For astrophotographers and real estate photographers, this lens is very exciting! Sigma has announced the world's fastest 14mm lens for the Sony FE Mount and Leica L mounts.
Up until now, most 14mm lenses fell between the f/1.8 and f/2.8 range. However, Sigma has now designed this superb f/1.4 lens specifically for astrophotographers, and already, the images are looking very impressive!
The new f/1.4 will retail for $1599 through authorized US retailers and will be available late June 2023. This price point makes the new lens very attractive when compared to the f/1.8 versions already on the market at the same price point.
For Sony bodies, Sigma already has a 14mm f/1.8 which retails around $1,600, and Sony has the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM, retailing at $1,600 as well (though it's currently on sale at $1,498 at time of writing).
The New Sigma 14mm f/1.4 for Sony FE Mount and Leica L Mount
Astrophotographer's Dream
The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 lens offers a full set of features designed for astrophotography including a removable Arca-Swiss style tripod socket, MFL switch (Manual Focus Lock function), lens heater retainer, rear filter holder, and a specially designed front cap, including a new locking mechanism and new filter storage slots.
Chromatic aberration correction controls have been made to make this possibly the best lens made for astrophotography, and the images certainly back this up.
The ultra-wide field of 14mm is ideal for capturing wide landscape scenes with the Milky Way or aurora borealis with corner-to-corner sharpness.
Astrophotography With The New Sigma 14mm f/1.4
The Sigma 14mm f/1.4 is also excellent for high-end architecture, real estate photography, and landscape photography. Due to the fixed hood, there is no option for front filters. However, a rear filter holder has been added to allow you the option of using ND filters or light pollution filters.
Specifications
- Lens Construction: 19 elements in 15 groups (3 FLD, 1 SLD, 4 aspherical)
- Angle of view: 114.2°
- Number of diaphragm blades: 11 (rounded diaphragm)
- Minimum aperture: f/16
- Minimum focusing distance: 30 cm / 11.9 in.
- Maximum magnification ratio: 1:11.9
- Filter size: rear filter only
- Dimensions (Maximum Diameter x Length): 101.4 x 149.9mm / 4.0 x 5.9 in.
- Weight: 1,170 g / 41.3 oz.
The shots look cracking from it. It's a lot of money when you could get the native Sony. I'm to lazy to stay out late, I like my bed 🤣
Hi Max, I think if I had the choice of a 1.4 over a 1.8 for practically the same price, I know what I'd choose :) especially as the Sigma lens has been designed more for astrophotographers in mind. Enjoy sleep, what even is that?
Why would anyone carry a boat anchor 2.6 pound lens like this one to a remote dark sky site for an astro shoot? I’ve shot with Sigma’s previous 14/1.8 several miles from Pagosa Springs CO when I didn’t have to carry it very far, and results were great. But the lens made for a heavy, cumbersome setup.
I’ve also used a Voigtlander 21/1.4 Nokton VM on a Leica M10-R for starfields in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. That’s a much lighter solution, albeit with narrower coverage. It’s also manual focus, but you’re going to be using manual focus in the dark anyway, unless you’re using starry sky AF with an OM System OM-1 camera.
And I’ve used a Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 on the OM System OM-1 for Milky Way and general night sky and after dark work. That’s the lightest way to get an equivalent 18mm / 100 degree field of view. Yes, that’s slightly narrower than a 14mm’s 114 degrees, but still plenty wide. I can hike quite a ways with that camera, tripod and other after-dark gear - my setup with it is quite lightweight.
I’ve also shot the Milky Way in Death Valley with a Samyang 14mm f/2.8 on an EOS R5. That works for 10-12 sec shutter speeds at ISO 6400, giving quite usable results, and that lens is less than half the weight of the 14/1.4. Would it be nice to have a 14/1.4 lens? Yes. Would it be nice to *carry* a 2.6 pound 14/1.4 lens and L-mount camera any distance to a remote location? That’s an emphatic *NO*.
It is a chuck of a lens thats for sure, and you have to be committed to carry this around when the 1.8 versions are over half the weight and size. However, its an amazing first step for a 1.4, that surely will only get smaller in time
Had the 1.8 version then got the Sony 1.8 version so much smaller and lighter! Only one reason for going 1.4 from 1.8 and that is a slight faster capture on even the A7SM3 from 10.47s to 10.03s using the PhotoPills spot stars app. Doing a pano no big deal in portrait view you get a Milky Way ARC almost right above your head and staying level in July still less than a 1 1/2 minute for a 200 degree pano with NR on (you move during NR). What it may be good for is the time lap's captures but again the weight you would need something more than Move Shoot Move tracker that would mean a bigger and heavier piece of gear to carry to that remote dark place.
I was hooked on the ultra wide lenses like the E 10-18mm (15-27mm) f/4 OSS used in full frame mode at
12mm f/4 back in 2015 it had perfect stars even in corners and was way better than a fisheye lens with less work in post and two years before a FF 12mm.
From watching indoor architecture photos 16mm to 20mm is is the norm to use and for the window outdoor view bracketing. The problem with any wider is items and far walls just look too far away and not normal.
Saving pocket money doing panos with the 20mm f/1.8 or 24mm f/1.4 getting 8 or 10 images for a pano or using 1 to 3 images in a pano app to get a wide image to crop. I do believe saving money and using a low cost (never cheap) pano head (like on Amazon) on a longer mm lens and even f/4 will get a useable image whether day or night, Yea a little play with leveling but more in your pocket.
1. 2017 Antelope Canyon using, at the time, the first 12mm f/4 lens by Sony and handheld on the A7RM2 in bracketing 3 @ +/- 2ev (a norm on all cameras) others doing long exposure on sticks and getting less in an image. 2.Using the E 10-18mm in FF mode at 12mm using the Digital Filter app on the A7S yes great use of a ultra wide lens. 3. Two images of a pano, better story, using Sony 14mm f/1.8 and Milky Way seems too small and a little too distance for its size. 4. A Milky Way Arc 12 single row images. Sony A7iii with Sony 20mm f/1.8 using Kase StarGlow and Natural Night Filters with Kase 100x100 filter holder. With the Novoflex Compact Multi-Row Panorama Compact System (VR-System Slim). Should have used the 14mm f/1.8 to get the top of the Arc but a June ARC you never know till there and after. Also the the Star Glow filter has to be kept above horizon so while in NR mode you have time to keep it there before each image capture as well as getting to next stop.