Hire Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM A (Canon)

Our thoughts

'This lens from Sigma is a first-class example that can be used for a wide variety of genres and its stunning optical quality won’t leave those who shoot weddings, portraits or documentary images disappointed. It’s incredibly sharp in the centre between f/2 and f/11. Full-time manual focus override is great to have for fine-tuning focus and is aided by a delightfully smooth manual focus ring. Regrettably it’s not weather sealed, but this is a minor criticism on what is otherwise a sublime prime that produces striking results.'  

The details

A large-aperture wide-angle F1.4 lens with truly impressive image quality. A true flagship of artistic expression.

Sigma has always leveraged some of the most advanced optical technologies to offer photographers the highest level of lens performance. This wide-angle F1.4 lens delivers the highest level of brightness and beautiful bokeh effects. It offers the unique characteristics that only a large-aperture lens can offer: shallow depth of field along with superior low-light and hand-held performance.

The full realisation of the Art product concept for you to hold in your own hands and appreciate with your own eyes.

Designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance and tremendous expressive power, Sigma's Art line of lenses delivers top-level image quality. With impressive expressive performance, these lenses reach the high standards demanded by photographers with an artistic, creative inclination. Along with landscapes, portraits, still-life, close-up and casual snaps, they're perfect for the kind of photography that unleashes the inner artist. Whilst ideal for studio photography, they also offer just as much expressive scope when capturing architecture, starry skies, underwater shots and many other scenes. The full realisation of the Art concept, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM is the perfect flagship.

Several types of optical aberration can affect the image quality of a lens. Chromatic aberration is among the most important, and minimising it is essential. There are two types of chromatic aberration: transverse, which can be corrected with digital post-processing; and axial, which is difficult to minimise after a shot is taken. In the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM is FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass, which is equivalent to fluorite in its characteristics, and SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass help optimise the power distribution of the lens. This optimisation minimises axial chromatic aberration by causing the different wavelengths of light to strike the same focus position, while also minimising transverse chromatic aberration. In addition, aspheric lenses help minimise astigmatism and field curvature. Thanks to these features, resolution is extremely high from the center to the edges of the photograph.

Exclusive low-dispersion glass

The degree to which light is refracted by glass depends on the light's wavelength. This fact causes different colours of light to focus at slightly different points. The result is chromatic aberration, the color fringing that is particularly noticeable in telephoto lenses. Most chromatic aberration can be removed by combining a high-refractivity convex lens element with a low-refractivity concave element. Yet residual chromatic aberration known as “secondary spectrum” may still remain. To minimize this secondary spectrum, which can be a serious issue with conventional lenses, Sigma lenses feature up to three types of exclusive low-dispersion glass offering superior performance: ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion), SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and FLD (“F” Low Dispersion). In particular, FLD glass offers ultra-low dispersion in combination with high transmittance and the anomalous dispersion characteristics of fluorite. Meticulous deployment of these types of exclusive low-dispersion glass and optimisation of power distribution gives Sigma lenses superlative image rendition undiminished by residual chromatic aberration.