Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art vs Nikon 24mm f/1.4G
So far, I have mentioned the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G quite a bit, so let’s take a look at how the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art compares to it. Below are the Imatest results for both:
Without a doubt, Sigma has done a remarkable job with the 24mm f/1.4 Art. As you can see from the above test results, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art is absolutely stunning wide open at f/1.4 in the center frame, something the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G cannot even reach at f/2.8! However, its superb center sharpness comes at the expense of mid-frame and corner performance due to its pronounced field curvature, something I have already mentioned on the previous page of this review. Unfortunately, because of its field curvature issues, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art only gets strong at f/5.6 in the mid-frame and the corners and even then, it cannot get as good as the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G does.
Still, for someone looking for a solid third-party alternative, the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art shows a remarkable potential. At less than half the price, it is the lens I would not hesitate to recommend to any Nikon shooter who is looking for a fast f/1.4 lens…
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art vs Nikon 24mm f/1.8G
What about the newer and lighter Nikon 24mm f/1.8G? Let’s take a look:
The Nikon 24mm f/1.8G is clearly better than its big brother at wider apertures, but it still cannot match what the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art can do in the center of the frame at large apertures. However, when stopped down to f/2.8 and f/4, both lenses produce similar results, especially at the edges of the frame.
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art vs Samyang 24mm f/1.4
Let’s not forget about the least expensive Samyang 24mm f/1.4 lens:
If you can manage to score a good sample of the Samyang 24mm f/1.4, you can expect to see something similar as the above – the lens starts out weak at large apertures, but once stopped down to f/2.8, it shows pretty impressive performance overall. Its sweet spot is f/5.6, and that’s where it shows stronger corners when compared to the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art.
As I discuss on the summary page of this review, my personal pick among the above-mentioned lenses would be the Nikon 24mm f/1.8G. For me, it is the best “value” offering, since it is lightweight, relatively inexpensive and has good enough image quality throughout its aperture range.
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