AMAZING! Sigma 24-70mm for Sony FE USER EXPERIENCE REVIEW 2020

This is the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 art lens for the Sony full-frame E-mount, probably the most anticipated versatile zoom lens ever. The reason for that is because it was speculated to be a lot less expensive compared to the Sony G Master equivalent, and well, the speculations were right. For almost half the cost, it does make a lens like this more enticing. With Sigma's track record of making state-of-the-art lenses, because get it, they make art series lenses. Anyways, that means we can expect the quality of images and video it produces look amazing. But in this video, we're actually going to be taking a look at the performance of the lens, such as autofocus tracking, weather sealing, and the overall user experience. First and foremost, the reason why anyone would want to consider a lens like this is the versatility. It doesn't matter the brand, any 24-70mm is suitable for a wide range of photography and videography usage, including but not limited to travel, portraits, landscape, street, weddings, and events. With a constant aperture of f2.8, not only will we get a decent amount of bokeh, but it will also allow the user to squeeze in extra bit of light in low-light situations. Check out this shot right here I caught in Japan, f2.8 ISO 800. But what's interesting here is that I'm shooting handheld at 70mm, but with a shutter speed of ⅛ of a second. Normally, it would be a very blurry shot with these settings, but because of the combination with the camera's in-body image stabilization, I was able to achieve a very clean nightscape shot. Versus this photo right here, taken at f2.8 and 70mm as well, but with a shutter speed of 1 over 50. For this second photo, I had to push my ISO to 3200 just to get roughly the same exposure. However, this image here is a lot grainier and not as clean compared to the first shot. With that said, let's go ahead and jump into image quality. I've shot with many Sigma Art lenses, especially the prime lenses, and I've come to know Sigma to yield extremely sharp results. It's definitely a characteristic of the Art lenses. Sigma 24-70mm, no exception. I am very happy with what I see. So then, let's talk about bokeh. You see, funny thing about the bokeh characteristics of Sigma Art lenses. It's something that I've noticed, but have never really sat down and process it and try to describe it. But, there's a look. I found this article off Google from Joseph Perry of DIY Photography, and he describes the bokeh of the Sigma Art to be quote-unquote, confusing. Has a terrible ability to render things out of focus in high contrast. There's no creaminess to it. Now, that's just his opinion on why he doesn't like the bokeh of the but I personally have always loved the look that comes out of Sigma lenses. But, it is his article that helped me describe the bokeh the best. The out-of-focus blur from the Sigma Art lenses definitely sticks out. It's not creamy unless you're using the Sigma Art 135 at 1.8 or the 105 at 1.4, but wider range lenses tend to have a more obvious blur that may end up being distracting for some people. I don't know. Let me know in the comments down below your thoughts on this matter. So, before we move on to the autofocus performance, I just want to give one of our sponsors a quick shout out. Peak Design. Peak Design just launched their new version 2 everyday bags, and so far, I am loving the new updated designs. The sling 10L in particular is looking a lot sleeker. Compared to version 1, this version is a lot less boxier. The version 2 everyday backpack, while it does look similar to version 1, actually have some new tricks up its sleeves, quite literally. The inner side pockets have been revamped. The zipper and magnetic pockets just makes things easier to organize and store smaller accessories. It may not seem like a big deal, but it's the little things that make the overall user experience a lot more enjoyable. They even squeezed in a couple of extra pockets at the top, which I like to use to sort out fresh and used batteries. There are still some newly improved features that I haven't gotten a chance to touch up on in this video, but if you want to learn more, head to their website for all the latest updates. Now, unlike their version 1s, there is no Kickstarter, there is no wait. These bags are readily available now, so find them at your local camera store or the links in the description box below. And drop in the comments down below if you want to see me review these bags in the future. Next up, let's talk about autofocus. I haven't noticed any poor performance when it comes to snapping photos, so we're going focus more on the video autofocus instead. Video autofocus is probably a lot of third-party lenses' major Achilles heel. Some would focus hunt a lot, some would have trouble tracking subjects and keeping them in focus. And in the case of Sigma Art lenses that were released in 2018 for the Sony full-frame E-mount, the video autofocus was something that I heavily criticized for having the exact troubles that I've mentioned. And that's because these Sigma Art lenses were initially designed for DSLRs, but the mount was redone to fit the Sony E-mount. That's why the autofocus capability was a bit dodgy. However, this Sigma R24-70 was built from the ground up. It was specifically designed for the mirrorless camera, so in theory, they should be a lot more reliable. To test that, we went to the biggest consumer's electronics convention, CES in Las Vegas, to put the Sigma 24-70 in a real-world test. The reason why we did it here is because if I were to cover an event like this one, a 24-70 f2.8 would be the lens that I would use. Again, versatility is key when it comes to run-and-gun on-the-spot mobile shoots. Also, just a huge thank you to B&H for getting us out to CES. So we're doing a bit of autofocus tracking test with the Sigma 24-70 on the Sony a7 III. I have it right now with a gimbal. We're gonna follow Vivian doing her little go-kart adventure here at Segway. I don't look funny, do I? Do I look funny? Great, thanks. Thank you very much. From what I'm seeing here, I hardly notice any focus breathing or hunting. It does a great job holding down the focus on any subjects that we point at, especially when it comes to tracking motion. It held on extremely well. If the subject goes out of sight, the lens is able to react fast enough to reacquire focus and lock on. This is important because, again, not many third-party lenses can do that, as most tend to have trouble interacting with the camera's autofocusing technology. The only other ones that perform well is Sony's own set of lenses and Tamron's recent full-frame E-mount lenses. Speaking of Tamron, one of the biggest features that were touted on their 17-28 and 28-75 lenses is the close focusing capability. And, well, the Sigma 24-70 has that as well, and I am quite shocked. So I was very curious about these 6K and 8K drones here for Motel, so I'll try and do a little bit of b-roll. And I noticed the minimum focusing distance on the Sigma 24-70 lens can get really close to the drone. It's amazing. I am literally covering the entire lens of the drone, and I'm still in focus on my camera screen here. Ridiculous. And because I did try vlogging with this lens, it is definitely possible, and it is also definitely not recommended. 24mm is barely wide enough, but the whole lens is heavy to try to use with just one arm. I would recommend something smaller and lighter. Which brings us to form factor. It is a heavy lens for casual usage. Casual usage as in vlogging, vacation, travel, general walk around lens. Now don't get me wrong, for pro use, it is definitely worth the wait. When I picked up this lens for the first time in Japan and tried using it for the last week that we were there, while I did love the image quality that I'm getting, overall it wasn't worth the struggle bringing it wherever I go. If you've seen any videos of mine back in November and December of 2019, I was using the 24mm and 85mm prime lenses a whole lot. Light setups, and I was blasting a lot of photos. This, this almost felt like a burden holding in my hands and in my backpack. However, the feeling is different when I'm using this lens for a job. I'm still working on my Tokyo street photography video, but here's me running and gunning with this lens filming my friend Lucas as he captures the street of Tokyo. I was more concerned getting the shot rather than the weight of the setup, and I definitely appreciate the versatility of the zoom lens because I would have definitely struggled trying to get different looks with a prime lens. Same sentiment when I was using the lens on a gimbal at CES. When I'm running around focused on getting the shots, it's fine. But after the first day and when the coverage starts getting a little slow, this was a drag to drag around. So do consider what you'll be using this lens for because otherwise it is fantastic. I shot this lens out in the rain with Lucas and the weather sealing held up extremely well. And this ain't no mild shower rain either. This was a full-on pouring rain and the setup was out for at least two hours. Needless to say, the whole entire setup was drenched. But everything, everything is still working a-okay. Aside from that, buttons. You got the autofocus manual focus toggle which is extremely handy. Like Sony lenses with the focus hold buttons, Sigma included a focus lock button as well which I believe can be reprogrammable to anything you want. And they have standard lock like most 24-70s, keeping your lens nice and compact so it doesn't slowly erect when you're walking around. Did I seriously just write that? Overall, as with any 24-70s, it is incredibly versatile. If you're looking for a one-and-done lens, this zoom range is it. And for the Sigma in particular, for the price, it is definitely worth it. And I know some people are going to ask for my thoughts on this. So, compared to the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8, I really, really like having a 24mm on the wide end. It's worth spending the extra dollars to squeeze out that extra 4mm of distance. With that said, personally, I think this lens is kind of heavy. For travel, for personal vacation like how I was using it in Japan, it definitely weighed me down. I still prefer the 28-75 Tamron for the lightness, for vacation, for travel. And even if I'm running and gunning for events, I would get less fatigued with that setup. However, if weight is not a concern to you, you might like this one more. Especially if you're doing any sort of studio work, whether it's outside or inside, YouTube stuff, high-end production stuff, where you can keep the lens grounded most of the time and maybe from time to time go mobile with it on a glidecam or a gimbal, the Sigma will be fantastic for that. Again, a huge thanks to B&H for getting us out to CES. Drop in the comments down below whether or not you're picking up the Sigma R 24-70mm f2.8 and let me know your experience with it when you do pick it up. Follow me and tag me on IG at jasonvmedia and I'll reshare some of my favorite photos on my stories. Guys, thank you so much for watching. I'll see you guys in the next video. Peace!