Sample Gallery: Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 at Vans Warped Tour
Sigma brings unmatched speed to a wide angle zoom.
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Sigma has been consistently pushing its standards when it comes to the quality of its lenses. The Sigma Art series, which includes the 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM, is proof of the great quality it's capable of producing. That said, we decided to take another Sigma Art lens, the Sigma's 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM (MSRP $799), for a spin.
Initially, we played around with it on a Nikon D3200, but we were interested to see what it could do on a full-frame sensor. With that goal in mind, we slapped it on a Nikon D3 and took it to shoot at Vans Warped Tour – where we had previously shot with Sigma's 50mm Art lens. The results did not disappoint. Obviously we couldn't shoot any wider than 28mm without getting a vignette, but when zooming in it does actually cover the full-frame sensor. Plus, you can't really shoot any wider than that at an event like Warped Tour except for wide crowd shots.
While we don't recommend picking up the 18-35mm f/1.8 for a full-frame camera—You can only really use 28-35mm and are better served by Sigma's 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art—we consistently got sharp images in a fast-paced environment where lighting conditions change nearly instantly and without warning. The constant f/1.8 aperture let us adjust framing without having to make exposure changes while still getting very sharp images. It is a lens that's unmatched by first-party manufacturers and is a must have for APS-C shooters looking for a fast, wide angle lens.
Samples
Below are images that were taken at Warped Tour with the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 on a Nikon D3 body. They were post-processed in Photoshop CC with minimal sharpness changes. We encourage you to view the full resolution images that are linked to see just how sharp this lens really is.
Bands featured: Breathe Carolina, The Color Morale, Vanna, and Dangerkids.
The minimum focus length allows you to get extremely close to subjects.
Aperture: f/1.8 Focal Length: 35mm (on a full frame) Shutter: 1/320 ISO: 200 Download Original Size Version
Quick focusing allows moments that happen quickly to be captured.
Aperture: f/1.8 Focal Length: 35mm (on a full frame) Shutter: 1/1250 ISO: 200 Download Original Size Version
The bokeh at f:/1.8 is smooth and adds to the images.
Aperture: f/1.8 Focal Length: 35mm (on a full frame) Shutter: 1/3200 ISO: 200 Download Original Size Version
The detail picked up – even wide open – is extremely sharp.
Aperture: f/1.8 Focal Length: 35mm (on a full frame) Shutter: 1/1600 ISO: 100 Download Original Size Version
Even the finest details – like dripping sweat – are picked up well.
Aperture: f/1.8 Focal Length: 35mm (on a full frame) Shutter: 1/4000 ISO: 200 Download Original Size Version
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