One of the core missions of Sigma is to help photographers in their desire to create vivid memories and express important messages – and we’re big fans of the Sigma Art lenses here at Contrastly.
The passion for photography also drives Sigma to come up with nothing but the best for their clients – world-class innovation, exceptional quality, and first-rate performance.
To keep up with their goals and missions, Sigma never stops until it finds ways to make artistic expression more convenient (and fun) for photographers. This is why they came up with the Art lens series.
What are Sigma Art Lenses?
When you talk about art, it’s impossible not to talk about details. The tiniest details of a painting or any work of art matter a lot if you want to completely and accurately tell your story. This is what Art lenses are for. They are lenses created for images that give the sharpest details a photographer can possibly aim for. They also have higher apertures – f/1.4 to f/2.8.
So, in a more specific photography term, Art lenses, even with the widest openings, exhibit exceptional focal plane sharpness. The Sigma Art series produces images with the most unique of colors – colors that are different from those of other lenses’, like Canon’s.
There are many other characteristics that make Sigma Art Lenses ideal for photographers who want to express themselves in the most artistic ways.
The Sigma Art line is intended to help photographers come up with the best photos. This is why these lenses offer the best optical performance. No matter what the subject is, you are guaranteed a work of art.
The outstanding features and biggest selling points
- Sharp details
- Excellent focus
- Top-notch construction
- Offers focal plane sharpness even at the widest aperture
- Compatible with Sigma USB lens docks for microfocus adjustments
- Are tested using an A1 device (to ensure genuine world-class quality of the product)
- More affordable than other premium lenses
In addition, like the Contemporary and Sports series, Art lenses can be swapped with a variety of supported lens mounts as they come with Mount Conversion Service, which is not offered by other autofocus lenses.
Sigma Art Lenses are basically fast-aperture lenses that produce unbelievably sharp images. They’re so sharp that it’s like you’re looking at the tiniest details up close, without any visual hindrances.
Sigma’s Art line is divided into the following categories:
- Wide-angle lenses
- Large-aperture lenses
- Macro lenses
- Ultra-wide angle lenses
- Fish-eye lenses
Sigma Art lenses are perfect for a long list of photography types and shots – including portrait, macro / close-up, landscape, still life, underwater, architecture, commercial, corporate, and studio photography.
The Best Sigma Art Lenses
Photographers who are in search of a good and efficient Art lens should take note of the following.
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Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art
If you want portrait photos with soft and creamy background, go for the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art [1]. This lens produce a really shallow depth of field – couple that with a fast aperture.
Sigma’s 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens is one of the best in the lineup. With its extremely wide aperture, the Sigma 50mm boasts of excellent performance, beautiful Bokeh, sharp images, and an SLD (special low dispersion) glass. This Sigma Art lens is ideal for pairing with any pro-level DSLR camera and is often used for events, wedding, portrait, and travel photography. The Sigma 50mm Art Lens is USB Dock compatible [2].
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Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Another Sigma Art lens you should consider using is the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art [3]. This ultra wide-angle prime lens with extra fast maximum aperture is perfect for those who focus on events, architectural and landscape photography, situational / environmental portrait, indoor or low light photography, and astrophotography.
The Sigma 20mm has an exceptional edge-to-edge performance, so you’re guaranteed to produce excellent image quality. Its fast aperture (f/1.4) also makes it ideal for low light or indoor photography. It’s sharp even wide open, which is unusual for an ultra-wide angle lens. You can read our comprehensive review of the Sigma 20mm Art lens here [4].
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Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art
The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art [5] lens is a dust and splash-proof high optical performance lens intended especially for high megapixel cameras. Its best features include an Optical Stabilizer function to help minimize camera shake and high-speed autofocus.
This versatile Art lens is a reliable high performance sharp zoom lens perfect for practically any event. It works well for weddings and other formal events. Other uses for this lens include sports photography, architecture photography, portrait photography, travel photography, fashion photography, and cityscape photography. It’s an “every day” lens.
The Sigma 24-70mm Art also produces beautiful, artistic Bokeh.
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Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Another Sigma Art lens that’s ideal for high megapixel cameras is the 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM [6]. Whether you are a beginner or a professional photographer, this is one of the best portrait photography lenses. Its compression quality is exceptional and results to a good focus with just the right amount of background blur.
The Sigma 85mm Art lens makes it easy for subjects to stand out, especially from a blurred background. Its shallow depth of field is responsible for this – and this is one of the reasons why it is perfect for portrait photography, whether indoors/in-studio or outdoors. According to DxOMark Image Labs [7], this lens is the sharpest in the world, surpassing even the more expensive Zeiss lenses.
Conclusion
For those who cannot purchase a Canon L series lens [8], the Sigma Art lenses are the best alternatives. These lenses produce sharper, more detailed, and uniquely-colored images than those of Canon’s. Even for first time fine art photographers, a Sigma Art lens [9] can be an excellent choice.