Making a fine manual adjustment is difficult in that range due to the very small focus throw of only about 90 degrees (the Tamron 35 VC has nearly double that!). Manually focusing the lens is also limited by a very short “throw” distance, particularly between about 6 feet and infinity. I find the damping a little on the heavy/stiff side, but on the plus side it doesn’t feel “gritty” at all. The movement isn’t as smooth as, say, Tamron’s new 35mm f/1.8 VC lens. It has a nicely ribbed, slightly rubberized texture. The next bevel moves into the slightly wider focus ring. The HSM (Hypersonic Motor) allows for full time manual override. The first bevel flares from the lens mount section into the area of the distance window and the single switch that controls focus (Auto/Manual). The lens has four distinct bevels that flow into a wider section as you move towards the front element. On the bottom of the barrel is an 0xx number which clearly and obviously states the year of manufacture (bravo for simplicity!) An elegant little silver circle with the letter A (for ART) rests next the focus distance window. Less obvious is a very small sized serial number in a grey text that is only obvious under close examination. The lens has small white text on one side that says, “Made in Japan”, an understated SIGMA brand on the top, and then the lens designation and filter thread size near the distance window of the top of the barrel. Yes, the lens is essentially all black with some small white print in a few points, but the blend of textures keeps the lens from being monochromatic or boring. The “flocked” finish is a thing of the past (good riddance, I say), as is the gold ring that seems almost garish now when presented with this sleek, understated new design. There is a very pleasing blend of glossy, matte, and ribbed surfaces that has both a modern yet elegant design. Sigma is no longer the de facto choice, but do these new options make it any less deserving of your consideration? Build Quality and Design I decided to go ahead and do a review of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART (35A for short henceforth) that took into account the new releases from Canon and Tamron. The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART lens launched Sigma’s rebranding/coming out party with their Global Vision initiative. Then Sigma shocked the photography world at the end of 2012 by introducing this beautiful new lens that looked nothing like a Sigma. But Sigma (along with Tamron) was still stuck in a third party/third world mentality, namely, that their niche was to offer budget alternatives to first party lenses that undercut them in price, offered competitive optical performance, but were usually inferior in build and autofocus performance. Four years ago most professionals sneered at the notion of owning a Sigma over a first party lens, despite the release of a fairly good EX 50mm f/1.4 and a very good EX 85mm f/1.4. Just pause for a moment and consider just how incomprehensible that would have been four or five years ago. I had never reviewed the lens previously, but when the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM was released I knew a lot of people would be interested in knowing how it compared to the current benchmark in the industry, and shockingly, that benchmark was not made by Canon, Nikon, or Zeiss it was made by Sigma. It has been on the market for more than three years, and has gotten both writer’s ink and photographer’s dollars like no Sigma lens before it. I recognize that I’m a little late to the party in reviewing the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART lens.
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