Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art - Nikon Lens

I couldn't be happier with the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art DC HSM zoom lens on my Nikon camera. The wide aperture of f/1.8 allows me to achieve beautiful background blur and excellent low-light performance. The image quality is superb, with sharp details and vibrant colors. Autofocus is fast and accurate, and the lens feels sturdy and well-constructed. While it is a bit larger and heavier than some lenses, the outstanding image quality makes it worth it. The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art lens has quickly become my favorite for capturing stunning portraits and capturing action shots.

A very good companion for the C300MKIII

I recently purchased the C300MKIII and was trying to decide on a fast lens for the camera that performed well with autofocus. I read through lots of reviews and since I just spent a large amount of money on the cinema camera, batteries, media, etc. my budget was a bit tight. I am a one-man-band as of right now for most of my productions and my youtube channel so I wanted something that had a fast aperture 1.8 and was also fairly wide on the slightly larger than super 35 sensor. This seemed to fit the bill. What I really like about the lens is the balance with the C300 as well as the creamy bokeh. It is a little soft in the corners wide open but fine for what I am doing. I was concerned with the focusing noise and if it was going to be an issue. I compared it to the ... MoreI recently purchased the C300MKIII and was trying to decide on a fast lens for the camera that performed well with autofocus. I read through lots of reviews and since I just spent a large amount of money on the cinema camera, batteries, media, etc. my budget was a bit tight. I am a one-man-band as of right now for most of my productions and my youtube channel so I wanted something that had a fast aperture 1.8 and was also fairly wide on the slightly larger than super 35 sensor. This seemed to fit the bill. What I really like about the lens is the balance with the C300 as well as the creamy bokeh. It is a little soft in the corners wide open but fine for what I am doing. I was concerned with the focusing noise and if it was going to be an issue. I compared it to the 24-70L V2 F 2.8 from Canon and honestly, they both sounded equally as noisy when using autofocus. The Sigma might be a touch noisier. I generally record audio off of an indoor boom mic so it hasn't been an issue but if you mount a shotgun mic to the camera it may or may not be an issue for your uses. One thing to keep in mind is you do not get all the Canon autofocus controls with the Sigma lens as if you were using an EF lens and this is something that is making me wish I would have got the 16-35L f2.8 V3 however that is significantly more expensive (over double the price) and only f2.8 so for the price again there are some features you have to be willing to give up. So far with my limited time with the lens, I still would recommend it and give it a solid 4 stars! Also, BHphoto shipping was super fast and the included firmware update device and filter were a nice touch, thanks BHphoto!

Fantastic lens. Amazing value.

Bought this lens for a trip to shoot water falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Amazing image quality and versatility. For the price, you're getting an extremely solid lens with beautiful quality, fast focusing, sharp and easy to read values. It's weight is much lighter than I was expecting; much lighter than my prime cinema lenses of similar size (which is good if you are already lugging a big camera around on hiking trails and climbing a million steps). Highly recommended. Sigma knows how to build a lens!

Great Image, Lackluster Focus Ring

I bought this lens to use with my Canon C70. The image is great - sharp, 1.8 aperture, not too much distortion, and an ideal focal length (for me) for a Super35 sensor. The autofocus seems to be okay, not the best; unfortunately it's pretty loud. The internal zoom isn't a huge draw for me but it's a nice feature. Although, there are times when I wish the lens was a little shorter at the 18mm focal length, but that's just one of the small cons to having internal zoom.The biggest con for me (and why I'm returning it) is because I do a lot of manual focusing and the focus ring on this lens is so stiff. Granted, this is not what this lens was made for, but it's weird because I've owned the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 and didn't have any issues with it. I found it really hard ... MoreI bought this lens to use with my Canon C70. The image is great - sharp, 1.8 aperture, not too much distortion, and an ideal focal length (for me) for a Super35 sensor. The autofocus seems to be okay, not the best; unfortunately it's pretty loud. The internal zoom isn't a huge draw for me but it's a nice feature. Although, there are times when I wish the lens was a little shorter at the 18mm focal length, but that's just one of the small cons to having internal zoom.The biggest con for me (and why I'm returning it) is because I do a lot of manual focusing and the focus ring on this lens is so stiff. Granted, this is not what this lens was made for, but it's weird because I've owned the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 and didn't have any issues with it. I found it really hard to reliably pull focus because you have to really twist the ring with force. But the other issue is that if I switch it to autofocus, it's very loud and not reliable enough. This might just be Canon's autofocus or my settings, but I generally prefer manual focus anyways - and again, I never had an issue with that on the 24-70mm.This lens is great for the image you get, and most likely a fantastic lens for photography, but I can't recommend this lens for video if you do a lot of manual focusing.

How is this so cheap?

For the quality of image this lens can produce, alongside its construction, I have no idea how this lens is so affordable. I just started using it with my GH5 and Metabones XL combination, and it works wonders! Never thought I'd see an image with so much depth of field and clarity on the GH5! I know people are hesitant about using the XL with this lens, given that it is an APS-C lens, and so there is bound to be some vignetting. However, even when I was running handheld, the vignetting disappears past the 20-22mm mark! I think that's an incredibly worthwhile trade-off, since I can now also make the maximum usage out of other full-frame lenses!All around, great lens, worth every cent; if you don't already have it, I'd say get it!

Lens performs above price point

It is a fantastic lens. Perhaps better for video than photo but it can do both. A great travel lens as long as you have favorable weather since it isn’t weather sealed. The only lens of its kind really. Basically three primes in one lens. By far the best time to buy this lens since it finally under is under 700 USD. Super heavy lens but I’m ok with it. As I get older I’ll probably just retire it for just video because photo might be harder without a tripod. The three axis internal stabilization is ok at best. iPhone is probably a little better for comparison, but gymbals are so cheap right now that the investment would be worth it. Getting external monitor also a plus for 4K external recording. Best to pair with a camera with high iso capability and high dynamic ... MoreIt is a fantastic lens. Perhaps better for video than photo but it can do both. A great travel lens as long as you have favorable weather since it isn’t weather sealed. The only lens of its kind really. Basically three primes in one lens. By far the best time to buy this lens since it finally under is under 700 USD. Super heavy lens but I’m ok with it. As I get older I’ll probably just retire it for just video because photo might be harder without a tripod. The three axis internal stabilization is ok at best. iPhone is probably a little better for comparison, but gymbals are so cheap right now that the investment would be worth it. Getting external monitor also a plus for 4K external recording. Best to pair with a camera with high iso capability and high dynamic range for great lowlight performance. Paired with a 24-70 and maybe an 85 or 50, you pretty much cover 28-130mm in 3 lenses. A decent kit and pretty affordable options now for refurbished or older lenses. Autofocus is always tricky around 1.8 but 1.8 seems a bit wide anyways and blurs out edges of subjects at times more pleasant apertures are around 2.5-11 for pictures and for video 1.8 can be great especially for lowlight. A great lens, feels great, looks professional, and performs above its price point. Really nothing but love for this lens. Sigma has gotten better and in some instances outperforms competitors with overall value which in an expensive field like photography and video can be an important thing.

No for videographers, weighty, incompatible follow focus dev

I used the lens in a BMPpro 6k. It is a weighty lens for its low zoom range. The use of the lens in a Gimbal makes it too heavy with all the set (DJI RS 2 Gimbal). You can move through the gimbal the focus, but if you buy the follow focus(DJI Ronin 3D Focus System) you won't be able to use it, it does not work.The main disadvantage of this lens is you can not use it with follow focus devices. The focus ring does not have a final stop. When the focus reaches the limits, the ring can move and move. This makes it impossible to use it with devices like (Tilta Tiltaing FF-T06 Mini Follow Focus) and be accurate.The use of the rings for focus and zoom are heavy, so you must put more pressure to move them, causing camera movements.If you plan to use autoexposure on ... MoreI used the lens in a BMPpro 6k. It is a weighty lens for its low zoom range. The use of the lens in a Gimbal makes it too heavy with all the set (DJI RS 2 Gimbal). You can move through the gimbal the focus, but if you buy the follow focus(DJI Ronin 3D Focus System) you won't be able to use it, it does not work.The main disadvantage of this lens is you can not use it with follow focus devices. The focus ring does not have a final stop. When the focus reaches the limits, the ring can move and move. This makes it impossible to use it with devices like (Tilta Tiltaing FF-T06 Mini Follow Focus) and be accurate.The use of the rings for focus and zoom are heavy, so you must put more pressure to move them, causing camera movements.If you plan to use autoexposure on the f stops, it becomes a noisy lens; you can hear the ring moving in the recordings.The quality image is ok, but I dont find it superior to any other standard lens.

Ok lens

The lens is ok. I really enjoy the aperture of 1.8, the quality amd design of the body is fantastic and Sigma put a lot of thought into the lens. However, for the price paid, I'd expect the sharpness to be significantly better. I actually get more sharpness out of my 18-55mm kit lens (about $250) than I do this lens. The auto-focus motors are quite, however, they are still on the slightly slow end (for me). I find that I'm faster in manual focus mode than the lens is. Overall, the lens is a quality piece of glass ,you will take fantastic photos with it, and it will remain in my collection for years to come. Just be aware of the issues with its image sharpness.

Stellar performer

After using the Sigma 18-35mm on the Sigma SD Quattro for a year I can say that it is outstanding. In hand it feels like a quality product, robust, weighty with smooth focusing, beautifully machined and well balanced. At 35mm wide open at f/1.8, it performs extreme well with sharpness into the far corners of the frame. By f/2.8 aperture image quality is impeccable. Excellent rendition and sharpness. Shooting at 18mm wide open at f/1.8 it is very sharp in the center with just a hint of softness in the extreme corners. By f/2 it is extremely sharp across the entire frame and corners. This is an amazing lens with superb color rendition and excellent micro-contrast. My only peeve is the position of the "AF to M" switch on the side, which is a bit stiff in changing from ... MoreAfter using the Sigma 18-35mm on the Sigma SD Quattro for a year I can say that it is outstanding. In hand it feels like a quality product, robust, weighty with smooth focusing, beautifully machined and well balanced. At 35mm wide open at f/1.8, it performs extreme well with sharpness into the far corners of the frame. By f/2.8 aperture image quality is impeccable. Excellent rendition and sharpness. Shooting at 18mm wide open at f/1.8 it is very sharp in the center with just a hint of softness in the extreme corners. By f/2 it is extremely sharp across the entire frame and corners. This is an amazing lens with superb color rendition and excellent micro-contrast. My only peeve is the position of the "AF to M" switch on the side, which is a bit stiff in changing from one position to the other. A great investment that should hold up well with an SA to L mount adapter. I don't hesitate to recommend this lens.

Worth the hype - somewhat noisy AF

This lens is pretty incredible - especially for the price.It is somehow still tack sharp wide open at 1.8.Of course, for a zoom lens, the range is incredibly limited but it is effectively a combo of about 6-7 primes (say, 18mm, 21mm, 24mm, 27mm, 30mm, 32mm, and 35mm) all in one.Given that it's only for crop sensor, it would be nice to extend the wider end even by 1 mm (every mm counts), but given how amazing the image quality is, I can't complain. I'll just say if you're trying to throw together a lens kit I would advise getting something wider also (say a 14mm prime or a Tokina 11-16 or even the Canon 10-18 STM).In terms of autofocus, to be honest, I don't use it very often, but I remember during video the ticking autofocus motor was annoying and interfered ... MoreThis lens is pretty incredible - especially for the price.It is somehow still tack sharp wide open at 1.8.Of course, for a zoom lens, the range is incredibly limited but it is effectively a combo of about 6-7 primes (say, 18mm, 21mm, 24mm, 27mm, 30mm, 32mm, and 35mm) all in one.Given that it's only for crop sensor, it would be nice to extend the wider end even by 1 mm (every mm counts), but given how amazing the image quality is, I can't complain. I'll just say if you're trying to throw together a lens kit I would advise getting something wider also (say a 14mm prime or a Tokina 11-16 or even the Canon 10-18 STM).In terms of autofocus, to be honest, I don't use it very often, but I remember during video the ticking autofocus motor was annoying and interfered with the camera-mounted shotgun mic.Of course, there's vignetting (notably at its widest) and color fringing but that's par for the course with any lens. Lightroom does away with that anyway so it's never a problem for me personally.Highly highly recommended, this is one case where a product is actually worth the hype!