One photographers review of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens is considered a great lens by a lot of photographers that I know, and I really wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  I'm also looking for a new lens, and can't decide if I need the Sigma 35mm or an 85mm more first.  Both offer completely different perspectives and ranges, and would be used for two totally different scenarios.  For me, I'd use the 35mm for indoor shoots, births with that wide aperture, and lifestyle sessions.  Ultimately, its great for storytelling because you can get a wide enough shot capturing the whole scene, and with such a wide aperture, you are able to get small details in focus.  Right now, the lens I use 100% of the time on my Canon 6D is my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 - so the 85 and the 35 are the next two lenses that I'll add to my primes collection, but I'm still not sure which one first.

My overall review of the Sigma, I give it a 4.5 out of 5 Stars!  The focus was fast and sharp and the images are clear and crisp, it worked great in tight spaces and I loved the bokeh.  I was definitely sad to have to send it back.   As a visual person myself, I opted to post some of my favorite images {and imperfect images} to show the pros and cons of this lens, click below for more.  

Things that I loved about it:  The first model I got to play with was my daughter.  She usually takes some convincing to smile, but she was happy to take these {yay!} - I was able to stand above her, looking down, in front of the window and capture these great shots with beautiful catch light in her eyes.  These are only edited a teeny bit with the sliders, both are pretty much SOOC, the bottom images she is a little overexposed, but I took a step back and she was hit with more light from the window.  I expected to see more distortion shooting so close to my subject, but I didn't really notice it much in these photos.  There are some below where its more pronounced, but still not bad.  Sigma lenses are rated really well when it comes to distortion, and they don't have much.

I loved how sharp each image was, the lens really made my indoor photos pop.

I used the lens on a 3 month old, and I think it would be great for newborn photos as well.  She is sharp and in focus, with lots of bokeh to boot!  What a cutie, right?

Sometimes I feel like my indoor photos are a little blah, but these all turned out great.  Each image was super sharp, as long as I nailed my exposure, and I was impressed by how easy the lens was to use. I always find myself backing up with the 50mm, but every indoor shot was perfect with the 35mm.  I'm a little bit in love.

Things I didn't love.  I was actually not as impressed with the 35mm outside and ended up switching to my 50mm to get the majority of my outside shots.  But these above were taken with the 35mm.  I'd have to use it again, outside, to see if the results are similar, but the shots didn't seem as sharp to me and I struggled with getting the exposure correct in the snow.  I did not have this problem when I popped on my 50mm and started shooting.  The lens is also a lot heavier than my 50mm, but it feels sturdy and it only took a few minutes to get used to the weight.   However, I don't plan on using the 35mm for shots like these, {I would prefer a longer portrait lens, {like the 50mm or 85mm for these types of shots} so it doesn't really change my opinion of the Sigma and it worked great for the scenes that expected.

This is a very close up shot and you can see the distortion here.  Her forehead looks big and chin small.  But I think it adds to the cuteness of the shot, just taking a step back would have probably corrected this.

I had fun playing with a really wide aperture and great bokeh with the parents in the background, it was pretty sunny, but we were able to capture some fun shots on their deck anyway.

Overall, I was super happy with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 and I am definitely looking forward to adding this lens to my bag as soon as I am able to afford it.  Its definitely worth the price and I only anticipate the shots getting better with a little more practice.

If you are looking for a more extensive review of this lens, check out this one by photography life.

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