Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Sigma SA

The Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens features a cinema-first design that will appeal to videographers, but photographers may want to opt for a lighter alternative.

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  Pricey., Heavy., Some barrel distortion and vignette., Doesn't focus as close as some others., No stabilization.

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  Excellent resolution., Bright f/1.4 aperture., Minimal focus breathing., All-weather build., Fluorine coating., Available for multiple camera systems.

Overall, the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 Art lens is remarkable and leading this lens' remarkableness is the image quality. Few lenses have image quality (especially resolution and contrast) as good as this one, few lenses have wide open image quality as good as this one and that few lenses have an aperture as...

I don’t think I could have gotten this shot with any other lens, and it’s a testament to the quality and engineering that went into this Sigma 40mm f/1.4.I focused on the flower just to the left of the sun as it peeked over the horizon and it’s sharp as a tack.

If you’re using the Sigma 40mm f1.4 DG HSM Art, know that no matter what, you’re going to get great image quality and a lens that just overall performs admirably. It’s fantastic with its build quality, its image output, the focusing speed (which is practically more than good enough) etc.

We’re very excited to be playing with the Sigma 40mm f1.4 Art DG HSM; stay tuned for our full review.

Bottom Line The Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens features a cinema-first design that will appeal to videographers, but photographers may want to opt for a lighter alternative.

Sigma isn’t short of fast primes in its lineup, so where does this latest addition fit in? Michael Topham takes a closer look

While Sigma’s lighter, much cheaper and slightly wider 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art lens is perhaps a more sensible option for many, the 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art lens's sterling optical performance deserves high praise.

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  Excellent sharpness, even wide open, Great corner sharpness at f/1.4, Lovely out-of-focus areas, Solid build quality, Virtually non-existent chromatic aberration

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  Noticeable vignetting at widest apertures, AF sounds picked up on video, Very large for a 40mm lens, Far pricier than other logical alternatives, Heavy

This is both the sharpest and heaviest (pound for pound) lens Ive ever used. I dont want to shoot with anything else. Odd focal length but starting to love it, especially when I know Im getting the best results from it. It is ungodly big and heavy though.

Phenomenal sharpness and great colors across the frame. Autofocus is fast enough, and bokeh is beautiful. Heavy for the focal length, but the results are worth it. 40mm can work like both 35mm and 50mm, a really convenient length for general use.