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My gear of the 12 months is the Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork lens: an enormous, heavy and superb ultra-wide prime lens with a quick aperture.
I do know, I do know. I did it once more. I picked one other quick, ultra-wide lens as my Gear of the Yr. At this level, you may name it a development.
For those who haven’t learn my Gear of the Yr articles over the previous few years, now might be the very best time to level out that this isn’t the primary ultra-wide lens I’ve chosen for this honor. That was the Sigma 14mm F1.8 Artwork. It’s not the second, both. That was the Laowa 15mm F2 Zero-D. In actual fact, it’s not even the third. That was the Sony 14mm F1.8 GM.
The aurora borealis makes an look over Canada’s northwest territories.
Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork| ISO 320 | 8 sec | F1.4Photo: Dale Baskin
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To be exact, the Sigma 14mm F1.4 is the fourth quick, ultra-wide lens I’ve chosen.
Not less than give me factors for consistency, OK?
I blame this on my ardour for taking pictures the evening sky, one thing I began doing a couple of decade in the past and might’t appear to cease doing. To be clear, all of the lenses I discussed above are excellent optics and I wouldn’t hesitate to make use of any of them, however the Sigma 14mm F1.4 is one thing altogether totally different.
Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork | ISO 6400 | 6 sec | F1.4Photo: Dale Baskin
Earlier than I discuss concerning the lens, let’s leap into the Wayback Machine and rewind to final February, after I had the chance to interview Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki. Discussing Sigma’s market technique, he informed me, “I feel folks’s demand for lenses is limitless. Shifting ahead, we’ll most likely launch extra distinctive or progressive lenses that don’t exist available in the market at present, and we’ll create demand for distinctive lenses sooner or later.”
The idea is that by offering distinctive merchandise to photographers, Sigma would assist create new markets for lenses that don’t at present exist.
Night time photographs do not need to level up on the sky. Though it’s kind of cumbersome, the Sigma 14mm F1.4 makes an ideal walk-around lens after darkish.
Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork | ISO 320 | 1/25 sec | F1.4Photo: Dale Baskin
My thoughts raced to simply such a product: the Sigma 14mm F1.8, a lens virtually designed for astrophotography. Earlier than that lens, photographers had entry to huge lenses, however not huge lenses with apertures that quick. Not solely did astrophotographers snap them up, however the mere existence of such a lens impressed folks with little or no expertise within the area, myself included, to purchase them to be taught astrophotography, and within the years following, many comparable merchandise have hit the market. That’s precisely what Mr. Yamaki meant by creating demand for distinctive lenses.
I secretly hoped that Sigma is perhaps engaged on an up to date, mirrorless model of the 14mm F1.8, although I definitely didn’t count on it. However then, in June, Sigma went and did precisely that. Besides it wasn’t simply an up to date lens however a good quicker F1.4 mannequin.
This star area is likely one of the first photos I captured to evaluate how the Sigma 14mm F1.4 would work for astrophotography. It is tough to inform from the downsized picture, however when you click on by way of to the full-resolution model, you will see all the celebrities.
Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork | ISO 3200 | 6 sec | F1.4Photo: Dale Baskin
The transfer from F1.8 to F1.4 could not sound important, however for evening sky images, each bit of sunshine gathering means issues, notably when photographing the aurora borealis, considered one of my favourite topics. These two-thirds of a cease imply I can use decrease ISOs for cleaner photos, or extra importantly, I can use quicker shutter speeds to retain extra of the construction of the aurora throughout a fast-moving substorm. It additionally makes it simpler to manually deal with pinpricks of sunshine.
In September, I took the lens on considered one of my common journeys to the subarctic to {photograph} the northern lights. Sadly, this wasn’t my 12 months; between wildfire smoke and overcast skies, I noticed much less aurora than I’d hoped, however what I did see was fairly spectacular. And when the lights got here out, the 14mm F1.4 was magic to make use of. In keeping with my earlier testing, it delivered sharp focus throughout your entire body and intensely well-controlled (although not good) comatic aberration.
The Sigma 14mm F1.4 can be nice for taking pictures landscapes.
Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork | ISO 125 | 1/400 sec | F2.8Photo: Dale Baskin
As with every product, nevertheless, the little issues usually make the distinction, and the 14mm F1.4 isn’t any exception. I actually respect the guide focus lock change. Stars don’t transfer (at the least not shortly sufficient for our functions), and as soon as I’ve a digital camera set as much as shoot evening skies, I do not need the main focus to maneuver. I’ve been burned by nudging deal with a lens earlier than, and my DIY answer is to put gaffer’s tape throughout the barrel to maintain the rings from turning. A {hardware} change is a extra elegant answer.
Equally, an Arca-Swiss suitable tripod mount for a lens that’s just about assured for use on a tripod and a design supposed to retain lens heaters for chilly nights are sensible touches (although I didn’t have to make use of the latter).
A curtain of lights rises over the taiga forest.
Sigma 14mm F1.4 Artwork | ISO 5000 | 5 sec | F1.4Photo: Dale Baskin
It might be straightforward to reward Sigma merely for introducing a 14mm F1.4 lens, however that may be promoting it quick. For my part, that is the very best lens I’ve used for wide-field astrophotography. It’s large and it’s heavy, however it delivers the products. I’m undecided how Sigma will up its sport sooner or later, however at this level, I would not be stunned to see it manufacture an honest-to-goodness black gap that attaches to a digital camera, guaranteeing that even starlight can’t escape the sensor.
In the end, I selected the Sigma 14mm F1.4 due to its spectacular efficiency. You would possibly even name it stellar. However secondarily, I picked it due to Sigma’s dedication to creating distinctive merchandise and difficult different producers to do the identical.
Subsequent 12 months, I promise I am going to attempt to decide one thing with extra telephoto attain, like a 20mm prime.
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