juanmaasecas
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About the lenses:
I have recently compared my copy of the Sigma 35 1.4 (Canon + MC-11) against a native Sony FE version from a friend and another Canon version of the lens from another friend, and whilst all of them are similar in the center (actually mine is a tiny bit weaker), my copy is quite a bit sharper towards the edges, and the FE copy is a bit sharper in the left mid-frame. I tested these lenses separate days in my A7R2.
The Samyang lens (one copy from another friend), has firmware .02
The comparison Sigma-Samyang was done in my A7III
Sample top right crop at 1.4, my lens (left) vs Sigma FE (right)
And below, another crop compared to another copy of the Sigma Canon version (in the same MC-11 and a7r2). My copy (left) vs my friend's (right), 100% crop right edge
That being said, and knowing my copy of the Sigma is not bad, let's compare to the Samyang.
First shot. Lamp at post office. Only raised exposure of the Samyang by 0.66 stops as it underexposed. Shot at 1.4. General pic.
The Sigma looks cleaner to me (no lens profile applied)
100% crop focus and transition zones
The sigma just looks better to me, cleaner, less loca in the bokeh and better micro contrast.
(please download the raws and compare yourself)
Second shot. Lowered 0.5 stops in the Samyang. Lens corrections off
100% in the focus zone, the Samyang is a bit sharper
But the samyang is green towards the corners
And the sigma has considerably less dof in front of the focus plane...
Next pic: full body portrait outdoors 1
200% crop on face. The sigma looks a bit better to me, but some purple fringing is visible (I think Samyang is correcting CA in raw and I can't disable corrections in lightroom, they look very similar in CO though)
On the clothes (this is 200%), the Sigma has the extra micro contrast and pop, whilst the samyang is just FLAT
Trousers/feet 100% crop. Again, look at the contrast/pop of the Sigma, and how the samyang is turning green
Bokeh in this side, the sigma looks MUCH better
However in the other side, the samyang look softer. Decentering issues in the lenses?
Next picture, full body portrait in landscape orientation
The sigma just looks much cleaner and better without zooming in. Let's go 200% on the face
Now on the trousers again, in this case the Samyang is better, seems to be a dof issue here, I'm very close and tilting the camera up, and the Sigma has less dof than the samyang
Towards the corners, the Samyang seems sharper (more dof as well), but look at the colors
The samyang is green.
Left bokeh, the Samyang is softer (the sigma makes you dizzy sometimes), but it looks like a fuzzy old lens, with those dirty colors and look
Let's have a look at the right side of the bokeh. Again, the samyang might be a tad softer.
Next pic, 3D "landscape" at 1.4
200% crop on the focused area. The adapted Sigma focused better than the native samyang (firm 02). I can't find a single area where the Samyang is sharper though, I don't know where it focused...
Below, a crop in the focused area at f2.8. The samyang is still out of focus...
But in this case I could spot the samyang focused in the buildings at the end:
In this 200% crop at 5.6, the samyang is still not able to focus or resolve the center against the sigma
And in this case, I don't know where the samyang focused again, look at the buildings in the background in this case:
Please feel free to download these and more raws and play with them yourself and share your thoughts
https://mega.nz/#F!lZATBQAB!RHRAQDWzYvRBAyAedfEk4Q
My conclusions are:
- The Sigma 35 1.4 Art Canon version is actually smaller than the Samyang, and you just need the adapter once and use multiple canon mount lenses. The sigma FE is the same size and weight (roughly) as the Samyang.
- The Sigma canon version second handed is actually cheaper than the Samyang.
- The Sigma has better colors and NO weird green color casts that the Samyang has towards the corners.
- The Sigma has better micro contrast, better color separation and better 3d pop
- The Sigma has a cleaner and better look.
- The samyang might have some extra resolution in some spots sometimes (maybe different field curvature, etc), but the global look of the sigma is always better from my point of view.
- The AF on the Sigma, even when adapted on MC-11, is way better and consistent than the Samyang (v02 version)
For all the above reasons, I think the Sigma 35mm ART is a much much better lens than the Samyang. I'd love to test the Canon 35 1.4 II.
I have recently compared my copy of the Sigma 35 1.4 (Canon + MC-11) against a native Sony FE version from a friend and another Canon version of the lens from another friend, and whilst all of them are similar in the center (actually mine is a tiny bit weaker), my copy is quite a bit sharper towards the edges, and the FE copy is a bit sharper in the left mid-frame. I tested these lenses separate days in my A7R2.
The Samyang lens (one copy from another friend), has firmware .02
The comparison Sigma-Samyang was done in my A7III
Sample top right crop at 1.4, my lens (left) vs Sigma FE (right)
And below, another crop compared to another copy of the Sigma Canon version (in the same MC-11 and a7r2). My copy (left) vs my friend's (right), 100% crop right edge
That being said, and knowing my copy of the Sigma is not bad, let's compare to the Samyang.
First shot. Lamp at post office. Only raised exposure of the Samyang by 0.66 stops as it underexposed. Shot at 1.4. General pic.
The Sigma looks cleaner to me (no lens profile applied)
100% crop focus and transition zones
The sigma just looks better to me, cleaner, less loca in the bokeh and better micro contrast.
(please download the raws and compare yourself)
Second shot. Lowered 0.5 stops in the Samyang. Lens corrections off
100% in the focus zone, the Samyang is a bit sharper
But the samyang is green towards the corners
And the sigma has considerably less dof in front of the focus plane...
Next pic: full body portrait outdoors 1
200% crop on face. The sigma looks a bit better to me, but some purple fringing is visible (I think Samyang is correcting CA in raw and I can't disable corrections in lightroom, they look very similar in CO though)
On the clothes (this is 200%), the Sigma has the extra micro contrast and pop, whilst the samyang is just FLAT
Trousers/feet 100% crop. Again, look at the contrast/pop of the Sigma, and how the samyang is turning green
Bokeh in this side, the sigma looks MUCH better
However in the other side, the samyang look softer. Decentering issues in the lenses?
Next picture, full body portrait in landscape orientation
The sigma just looks much cleaner and better without zooming in. Let's go 200% on the face
Now on the trousers again, in this case the Samyang is better, seems to be a dof issue here, I'm very close and tilting the camera up, and the Sigma has less dof than the samyang
Towards the corners, the Samyang seems sharper (more dof as well), but look at the colors
The samyang is green.
Left bokeh, the Samyang is softer (the sigma makes you dizzy sometimes), but it looks like a fuzzy old lens, with those dirty colors and look
Let's have a look at the right side of the bokeh. Again, the samyang might be a tad softer.
Next pic, 3D "landscape" at 1.4
200% crop on the focused area. The adapted Sigma focused better than the native samyang (firm 02). I can't find a single area where the Samyang is sharper though, I don't know where it focused...
Below, a crop in the focused area at f2.8. The samyang is still out of focus...
But in this case I could spot the samyang focused in the buildings at the end:
In this 200% crop at 5.6, the samyang is still not able to focus or resolve the center against the sigma
And in this case, I don't know where the samyang focused again, look at the buildings in the background in this case:
Please feel free to download these and more raws and play with them yourself and share your thoughts
https://mega.nz/#F!lZATBQAB!RHRAQDWzYvRBAyAedfEk4Q
My conclusions are:
- The Sigma 35 1.4 Art Canon version is actually smaller than the Samyang, and you just need the adapter once and use multiple canon mount lenses. The sigma FE is the same size and weight (roughly) as the Samyang.
- The Sigma canon version second handed is actually cheaper than the Samyang.
- The Sigma has better colors and NO weird green color casts that the Samyang has towards the corners.
- The Sigma has better micro contrast, better color separation and better 3d pop
- The Sigma has a cleaner and better look.
- The samyang might have some extra resolution in some spots sometimes (maybe different field curvature, etc), but the global look of the sigma is always better from my point of view.
- The AF on the Sigma, even when adapted on MC-11, is way better and consistent than the Samyang (v02 version)
For all the above reasons, I think the Sigma 35mm ART is a much much better lens than the Samyang. I'd love to test the Canon 35 1.4 II.
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