Hands On: Sigma 24-70mm DG DN II Arts - The new standard zoom
Many new products are currently following on from each other, the Sigma 24-70 DG DN II was presented on the same day as the Lumix S9, we also had the chance to use it for the L-mount, so we organized another small shoot and took some photos with the S5IIX. We will show two of them later in this blog article.
A 24-70 standard zoom Lens is an investment that almost every photographer has in his backpack or fundus, because this focal length is super flexible for most fields of application falls, such as event photography, wedding photography or studio photography, where the name: standard zoom comes from.
The size & weight to the predecessor Sigma 24-70mm f2.8
It is 4.7mm shorter than its predecessor and slightly slimmer, but overall about 10% lighter than the first generation DG DN Lens. This results in a weight of 745g and a somewhat modernized design, which is also noticeable later in handling. We don't need to go into the build quality any further, because it is fantastic, as usual with Sigma.
Controls of the Sigma 24-70mm DG DN II
Sigma has listened to some influencers here, you might think, and now offers a lens lock in addition to the click/de-click switch to prevent the photographer from accidentally adjusting the aperture. As you would expect, this zoom lens also has a zoom lock lever to prevent the zoom from slipping when the camera is hanging on the shoulder strap. The always controversial AFL button has also made it into the Lens. Instead of one button, there are now two buttons, which can be set individually with compatible cameras.
Autofocus of the new Sigma 24-70mm f2.8
The autofocus is super fast, super quiet and works perfectly with the S5IIX used in the test. This camera remains accurate even in backlit situations. Although focus breathing is also present in places with this lens, it is better than with the previous model. It has become much more functional, especially for dynamic movements such as in sports, and offers an alternative to Panasonic's own standard zoom of the L-mount, which is very large and heavy. Of course, the Sigma 24-70 is a challenger to the last 24-70 GM2 from Sony, it took 2 years, but now it's here and we say that the L-mount benefits a little more here than the Sony Fe mount does.
Olivia as Leon from Resident Evil - Test of the Sigma 24 70 DG DN II L-MountThe new image quality
Sigma would not introduce a lens that is not better than its predecessor, so this lens is said to be 3x sharper. Of course, we can't measure this, but the MTF curve looks very good. We were also only able to detect a few very weak spots in the chromatic aberrations and that was perfectly fine for us! See for yourself and take a look at the raw images from the test shoot.
The close focusing distance of the new 24-70 DG DN II ART makes it almost a macro lens. An image scale of 1:2.7 is possible in the wide-angle range. In the telephoto range, a reproduction scale of 1:4.5 is achieved, which offers more possibilities for playing with the depth of field at an aperture of 2.8. This can be an interesting aspect for many product and wedding photographers.
Sigma has also made further improvements to the coating, resulting in less flaring and ghosting. We were able to confirm this to the extent that you can see very little of this with this lens. Overall, the optics look very perfect and the sharpness and sharpening process create a very clean and digital look!
By the way, if you're wondering why the highlights are blooming, no mist filters were used and it wasn't the lens. The images were edited in Photoshop.
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art L-Mount
- Closest focusing distance: 17cm (W) - 34cm (T)
- maximum magnification: 1:2.7 (Ww)
- maximum magnification: 1:4 (telephoto)
- Filter size: 82mm
- Internal focusing
- Supports DMF and AF+MF
- Two AFL buttons
- Focus mode switch
- high-precision, robust brass bayonet
- Dust and splash water protection
Olivia as Leon from Resident Evil - Backlit situation - Test of the Sigma 24 70 DG DN II L-Mount
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art Sony FE-Mount
- Closest focusing distance: 17cm (W) - 34cm (T)
- maximum magnification: 1:2.7 (Ww)
- maximum magnification: 1:4 (telephoto)
- Filter size: 82mm
- Internal focusing
- Supports DMF and AF+MF
- Two AFL buttons
- Focus mode switch
- high-precision, robust brass bayonet
- Dust and splash water protection
Conclusion:
An update that probably not many have been waiting for, but which at the end of the day is right at the top of the list when considering whether you need a 24-70 lens. We would say a clear buy recommendation for the new generation! If you produce more videos, you should definitely go for this version rather than the older model, especially the weight saving and the improved image quality make all the difference.
About the people involved in the shoot
Photographer: Terobesarts
@terobesarts
terobesarts.de
Model: Olivia
@komorichu
