| Author: | | New Member Registered: June, 2013 Posts: 5 | | Review Date: September 11, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | nice for landscapes, sharp, bokeh, near no CA | | Cons: | cost, size, not easy to use | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 7
Camera Used: K5II
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 8
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I think it is a bit of a tricky lens. Can get you magnificent results and can bring you mediocre pictures as well. It is well usable as a lens for landscapes and superb for portraits. I initially bought it for it's F 1.4 capability but as one reviewer stated already....attention. A single object could be put very good to value with 1.4, as the background will be creamy as creamiest cream, but besides that it has little use. For a portrait situation in low light conditions, like in a church, you must anyway go to F 3.2 at least, to have sharp what you want sharp. Photos very near to the object, like you may try with flowers, insects and stuff, will may produce scratchy results. As mentioned at the top.....a bit of a tricky lens. Still, I think it's a keeper. Can produce high quality pictures if you use it for exact it's purpose and once you worked it out.
 | | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,847
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 3, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $642.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very sharp across the frame (if focus is right) | | Cons: | Dodgy AF near infinity, overexposes, muted colours, backfocus, very heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 6
Value: 7
Camera Used: Pentax K3
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 7
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My copy substantially back-focuses. I need a +5 adjustment on both the K3 and K5 to compensate (I don't have the Sigma USB dock). Having dialed in this adjustment, the sharpness of the lens across the frame is striking, like a very good macro lens. Sharpness is best between f4 and f5.6. Avoid f1.4.
However, autofocus near infinity is very hit-or-miss, especially when the focus point is in bright sunlight. This may be related to its tendency to frequently overexpose by 0.7-1.7ev. When it overexposes, colours are sometimes muted compared to any of my Pentax lenses. I find myself adjusting black point or contrast in pp to compensate.
The Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG Art is a big and very heavy lens (for a 35mm), and it won't be in my default bag. It will be packed though for low light, if I want very shallow DOF, or for very creamy bokeh. It is very good for portraits, if you don't mind the short focal length.
I have compared the Sigma with a couple of my Pentax lenses. It is sharper across the frame than the DA 40mm f2.8 Limited, though both are very even. At 7.4 times the weight, the Sigma really should beat the Pentax pancake, so this is no surprise. The DA 18-135mm kit zoom at 35mm nearly matches the Sigma for sharpness at frame centre, but falls way behind near the edges. Autofocus and exposure are far more reliable on the two Pentax lenses though.
The bokeh is usually very creamy.
Update: I think I've fixed my overexposure problem with this lens. On the K3, I had "Auto EV Compensation (Menu item C6) set to "on". With it turned off, exposure was much more accurate. I don't really understand exactly what this menu switch is supposed to do, but it certainly plays badly with the Sigma lens. My Pentax and Tamron lenses don't have this problem.
I have upgraded my score to 9. Optically it's a 10, but it is still a heavy and tricky lens to use.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2012 Posts: 15
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $982.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Extremely sharp | | Cons: | Not WR | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 10
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This is extremely sharp lens. I had Pentax 50-135 f2.8 and that was very sharp, but after using this lens i realized that this one is even sharper. Can not complain at all...
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2013 Location: Pendik, Istanbul Posts: 35
1 user found this helpful
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2012 Posts: 6 | | Review Date: June 17, 2014 | Not Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 2 |
| Pros: | Good for closeup shots | | Cons: | front/back/infinity focus issue. | | Sharpness: 3
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 3
Value: 2
Camera Used: Pentax k-5
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 1
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I had 2 copies of this both have focus issue. Its pretty good for closeup but if you are little away 3-4 feet forget about sharpness. Returned the first copy , recalibrated the 2nd in sigma service center, now its a paper weight
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: November, 2012 Posts: 295
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 15, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $670.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Extreme Sharpness from F1.4, smooth bokeh, superquiet autofocus, full time manual focusing, looks, feel, optional dock adjustment, close minimum focusing distance | | Cons: | Big for a 35mm, very heavy, vignetting at 1.4, not completely silent in video using onboard sound, Slight FishEye Pincushion for Objects closer to camera | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-01/K3/K5 II
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 9
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I just had to give it a 10 but still I'm going be super nitpicky since I want to be thorough in the review to give you an idea of what to expect.
The negatives:
- Pin cushioning at closer objects
- Heavy weight and size of lens(EDIT: You learn to get around this esp for the IQ)
- Lack of Lightroom 4 and Aftershot lens profiles(EDIT: LR 5 has them)
These negatives can be overlooked if you can build your own LR profile(anyone have any to share?), use PTLens or some other postprocessing software that has a lens profile. It's not too bad of a distortion but with a lens this sharp, you see the lines curving.
The weight is a drawback for heavy usage and even normal travel. It's heavier than all my other lenses as it's got quite a bit of glass. My heaviest zoom lens in the range is a Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and it's lighter than this. Expect to be holding it a lot with two hands. The size isn't bad but because the weight is throughout the lens it becomes a factor when holding with one hand because it is heavier in the front as a result of longer length. Definitely harder to hold than my tank-like all metal Pentax FA 50mm f2.8 macro which is a fairly large 50mm.
The reason for the 10 is that despite all this, in the end the main reason I got this lens was for low light and faster shutter speed usage weighing heavily on sharpness and bokeh at f1.4 and this delivers in what is most important: image quality. I couldn't believe it when the image was tack sharp at 1.4 and stopping down had little change. So to give the 10 I have adjusted my thinking to do the following:
- fix pincushioning in PP(although I haven't fixed yet because I don't know how to build a profile).
- working out to carry this everywhere I go.
Update: Lightroom 5 has profile corrections. My go-to lens. I'd run backwards, forwards and sideways onto streets to use this lens instead of a wider angle or short telephoto lens. Also, after getting a K3, able to hold in one hand easily although still not for long.
Update 2 on 8/1/2014: I find this easier to handle the more I get used to the weight distribution and can hold in one hand for extended periods over an hour w/ K3 and even with K-01 for much shorter periods, although w/ two hands or grip/strap. The autofocus will hunt occassionally if you hit a really dark or bright area. The flare resistance is not as good as say a DA15 but still better than FA 50 and 28, Tamron 28-75 and 17-50 lenses. The focus ring is just so well made and the build quality is amazing. I am so happy with this lens and am sure I will never need to compare this to a FA31 and it's helped me to tame my LBA as I now only get lenses I know I will have no qualms about. I will nickname this lens, my LBC for "Lens Buying Cure".
Update 3 on 12/24/2014: Works great w/ the Pentax HD 1.4 Teleconverter. It actually recognizes F1.4 but it measures light around a stop or more higher and reflects this in the slower shutter speed so it's really at F2.8?). I need to change the camera to +7 to focus correctly. I am considering purchasing the USB dock to fine tune it. I find it is my "go-to" lens when I want to take the best possible lens for almost all situations. If I could only have one lens, this would be it. I'd get the K3 and this lens. Absolutely awesome lens. I use select focus and usually it gets focus down.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2012 Location: Stockholm Posts: 1,767 | | Review Date: April 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, f1.4, bokeh, autofocus, build quality | | Cons: | Rather heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-3
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 10
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This lens is my absolute new favorite. Can't imagine how I could have lived without it. Outstanding sharpness and good handling despite the weight.
I find the autofocus fast, at least fast enough for me. I have no experience with Canon or Nikon lenses but there are no complaints what so ever. I tested switching from close up to infinity and it was quick and accurate.
With this lens and the K-3 I found that I could actually crop pictures to match mid range tele lenses. I'm completely sold on this lens. Usually this stays on the K-3 and I switch other lenses on the old K-5II.
| | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2014 Posts: 7 | | Review Date: March 6, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $930.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Stonking image, built like a tank, quiet focussing | | Cons: | Built like a tank! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-X, K-01
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 8
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I am not a very scientific reviewer. This lens is big, heavy and built like a tank - proper oldskool style!
It offers stonking image quality. The autofocus is quiet but I don't feel it's particularly fast or accurate (when compared to Canons), but perhaps this is influenced by the body to which it's attached. Bokeh, as mentioned previously is lovely - apparently as a result of the 'rounded' blades. The 1.4 is very usable. Obviously, DOF is very shallow wide open but for what I use it for I seldom stop down smaller than 2.8.
Down side is that it's big and heavy. Although the build quality is excellent, I don't think you'll want to be handling it rough - it's a fine instrument and should be handled with care. A fantastic lens but I'd be wary taking it out in the field. Additionally, I sought out a 35mm because my old 50mm M 1.4 was a bit too long on the crop sensor. However, it might be because of my previous personal shooting habit of erring wide, I found that even 35mm is just a tad long.
Again, great great lens but heavy and pricey (though not when compared to competition and Pentax own). I've subsequently picked up a Sigma 30mm EX DC 1.4 which is not in the same class but at less than half the money I'm not too bothered if I beat it about a bit!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 726
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 19, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $825.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, color rendition, build quality, bokeh | | Cons: | It's big and heavy but that's expected of a f/1.4 | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5 and K-r
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 10
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Wow. just wow.
I had very high expectation for this lens, being close to $1000CAD (with taxes). But I must say that it's even better than I expected. I unpacked it, stuck it on my camera on P Mode to try it out and the first picture was amazing, no fiddling around trying to find it's sweet spot... f/1.4 to f/22 is it's sweet spot.
This lens is SHARP, wide open or stopped down. If you're looking for a sharp 35mm this is it. The colors are very well rendered and the HSM is responsive, fast and so very quiet (better than Pentax's SDM on all fronts) Built quality is just amazing and the bokeh is oh so nice. And it's pretty too. I could go on and on describing how good this lens is but from the other reviews I think this is already clear.
The cons, if we can call them that: It is a very big lens (in the Pentax world) and it is heavy. On the K5 it isn't so bad, it is fairly well balanced and it is almost perfect when the camera has a grip. But on the K-r it makes the kit very front heavy. Because the K-r grip isn't ideal for me, my right hand started to fatigue after only a few minutes of shooting, always fighting to keep the camera leveled. Being a 35mm lens it will mostly be used handheld and if your camera is light, it might bug you after a while. But for it's sharpness and awesome bokeh, it's still worth it.
One more thing, so far it always under exposed a bit, maybe half a stop or so. To me it's a first, my other sigma lens always over exposed. Again, no big deal.
This lens is a 10/10 no doubts about it. Not the cheapest 35mm but I have yet to find another lens that will impress me that much.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: January, 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Posts: 2,621
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 29, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $788.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | value, quality , sharpness | | Cons: | none | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 10
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Great performer , probably the best lens I ever used.
Now available in Australia for AU$769, incredible value.
Yes it is large, it is DG so FF ready.
So far took number of photos with K-30 and just a few with K-3, pleasure and enjoyment to use.
Highly recommended, my overall score : 9.9
some of my photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itrax/sets/72157635114159123/
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 243
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 9
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Heavy, and the focus ring is slow, but it is completely worth those trade offs. In a real life test, the sigma was better than the pentax in this case, but the 31mm I liked the bokeh a bit more in some cases.The sigma was incredibly sharp at any aperture, and I feel like this is the best image quality my K-5 has ever produced. The 77mm would be just as good as this if it didnt have so much purple fringing. It's about as sharp as the 77mm (my favorite lens for rendering).
Sample portraits all at f/1.4-f/1.6:
parker by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
Dannie by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
Warm Sun by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
The Way It Used To Be by NickBrunerPhotography, on Flickr
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Trier Posts: 80
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 22, 2013 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | FF Capable, sharp, sharp, sharp | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New Or Used: New
Autofocus: 10
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There are few things to be said other that: THIS IS A MUST HAVE.
The lens is large, but what other one can expect from a wide aperture 35mm lens? It is sharp from f 1.4 on and I have never seen any such clear open aperture photo neither from Pentax Glass nor some of the newer fast Sigma lenses (50, 85mm).
Its handling is great and it is a pure joy. Go and get it. Unfortunatelly I have to say, up til now, there is nothing compared to this lens from Pentax, although the FA31 ltd. is a tough competitor.
Nervertheless, I would get this one.
Watch here:
    
Best regards from Germany
Georg
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