Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art Review - Review 2022

Photographers waited for a long time for Sigma to redesign its crumbling 24-70mm F2.8 IF EX DG HSM and bring it upwards to the standards of its modernistic Global Vision lens series. The 24-70mm F2.eight DG Os HSM Art ($one,299) is here, only unfortunately it falls short of other lenses in the Art series. It delivers performance that's ameliorate in some ways than the competing Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2, and in other ways falls brusk. If you don't demand pro-level functioning, both the Sigma and Tamron are worth a expect—you tin can choice the lens that all-time suits your needs. Simply if yous're a professional, you're amend off spending the money on a name brand 24-70mm f/2.8.

Pattern

Sigma'due south 24-70mm ($ane,055.83 at Amazon) is a squat zoom lens housed in a black barrel, a mix of metal (at the base of operations) and polycarbonate. It measures 4.ii past 3.v inches (Hd) at its shortest position, weighs ii.ii pounds, and supports 82mm forepart filters. It does extend when zooming, with the telescoping inner barrel boasting polycarbonate construction. A reversible lens hood, front end and rear caps, and a soft carrying case are included.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

Fit and finish are similar to the Tamron 24-70mm ($ane,099.00 at Amazon) , which is about the same size (4.4 by three.5 inches) and weight (2 pounds). Both lenses are protected from dust and splashes, and both feature a fluorine glaze on the front element. The coating, which is showing up on more and more than lenses, repels grease, grit, and wet, so information technology'south easier to keep the lens make clean, and to make clean it when it does get dirty.

Y'all tin can get the 24-70mm f/two.8 in Canon EF, Nikon F, or Sigma SA mounts. The Nikon version features electromagnetic aperture control, then its compatibility is restricted to newer SLR bodies, equally is Nikon'due south own pro-course zoom, the AF-South Nikkor 24-70mm f/two.8E ED VR. Nosotros received the Canon version for review.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

The zoom ring sits just behind the front element and is quite wide, and covered in textured rubber then it's comfy to grip and plow. It'due south marked at 24, 28, 35, 50, and 70mm. The manual focus ring is much narrower, and is positioned just behind the zoom ring. I institute information technology a bit troublesome to feel out and turn—I would have liked for it to be a little flake wider, or to accept a bit more separation from the zoom band.

There are two switches on the barrel, positioned on its left side, toward the lens mount. Ane turns the stabilization system on or off, the other changes the focus mode. Options are full-time autofocus (AF), total-fourth dimension manual focus (MF), and autofocus with manual override (MO). There aren't whatsoever options to alter the way the stabilization organization works—it's either on or off—so you'll want to remember to turn information technology off when panning with moving subjects. CIPA rates the IS organisation to be effective to four stops, not quite as good as the 5-stop organisation employed by the Tamron 24-70mm.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

The 24-70mm focuses to 15 inches, giving information technology an effective 1:four.3 magnification ratio when focused as close as possible and set to 70mm. That's non quite macro—nosotros generally consider 1:iii a cut-off for zoom lenses—merely you lot'll be able to go up close and personal with subjects. The Tamron alternative also focuses to 15 inches, but due to differences in design nets a slightly less large one:v maximum magnification ratio.

Epitome Quality

I tested the Sigma 24-70mm with the 50MP Canon EOS 5DS R. A standard sharpness chart, analyzed using Imatest, shows that the lens delivers acceptable, but non infrequent, performance at 24mm. At f/2.eight it records 2,799 lines on average, ameliorate than the 2,750 lines nosotros want to run into at a minimum—but but barely. The boilerplate score is actually good through about of the frame, hovering effectually 3,100 lines, merely blurry edges (ane,558 lines) bring information technology downward.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

At f/four border performance improves (two,450 lines), but there's a drop in central resolution, and then the average is still a downwardly-to-earth ii,852 lines. Real improvement is visible at f/five.6, with the average climbing to iii,147 lines, and edges that lag but backside the average in resolution. Results remain potent at f/viii (3,282 lines) and f/xi (iii,149 lines), before dropping at f/16 (2,760 lines) and f/22 (2,022 lines).

Related Story Run across How Nosotros Test Digital Cameras

I tested the Tamron 24-70mm on the same 5DS R body, so I'm able to make a direct comparing in resolution scores. The Tamron delivers better resolution at 24mm, 3,263 lines at f/ii.8, with strong functioning through much of the frame and edges that are better than the Sigma (2,302 lines). It also offers better summit resolution at 24mm; at f/5.six information technology shows iii,892 lines.

At 35mm f/two.8 the Sigma is better than at its widest bending, showing ii,969 lines on boilerplate, and edges that fall backside, showing just two,000 lines. Nosotros see an improvement at the periphery of the frame at f/iv (2,439 lines), but the average score still hovers around 3,000 lines. Image quality is amend at f/5.6 (3,157 lines average, ii,858 lines edges), and the lens delivers resolution that's almost fifty-fifty from center to edge at f/8, with an boilerplate 3,434-line score.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

Image quality holds up well at f/11 (3,286 lines), just drops off at f/16 (2,953 lines) and f/22 (2,258 lines). At 35mm the Tamron delivers sharper photos—iii,169 lines at f/2.8, with edges that match the Sigma. The Tamron's summit resolution at 35mm is at f/5.6, 3,940 lines, meliorate than what the Sigma does at its best.

It's at 50mm where the Sigma overtakes its rival in image quality. At 50mm f/ii.8 the Art lens notches 3,043 lines, with edges that are but a bit soft (2,352 lines). There'southward a slight improvement all around at f/4 (3,247 lines boilerplate, 2,616 lines edges) and f/5.half dozen (3,278 lines average, two,855 lines edges). At f/8, periphery almost matches the boilerplate score, iii,356 lines, and results are solid at f/11 (3,180 lines). Resolution drops at f/16 (2,834 lines) and f/22 (2,189 lines). Compare this with the Tamron, which shows 2,610 lines at f/ii.8, thanks in part to very blurry edges (1,003 lines). The Tamron is sharper at f/5.6 (3,666 lines) and f/8 (iii,789 lines).

At 70mm the Sigma continues to deliver solid, merely not exceptional, results. At f/2.8 the average is lower than what we've seen before, 2,635 lines, due to some softness as you movement away from the heart (2,442 lines) and approach the outer parts of the frame (one,812 lines). Simply it does better than the Tamron at 70mm f/2.8; it shows 2,333 lines on boilerplate, with its centre (2,839 lines) lagging behind that of the Sigma (3,191 lines). Of the two, the Sigma is a meliorate performer when zoomed all the way in and shot at f/2.8.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

As you lot stop downward the 24-70mm Art at its maximum zoom, paradigm quality gets better. At f/iv the average score jumps to 3,009 lines, better than the Tamron (2,863 lines). The Sigma plateaus at f/5.6 (iii,026 lines) and f/viii (ii,910 lines). It'due south non until you finish down to f/8 that the Tamron shows an advantage over the Sigma at 70mm—it scores 3,172 lines in that location, with edges that hitting effectually three,000 lines.

No matter what f-cease you use at 70mm with the Sigma lens, edge operation is weak. At its all-time it hovers around 2,100 lines. And, as with other focal lengths, in that location'southward a drop in the overall image quality at the smallest apertures—avoid shooting it at f/16 (ii,453 lines) and f/22 (2,035 lines).

You shouldn't look at edge performance every bit a huge differentiating factor, particularly at wider apertures where shallow depth of field will hibernate some flaws, assuming you lot're not framing your bailiwick at the edge of the frame. And nosotros don't just look at resolution when testing lenses.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

Distortion is as well a factor. The 24-70mm shows some at its extremes, near 2.9 percent barrel baloney at 24mm and 1.5 pincushion distortion at 70mm. But it's not a large outcome equally you apply the middle area of the zoom range. Results are in line with the Tamron 24-70mm, and, as with any lens, you lot tin remove modest distortion using software tools. Adobe Lightroom includes a profile for one-click distortion correction.

There'due south also a noticeable vignette when shooting the Sigma 24-70mm at wide apertures. (The Lightroom contour removes this as well.) There's about a four-terminate (-4EV) driblet in effulgence from center to corner at f/two.8 throughout the zoom range. It'southward cut to about -two.5EV at f/iv, and a more than reasonable -1.5EV at f/5.six. At narrower settings than that, information technology'southward not noticeable. If yous shoot with a Canon lens on a Catechism SLR or a Nikon lens on a Nikon SLR, you have the option of compensating for both the vignette and baloney when shooting JPGs automatically, but that's something you lot lose by opting for a third-party solution.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

Finally there'south chromatic aberration, often visible in the course of purple color fringing in high-contrast areas toward the periphery of the frame. We saw it in the Tamron 24-70mm, and we meet it here. It'due south most axiomatic at 24mm, at each tested f-end, but very shut examination shows that information technology's also a very slight issue at 35mm and at 70mm. Again, this is an issue that's easily handled by software—Lightroom clears it upward with a unproblematic checkbox when processing photos—but it's something y'all have to call up about when going through images.

Conclusions

The Sigma 24-70mm F2.eight DG Os HSM Art is, like the competing model from Tamron, an attempt to deliver a broad aperture standard zoom for full-frame SLRs at a reasonable cost and with image stabilization. That'south beyond ambitious. The Sigma have on the lens isn't as sharp as the Tamron at wider angles, but does deliver images that are acceptably crisp throughout its zoom range, even on a loftier-resolution camera. The Tamron delivers soft results when shot wide open up at 70mm, which is a bit limiting, peculiarly for portraiture.

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art : Sample Image

If you're a hobbyist lensman and don't mind spending some time in Lightroom or similar software to remove some imperfections in images—chromatic aberration, vignetting, and distortion—the Sigma 24-70mm is an affordable alternative to lenses like the Nikkor 24-70mm f/ii.8E ($i,896.95 at Amazon) and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L 2 USM ($one,599.00 at Amazon) . Just pros should stick with the pricier, first-party options. They'll pay for themselves with time.

Photographers shopping in this toll range volition demand to weigh the benefits of the Sigma versus the Tamron 24-70mm G2, which sells for almost $100 less. If you similar to shoot at f/two.8 and want decent results over the entirety of the range, I'd lean toward the Sigma. But if you lot find yourself using the broad end of the zoom range more ofttimes, the Tamron's stronger resolution is highly-seasoned. We've given both lenses the same rating, as they make quite a few compromises to deliver a direct f/2.8 aperture and paradigm stabilization for significantly less than $2,000.