As usual I’ll have a look at the technical data of the new Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art first. I’ve rated the features with a [+] (or [++]), when it’s better than average or even state of the art, a [0] if it’s standard or just average, and [-] if there’s a disadvantage. For comparison I use the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM, the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III RXD, the Panasonic Lumix S PRO 24-70mm f2.8, and the Nikon Z 24-70mm f2.8 S. For short I simply use “Sigma”, “Sony”, “Tamron”, “Panasonic”, and “Nikon” in the comparisons below. We did note some field curvature for macro shooting, which leads to rather soft corners, but the 24–70mm F2.8 isn't an incredibly sharp lens when shooting close-up in the first place. Stopping down yields very good corner sharpness.

Sigma is more active than anyone else in this space, with not only an Art series 24-70mm f/2.8, but also a faster and shorter-range 24-35mm f/2 , so it’s interesting to compare the performance of these with others lenses sharing a Nikon mount, including the well-liked Nikon model and its equally-respected predecessor. We achieved the best results at mid-range, at 35 and 50mm, but it is a good performer at the wider end as well, albeit with some astigmatism. Like others in this group, there’s a noticeable drop in sharpness at 70mm. Above: Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III at 75mm; 100% crops from the FF-corner at f2.8 (left), f4.0 (middle), f5.6 (right) The vignetting and CAs are very low. The only real issue of the lens aside from it's weight is it's bokeh, it is just not nice! The speed and reliable autofocus is a positive, and the build quality is amazing, feels great to hold.

To give you an impression of how much field-curvature is at play here I re-shot the lens at 70mm f5.6 two times with optimal focus at 7mm and 19mm image-height: The Sigma Art series 24-70mm f/2.8 lens’s overall score of 31 on the Nikon D810 puts it 5 points behind the maker’s 24-35mm f/2, which is a noticeable margin. We expected the new lens to be closer. So why did it happen previously? I’m concluding that it’s an issue with the firmware on the cameras and also with the lenses. However, it’s not the first time that I’ve been approached by Leica owners about an issue like this. Friends of mine, who came to the Leica world, eventually returned their cameras when they found issues like this. If you think that only Leica cameras have problems like this, you’d be wrong. My beloved Fujifilm X Pro 3 has had to get factory resets to make it somewhat usable as a webcam — and even then, it tends to fail. It has also happened with my Canon EOS R. Eventually, I just gave up on trying to use these cameras for such applications. If you’re a true tech nerd, there’s a joke in here about deleting the System 32 file somewhere. If you just want your camera to work, then there’s hope and curiosity at the same time. Canon offers the stabilized RF 24-70mm f2.8 L IS USM (2400 EUR / 2300 USD) and the RF 28-70mm f2.0 L USM (3000 EUR/USD) which is unique in that it is the only full-frame 24-70mm zoom offering an f2.0 focal ratio. For that it is also much heavier than the rest at 1.4kg / 3.2lb.

Both Sigma models show similar levels of vignetting at either end of the zoom, with the Art series model measuring a fraction more (-0.1Ev) than the EX model. However, the Art has a slightly larger central core and a more pronounced gradation to the darkening in the corners. The Nikkor is slightly better at 24mm, but by contrast, it’s pretty heavy at 70mm. A budget-conscious alternative Sigma lenses are popular due to their ease of use, portability and the sharp results which they capture, with a variety of focal widths to choose from. These enable photographers to choose between wide aperture prime lenses for portraits, street and documentary, or versatile zooms which cover ultra wide, standard and telephoto focal widths. Thanks to excellent lens coatings, the Sigma 24–70 handles overall flare and loss of contrast quite well. Contrast is well maintained across the image and the lens largely avoids washed out areas of the image when shooting at bright sources of light. The distortion turns to mild pincushion distortion of varying degrees over the rest of the zoom range. The vignette improves as the lens is stopped down, though some remains even at smaller apertures. Logic would dictate that the much larger front element of the Sigma would give it an advantage over the smaller Tamron in terms of vignette, but that wasn’t actually the case in my comparisons.All four lenses show mild onion rings and some outlining which is most notable on the Tamron. Looking towards the corners shows that the new Sigma has pretty low compression of the Bokeh balls. It's hard to find much to complain about with the Sigma 24–70mm F2.8, but we did find one issue on the bokeh front. Unfortunately the Sigma can't compete with the G Master II when it comes to autofocus performance. Although the Sigma is no slouch in this regard, the Sony delivers faster and smoother focusing thanks to its four linear XD motors.

For L mount there’s only one alternative from Panasonic but in case Sigma manages in the future to adapt their new lens for Canon’s EOS R and Nikon’s Z system too I’ve included the native 24-70mm zoom lenses from both manufacturers. Most of these alternatives are from 2019: Aperture ring: No, just like the other lenses in this comparison, except for the Nikon which offers a multi-function control ring which can be assigned to operate the aperture or exposure compensation. [0] Essentially the Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL is the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art internally. You can read our review of the Sigma here. Externally, the Leica uses a metal body with rubberized rings. As you can see in the photos, it’s also weather-resistant. Leica goes out of its way to IP rate its lenses. To that end, you know that this is going to be very durable. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens exerts superiority in mirrorless camera-dedicated designs, resulting in a reduced lens size and weight while achieving uniformity and high resolution from the center to the periphery throughout the zoom range. Compatibility with the latest mirrorless camera bodies and functions assists in various photographic environments and meets the high demands of both professional and advanced amateur photographers. Key features include:The build quality and handling of Sigma’s new 24-70mm Art lens for mirrorless cameras is top-notch. It feels really robust without being overly heavy, and has refined handling in every area, from the smooth-action zoom and focus rings to the various buttons and switches. Autofocus is super-fast, deadly accurate and virtually silent.

A 24-70mm lens is expected to have distortion – barrel at the wide end that transitions to pincushion at the long end. As this new Sigma ART 24-70/2.8 is also being made for L-Mount, let's see the 1:1 comparsion with the Panasonic 24-70/2.8 S.... and i can't wait to see it into comparsion with the Nikon Z, Canon RF Mount Types into a Quad-Comparsion Test, wait....the Sony GM 24-70/2.8 FE also...all 5....but i've got the feeling, the "G-Master" comes here at the last place, optically out of the Review. Catching a strong light-source shining directly into the lens is always a risky business: it could produce strange colorful ghost-images or reduce contrast considerably through flare and glare. The appearance of flare and ghosting depends on factors like the aperture and the angle of the light hitting the lens. To judge the proclivity of the new Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art for these artifacts I went through a series of well calculated shots against a strong light source to provoke glare and ghosting. Metal body with weather sealing. This is probably the biggest thing. Leica has IP-rated their cameras, and if Leica rehoused this lens, we’re confident that the build quality will be that much higher. Above: Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III at 50mm, f2.8; 100% crop from center, APS-C-corner, FF-corner; large original available at f2.8, f4.0, f5.6, f8.0, f11

Sadly, Tamron doesn't play the HiEnd Game at the End of 2019...like Sigma, yet - the only exception 2019 is their great 35mm SP 1.4 Lens. Tamron should only do SP Series into the future. More profit for the company, better Lenses. The 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM is Sigma's latest version of this lens and this one comes in a mount for all of the just-mentioned cameras (except Tamron as they do not currently make cameras).