PlainJoe Photo Blog

Sigma 14mm F2.8…Farewell

January 8, 2013

The significance of this picture? Other than being of the hotel from “Pretty Woman”, it will most likely be the last image that I took with my trusty Sigma 14mm. In this post I will discuss a little about the lens, why I will no longer be using it and show some of my favorite images taken with it.

Sigma AF 14mm F2.8 EX HSM
When I first started photography several years ago I picked up a Nikon 24mm f2.8 for my wide angle. I soon found that I wanted something a little bit more wider. I considered the Nikon 20mm f2.8, but I felt that was too close to the 24mm. I soon started looking into what was the widest angle lens I could purchase for a full frame body.

The first option was the coveted Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 which was arguably one of the best ultra wide angle lens available of any brand. This was simply too expensive (retails for about $1,999). The second and third options was a Nikon 14mm f2.8 and a Sigma 14mm f2.8. Both lenses were discontinued at the time. The Nikon 14mm went for about $800 and the reviews were just average. The Sigma on the other hand was a little more common on the used market and went for about $500. I choose Sigma 14mm.

Over the years this lens has been a workhorse for me. It was one of my main lenses. I’ll quickly go thru some of the pros and cons of this lens.

Pros:
* Focus: This lens has one of the closest focusing points of all my lenses. As you can see from the toy shot below it will allow me to get as close as 2 inches from the subject.
* Size: Although a big lens, it’s a small compared to the Nikon 14-24mm.
* Rectilinear: It’s not a fisheye!
* Internal Motor so it can be used with lower end bodies without a focus motor.

Cons:
* Flares & Glares: Its almost impossible not to get flares from light sources that is in the area
* Filters: ND filters can be expensive and you would have to modify something to attach it. I never used one
* Metal Lens Cap. After the first year the metal lens cap wore so it never fit snug. It always fell off when pulling the camera out of my bag.

Why am I ditching the Sigma?
The simple answer…the Nikon 14-24mm. We got a good deal on a used one from a friend. Over the last year or so I have been doing more portfolio photos of our Environmental Design work here at the studio which justified the addition cost. It remains to be seen how much better the new lens will be. I will keep you posted.

Below are some of my favorite images taken with the Sigma in the last several years.

Li River