Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art Review

Sigma's 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art (799) mirrors the well-respected 24mm F1.4 DG HM Art SLR system. The lens is compatible with both L-Mount Alliance cameras and Sony cameras. It has a lightweight design and weather protection. It is also significantly cheaper than the top-end FE 24-mm F1.4 GM (1,399) in price. This Art entry may be your best option if you want to achieve the F1.4 look. Although it earns Editors Choice, the bag isn’t a favorite of the Sigma 24mm F2 DG DN Contemporary (639) which still offers a great option for those who want to pack light.

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An Standard Lens For Wide Angle Photography

Back in manual focus days, starter cameras included a 50mm lens. This was considered to be the most common angle. Today, nearly every ILC kit lens comes with a zoom. A 24-70mm focal length or 24105mm are the best for full-frame systems. Many creators appreciate those wide zooms, as the focal length of most smartphone's main camera is around 24mm.

It is not surprising that there are so many primes in 24mm sizes on the marketplace. The Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art stands out from the rest of sub-$1,000 primes due to its complicated optical formula and weather-sealed construction. This lens is more sensitive to light than the Sigma 24mm F3.5 Contemporary (549.99), and 24mm F2 Contemporary (2749.99).

The 24mm F1.4 Art can be used with L-Mount Alliance camera systems from Leica and Panasonic as well as Sony's Emount mirrorless system. The latter was sent to us for our review. The lens measures approximately 3.8x3.0 inches (HD), is about 1.1 pounds and can support 72mm front filters. This lens is easier to transport than the 24mm HSM Art SLR Lens (3.6x3.3inches, 1.5 lbs) and smaller than Sony's FE24mm F1.4 GM (3.6x3.0inches, 15.7 ounces).

Dust, splash, and anti-smudge fluorine protections are all here, so you can freely use the 24mm F1.4 Art in inclement weather along with a protected camera. The weather protection is on par with Sony FE lenses, including the 24mm F1.4 GM and budget-friendly FE 24mm F2.8 G. The weather protection is also a step above that of Sigma's two 24mm Contemporary primes. The box includes a reversible lens hood; front and rear caps; and a soft zippered carrying case.

Only a handful of primes for autofocusing 24mm are available to L-mount photographers. Sigma's 24mm Art F1.4 joins both the 24mm F3.5 and Sigma 24mmF2 Contemporary primes. Panasonic also offers the Lumix S 24-mm F1.8 (899). Leica doesn't make a 24-mm, but they do offer an APO-Summicron28mm F2 ASPH for $5,195.

Sony system owners have the option to use all of the above Sigma and Sony lenses. There are also true value options such as the Tamron 24-mm F2.8 1:2M (249) or Rokinon 24-mm F2.8 Auto ($399). They often go for less than the original price. At press time they were selling for $200 each.

Related Reading: Tamron 70-180mm F2.8 Di III VXD Review

Handling and autofocus

For testing, we paired the 24-mm Art with the full frame Sony a7R III. The lens balances well—it's not overly large or front-heavy like more exotic options such as the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art. The 24mm Art form is better for handheld and everyday use and for photo walks. While the larger 20mm Art can be used for night photography and architecture, the smaller version of the lens works well for more advanced tasks.

Sigma adds a number of additional controls to the camera's body by placing them on the barrel. The manual focus can be adjusted using the separate rings. A customizable function button is also available that defaults on all cameras to AF-ON. The toggles include a Lock button that disengages the focus ring and function button when it is engaged. This switch can be useful for astrophotographers looking to focus only on stars. A toggle switch allows you to switch between autofocus and manual focus modes.

The on-lens aperture control makes it easy to take photos or video. You can adjust the f-stop setting to suit your needs. To de-click the rings for quiet, video-friendly operation, all you need is a toggle switch. For those who want to adjust aperture using the camera's body, there is another option: the lens ring features an A position that allows you to control aperture to your camera, as well as a lock to prevent accidental swaps between the on-lens control and camera-body control.

The lens is controlled by an STM motor that controls the focus. It does this quietly but with a high speed. It locks and drives the lens across its focus range. The exposure takes just 0.01 seconds. Sony cameras have a nonlinear manual focus response, which is a disadvantage for cinegraphers who need to repeatedly focus from take to take. On L-mount systems bodies, it is possible to choose between linear or nonlinear focus response.

Focus breathing can be visible. The lens displays a wider angle when it is focused at closer distances than at far ones. Photographers need not worry about this effect but it is is a concern for video clips in which focus shifts from one subject to another—viewers tend to notice the change in angle. However, we have not tested any comparable prime 24mm that avoids this effect. Only a few Sony cameras have an option in camera to adjust for breathing using select lenses, including the 24-mm F1.4 GM. However, this is not available for third-party lens.

Close-up focus can be achieved to 9.9 inches. This is enough for 1:17 life-size reproductions. These results may disappoint if you are looking for wide primes for macro shots. This is also true for wide aperture 24-mm lenses. For 1:5.9 macros, the Sony FE24mm F1.4 GM is a bit closer. The Sigma 24-mm F2 Contemporary measures 9.7 inches and offers 1:6.7 reproductions. The Sigma 24mmF3.5 and Tamron 24-mm F2.8 focus closer for 1:1 magnification, which is great for photographers who like to lean in.

Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art in the Lab

To evaluate the resolution of the 24-mm F1.4 DG DN Art and the 60MP Sony a7R III, we used Imatest (Opens in a new tab) software. The lens is a great performer wide open (4,450 lines), and it achieves exceptional results in the middle of the frame (5,000 lines). It has some field curvature so the lens doesn't perform well in labs at the edges. However, real-world images demonstrate sharp performances across the entire frame.

Sigma bills the 24mm F1.4 Art as a lens for astrophotography and, although I'm by no means a good night sky photographer, I tried the lens for that purpose. The lens is sharp across the frame at f/1.4, a benefit for disciplines that call for wide-open use. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the promise of suppressing sagittal coma flare(Opens in new window—brighter stars toward the edges of the frame show as crosses with some false purple color, not perfect pinpoints.

We recommend the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art to astrophotographers. The Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art captures more detail, reduces the coma, and has a focus lock function for night sky photography. Sony owners might also be interested in the FE14mm F1.8 GM, an additional astro-tuned lens that offers a wider view.

Optics are well-corrected for distortion. There's just a hint of the barrel effect on Raw files, though dim corners in photos at f/1.4 are more of a nuisance. In-camera corrections do away with both for JPGs and photographers who prefer Raw images can take advantage of a lens correction profile. Sigma provided a Lightroom profile for us to try during testing, which proved effective.

At wider f-stops, the 24mm Art lives up to its moniker and blurs backgrounds for a soft, defocused look. The bokeh quality is pleasing; the optics draw highlights with smooth, soft edges, for generally soft backgrounds. We did note a bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCa) in some focus transitions, however. It pops up as false purple and green color just off the plane of focus. LoCa is not an issue in every photo, but it can be tricky to remove when it does appear. Lateral chromatic aberration is completely absent.

The sunstar look is a popular choice for landscape photographers. At f/16, the 24mm F1.4 Art creates its most spectacular starbursts. The starbursts are impressively detailed thanks to the eleven-blade aperture. However, flare control wasn't an issue when taking into-the sun shots.

High-Quality Optics for a Reasonable Cost

Sigma's Art lenses are a combination of premium optics and high-quality build materials. They often come at a lower price than other first-party alternatives. The 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art carries on the tradition—for around $800, the lens keeps up with expensive alternatives like the $1,400 Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM in most respects. The pros and wealthy enthusiasts might prefer the FE24mm due to its linear video focus response and compatibility with Sony’s breathing compensation function.

We don't see any problems with the 24-mm F1.4 DG DN art for general usage. The 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art is easy to use, focus locks fast, images look sharp and blurred backgrounds can be achieved. You can use your lens indoors and outdoors, with anti-smudge fluorine protection and splash.

We're disappointed the lens doesn't quite live up to its promise as an astrophotography specialist, however. Although stars were pinpoint through much of the frame, we did see the sagittal coma flare effect toward the edges. If you're buying a lens strictly for astrophotography, the Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a better choice.

The Sigma 24mm F1.4 Art, of course, is only one excellent option. We were impressed by the company's 24-mm F3.5 DG DN Contemporary because it is small and has 1:2 macro focusing. The 24mm F2 DG DN Contemporary was awarded our Editors Choice Award as a great value option that has a large f-stop a few months later.

Although I am not a fan of giving every participant a trophy as a reviewer (sorry Sigma), the 24mm F1.4 DG DN art deserves my Editor's Choice Award. This Sigma 24-mm is for you if the FE24mm F1.4 GM price tag doesn't appeal to your budget and you work in adverse weather conditions. The 24mm F3.5, 24mm F2 Contemporary lenses are still recommended. These lenses are still great, but they now face stiff competition.