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Totally agree with you regarding Focus-by-Wired, really hate that crap, but unfortunately for Mirrorless AF lens that's what we stuck with whether we like it or not. but that manual focus lock on these new Sigma lenses are really life saver, i can shoot something and put the camera back in my backpack and hike a mile and pull it out again and never have to refocus it again, absolutely love that after shooting with their 20 F1.4 DG DN for a year, as well as the taper front housing for the heater, which is also super nice little feature but makes a huge different in real world use, you really need to use it to appreciate those little details. The tripod mount bracket is also great feature as you mentioned when using tracker, all in all, a really nice lens for Milky Way landscape. As owner of Sigma 14 F1.8 Art, while i think it's really sharp and fast lens, but I really don't care for its Coma performance wide open, so ever since the Sony 14GM showed up I hardly touched that sigma 14 again, I really hope this new Sigma has big improvement on Coma specifically and your sample comparison shows it does. Any chance you can do a comparison between this new Sigma and the Sony 14GM? I have the 14GM but also really interested in this new Sigma,
Excellent review, Nico! I would be interested to see how this new lens does going head to head with my personal favorite landscape astro lens, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art!
This was super helpful to watch as I'm going to be in the market for an ultra wide angle lens soon. Previously, the Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM was a sure bet but this absolutely makes me want the Sigma now. It's truly wild how well it performs in the corners for being 14mm and f/1.4, which is a combo we haven't seen in modern lenses before. Great work Nico.
Tough choice there since they are around the same price, and both look to be pretty big improvements on the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM. Without actually having used the Sony lens, it looks like the main thing it has going for it is the much lower size and weight. From the photo samples I've seen online, it looks like it has more distortion and CA (?) than this new Sigma 14mm when both are at f/1.8. I didn't notice any visible CA on my copy of this Sigma 14mm f/1.4. I see other reviewers noted it had some, but they all used close-up objects to test. I am also a BIG fan of the collar/foot they put on this lens. It's much easier than some of the 3rd-party solutions I've seen for easy framing with a big lens on a star tracker.
Simply stunning. When moved to full frame I jumped from Panasonic to Sony due to the lack of wide -> normal FOV astro suitable options in the L-mount line up. Sigma has very much put L-mount back on the radar as a really serious contender for widefield astro. As a Sony shooter, a big thank you goes to Sigma. I think Sony, Nikon and Panasonic are now all really viable mirrorless systems for astro, which is not something you could've said pre covid.
Hey Nico, I don't follow Sony equipment but Richard at Nightscape Images uses the MEGADAP Adaptor for Sony Lenses to Nikon Z 6ii. The adaptor works well for him !
That decision is unfortunately in Nikon’s hands. They’ve been very miserly about licensing 3rd party lenses for Z mount, albeit not quite as bad as Canon with RF :-/
Another key note with modern focus by wire systems. They enable a linear focus option, which then allows the user to extend the focus throw well beyond what is typical in still lenses for super fine control. Those of us who shoot cine lenses know already how much more control you have with focus throws of 270 degrees or more, and with focus by wire you can go well beyond this rotation depending on the camera and the lens. For astro photography this makes getting that pin point focus so much easier than futzing with typical rapid-throw stills lenses.
I've used some wide angle lenses and this is the first time I see good star shapes in the corners. Good job Sigma and thank you Nico for the detailed review! 👍👍
Nico, great analysis. can i suggest a subject for video: stars trackers? because there are several models... some for cheap, others much more expensive, there is a pro version, pro pack, ioptron skyguider pro, skytracker, ioptron pro with polar. What really changes in these versions, advantages and disadvantages. I haven't found a video like that yet. Thanks.
Great review! I've been holding off getting the 1.8 version in the hopes that a 1.4 version might come out, so this feels like my prayer was answered. The manual aperture control ring is a huge plus as well!
I very much hope they make a Z-mount version of this lens, as Sigma do make a few DX lenses in the Z-mount and Nikon has no competing ultrawide prime either announced or on their roadmap. They've been pretty clear that the criteria for approved third-party lenses is whether it complements the first-party offerings.
A good review but a missed opportunity to compare with other brands. You mentioned the Sony 14GM and comparison images with that lens would really make this review much more usefull. Just my 2 cts! Bob
Nico, great review as always. The focus by wire is understandable these days for video, nikon are doing a new thing where they allow a linear option in the menu. Thus, I hope this comes to Z mount, and I hope that becomes an option.
Nice that you were able get one prior to release and make a review. Fascinating lens. This new one is at f1.4 as good as the old was was at f4, which is just insane (but so is the price and weight :D )
Like you said, don't hold your breath for a DSLR version, but I'd love to add this to my 3 Sigma Art primes, 20, 35, 50. I love these! Maybe the 14mm, 1.8 will end up available used at a good price now...hmm
Yeah I doubt DSLR version, it was optically designed for mirrorless and likely isn't possible on DSLR without costing like 3000 dollars 😢 I do wish Canon would allow Sigma to put out these new mirrorless lenses on RF mount
That's very impressive. Hopefully the HSM version will get a lot cheaper now that this is out. I still shoot on dslr cameras so that would be great news for me.
Thanks! All shots were at ISO800. Shutter speed increased to match exposure brightness. 2 min at f/1.4, 2.5 min at 1.8, 3 min at 2, 4 min at 2.8, 5 min at f/4.
@@nordic5490 Yes but the problem is some cameras such as the ASI6200MC or ASI2600MC already have a built in back focus of 17.5mm. The flange to focal distance for E-mount is 18mm. Unless you can find an adapter that is only 0.5mm thick, it won't matter if you can pre-focus on a Sony camera first. OTOH the L mount has a 20mm flange to focal distance so a custom adapter just might work.
I was hoping Sigma would announce that this lens would also be made for Nikon Z-mount (alongside Sony E & the L-mount). I guess the MegaDap ETZ21 adapter is in my near future...bc I don't see Sigma debuting the Z-mount 20/1.4 DG DN Art anytime soon either.
Very nice again Nico, Viltrox should have tested their new 16 mm f1.8 lens as well, it seems also great for stars at less than half the price. Also able to be used with 77 mm filters and is as good or even better than Sony 14mm f1.8 GM
Looks interesting, but unfortunately I don't have a Sony full-frame camera to try it with. Maybe I'll pick one up just to try out all the interesting new lenses coming out for E-mount. :)
@@br2v Ah, right. So you don't have the adapter yet, but in any case it sounds like it should work for manual focus at least. That does make it interesting, maybe I could get a Nikon Z full frame camera to test E-mount lenses.
I asked a few Astro photographers who had tried the 16mm Viltrox and they had returned them… it might be awesome for other use cases but they didn’t like for Astro. You also have to contend with sample variations with Viltrox it’s an issue across a lot of their range.
Hi, you've inspired me a lot getting in to astro as a beginner. My first lens is Samyang 12/2. But here in Sweden it's too light during night. I'm waiting for the fall.... This lens look stunning. But how is this compared to Sigma 16/1.4? Not much difference in numbers, but maybe in optics. But much cheaper for a beginner.
Well the 16mm 1.4 only covers APS-C, is not nearly as durable, and lacks more recent optical improvements for higher resolution sensors. For a beginner just getting something wide angle would be the best place to start. This lens is really the final boss of wide angle lenses, not something most beginners would be looking at
Hey Nico! The lens looks great in performance, but that focus-by-wire really kills my plans to pair it with a dedicated astro camera, like the 2600mc. Any other specific points you would consider to watch out for, when looking at such pairing?
It's a very good sensor for astrophotography, and it seems that Sigma offers a true 'raw' - no noise filtering, which is what astrophotographers typically want. As for the camera design, since the screen is fixed, the EVF is basically necessary unless you are willing to mod the screen to make it a flip screen. Otherwise, you will find yourself lying on the ground to frame and focus for astro. Battery life isn't great, but solutions are available for that. Software support is weak/ non-existent, so I use an intervalometer rather than a tethered laptop. I own the Sigma fp and for my style of astrophotography, I prefer the fp to the fp-L, but the fp-L is better for optical testing because the smaller pixels are less forgiving making it better for showing differences between two lenses like I was doing in this video. Other than the sensor, the cameras are basically identical. Definitely quirky, but if you don't mind working with a quirky camera, they produce very nice results.
14:50 When you get done send it down here to WV so I can test it too. 😂 I’m kidding but it’s good to see that more optical companies are thinking of us little astrophotographers.
Awesome in depth and well detailed review as always Niko! Objectively the 14 1.4 is clearly a better performer than the 14 1.8. Subjectively though, what is your opinion on fast ultrawide glass like this? for me I never really saw the point. I feel like you would be better off with something like a 14-24 2.8 and star tracker. To me being stuck at 14mm kinda gets boring after a while, so the versatility of being able to zoom and using the tracker to compensate for light (and get a better SNR) makes more sense than a big and heavy ultra wide prime.
I realized there is nothing called perfect untill you know how to use what you already have. People just buy random stuff thinking a ‘Perfect’ accessory will give them superiority over what they are doing right now. It’s true for few but not for all. I have seen people using so called ‘professional’ camera with shitty result. I bought 14 mm Sony 2000$ and returned just coz it didn’t give the prospective that I was looking for the nightscapes. I am using 20 mm right now and it is one of the best budget lens that you can ever have that doesn’t look unrealistic. Even if you are planning to buy 14mm, make sure you have option to return if not satisfied. Love your hobby, not tools. Just so be clear it’s my two cent and experience may differ person to person.
Is the focus lock a mechanical or electronic lock? If you set a proper focus then turn the camera off, walk around a few days, and set up for a shot.. will the focus still be correct?
I've sent the lens back, but the focus position does not seem to move once you've activated the lock. What you are suggesting may work if you didn't remove the lens from the camera, as I don't believe it resets on power off/on. For example, when I switched batteries, I had the manual focus lock on, and the focus position was still correct after I turned the camera back on. That said, keep in mind that focus position can change based on temperature since metal and glass will slightly contract/expand with temp. changes, and this can throw off focus even if the position of the glass elements to sensor hasn't changed through your manual intervention. The faster the f/ratio the smaller the critical zone of focus, and more likely a temperature swing will throw the system out of focus.
Awesome stuff.. got my Sigma C 16/1,4 DC DN still running and enjoying it. Can you give timing for shots, I mean how long was shutter open for each one?
Thanks! All shots were at ISO800. Shutter speed increased to match exposure brightness. 2 min at f/1.4, 2.5 min at 1.8, 3 min at 2, 4 min at 2.8, 5 min at f/4.
Great comparison. Haven't had time to check, have you any Tamron reviews? Yes or no will suffice, I'll look into it when I actually have time to watch. I have a Tamron 35mm f/1.4 and would love to see what someone who knows what they're doing can accomplish with it. :D
It's insane how quality has improved since moving to mirrorless. Next big thing is a curved sensor itself hope sony can pull that off considering they've already started on that tech way back. Ps - you can adapt this lens on nikon z mount as it has smallest flange distance in the world & there are some crazy adapters already.
I have the Samyang 14mm. It's so wide it's difficult to use for anything else. I used it on a huge cliff and I had to stand right up close to the cliff. Must be even wider on full frame.
Thanks Nico for the detailed review. Did you get a chance to review the Sony 14mm GM lens? It's much lighter, much better IQ vs the Sigma 1.8, my old Sigma copy (EF mount) was sold soon after I got the GM lens... IMHO it's a tough to swap out the Sony with this newer, yet much bigger lens, even with better image quality and the nice tripod ring.
@@godsinbox as far as I understand with the etz21 they don't firmware update for every single e-mount lens released or every single Nikon body released. The adapter should work with new lenses/bodies but sometimes not optimally in which case you can report it and they'll iron out the bugs. This is not a lens I'd be able to test personally but I'm just trying to help in case someone really wants to try this lens for Nikon. There is no need to be rude about it.
My mistake. I'm not a Sony or Nikon shooter so I was unaware of these 3rd-party adapters - it's great they exist. Would make me seriously consider picking up a Nikon mirrorless body.
I know Nikon Mirrorless lenses have had firmware updates that changed focus-by-wire to linear, allowing many different focusing tunings (90, 180, 270, 720, etc etc). Maybe Sigma will as well?
Can you maybe make a Video on the Askar Fma 180 Pro if there is an oportunity or something, that would be really nice, its so unknown i dont know, you almost see no videos on it here on youtube even though its really the cheapest Fully corrected triplet on the market. Probably the best Bang for the buck, when considering Quality over fl or aperture, isnt it? Edit: (Just to add: the most expensive teleobjective from the fma line is about 500 here in EU, show me a triplet for the same Price, you just cant)
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Hi Nico! I just thought of a cool idea to compare a dslr with a astro camera using Rokinon 135 maybe. Please let me know if you did something like that or planning to do it in the future.
"How does it compare to the Sony 14mm GM?" Most other reviews suggest that the Sigma is slightly sharper in the center. One review stated the coma and astigmatism in the corners were very similar to the GM.
I have both, both are superb. Sony is a TINY bit sharper in the centre. Sigma is significantly sharper in the corners, even at f1.4. Less astigmatism, less CA, better for astro in every way than the GM (other than size/weight). Sony stopped down to f2.2-2.5 matches the Sigma corners at f1.4.
@@timwhite1111 thanks. That is very helpful. I have the Sony and you are correct. It needs to be stopped down to f 2.8 or more, in my opinion, to get the results I want in the corners for astro.
Thanks for the review. Interesting but I think I'll stay with my 14-24 Nikon 2.8. I can fix my wonky stars with one click of a button in SIRIL. SIRIL is free and I get to keep the $1000.00+ in my pocket.
So I can carry a 1 pound G Master plus a ball head that weighs another pound and then fumble with the ball head to get everything aligned; or I can carry the Sigma which which may weigh a few ounces more but is tightly integrated, better balanced, offers two-thirds of a stop more light, and costs less than the combined price of the G-master and a ball head. By my calculation the Sigma comes out ahead.
Hello Nico, I hear such beautiful things about Sigma making their lenses more astrophotography friendly. I cannot understand why they do not have it for Nikon Z. It seems impossible because of the "short focal flange distance.." Therefore, should we focus on Nikon Z lenses or Sigma Art for the Nikon F with an FTZ adapter for us Nikon Z users?
Sigma should release it in M42 so it can adapt to any mount you want without licensing / IP issues. Kinda strange the third-party lens makers don’t do this for more lenses.
if the focus system could just focus on the pin points of light, there is no need for anything fancy on the lens. I've only seen Olympus do starry sky AF properly. All the big companies just stay in their lane and never innovate unless pushed.
Good point. And I have found I can actually use the touch autofocus on many mirrorless cameras on the stars already. The issue is reliability and time wasted if it's hunting. Have you tried the Olympus system. I've seen some of the reviews, but they didn't answer all my questions about it.
This video was interesting, just not for me...as I don't have a Sony. I do want to say, I love nearly all of your videos. I appreciate how you communicate. Not a fan of astrobackyard as he uses far more syllables than you to convey far less information. Often times, you hit multiple points and answer the questions that I have that arise as I am watching your videos. His skip over the questions he purports to address. I also concede your instruction isn't for everyone and his is probably spot on for them. I also watched all 8 hours of you critiquing other astro photos. I love that you invested the time to provide meaningful feedback to them all. Since you didn't ask, the only thing about your videos I would change is your rate of speech. I play them at 2x and still often times find them to be slow. But, I also listen to my audiobooks at 2.6x so its probably a me problem.
What are the differences between each type of mount? And what are f stops? Also, I want to do deep sky astrophotography not landscape or milky way, this means I should not opt for a wide angle lens right?
I ended up going for the Sony over Sigma because of the weight. I rented both and as soons as I saw them I was like there is no way I am carrying this huge thing in my bag.
Two thirds of a stop of light, as well as the mf ring lock feature. I wish the Sony 20/1,8G had that.. this Sigma is 200e more expensive than the GM here though
@@Vantrakter In these samples, even the center stars look like plus signs until f/2.8. Kind of defeats the point of being the fastest ultrawide astro lens if you have to stop down two stops to get tolerable stars. And if you're on a tracker, you'd be shooting at f/4 or smaller anyway. It's a focus-by-wire lens; the MF ring doesn't do anything if it's in AF mode. Disable shutter focus, and you got your focus lock on any lens. No need for gimmicky focus lock switches. ;)
@@NebulaPhotos It hasn't released yet. I'm considering it over the Skywatcher Esprit 150ED. If the performance is anything like the 130PHQ it should be an easy choice.
Unfortunately no, there is nothing available for that, and I am doubtful there will be. It would need to be a very thin 'smart' adapter like the 'astromechanics adapter for EF lenses' bu thinner because the manual focus doesn't work without electronic communication and the focal flange distance (backfocus) on these lenses is only 20mm, paltry compared to the 44mm available for EF. I talk about this for a bit in the middle of the video.
I think the bat wings in the corners of the f/1.8 lens is due to comatic aberration, not astigmatism. Did you try the Sigma 15 mm f/1.4 DG:DN Art lens?
@@NebulaPhotos Thank you Nico. The 15 is a cool lens, but 15 f/1.4 DG DN Art looks even more impressive for astrophotography, and seems to be well worth the price. In the other video, the 14 seems to have more field curvature than the 15. The 14 should have had a wider field of view, but doesn’t. Is that truly due to its optics and field stops, or is the Sigma camera pre-processing the data (it must know which lens is attached to it)? I have 4 Leica mirrorless digital cameras, and AFAIK, they do in-camera correction to some of the lenses (if they are 6-bit coded M mount lenses or electronically encoded L-mount lenses).
What focal length is the MW shot from 17:40? Because it doesn`t look like a completly 14mm MW so if it`s a crop from a larger file then those corners aren`t the original ones.
Probably not. Canon may come out with a great ultra wide RF lens, but even if they don’t there is plenty of still great EF lenses to adapt to the R system. The Sigma 28mm f/1.4 is a steal considering how good it is. You could also try the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8, and check out my previous review of 14mm lenses. I’d say the Rokinon 14mm 2.4 SP would probably be good enough for most peoples needs
Yes, this is a new design for mirrorless cameras only. Canon EF mount is for Canon SLR and DSLR (cameras with a flip-up mirror). Designing a lens specifically for mirrorless cameras offers new opportunities because of the shorter focal flange distance. This means the rear glass elements can be about 24mm closer to the sensor since they don't have to accommodate the flip-up mirror in a DSLR. That allows for more complex designs that offer better correction and faster optics. I don't expect Sigma will be making any new lens designs for Canon EF. We all hope Sigma will be able to make lenses for the Canon RF mount, but so far Canon hasn't allowed for 3rd-party autofocus lenses on the R system.
I don't shoot Nikon or Sony mirrorless, so maybe I'm unaware of some super thin active adapter? If memory serves there is only a 2mm difference between their FFDs.
FotodioX, Megadap, & Techart have E-lens to Z body adapters, the latter two even keep autofocus... but reviews on all three are pretty mixed Hopefully Nikon let’s sigma sell this lens in native Z mount. I’m… not really holding my breath for canon anytime soon
I normally don't do any calibration frames when shooting the milky way with wide angle lenses like this. You are correct that you can't use a flats panel with tulip lens hood, so if you want to do flats the best options are: 1. sky flats 2. another large even light source like an evenly illuminated white wall 3. a large DIY flat box
@@NebulaPhotos Many thanks for this. I'm new to astrophotography and only just received my Star Adventurer GTI mount to go with my Canon 5D and 300mm L series lens. So I'm still learning the basics. Again thanks for the much needed help.
Hello, I`m planning to buy a Nikon D7500 ( unmodified)+ 300 mm AF/VR Lens ( no telescope will be used). what`s the best Filter do you recommand to get the best image for deep sky objets. I do appreciate your help! Thank you :)
Would you recommend this lens if you had to buy a camera to use it? And also , of the cameras that are compatible with this lens which of them would be best as an astrophoto camera to go on telescopes?
No, unless you had a very specific use case in mind like a once-in-a-lifetime aurora trip or something like that. Email me for specific advice on lens/camera buying: nicocarver@gmail.com
I don't think there is any easy way to protect the front. Like many ultra-wides, this has a fixed petal type lens hood and no front filter threads. There are expensive systems for using square filters on a lens like this, but it isn't something you can leave on the lens.
@@NebulaPhotos you can check out haida and fotodiox, they tailor make frames to put uv filters in front of bulbus lenses, i got one for my sony 12-24 f2.8 gm
Harding Beach in Chatham, Aldrich member's field (aldrich.club) Not in MA, but close: Ninigret Park in RI, Sunapee Ski Area parking lot in NH, Overlooks in the White Mts. in NH (where I shot this, and only 2.5 hours from Boston)
Nice review, really helpful. Have 2 questions: 1. How you are configured the skywalker synscan so that can follow the milk way during the shooting? I play to buy the EQ6 R pro synscan to begin with astrofotography with my Sony A7R5 and sony 14mm Astro lense. To let me the way open to develop in future with a e.g. astro camera mono, I decided for EQ6. But now starting and make reseach to control the mechanics during long time fotographing, I cannot really find something how to setup the synscan with synscan app and Stellarium. Would you pls help me here with an info? 2. The heating ring :-) do you have a link? thx in advance Carsten
