Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM (A)

Picture: Sigma’s latest Art Line 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM.

2^2nd November 2013, Singapore – Finally, the review unit for the much awaited Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM (A) had reached my hands. While a practical review is in progress, we bring you a quick in-the-face comparison with a lens that Sigma had came for – The Canon EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM. While the market speculates on why Sigma decides to go after Canon’s 24-105mm F4L and not after Nikon’s 24-120mm F4, I guess the reason is obvious. Since Sigma embarked on the Global Vision with new lens announcements after announcements, Sigma had been re-inventing itself as a lens & camera manufacturer that offers more than just value. Apart from releasing lenses with matched quality that gives consumers the option of choices, Sigma is constantly brewing up surprises which sort of read consumers’ minds & wants from an optical company.

Picture: Sigma & Canon’s 24-105mm F4 side by side. (Pardon the pic quality)

Canon’s 24-105mm is an “L-series” lens which is under their high end professional line.
Sigma’s 24-105mm is an “Art” lens, which is under the their premium professional line.
So how different are both the 24-105mm? Let me take you through some of the key differences and similarities between the Sigma & Canon equivalent.

Picture: Sigma & Canon’s 24-105mm F4 side by side with their respective hoods on.
(Pardon the pic quality)

Key Differences:
Aperture-
Sigma has a 9 Blade Aperture
Canon has an 8 Blade Aperture.
This probably means Sigma has a creamier bokeh.
(We will verify this when the review is ready)

Size-
Sigma is 88.6 x 109.4mm
Canon is 83.5 x 107mm
So Sigma’s unit is slightly more beefy than Canon’s unit.

Angle of View-
Sigma sees 84.1-23.3 degrees
Canon sees 84-23.2 degrees
This means both the Sigma & Canon has a slight 0.1 degree advantage on each focal range end which is totally negligible.

Optics-
Sigma has 19 elements in 14 groups
Canon has 18 elements in 13 groups
In this aspect, Sigma has more glass than the Canon, but will this translate into sharper photos with less distortions? We will check this for the review.

Weight-
Sigma weights 885gm
Canon weights 670gm
With a 215gm difference, Sigma is the heavier lens here, but we all know this must be due to the advanced construction that corrected the misgivings of the lens that it is based on.

Filter Thread-
Sigma works on 82mm Filters.
Canon works on 77mm Filters.
With a large front element on the Sigma, 82mm was expected.

Price-
Sigma is asking for USD $899 RRP (via BHPhoto)
Canon is asking for USD $1,149.00 RRP (via BHPhoto)

Age-
Sigma’s unit born October 2014
Canon’s unit born October 2005
This means Canon is a senior citizen here. We will be concerned if Canon’s ageing unit can keep up with the newer EOS bodies.

Tuning & Calibration-
The Sigma’s 24-105mm works with their USB Dock for fine calibration & adjustments.
Canon does not have an USB Dock yet.

From the above, we observed that Sigma had made a lens that is of a different breed although it is based on Canon’s unit (focal range). Before I conclude, let’s take a look at the similarities that both lenses shared.

Key Similarities:

Motor-
Sigma runs on HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor – which is similar to ultrasonic motor)
Canon runs on USM (Ultrasonic Motor – which is similar to hypersonic motor)
In short, they are on the same motor that gives super fast & near-silent focusing.

Minimum Focusing Distance-
Both Sigma & Canon’s 24-105mm will start to focus only from 45cm.
Both lenses will not focus if you try your luck to focus on anything that is 44.9cm

Focus Override-
Both Sigma & Canon’s 24-105mm can be manually focus-adjusted after the autofocus has locked.

Stabilizer-
Sigma uses OS (Optical Stabilizer)
Canon uses IS (Image Stabilizer)
Both employs similar stabilizing systems.

Aperture Values-
Both Sigma & Canon starts accepting light from F4 to F22.

In the box-
Sigma gives you 1 lens, 1 hood, 1 pouch, 1 instruction book & 1 warranty paper.
Canon gives you 1 lens, 1 hood, 1 pouch, instruction book & 1 warranty paper.

Compatibility-
Sigma calls it a DG lens.
Canon calls it an EF lens.
Well, both lenses are made for Full Frame Cameras.
They are both compatible with APS-C & APS-H cropped bodies too.

To conclude, we have pointed out 10 key differences & 6 similarities between the 2 rivaling lenses. In theory, seems like Sigma has made a lens to replace Canon’s aging 24-105mm with an updated lens plus lots of bonus goodies. But the fact is, Sigma’s 24-105mm is of a different breed – yet with a humble asking price. We shall see how both lens performed when we pit them together. We will be back with the review soon.

Ed.

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IMPORTANT NOTE:
** Sigma had re-organized their whole lens line into 3 category.
They are “C” Lens, “A” Lens & “S” Lens.

C Lens = Contemporary Lens Line

Featuring the very latest technology, and combining optical performance with compactness, Sigma’s high-performance Contemporary line covers a wide range of needs. Lenses in this category are Standard zoom lenses, telephoto zoom lenses, high-magnification zoom lenses.

A Lens = Art Lens Line

Designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance and abundant expressive power, Sigma’s Art line delivers high-level artistic expression. Lenses in this category are Large-aperture prime lenses, wide-angle lenses, ultra-wide-angle lenses, macro lenses, fisheye lenses.

S Lens – Sports Lens Line

While offering sophisticated optical performance and expressiveness, Sigma Sports line lenses deliver high action-capture performance, enabling photographers to get exactly the shots they want. Lenses in this category are Telephoto lenses, telephoto zoom lenses, super telephoto lenses, super telephoto zoom lenses.