I can use it but the Sigma is amazing compared to the price point of the Canon right --- just make sure you have it dialed in perfectly because the focus can be a real mother. Don't know if I need to calibrate it or just be more careful.
I have the Canon R5. Canon is preventing Sigma to create RF lenses for my R5. Sigma is just equivalent to Canon lenses at a lower price. I have the Sigma 50mm Art lens. After using it for a while I pretty much put away my Canon 24-70mm F 2.8.
It's really unfortunate that Canon doesn't allow 3rd party RF lenses... it's going to stop a lot of young photographers from getting into the system. Some Sigma lenses are amazing... this 35mm is excellent.
Hi Matthew, I have a question pertaining the colour.I test both lens myself with 5dmark 3 and I find the sigma has cooler colour while canon version is warmer and more vibrant. However,I see your image comparison looks very similar.How you do it?
Hi Ronnie, I don't find there to be any significant color differences. I shoot RAW, and when I set them to the same color temperature for comparison, they look virtually identical. More importantly, when I'm doing color critical work, I use a color checker ( goo.gl/GJkK52 ) and create a custom profile for each lens so that the colors always come out as accurate as possible, and I've never had a problem.
The AF Tracking not tracking fast enough when something is moving fast towards you is pretty normal.. to get around it, I do shorter bursts consecutively i.e. burst, let go for a split second, then burst again. It seems to work better. My camera is limited to 7fps, but I'm guessing a camera with 14fps shooting would do a bit better since it's not lagging. I also notice my camera lags more when I'm doing a really long burst (20+) and then the AF tracking degrades more... it also gets worse when my card is nearly full (I have a 64GB 95MB/s) as the card writes slower. So you can do things to help it.
Come on maaan.. Where is that Canon Vs Tamron 70-200 review.. I am visiting your channel almost every 2 days, just in case I didn't miss it :D Please this year :P
I was wondering if/when you'd continue making new videos. Love this new video. (Already have the 35mm f/2.0 IS, so I'm all set, but interesting comparison. Excited to see your follow-up video with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4)
Sounds like you may have already seen my recent Tamron 35mm vs Canon f/2 video, but the Tamron vs Sigma video is on the way. Probably will publish it on Monday, if not sooner.
By far the best comparison video I've seen. The somewhat monotone voice helped vs most canon fan boys who yelled and screamed about a canon and then poopoos over other lenses. This was as objective in my mind as it got. That said, Canon fanboys will still buy the L lens, because it's not about the images to them, it's about the red ring... So... Those of you who buy a sigma, here's a tip, buy a sigma and put a red rubber band on your lens. There you go. Great job on the video, look forward to others.
Im confused on something .If I have a crop senson .Add 35mm will I esentaly have a 50mm focal length and how would depth of field compare between a APSC with a 35 1.4 and a Full frame with a 50mm 1.4 .
Matthew - I agree with all your points, Sigma have really shaken things up. Given the choice I would buy the Sigma, but considering how old the Canon's 35 is, it's not doing too badly (1998 vs 2012). I hope to see the Mk2 version soon and then hopefully you will do another comparison. Thanks
Your reviews are brilliant mate. Accurate, no BS, unbiased... can rely upon. very well done! It would be very helpful if you could get a chance to review the latest Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 G2.
Great review, it's pretty obvious which one is better. However, I've seen many sigma lenses compared to Canon (or Nikon) lenses, and what I found is that the Canon's (and Nikon's) Bokeh is more appealing to the eye, they have a sharp edged bokeh circles (or lemons if you like); the sigma tend to soften the bokeh. I haven't try a fast sigma lens yet, all I see is reviews on the internet, but I do have canon and I can tell how nice the bokeh they produce. Thanks for the review.
Good review but you should compare distortion, it's the same story as vineting and chromatic aberration, you could correct it later but having less-distortion lens is what you want. In 5:26 you can see that building on the right is more tilted on sigma than on canon lens
It feels strange and exiting to watch reviews there Sigma beats much more expensive Canon and Nikon lenses. The whole Art series is extremely good and I'm very happy to see it soon on Sony FE cameras :P Great review btw :D
That sounds like a good combination for street photography; keep in mind that the 35mm lens on the 60D will have the field of view of a 55mm lens, which is popular for street work, but not so popular for landscapes. It should certainly be sharp enough, though.
Great review. Thanks. I'm curious about comparison with the Nikkor. I think the Sigma focuses in the contrary direction. The Nikkor seems to be highly regarded-and priced.
Just got my sigma yesterday and love it. Can't agree more with this review. The Canon is a solid lens but it's just too old to keep up with the sigma. And it's crazy overpriced simply because it's canon. Nothing new there :)
subscribed! Awesome review brother! I just came back home from a camera store with two awesome SIGMA Prime lenses. 35mm and 85mm and Im so freaking impressed with the design and ESPECIALLY the price!!! I saved my self $1800 MASSIVE SAVINGS.
You probably dont give a damn but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost my password. I appreciate any tips you can give me
@Andy Chance I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im in the hacking process now. I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
Good point. While that's true, though,... it doesn't stop the Canon from costing four or five hundred dollars more than the Sigma, and it remains Canon's only available "L" offering at that focal length. If they release a Mark II version of it (and they probably will before too long), I'm sure it will be a much better lens... but it will probably cost $1000 more than the Sigma, too (based on Canon's recent lens pricing).
Matthew, what portrait lens is best for my canon t4i camera? I'm currently own a 50mm 1.4. I think I need a better one. Honestly, it doesn't have to be a canon brand as long as it works & fits. Thank you and I love your voice. Subscribed!!!!
Of course, the answer there is that I didn't have any focusing problems. I understand that some people say they have them, but I can only assume that it's a problem that crops up with particular cameras with the lens, or with certain samples of the lens. I had no problems, so I can't report any.
Thank very much, It's looking more and more that as I upgrade I'm going to owning a lot of sigma lenses. My interest is more in wildlife but a good 35 for those perspective shots will be nice to have in the kit. The Sigma 120-300 2.8 really interests me as well. Also the Sigma 300-8005.6 is on my list. And the more I look the more it seems the Sigma 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 as well.
Excellent review here. Since your video came on the net, sigma have released a 20mm f1.4. I would love to see a lens comparision between canon and the sigma 20mm f1.4. By the way, with all the distortion on these lens, surely the lens companies should take these problems into account when designed their products, am I correct? If so, why the continuous imperfections with high-quality glass? I am trying to get my head around why it is so expensive for good lens...then we see what you have explained... Looking forward to your next av report.
Hi Mathew, great job on your high quality review about these canon and sigma 35mm 1.4 lens. I was hoping if you could make a review about these zoom lenses: Canom 70-200 2.8 IS ii, Tamron 70-200 2.8 OS and Sigma 70-200 2.8 VR. However, I found your reviews are bar none the best here on you tube, and I would appreciate if you can make a review about these zoom lenses. By the way, I've just decided to subscribed to your channel. Many thanks! and keep the great reviews coming!
Sounds like a great combination for portrait and landscapes, maybe some street photography; The 5D Mark II doesn't have the best autofocus system, so it may not be the best choice for shooting action.
I own the sigma i "DONT RECOMMEND" it to anyone. Half of there products have front focusing issues. Dont be cheap like i was spend the extra money get an L glass. Trust me!
hello please help ive been trying to figure out if there both wide angled or not i cannot tell dureing video testing could somone please tell me if there both wide angle
Both lenses have the same angle of view, roughly.. Whether you consider it wide depends on the camera sensor you're using, and what you consider "wide", but most will consider 35mm wide on a full-frame sensor. On an APS-C sensor, they're more like a 50mm lens, which is not really wide... it's a mid-range or "normal" lens.
I bought and returned the Sigma 35 f/1.4. When it nailed focus it was spectacular. Unfortunately, that wasn't often enough. It would vacillate between severe front and rear focus even at f/5. Perhaps I got a bad copy. I would recommend that anyone who buys one put it through it's paces before you take it out on a paying job.
The Canon is $1,478 USD with 1 year warranty. Sigma is $899, carries a 4 year warranty and is a better performing lens by a wide margin. This is a no-brainer unless you enjoy handing your money over to Canon knowing you're getting less.
I think the only benefit the Canon has is you know it'll work on your camera body as it's first party. Sigma and other 3rd parties reverse engineer everything so you can sometimes have problems getting them to work. It's very rare, but it happens. Other than that, avoid the Canon. The interesting thing is what will Canon now do to compete with this thing? Same with the 50mm Art. It craps all over their L glass and both the Canon lenses are pretty ancient now.
I have problen with my sigma 35 it's not sharp at all when i and im usin canon 650d or t4i. When i watch the ved its impressive but the real result with me is totally the opposite. Can you plezez tell me what the solution??
Unfortunately, there are a lot of possibilities, and it's hard to say without seeing some of your images (but take a look at my article about blurry images, here: www.lightandmatter.org/2013/learn-photography/four-reasons-your-photos-are-blurry-and-how-to-avoid-them/) It's also possible that there's a problem with the lens; it could have an element that's out of alignment or you may need to adjust the focus with Sigma's USB lens dock ( goo.gl/2TQNN3 ).
might need to have firmware updated and/or have the focusing tuned. there are 2 ways of doing this. either send the lens to sigma OR you can get the sigma lens USB dock (costs $60 USD), download sigma's lens tuning software and update/tune the lens yourself.
Thank you !!! One question. What about focusing in low light.. Like an event at night... How well can both lens focus, Which one can find the desired focus point. Now I mean this comment for any of your testing on an lens... since this is something I was wondering.
+photolafontaine A lot of that will depend on the camera and it's autofocus system. I didn't test it specifically with these two lenses, but I haven't had any special problems focusing with the Sigmas in lower light in general. Some of my other comparisons cover that in a little more detail, but it's something that I'm working on a method for testing in a controlled, objective way.
I very rarely comment on reviews but that was probably the best lens review I have seen. Great content, clearly explained and high production values. Fantastic work.
Zebra Digital agreeeeeed! 👍🏻
I finally bought the 35mm SIGMA two and a half months ago and never regretted it. It's my favorite lens at weddings now and I'm using it at 75% of the time! :-)
I just rented it this weekend before I buy it because I've heard so many mixed reviews about the focusing. It does miss focus looking thru the VF, but in LV I had no issues. I'm using a Canon T8i
When Canon gives you lemons, you buy a Sigma.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Mandeep Kalsi it's kinda obvious, you shouldn't say it
I LoVE IT
@@69_MK Hopefully life gave you some sugar and some water as well.
I've never seen a more informative comparison video. Awesome.
Thanks Jessie
Thanks for taking the time to do this - made it easy for me to decide which lens to get
Matthew, thank you for your videos (especially the comparison vids) You present information beautifully and in a way that is clear, comprehensive and useful. DON'T STOP PRODUCING! You are great at it.
Nice to see a realistic review, real world samples, rather than resolution tests.
When the lens gives you lemons.......
We want more reviews, please. You're the best reviewer on CZcams!
I'd like to see a comparison between Canon 85 F1.8 and Canon 85 F.12.
Those skate park images were awesome.
Matthew your reviews are serious and very detailed! Thankyou so much!
Thank you for doing my homework for me, and clarifying which lens I need to get. I JUST ordered it. Great and clear video, with time and care taken into the edits. Must have taken forever! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Glad it was useful for you :-)
Wow this is one of the best reviews i have seen on youtube, thanks man, great job.
Buen review!!! ya viste, rentemos los 2 y sacamos nuestras conclusiones :)
Thanks for the suggestion; I've been thinking about that one... or the Canon vs the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8, which is also a pretty worthy lens. I'll keep it in mind.
Yes the sigma is better ,but the Canon 35mm 1.4L is still damn good for a lens released back in 1998.
+firstname lastname if you look for Canon Buy/Sell/Trade forums, they go for $700-$900 now. Canon 35 F1.4 is now affordable used.
+firstname lastname because why not. It's still a sharp lens.
+firstname lastname in the end it's not about the gear. You can use whatever you want. But if your pictures don't tell a story, what's the point?
+firstname lastname plus, the differences don't matter to the end client. I'm shooting with what I believe does the job.
not IMO, the Leica 35 ASPH 1.4 summilux is very old and come close or even perform better than this two, the colors in the Leica lens are to me just awesome and the size and weight is incredible on the Leica for such a high performance, anyway i don´t want to argue all the three lens are the best 35 f/1.4 a viable, to me Sigma wins cause the price, i owned the Leica for a long time and i have a collection of amazing photos, but that said the Sigma is a temptation now
How you get to different aperture when both lenses are fix 1.4 ?
Hello, The answer there is that the lenses are not fixed at f/1.4. F/1.4 is their maximum aperture available, but not the only aperture available. When you see a lens like a 24-70 f/2.8, people may say that it has a fixed f/2.8 aperture, but what they mean is that it has an f/2.8 aperture available across the entire zoom range... unlike a lens like the 55-250 f/3.5-5.6, where the f/3.5 is only available at the 55mm end of the zoom range, but when you zoom it out to 200mm, only f/5.6 will be available as the maximum aperture.... it's not fixed. Hope that helps.
Matthew Gore Thank u for responding and yes I know but I thought the 35mm 1.4 were prime lenses not zoom lens!
Yes, they are prime lenses, which so the f/1.4 is available all the time. But it's AVAILABLE the whole time, not fixed. The focal length is fixed (35mm)... that's what makes it prime. The 1.4 is always AVAILABLE as part of the aperture range, but you can always set it to f/2.8 or f/16 , etc. With some zoom lenses, the largest aperture at the near end of the zoom range is NOT available at the other end of the zoom range (so the aperture range is variable, not fixed).
Matthew Gore ok ok you’re right, what am I thinking 🤦🏾♂️ but thanks again! Very good and helpful channel. So I’m getting the sigma lol
thank you for this. I was 2 hours away from buying the Canon. You just saved me $400
There's actually a flash deal on this lens on Amazon today, for $699... so hopefully you saved more than that :) goo.gl/IrXxh8
Woh! Thanks Matthew!
Montague Films, my gosh did he save me lots of money as well. I shoot with a Canon and I’ve always bought Canon everything, but I’m definitely buying this lens.
@@eviem70 do u shoot video? if so, how is the stabilizaion?
kudos to sigma for the lens and the materials used fot it. Canon should really avoid plastic when making L lenses, because they cost a LOT.
thats true but you trade off in weight.
Now thats what i would call a review, awesome.
These comparison videos are pretty amazing! How do we get you to do more??
I'm actually working on more... it's just been a busy year! Expect another one this month.
The CA you do not expect to see at f/8 is of the lateral type, and as such it is not reduced by a smaller aperture. Correcting lateral CA is easy and improves resolution.
In my experience, even lateral CAs are usually improved by stopping down a lens. For a good example of this, take a look at my most recent video and the Tamron 35mm f/1.8. It has strong(ish) lateral CA at larger apertures, easily visible in the video, and they disappear after I stop down a few stops.
As for correcting lateral chromatic aberration, it's true that it can be handled pretty easily in post processing, but not without image degradation, and never completely. I won't get into all the details here, but I'll cut and paste the Wiki bullet points:
- Rescaling is only applicable to lateral chromatic aberration but there is also longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Rescaling individual color channels result in a loss of resolution from the original image
- Most camera sensors only capture a few and discrete (e.g., RGB) color channels but chromatic aberration is not discrete and occurs across the light spectrum
- The dyes used in the digital camera sensors for capturing color are not very efficient so cross-channel color contamination is unavoidable and causes, for example, the chromatic aberration in the red channel to also be blended into the green channel along with any green chromatic aberration.
As someone who likes to study before they buy, your reviews honestly blow your online peers out of the water (digital rev, jared polin ect.)
Leo Nguyen Thanks, Leo :-)
Any chance that you will do a comparison with the 135mm sigma art with the 135mm canon in the future? or the 85mm
Very likely. I'm working on 24-70mm videos now, with the Sigma, the Tamron, and Canon II, and I shot for one telephoto zoom set.
Yo Matt you on 500px or Instagram? I want to drop a follow :) already subbed and belled up to your channel. looking forward to more content.
Yes! instagram.com/matthew.lightandmatter/ I'm on 500px too, but never use it anymore. You can find the rest of my social media through the website: www.lightandmatter.org
I like the style of your reviews. Much more practical and useful than the usual tube reviews. They put the accent on the show.
Your lack of dogma is refreshing both in the video and your answers to peoples questions. Keep up the good work!
I liked the review but I really can't understand something...What's the point to do this kind of tests on a landscape photo???? I think it doesn't make sense at all :/ Expecially when you test the wide apertures, what's the sense of analyzing sharpness and contrast in the corner, which I'm sure are not on the focus plane? This makes confusion between the "softness" due to the out of focus area and the effective loss of sharpness at the corners! If you use those lenses at wide apertures you'd probably never shoot landscape photos but you'll have a main subject and a blurry background, and in this case the sharpness in the corners is not so important. For lower apertures you test makes more sense intstead
I bought this lens because of this video. tested the lens yesterday on my Canon 70D, and I was amazed how it shot outdoor. tested it out during low light at my friends party and boy! the lens was struggling focusing on my subject. the tone it produces is more on the warmer side compare to cooler image from the Canon 50mm f/1.8. For some weird reason the Canon 50mm f/1.8 images are way sharper that this lens. I tried to like this lens but the focusing is driving me nuts during low light. I will be returning this lens tomorrow. very disappointed. maybe my lens is defective?
L BS Hmm... that's interesting. I don't really shoot much video, and rarely use autofocus for it, so I can't say whether this is typical for the lens, or whether you just happened to be in a situation that your camera struggled with. It is very surprising to hear that the 50 1.8 is sharper... that just shouldn't be the case, so perhaps it is defective. It's also possible that it requires calibration. If you get a new one, I'd be interested to hear you results.
+Matthew Gore I'm not talking about using it as a video. I'm talking about image quality and focus. the focus was so inconsistent shooting indoor. it was pretty much a shoot or miss deal with me during my friends partay. I couldn't even upload it to show the the picture cause of the image quality is not even as good as the 50mm 1.8
L BS Got it. Just reread your post... not sure why I thought you were shooting video :) Anyway, it certainly sounds like there's something wrong with your lens; it should be significantly sharper than the 50 1.8, and I can at least say that I didn't have any trouble focusing with it in low light with the 5D III, though I didn't test it with an APS-C camera.
Matthew Gore I wouldn't be so sure. I am surprised as well, but my Canon 50mm 1.8 STM is incredibly sharp. So much so that it doesn't seem possible. At 2.8 the Canon 50mm is sharper than most L primes at F/3.2. I am not sure what they do to cause the 50mm to be pretty much perfect in a cheap case. I am testing via a full frame as well. It has become apparent to me that the L series zooms are worth it, but the L series primes do not seem worth it. Neither do the more expensive sigmas over the regular Canon USM primes. Except for durability of course. A good example of this, look at the 100mm F/2 USM, the 500 dollar one. Then look at the 100mm F/2.8. I've owned both. You can even compare the 135mm F/2L to the 100mm F/2. I would give the L series the win on the 135mm, but it's not by as much as I think people would assume. I am starting to realize that the L series is more about build quality, sometimes you get more sharpness, sometimes you don't. When you do, it's not as much as one would think. Canon somehow has done really well with their non L series USM primes. It's hard to justify the L series primes if one doesn't need weather sealing and build quality. The only L series lenses I would get at this point would be the 24-70 2.8 and the 135 F/2. I don't shoot longer than 135 so I can't comment on that. Any prime under 135 I would just get the Canon USM one.
I shot with both sigma and canon copies for weddings . I have to say that sigma 35mm does struggle focusing in low light. It has slight hesitation before locking in the focus. The canon version locks in subjects much better in low light settings
I just bought the sigma. I’m so excited!
Nice! Hard not to be excited about a new lens like this ART series
Does the lens suffer from BF/FF issues like the other Art series lenses? I was planning to get the 18-35 F1.8 or this lens, but the auto focus issue is holding me back from purchasing it, since I do street and low light photography. Could anyone advise me?
The best lens comparison ever .. you have done a great job .. respect from exclusive records
Thanks! I just bought a new turntable... I'm about to check out your channel :-)
Matthew Gore You welcome bro i am growing my channel now .. you also do videography ?
No, I've pretty much just been a photographer for over 20 years. I have been getting interested in video over the past few years, but I don't consider myself a pro yet.
Matthew Gore i got it well if in future i am looking for model photography i will contact you and i live in us dc I subscribed you and .. nice to meet you ..
Great to meet you too :-) I'm in Seattle, so it's a bit of a distance, but I'm always happy to travel for a good shoot. Best of luck with your channel!
Matthew, this is one of the best lens review videos I've seen in the three to four years that I've been pursuing photography. I bought the Sigma 35mm 1.4 "Art" lens a few months ago but just saw your video now. Well done, please keep up the good work and post more!
I bought the Sigma. It is my sharpest lens I own
Please keep doing these lens comparisons. they are truly great! I'd love to see one between the Nikon, Tamron and Canon 70mm-200mm 2.8 lenses.
A good review/comparison. Just remember the Canon was released in 1998, the Sigma in 2012, lens design has come a long way in 14yrs. Many are waiting for a Mark II update, hoping it is as dramatic of an update like the 24mm f1.4 Mark II was. The Sigma look stunning, visually and IQ wise, the price is fantastic!
This review was so helpful!!!! Thank you so much for your hard work and clear explanations of the differences between these lenses
Glad you found it helpful, Sara :-)
Thanks Matthew for doing these detailed reviews! I am in the market for the Sigma 24mm 1.4, can't wait to see your video about this lens. Greetings from the rooftop of the world (Nepal)
I've seen so many photographer comparing lenses. Nobody did what you do. Your way of comparing lenses side by side is the best ever in CZcams videos. I subscribed. Keep up the good work.
Great Job! You did a very good job at showing the comparison. I really appreciate it!
those skateboarding shots are razor sharp
When Canon gives you lemons....
Buy SIGMA! :-p
COPY THIS; Very rarely comment on reviews but that was probably the best lens review I have seen. Great content, clearly explained and high production values. Fantastic work. ;) ....
Fantastic review. Perhaps the best photography review/videos on CZcams. Thanks.
Thank you. That was a very nice review. You gave me insight on both lens!
This is how a review should be done!
I can write 5-6 comments with full 500 characters to express how much I appreciate your detailed and "no-one done that before " work.
(Because this comparisons of lenses means a lot to us who live in poor country where the borrowing lens for one day cost almost 1/10 of the price of the new)
But I'll gonna just say:
Tnx. FOREVER SUBSCRIBER.
I have the baby Sigma. My go-to lenses are the baby Sigma and a Zeiss 45mm 2.8 pancake, which is still head and shoulders above the Sigma in terms of richness whenever I can use it but the Sigma is amazing compared to the price point of the Canon right --- just make sure you have it dialed in perfectly because the focus can be a real mother. Don't know if I need to calibrate it or just be more careful.
I have the Canon R5. Canon is preventing Sigma to create RF lenses for my R5. Sigma is just equivalent to Canon lenses at a lower price. I have the Sigma 50mm Art lens. After using it for a while I pretty much put away my Canon 24-70mm F 2.8.
It's really unfortunate that Canon doesn't allow 3rd party RF lenses... it's going to stop a lot of young photographers from getting into the system. Some Sigma lenses are amazing... this 35mm is excellent.
Hi Matthew,
I have a question pertaining the colour.I test both lens myself with 5dmark 3 and I find the sigma has cooler colour while canon version is warmer and more vibrant.
However,I see your image comparison looks very similar.How you do it?
Hi Ronnie,
I don't find there to be any significant color differences. I shoot RAW, and when I set them to the same color temperature for comparison, they look virtually identical. More importantly, when I'm doing color critical work, I use a color checker ( goo.gl/GJkK52 ) and create a custom profile for each lens so that the colors always come out as accurate as possible, and I've never had a problem.
What a nice and detailed comparison!!! Thank you for making the video! It's really helpful!!!
omg!!!! It's the best comparison video out there on CZcams! Love it! It's so helpful and informative! please on continue to make more videos!
The AF Tracking not tracking fast enough when something is moving fast towards you is pretty normal.. to get around it, I do shorter bursts consecutively i.e. burst, let go for a split second, then burst again. It seems to work better. My camera is limited to 7fps, but I'm guessing a camera with 14fps shooting would do a bit better since it's not lagging. I also notice my camera lags more when I'm doing a really long burst (20+) and then the AF tracking degrades more... it also gets worse when my card is nearly full (I have a 64GB 95MB/s) as the card writes slower. So you can do things to help it.
Great review from a great photographer! Subscribed can't wait to see more! Do the 50mm art and 85mm 1.4 DG? If you have not already.
Come on maaan.. Where is that Canon Vs Tamron 70-200 review.. I am visiting your channel almost every 2 days, just in case I didn't miss it :D
Please this year :P
Best review I have ever seen of this Sigma lens
Shantanu Biswas Thanks!
Welcome
Heard about this lens and now you have convinced me that is the way to go...thanks
I was wondering if/when you'd continue making new videos. Love this new video. (Already have the 35mm f/2.0 IS, so I'm all set, but interesting comparison. Excited to see your follow-up video with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4)
Sounds like you may have already seen my recent Tamron 35mm vs Canon f/2 video, but the Tamron vs Sigma video is on the way. Probably will publish it on Monday, if not sooner.
Thank you for this simple but extensive video! Love the non biased review too
One of the best reviews I've seen in a long time
By far the best comparison video I've seen. The somewhat monotone voice helped vs most canon fan boys who yelled and screamed about a canon and then poopoos over other lenses. This was as objective in my mind as it got. That said, Canon fanboys will still buy the L lens, because it's not about the images to them, it's about the red ring... So... Those of you who buy a sigma, here's a tip, buy a sigma and put a red rubber band on your lens. There you go. Great job on the video, look forward to others.
this is exactly how a comparison of this kind should be done. great video.
Im confused on something .If I have a crop senson .Add 35mm will I esentaly have a 50mm focal length and how would depth of field compare between a APSC with a 35 1.4 and a Full frame with a 50mm 1.4 .
alot the f1.4 will become more around f2-2.5
Thanks for the informative review! Have you compare the Sigma to the latest Canon 35mm mark 2? Really curious about the result!
Super review! It would be great to see the same with the 24 1.4 L vs Art.
I honestly thing that you are being a little too harsh on the Canon. But i do agree that the Sigma is a better lens.
Best Comparison Video I have seen on the web very Pro Matthew, well done.
Thank you for sharing! This is the most comprehensive and practical review I've seen on sigma lens. Helped me a lot.
Matthew - I agree with all your points, Sigma have really shaken things up. Given the choice I would buy the Sigma, but considering how old the Canon's 35 is, it's not doing too badly (1998 vs 2012). I hope to see the Mk2 version soon and then hopefully you will do another comparison. Thanks
Your reviews are brilliant mate. Accurate, no BS, unbiased... can rely upon. very well done! It would be very helpful if you could get a chance to review the latest Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 G2.
Thanks! The new Tamron G2 is on my list... but I'm having trouble finding time to make these videos. Hopefully by this summer.
Love that old micro motor. Can always tell it’s focusing
So Sigma made a slightly better lens 15 years after Canon... WOW!
Amen)
Your video sure cleared many of my enquires.
I'm definitely going for Sigma...
Thank you
Excellent comparison. So many of these videos have irritations but this was balanced, methodical and free from gimmicks. Very useful.
IMHO great review in such LONG time! You have earned a subscriber there friend. Keep up the good work! Maybe review the canon and sigma 70-200 so?
Great review, it's pretty obvious which one is better. However, I've seen many sigma lenses compared to Canon (or Nikon) lenses, and what I found is that the Canon's (and Nikon's) Bokeh is more appealing to the eye, they have a sharp edged bokeh circles (or lemons if you like); the sigma tend to soften the bokeh. I haven't try a fast sigma lens yet, all I see is reviews on the internet, but I do have canon and I can tell how nice the bokeh they produce. Thanks for the review.
Excellent review...i would have loved to see low light performance for both. Thanks
Good review but you should compare distortion, it's the same story as vineting and chromatic aberration, you could correct it later but having less-distortion lens is what you want. In 5:26 you can see that building on the right is more tilted on sigma than on canon lens
It feels strange and exiting to watch reviews there Sigma beats much more expensive Canon and Nikon lenses. The whole Art series is extremely good and I'm very happy to see it soon on Sony FE cameras :P Great review btw :D
That sounds like a good combination for street photography; keep in mind that the 35mm lens on the 60D will have the field of view of a 55mm lens, which is popular for street work, but not so popular for landscapes. It should certainly be sharp enough, though.
Great review. Thanks. I'm curious about comparison with the Nikkor. I think the Sigma focuses in the contrary direction. The Nikkor seems to be highly regarded-and priced.
I really enjoy your reviews and nice photos. Thank you for your excellent work!
Just got my sigma yesterday and love it. Can't agree more with this review. The Canon is a solid lens but it's just too old to keep up with the sigma. And it's crazy overpriced simply because it's canon. Nothing new there :)
subscribed! Awesome review brother! I just came back home from a camera store with two awesome SIGMA Prime lenses. 35mm and 85mm and Im so freaking impressed with the design and ESPECIALLY the price!!! I saved my self $1800 MASSIVE SAVINGS.
Great pickups. I have the 35 & 50 1.4 art
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@Alejandro Armando Instablaster :)
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Good point. While that's true, though,... it doesn't stop the Canon from costing four or five hundred dollars more than the Sigma, and it remains Canon's only available "L" offering at that focal length. If they release a Mark II version of it (and they probably will before too long), I'm sure it will be a much better lens... but it will probably cost $1000 more than the Sigma, too (based on Canon's recent lens pricing).
This is a very professional review. Thank you for taking the time to do this
Matthew, what portrait lens is best for my canon t4i camera? I'm currently own a 50mm 1.4. I think I need a better one. Honestly, it doesn't have to be a canon brand as long as it works & fits. Thank you and I love your voice. Subscribed!!!!
Why no mention of massive auto focusing problems on sigmas side?
Of course, the answer there is that I didn't have any focusing problems. I understand that some people say they have them, but I can only assume that it's a problem that crops up with particular cameras with the lens, or with certain samples of the lens. I had no problems, so I can't report any.
Thank very much, It's looking more and more that as I upgrade I'm going to owning a lot of sigma lenses. My interest is more in wildlife but a good 35 for those perspective shots will be nice to have in the kit.
The Sigma 120-300 2.8 really interests me as well.
Also the Sigma 300-8005.6 is on my list.
And the more I look the more it seems the Sigma 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 as well.
Thank you. I bought the sigma and am very happy with it. I haven’t tried it with action shots yet though.
Excellent review here. Since your video came on the net, sigma have released a 20mm f1.4. I would love to see a lens comparision between canon and the sigma 20mm f1.4.
By the way, with all the distortion on these lens, surely the lens companies should take these problems into account when designed their products, am I correct?
If so, why the continuous imperfections with high-quality glass?
I am trying to get my head around why it is so expensive for good lens...then we see what you have explained...
Looking forward to your next av report.
Thank you, now I've decided to rent both lens (and then the 50mm Sigma and Canon) to put them through the test. Great video
Hi Mathew, great job on your high quality review about these canon and sigma 35mm 1.4 lens. I was hoping if you could make a review about these zoom lenses: Canom 70-200 2.8 IS ii, Tamron 70-200 2.8 OS and Sigma 70-200 2.8 VR. However, I found your reviews are bar none the best here on you tube, and I would appreciate if you can make a review about these zoom lenses. By the way, I've just decided to subscribed to your channel. Many thanks! and keep the great reviews coming!
Sounds like a great combination for portrait and landscapes, maybe some street photography; The 5D Mark II doesn't have the best autofocus system, so it may not be the best choice for shooting action.
I own the sigma i "DONT RECOMMEND" it to anyone. Half of there products have front focusing issues. Dont be cheap like i was spend the extra money get an L glass. Trust me!
How did you set up your focus for shooting sharp skateboard pictures ?
hello please help ive been trying to figure out if there both wide angled or not i cannot tell dureing video testing could somone please tell me if there both wide angle
Both lenses have the same angle of view, roughly.. Whether you consider it wide depends on the camera sensor you're using, and what you consider "wide", but most will consider 35mm wide on a full-frame sensor. On an APS-C sensor, they're more like a 50mm lens, which is not really wide... it's a mid-range or "normal" lens.
I bought and returned the Sigma 35 f/1.4. When it nailed focus it was spectacular. Unfortunately, that wasn't often enough. It would vacillate between severe front and rear focus even at f/5. Perhaps I got a bad copy. I would recommend that anyone who buys one put it through it's paces before you take it out on a paying job.
Very nice and helpful review! One of the best I've seen so far. Keep up the great work :)
Great review, both in depth and explanation, congrats!
The Canon is $1,478 USD with 1 year warranty. Sigma is $899, carries a 4 year warranty and is a better performing lens by a wide margin. This is a no-brainer unless you enjoy handing your money over to Canon knowing you're getting less.
I think the only benefit the Canon has is you know it'll work on your camera body as it's first party. Sigma and other 3rd parties reverse engineer everything so you can sometimes have problems getting them to work. It's very rare, but it happens. Other than that, avoid the Canon.
The interesting thing is what will Canon now do to compete with this thing? Same with the 50mm Art. It craps all over their L glass and both the Canon lenses are pretty ancient now.
I have problen with my sigma 35 it's not sharp at all when i and im usin canon 650d or t4i.
When i watch the ved its impressive but the real result with me is totally the opposite.
Can you plezez tell me what the solution??
Unfortunately, there are a lot of possibilities, and it's hard to say without seeing some of your images (but take a look at my article about blurry images, here: www.lightandmatter.org/2013/learn-photography/four-reasons-your-photos-are-blurry-and-how-to-avoid-them/)
It's also possible that there's a problem with the lens; it could have an element that's out of alignment or you may need to adjust the focus with Sigma's USB lens dock ( goo.gl/2TQNN3 ).
might need to have firmware updated and/or have the focusing tuned. there are 2 ways of doing this. either send the lens to sigma OR you can get the sigma lens USB dock (costs $60 USD), download sigma's lens tuning software and update/tune the lens yourself.
Thank you !!! One question. What about focusing in low light.. Like an event at night... How well can both lens focus, Which one can find the desired focus point. Now I mean this comment for any of your testing on an lens... since this is something I was wondering.
+photolafontaine A lot of that will depend on the camera and it's autofocus system. I didn't test it specifically with these two lenses, but I haven't had any special problems focusing with the Sigmas in lower light in general. Some of my other comparisons cover that in a little more detail, but it's something that I'm working on a method for testing in a controlled, objective way.