Sigma Art 18-35 f1.8 DC HSM

**mike.hiran** · 07-14-2014, 10:54 PM

Well since no one else has started a thread specific to this lens, I'll start... but if you have this lens, please feel free to post photos here so others can see what it can do.

Just some quick impressions - I've had this lens in my hands twice for a total time of less than an hour so these are preliminary...

It's a heavy lens, but tolerable - certainly not as easy to use as primes, but then it's a zoom so that will make it easier to use. Build seems to be good too. Focus is good - at least it's speed didn't strike me as slow. Had to be careful which focus point to use though - center point seemed too big for shallow dof.

Bought it mostly for social use, but I'm liking the pic quality as a walkaround... we'll see if I can tolerate/ get used to the weight.

full sizes available at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/55038128@N00/sets/72157645285654190/

PP = exposure + .71, sharpness + 60, light +10, some + vibrance/ saturation where needed, but not much.

Pentax K-5 II s
ƒ/2.5
21.0 mm
1/25 handheld
iso 80

Pentax K-5 II s
ƒ/1.8
35.0 mm
1/2000
80

Pentax K-5 II s
ƒ/1.8
32.0 mm
1/2000
80

ƒ/1.8
18.0 mm
1/2000
80

ƒ/2.2
35.0 mm
1/2500
80

ƒ/1.8
18.0 mm
1/800
80

ƒ/1.8
35.0 mm
1/1000
80

JayBee451 · 07-14-2014, 11:05 PM

Looks good

**Digitalis** · 07-15-2014, 12:33 AM

Here are a few images from my copy of the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 "A" DC

Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 35mm @ f/1.8 1/60th ISO 1600

Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 24mm @ f/3.5 1/30th ISO 800

Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 18mm @ f/5.6 1/250th ISO 80

Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 18mm @ f/1.8 1/500th ISO 160

Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 29mm @ f/5.6 1/250th ISO 80

**geomez** · 07-15-2014, 01:04 AM

For a zoom, I like the bokeh.

inextenza · 07-15-2014, 02:26 PM

very first outboor use of mine (body: K5-IIs; cloudy weather) :

35mm f/1.8

full size

I only add light, the photo was under exposed by mistake. No other correction in LR have been made, to show the original result. Vignetting is visible, but it's common, at this focal lenght, isn't it?
The spider's web could bother, impressive at max aperture!
I was at about 3 meters beyond the subject.

Now, at 35mm f/2.8, very close (about 30 or 40cm) :

full size

Full size

I definitly like this lens!

**Digitalis** · 07-15-2014, 07:54 PM

Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 32mm @ f/5.6 1/250th ISO 80

Stagnant · 07-18-2014, 10:31 AM

I bought this lens a couple of days before the start of my vacation. I took a risk and brought it with me instead of 21 and 35 Limiteds. I also took DA* 16-50 as a "back-up" just in case. About the same time I bought Sigma I noticed that my Pentax zoom suffers from sharpness fall off in the right part of the frame. 5 days into my vacation and I shot only a handful of shots with it, so basically Sigma is my all-around lens for daily use. I wish it would go further than 35, but otherwise it is a very versatile lens which produces excellent image quality. The only real disadvantage is the construction of a lens hood. It requires considerable force to lock into any of the positions and it is not mean to be used with CPL filters as it has no opening to control the position of the filter.

Stagnant · 07-18-2014, 02:03 PM

All three shot from the tripod. The first one is at F1.8, the second is at F4, the third one is at F5.6. For the second shot I had to focus manually because it was too dark.

**Digitalis** · 07-18-2014, 08:26 PM

One thing I forgot to mention in my comments about this lens and its performance on my optics testing bench is that it is able to cover APS-H format at 20mm ( @ 18mm vignetting is truly horrendous) but it is unusable below 32mm on full frame.

seventysixersfan · 09-26-2014, 11:28 AM

I'm curious why there hasn't been more discussion of the Sigma 18-35 lens on this thread or in other threads. There are only 8 posted reviews in the Lens Review section, and on the B&H website, only 3 purchasers' reviews of the K-mount version. Are people waiting on the official PF in-depth review before deciding to buy it? Or have people gotten the DA 20-40 limited zoom instead? Or are people not interested in such a large, heavy 2x zoom? Concerned about the focus accuracy issue? Or are people waiting for a price drop or special holiday sale price?

I'm very interested in buying this zoom lens but other than the members above who have chimed in about their experiences, there doesn't seem to be much talk about it. There was so much initial interest in this lens, and it certainly gets excellent online reviews (in other mounts), but since its release in K-mount earlier this year, I haven't noticed a ton of actual users talking about it. The lens is not backordered so supply isn't the issue. And while $799 is a good price for a fast f/1.8 lens, it's still pricey for the casual hobbyist photographer to justify buying...

Stagnant · 09-26-2014, 01:39 PM

I haven't bothered with the review thus far, but I can say that since the purchase it is my main lens on K-3. It is also my favourite lens, because it always delivers. Very predictable, no quirks, almost perfect. I sometimes wish it was 18-50, but considering the sharpness of this lens, I can crop to match the field of view provided by a 50 mm lens.
I still dislike the way the lens hood mounts and the lack of opening in it for filter adjustment, but I got used to it. Otherwise the build quality is excellent - way better than any Pentax zoom lens I tried. The zoom ring is exceptionally smooth, the same goes for the focus ring. Internal zooming also makes it more convenient in handling.
Pricey ? I would not say so, considering it's performance and build quality.
Good for video :

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

seventysixersfan · 09-26-2014, 03:05 PM

Thanks for the reply and the video clips-- very impressive! I realized that I didn't offer my own reason for waiting to buy: I want to read more reviews from actual owners of the pentax-mount version of this lens. Would prefer not to be an early adopter. Then again, hopefully sigma can release firmware to fix the autofocus issues that some have noticed

Class A · 09-26-2014, 03:21 PM

Originally posted by Stagnant

Pricey ? I would not say so, considering it's performance and build quality.

The sad truth is that Pentax would easily be charging three times as much for a lens of this quality.

At the Sigma price, this lens is pretty much a steal.

robjmitchell · 09-26-2014, 03:55 PM

I know the 21ltd has a random photo posting thread in lens discussion for some reason, but there is already a lens club thread for this lens
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/249398-sigma-18-35-f-1-8-art-club.html

seventysixersfan · 09-27-2014, 06:03 PM

Originally posted by robjmitchell

I know the 21ltd has a random photo posting thread in lens discussion for some reason, but there is already a lens club thread for this lens
The Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 Art club

oh, thanks for posting that link. I didn't see that!

07-14-2014, 10:54 PM	#1
mike.hiran Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: portland Photos: Albums Posts: 1,491	Sigma Art 18-35 f1.8 DC HSM Well since no one else has started a thread specific to this lens, I'll start... but if you have this lens, please feel free to post photos here so others can see what it can do. Just some quick impressions - I've had this lens in my hands twice for a total time of less than an hour so these are preliminary... It's a heavy lens, but tolerable - certainly not as easy to use as primes, but then it's a zoom so that will make it easier to use. Build seems to be good too. Focus is good - at least it's speed didn't strike me as slow. Had to be careful which focus point to use though - center point seemed too big for shallow dof. Bought it mostly for social use, but I'm liking the pic quality as a walkaround... we'll see if I can tolerate/ get used to the weight. full sizes available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/55038128@N00/sets/72157645285654190/ PP = exposure + .71, sharpness + 60, light +10, some + vibrance/ saturation where needed, but not much. Pentax K-5 II s ƒ/2.5 21.0 mm 1/25 handheld iso 80 Pentax K-5 II s ƒ/1.8 35.0 mm 1/2000 80 Pentax K-5 II s ƒ/1.8 32.0 mm 1/2000 80 ƒ/1.8 18.0 mm 1/2000 80 ƒ/2.2 35.0 mm 1/2500 80 ƒ/1.8 18.0 mm 1/800 80 ƒ/1.8 35.0 mm 1/1000 80

07-15-2014, 12:33 AM	#3
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Here are a few images from my copy of the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 "A" DC Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 35mm @ f/1.8 1/60th ISO 1600 Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 24mm @ f/3.5 1/30th ISO 800 Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 18mm @ f/5.6 1/250th ISO 80 Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 18mm @ f/1.8 1/500th ISO 160 Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 29mm @ f/5.6 1/250th ISO 80 Last edited by Digitalis; 07-16-2014 at 12:25 AM.

07-15-2014, 02:26 PM	#5
inextenza New Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 9	very first outboor use of mine (body: K5-IIs; cloudy weather) : 35mm f/1.8 full size I only add light, the photo was under exposed by mistake. No other correction in LR have been made, to show the original result. Vignetting is visible, but it's common, at this focal lenght, isn't it? The spider's web could bother, impressive at max aperture! I was at about 3 meters beyond the subject. Now, at 35mm f/2.8, very close (about 30 or 40cm) : full size Full size I definitly like this lens! Last edited by inextenza; 07-15-2014 at 02:36 PM.

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07-14-2014, 11:05 PM	#2
JayBee451 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 379	Looks good

07-15-2014, 01:04 AM	#4
geomez Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Roanoke, Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,760	For a zoom, I like the bokeh.

07-15-2014, 07:54 PM	#6
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	Pentax K5IIs Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 - 32mm @ f/5.6 1/250th ISO 80

07-18-2014, 10:31 AM	#7
Stagnant Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 603	I bought this lens a couple of days before the start of my vacation. I took a risk and brought it with me instead of 21 and 35 Limiteds. I also took DA* 16-50 as a "back-up" just in case. About the same time I bought Sigma I noticed that my Pentax zoom suffers from sharpness fall off in the right part of the frame. 5 days into my vacation and I shot only a handful of shots with it, so basically Sigma is my all-around lens for daily use. I wish it would go further than 35, but otherwise it is a very versatile lens which produces excellent image quality. The only real disadvantage is the construction of a lens hood. It requires considerable force to lock into any of the positions and it is not mean to be used with CPL filters as it has no opening to control the position of the filter.

07-18-2014, 02:03 PM	#8
Stagnant Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 603	All three shot from the tripod. The first one is at F1.8, the second is at F4, the third one is at F5.6. For the second shot I had to focus manually because it was too dark.

07-18-2014, 08:26 PM	#9
Digitalis Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,694	One thing I forgot to mention in my comments about this lens and its performance on my optics testing bench is that it is able to cover APS-H format at 20mm ( @ 18mm vignetting is truly horrendous) but it is unusable below 32mm on full frame.

09-26-2014, 11:28 AM	#10
seventysixersfan Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 2,054	I'm curious why there hasn't been more discussion of the Sigma 18-35 lens on this thread or in other threads. There are only 8 posted reviews in the Lens Review section, and on the B&H website, only 3 purchasers' reviews of the K-mount version. Are people waiting on the official PF in-depth review before deciding to buy it? Or have people gotten the DA 20-40 limited zoom instead? Or are people not interested in such a large, heavy 2x zoom? Concerned about the focus accuracy issue? Or are people waiting for a price drop or special holiday sale price? I'm very interested in buying this zoom lens but other than the members above who have chimed in about their experiences, there doesn't seem to be much talk about it. There was so much initial interest in this lens, and it certainly gets excellent online reviews (in other mounts), but since its release in K-mount earlier this year, I haven't noticed a ton of actual users talking about it. The lens is not backordered so supply isn't the issue. And while $799 is a good price for a fast f/1.8 lens, it's still pricey for the casual hobbyist photographer to justify buying...

09-26-2014, 03:05 PM	#12
seventysixersfan Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 2,054	Thanks for the reply and the video clips-- very impressive! I realized that I didn't offer my own reason for waiting to buy: I want to read more reviews from actual owners of the pentax-mount version of this lens. Would prefer not to be an early adopter. Then again, hopefully sigma can release firmware to fix the autofocus issues that some have noticed

09-26-2014, 03:21 PM	#13
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Stagnant Pricey ? I would not say so, considering it's performance and build quality. The sad truth is that Pentax would easily be charging three times as much for a lens of this quality. At the Sigma price, this lens is pretty much a steal.

09-26-2014, 03:55 PM	#14
robjmitchell Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne Aus Posts: 1,776	I know the 21ltd has a random photo posting thread in lens discussion for some reason, but there is already a lens club thread for this lens https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/249398-sigma-18-35-f-1-8-art-club.html

09-27-2014, 06:03 PM	#15
seventysixersfan Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 2,054	Originally posted by robjmitchell I know the 21ltd has a random photo posting thread in lens discussion for some reason, but there is already a lens club thread for this lens The Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 Art club oh, thanks for posting that link. I didn't see that!