Sigma 35 f1.4 different performance on different cameras

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Mark K
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Sigma 35 f1.4 different performance on different cameras

Unread post by Mark K »

http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/Best-len ... Pentax-K-3
DxO mark published results for lens recommendation for Pentax K3, another great camera using similar sensor found in D7100/A77.
Interesting thing is, Sigma 34 f1.4 performs much better on D7100.
This is somehow answered my long time question feeling images from Sony is somehow inferior to those from Nikon/Canon.
Image

My interpretations are
1. D7100 uses a sensor from Toshiba, which is similar but better than one used in K3/A77
2. A77 has an SLT which greatly reduces image quality, even from capturing via a decent lens.
classiccameras
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Re: Sigma 35 f1.4 different performance on different cameras

Unread post by classiccameras »

Mark, thanks for bringing these results to the forum, I would take issue not just with you but DxOMark. I have never really taken much notice of DxOMark preferring to make judgement on real world results rather than lab tests.

I certainly wouldn't say there is a 'vast' difference between SLT and more conventional DSLR's. about 3 quarters to one stop difference and in real world not that noticable. There is no doubting the new range of Nikons with either Toshiba or Sony sensors and 24mp are leading the field, albeit a bit noisier, but I simply cannot see much advantage over 16/18mp at my level of photography. Its interesting though to see just where this pixel race is going.
David Kilpatrick
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Re: Sigma 35 f1.4 different performance on different cameras

Unread post by David Kilpatrick »

I don't know whether the D7100 is a Toshiba sensor, or a Toshiba fabbed sensor - that is, that Nikon designed 24 MP sensors and has had them manufactured by Sony or Toshiba as best capacity suited. My experience with the D7100 was that is had high noise levels, a gritty look, not the world's most lovely colours but we were given the camera to test in January in Scotland so it didn't exactly get sympathetic conditions.

I do not know why Nikon did this. Sony has done much the same in the past. For the D80 launch, and for the A100 launch, Nikon and Sony both booked flights and facilities in Morocco - in November and June (really, Sony did not need Morocco in June...). This ensured plenty of good light and colourful subjects, day and night, outdoors and indoors. For the A900 Sony picked the dark streets od Edinburgh which I love but they really don't reward sensor shadow range, Nikon chose a frozen and windy Loch Lomond for the D7100. I know the costs of these places and they could have done the launch in Spain, Greece, Malta, Croatia, Italy etc for less.

At the moment I have the D5300 here, another camera launched in midwinter and using a 24 megapixel sensor which does not like midwinter. Is it better than my 'old' A77? Maybe it has slightly less noise, but the colour really is not even close to the Sony colour.

I've tested the Sigma 35 f/1.4 but only on full frame Canon and Nikon, never on Sony (they simply don't have the lenses in A mount soon enough). I can see no point in testing this on APS-C as it's a full frame lens. It's the best 35mm f/1.4 I've used. So no matter what body it is used on, I would expect it to be a good choice.

David
Mark K
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Re: Sigma 35 f1.4 different performance on different cameras

Unread post by Mark K »

Thanks David for the input.
I got my Sigma 35 1.4 on D800 and this lens is phonemically sharp. The colour is however very weird. I now permanently mount Sigma 35 on my D800 as a standard lens.
I did not buy D7100 because my fellow shooters ditch it shortly after telling me about the noise issue. I kept my distance from D7100 because of the shallow buffer for RAW and maybe I am still waiting for D400
As for A77, I always blame the noise issue to SLT until I saw DxO's report on Sigma 35 f1.4's performance on K3. From my heart, K3 must be the best APSC camera available but how come Sigma's 35 performs differently on K3 and D7100?
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