Introduction
This hands-on review covers everything you need to know about the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art, one of the most striking ultra-wide lenses today. This is not just Sigma’s first 14mm f/1.4 lens, but also the widest full-frame, rectilinear f/1.4 lens ever made. It’s a mirrorless-only lens, currently available both for Leica L mount and Sony E mount.
Designing a 14mm f/1.4 lens is not easy. That becomes apparent the moment you look at the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art or hold it in your hands. It’s a huge, heavy lens – so large that Sigma chose to offer this lens with a tripod collar! Normally, tripod collars are exclusive to supertelephoto lenses. For one to appear on an ultra-wide indicates that we are in very specialized territory.
And indeed, the word “specialized” describes the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art perfectly. It’s not your typical 14mm prime – it’s a Milky Way photography lens, pure and simple. Everything from the lens’s construction to its optical strengths and weaknesses prioritize photographing the night sky. That will become increasingly clear throughout this review.
Optically, this is a very complex lens. It features 19 elements in 15 groups, including three aspherical elements. Sigma has added their most advanced coatings and low-dispersion elements to improve the lens’s optical quality. The price is $1600, which is a little high for Sigma but substantially lower than the lens would have cost if made by Nikon, Canon, or Sony. (By comparison, Sony’s 14mm f/1.8 GM is 2/3 stop slower and also costs $1600.)
For this review, I tested the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art extensively both in the lab and in the field. The version I used was for Sony E Mount, but I also tested it on the Nikon Z8 using Megadap’s adapter. Normally, I would rather use native lenses instead of adapted glass. However, Nikon doesn’t have any lenses like this one yet, and I wanted to put it to the test for any Nikon Z Milky Way photographers who were curious about its performance.
Does the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art live up to its promise as a top-tier Milky Way photography lens? Are there any drawbacks to adapting it to the Nikon Z system? This review will answer those questions and more.
Build Quality
The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art is constructed mainly of high-quality plastics, specifically Sigma’s Thermally Stable Composite. Sigma uses this material in many of their lenses, but astrophotographers in particular may appreciate it. Unlike cheaper plastics, this material does not expand or contract significantly when the temperature changes. This is great when photographing the Milky Way – you don’t need to worry about your focus point shifting as the night grows colder.
That said, the material of the lens isn’t what most photographers will notice first. What stands out more than anything else is the lens’s size. It measures 101 x 152 mm in size (4.0 x 6.0 inches) and weighs 1160 grams (2.56 pounds). This makes it the largest and heaviest 14mm lens available today, including zooms. Only the previous generation DSLR lens, the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art, gives it a run for its money; both lenses weigh the same, although the f/1.4 version is a hair bigger.
If you’re planning to use this lens in adverse conditions, you needn’t worry. The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art is extensively weather sealed, and it focuses internally. I used it in snowy conditions, extreme cold, and dusty environments. It handled everything perfectly and still looked brand new by the end of all my tests.
I was also very impressed to see that the (removable) tripod foot on the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art is Arca-Swiss compatible. No need to buy an extra Arca-Swiss plate to attach to the bottom! And I’m glad that Sigma included a tripod foot in the first place. The 14mm f/1.4 Art is quite front-heavy and would be pretty imbalanced otherwise. Is the tripod foot strictly necessary? Probably not – I don’t think the lens is so heavy that your lens mount is in danger of warping. But it’s still helpful in balancing your setup properly.
My only concern with the lens’s build quality is not really something that could be avoided, but the front element is pretty large and exposed. You should be careful using this lens in very windy conditions if there are particles like sand or ice crystals blowing around. The lens didn’t scratch during my time with it, but I would still watch out carefully in rough, windy weather.
The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art does not accept traditional front filters, which means that it’s difficult to use a UV or clear protection filter on this lens – or a polarizer. If you need to use such a filter, there are some expensive systems like this one from NiSi that are tailored to the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art. However, they require huge 150x150mm or 150x170mm filters, which are not practical for a lot of photographers.
There is, at least, a rear holder on this lens that accepts clip-in filters. That could be enough if all you need are ND filters. I also found a clip-in light pollution filter from Haida that is compatible with this lens (as well as the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art and Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art, which share a rear filter design). Light pollution filters aren’t the only filters that Milky Way photographers use, but they’re the most popular, so it’s good to have the option if you want it.
Interestingly, the bulky lens cap that accompanies the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art has a pair of slots where you can store small gel filters. It isn’t very roomy, however, and some rear filters won’t fit. Sigma also doesn’t recommend it for long-term filter storage. Personally, I would have preferred a simpler slip-on lens cap instead of Sigma’s heavier, more complex design. But it’s not like you’re choosing this lens in the first place if your goal is to save weight.
Finally, some Milky Way photographers – especially timelapse shooters – like to use lens heating rings to prevent condensation from building up on the front element of a lens overnight. Sigma advertises the 14mm f/1.4 Art as having a “lens heater retainer” for such heaters. Namely, the barrel of the lens is sharply tapered at the end, and it has a textured grip to prevent the heater from slipping out of place.
However, don’t get the wrong idea from Sigma’s advertising; the “retainer” that they mention is simply the shape of the lens barrel. If you were expecting some clips to hold a lens heater in place, you won’t find any here. Even so, it’s much better than most Milky Way lenses that don’t take lens heaters into consideration at all. As long as you strap the heater firmly, you don’t need to worry about it interfering with your focusing ring or appearing in your photo by accident.
All told, the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art is a very well-built lens that was thoughtfully designed for Milky Way photography. Even apart from the image quality (which I’ll cover on the next page of this review), I could see dedicated night sky photographers choosing this lens just for the quality-of-life features. The only concern is its bulk – this is not a lens you’ll carry in your bag on a whim. If you can get by with f/1.8 or f/2.8 instead of f/1.4, there much smaller 14mm lenses on the market today.
Handling
Sigma threw everything they could think of at the 14mm f/1.4 Art. It has as many controls as an exotic supertelephoto. What’s more, the controls are genuinely useful. Here’s the layout of the left-hand side of the lens:
From top to bottom, the controls are as follows:
- AF-MF switch
- Autofocus lock button (can be customized to a variety of other functions)
- Manual focus locking switch
- Aperture ring clicking/de-clicking
The right-hand side of the lens also has a switch:
This unlabeled switch is a partial lock of the aperture ring. I say partial because, when engaged, it either locks you to the “A” setting (where you control aperture via the camera), or it locks you to the rest of the aperture settings. In the latter case, you can still rotate the ring from f/1.4 to f/16, just not to “A.”
I give Sigma full marks for the handling and controls of the 14mm f/1.4 Art. They even added a bit of white paint beneath each switch to indicate when it’s engaged in one direction or the other. It’s a nice touch for a lens that will be used so often in low light.
Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art Specifications
- Full Name: Sigma 14mm f/1.4 DG DN | Art (see Sigma Lens Abbreviations)
- Mount Type: Leica L mount (also available for Sony E mount)
- Focal Length: 14mm prime
- Angle of View (Full Frame): 114°
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Aperture Blades: 11, rounded
- Filter Size: N/A
- Lens Elements: 19
- Lens Groups: 15
- Special Elements: 3 aspherical, 3 low dispersion, 1 special low dispersion
- Anti-Reflection Coatings: Super multi-coating
- Image Stabilization: No
- Internal Focusing: Yes
- Control Rings: Focus and aperture
- Function Button: Yes
- Focus Motor: HLA (high-response linear actuator)
- Minimum Focus Distance: 30 cm (12 inches)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.08× (1:12)
- Mount Material: Metal
- Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
- Sony E Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 152 × 101 mm (6.0 × 4.0 inches)
- Leica L Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 150 × 101 mm (5.9 × 4.0 inches)
- Sony E Weight: 1160 g (2.56 pounds)
- Leica L Weight: 1170 g (2.58 pounds)
- MSRP: $1599 (check current price)
The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. Click the menu below to go to “Optical Features”:
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