SIGMA AF 24mm F1.4 DG DN HSM | A - L MOUNT

What I want to talk about first is the overall build, which is superb.  Like its sibling, the 24mm f1.4 is made of aluminum and Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) materials, so it is a very solid lens that feels great in the hands.  There are no creaks, rattles or any signs of inferior workmanship here.  There’s also a brass bayonet mount, and the structure of the lens is dust and splash resistant.  Furthermore, to help protect the front element of the 24mm from harsh elements, for example, a water and oil repellent coating has been added to it.  Overall, the standards here are very high, and this lens is definitely made to handle professional use, which is what we have come to expect from the Sigma Art Series.

There are some great features that I would like to mention as well.  For one, there’s an aperture ring, which I love having, and it clicks in third stops. 

I was a Leica M shooter for many years before I switched over to the SL system, and while I have no regrets, I do miss having an aperture ring sometimes.

  My Leica SL lenses don’t have one, and it’s great to see one on the Sigma.  What’s worth mentioning is that the aperture ring is also de-clickable and lockable. 

Moreover, there’s a manual focus ring, which is smooth in operation.  A rear filter holder is also supplied with the lens, and it can fit sheet-type filter material for different effects.

  The front of the lens has a 72mm filter thread, and both filters can be used simultaneously, which is great for subjects like astrophotography.

  On top of all this, there’s an AFL button, and a new Manual Focus Lock (MFL) switch that disables the focus ring, so you can ensure focus never changes.

As for the overall design, it’s understated, which I love, and it matches closely with other f1.4 DG DN Art lenses giving them all a sense of unity in terms of form. 

For instance, the 24mm f1.4 isn’t littered with anything that isn’t essential.  Furthermore, the diameters of the aperture, and focus ring are aligned with those of the 35mm F1.4. 

 Lastly, features like the aperture ring click switch, aperture lock switch, and lens hood with lock button have been retained from the 35mm.

Speaking of lens hood, one is included with the 24mm f1.4.  It’s a petal-type lens hood with a locking mechanism, which helps it stay securely on the lens. 

There’s also a rubber grip area on the lens hood, so it can be easily attached or removed.  Lastly, it is reversible for easy storage.

Besides being fast, and efficient, I also found the autofocus to be very accurate.  This is even more important considering we’re talking about a lens that can produce a very thin depth of field with its f1.4 aperture.

  Like the 20mm, I took this lens to many different locations with all types of lighting.  Overall, I found the autofocus performance to be predictable and very dependable.

Lastly, this lens also has a minimum focus distance of 25cm (9.9 in.), so you can get pretty close to your subject.  Grant it, wide angles aren’t used much for macro type photography but if anything, this just adds to the versatility of the 24mm f1.4, and opens you up to more opportunities to be creative.  Plus, you can take full advantage of that f1.4 aperture by achieving an even thinner depth of field, since you can get closer to your subject.

For one, this lens is razor sharp.  Like the 20mm f1.4, this lens seems to just capture every little detail in a frame.  At wide open aperture, center sharpness is excellent with corners and edges not too far behind.  Sharpness is pretty uniform through the entire frame at f1.4 in other words.  As you stop down, sharpness improves just a bit but like the 20mm f1.4, the 24mm f1.4 can definitely be used throughout the aperture range to produce stellar images.  This is the type of lens where you’ll only need to adjust aperture to work with lighting or to change depth of field, not to improve image quality.