Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM vs Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art
The main comparison that everyone is wondering about is surely against the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art. Here’s how the two lenses compare in Imatest:
This is very similar performance overall, not far from being interchangeable. At a given aperture, the Sony lens is slightly sharper in the center. However, the Sigma is slightly sharper in the midframes because it lacks the wavy field curvature of the Sony. The corners are pretty evenly-matched but generally favor the Sigma by a hair.
It’s interesting to me that, in the field, I found the Sony 14mm f/1.8 to have a little less coma than the Sigma 14mm f/1.4 (as shown on the previous page of this review). You wouldn’t be able to tell that just from the MTF50 LW/PH numbers above, which somewhat favor the Sigma. It highlights the importance of testing Milky Way lenses on their intended subject. Sharpness numbers tend to be correlated with coma performance, but they are not one and the same.
Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM vs Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art
Although no longer the most practical choice for wide-angle, wide-aperture photography, the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art is nevertheless a strong lens. How does it compare to the Sony?
It’s an interesting comparison. The Sony is clearly much sharper in the center, while the Sigma is better in the midframes (again, due to the Sony’s field curvature). Corners are evenly matched, except at f/1.8, where the Sigma measures a little better.
That said, the main situation where you would care about corner sharpness at f/1.8 is Milky Way photography. As shown on the previous page of this review, the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM has much less coma than the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art. As a result, I consider the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM to be the better of these two lenses optically.
Sony 14mm f/2.8 GM vs Sony 20mm f/1.8 G
One of my favorite Sony lenses is the FE 20mm f/1.8 G, a truly excellent lens in almost every way. It’s also a great choice for Milky Way photography if you prefer the slightly longer focal length. Here’s how the two lenses compare in sharpness in the lab.
The Sony 20mm f/1.8 G is the sharpest ultra-wide lens that we have ever tested at Photography Life, and it would have been a huge shock if it lost this comparison. And, indeed, it is sharper than the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM in most areas of the frame.
Still, the two lenses are quite comparable at popular landscape photography apertures from f/8 through f/16. Likewise, the excellent coma performance of both lenses means that Milky Way photographers can consider them on the same (sky-high) level.
Since both lenses are very strong at what they’re meant to do, I think the main question is 14mm versus 20mm. But if you don’t care about focal length, it’s true that the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G comes out ahead in this comparison.
Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM vs Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
Since I reviewed the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM earlier this year, I’ve been wanting to see how the 14mm f/1.8 GM compares. Note that this is not the GM II version of the lens, which is on my shortlist of Sony lenses to review, but rather the original GM version.
In the shared aperture range, the zoom lens measures as sharper in the midframes thanks to the field curvature of the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM. However, the prime lens is significantly sharper in the center and a little sharper in the corners (especially at f/8). For real-world landscape and Milky Way photography, the 14mm f/1.8 GM comes out ahead.
The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:
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