Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens - Sony E-Mount

It's a sharp, clean optic that is a joy to use. It feels nice in the hand, focuses well (on a a7R2) but consistently produces truly beautiful images. It has a nice that pizazz - a nice look about it's images.It gets a full 5 stars. Still it's not ergonomically perfect. 1. it's a tad chunky (not a big issue), 2. it zooms the non-Sony direction (that bugs me), and 3. like almost all its peers, it lacks an aperture dial (that is understandable, but that really reduces its functionality for me). Still it's an outstanding optic at a keen price. I'd strongly recommend it, but there is room for ergonomic improvement in an updated version,Hope this helps. Get out there and shoot.

Writing this review from the perspective of a filmmaker and longtime owner of the Sigma 35mm f1.4 - I absolutely LOVE this Sigma 24-70mm! Debated heavily whether or not to purchase this lens, but I wish I would've sooner. For years, I've only used primes. The majority of my lenses are f1.8 or 1.4, so I've become accustomed to having that extra low light performance... as well as having to do lens changes at the *most inconvenient* times and places. This lens in conjunction with the Sony A1 body made my job easier without compromising what matters most.For run and gun filmmaking, weddings, and gimbal work: the subject matter is too unpredictable not to have a zoom lens. And this lens is pretty dang close to being the perfect balance between prime and zoom. Yes, ... MoreWriting this review from the perspective of a filmmaker and longtime owner of the Sigma 35mm f1.4 - I absolutely LOVE this Sigma 24-70mm! Debated heavily whether or not to purchase this lens, but I wish I would've sooner. For years, I've only used primes. The majority of my lenses are f1.8 or 1.4, so I've become accustomed to having that extra low light performance... as well as having to do lens changes at the *most inconvenient* times and places. This lens in conjunction with the Sony A1 body made my job easier without compromising what matters most.For run and gun filmmaking, weddings, and gimbal work: the subject matter is too unpredictable not to have a zoom lens. And this lens is pretty dang close to being the perfect balance between prime and zoom. Yes, it's f2.8, but shooting Sony, I could shoot with it all day, and already have. At 24mm, it's wide enough for everything. The close focusing distance is outstanding, and the sharpness/bokeh is exactly what you would expect from an Art Series lens. At the same time, having the ability to shoot at 35mm, 50mm, or 70mm lens without changing lenses is such a life-saver. It's well-built, well-balanced, and solid in the hand. Other reviewers have mentioned dust appearing in their lens, which is due to the manufacturing process. It's supposed to surface within a few days of using the lens. Happy to report that my lens isn't suffering from this issue so far. The front glass element is immaculate!VIDEO SHOOTERS: The autofocus is DEAD SILENT and lightning fast!!! For comparison, my Sigma 35mm f1.4 is loud enough to hear ticking noises in the scratch audio. Having owned several G-Master lenses, it's not noticeably any different in terms of focusing accuracy or speed. I actually prefer pulling focus on this Sigma BETTER than pulling focus on my G-Masters.Really the only thing about this lens that I don't like is that at 24mm, straight lines have a small amount of barrel distortion. It only seems to be a problem when shooting photos. Haven't noticed it while shooting video. But keep in mind, this lens is giving you wide angle and telephoto at the same time. In order for the optic to have so much range, of course there's going to be a bit of distortion. This is really splitting hairs here, and the Sony/Tamron 24-70mm variants aren't immune either. In an ideal world, there would be a 10-1000mm F1.0 lens with no distortion. But until that day comes, get this lens instead!!!

Upfront - The rental process was flawless. I currently own the Sony 24-105 F4 lens. The Sony is excellent but struggles indoors or under low light conditions. Specifically at low light at the short end 24-35mm (indoor shots). I have been considering purchasing a faster lens and noted the good reviews the Sigma has received.After renting the Sigma, I agree with the positive reviews for this lens - quick focus, clean images, weight much better than sony 24-70 F2.8 GM (not to mention $). If I didn’t own the 24-105 I would probably purchase the sigma. Current plan is to rent a couple of fast wide angle lens and purchase one these. That will address my wide angle faster speed requirements without giving up the additional reach (70-105mm).