Review: Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art

Introduction

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art on Sony A7rII

In 2017 this Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art was a unique offering, being the fastest 14mm lens as well as the widest f/1.8 lens. In the meantime many lenses with similar specifications have been released for mirrorless cameras, so is there still a reason to consider the original? Let’s find out in this review.

Sample Images

Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

Most of the sample images in this review can be found in full resolution here.

Specifications

The Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art (E-mount version) has the following specifications:

    • Diameter: 91 mm
    • Field of view: 113° (diagonally)
    • Length: 152 mm
    • Weight: 1167g (without caps)
    • Filter Diameter: –
    • Number of Aperture Blades: 9 (rounded)
    • Elements/Groups: 16/11
      sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
    • Close Focusing Distance: 0.27 m
    • Maximum Magnification: 1:8.4 (measured)
    • Released: 2017
    • Mount: Sony E, Canon EF, Nikon F, L-mount, Sigma SA

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Handling/Build Quality

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art

This Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art has been produced for several different mounts. In the pictures you see the version for Sony’s E-mount, but the handling characteristics apply to all of them.

The outer casing seems to be mostly made from high quality polycarbonate – as is typical for lenses from Sigma’s Art line. There is also a rubber gasket to be found at the bayonet.

The focus ring features a mechanical coupling to the helicoid (no focus by wire) and it takes about 90° from the minimum focus distance (0.27 m) to infinity. The lens also features a physical distance scale.
When it comes to AF lenses, these Sigma lenses offer one of the best manual focus experiences as the resistance is very nice and there is no slack.

In terms ob buttons and switches there in only one AF/MF switch to be found on this lens and also no aperture ring.

Due to its bulbous front element there is no filter thread and there is also no rear filter slot. There is also no tripod collar included.

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM | Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G | Laowa 15mm 2.0 | Viltrox AF 16mm 1.8

When comparing the dimensions of this Sigma lens to the newer mirrorless options we can definitely see this isn’t a small lens by any means. The Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM is not only much smaller, it weighs less than half. So if you are looking for a compact lens this is not it.

AF performance

I am not shooting sports or fast moving animals/humans so if you want to know if the lens is fast enough for this or how it compares to other lenses in this segment you may have to look for a different review with a more detailed assessment of this aspect.

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art via Neewer ETZ adapter on Nikon Zf

In everyday use I found the AF to be fast, perfectly usable and also silent. A lens with these parameters does not pose a big challenge for modern AF systems though.

I also used the E-mount version of this Sigma 14mm 1.8 on my Nikon Z-mount camera. I tried three different adapters and in my case the Neewer ETZ offered by far the best image quality. For a lens like this having the correct disctance from the sensor is absolutely crucial, so even the slightest deviation in flange focal distance will reduce its performance noticeably.

Vignetting

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf

f/1.82.2
f/2.81.1
f/4.00.7
f/5.6 - f/160.6

Being a lens still designed for DSLRs is indeed an advantage here, as the light hits the sensor at a more favourable angle. Therefore this lens shows lower vignetting figures than its newer (and usually more compact) competitors. 

At its maximum aperture it shows about half an EV less vignetting than the Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM. The Laowa 15mm 2.0, the Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G and the Viltrox AF 16mm 1.8 FE show even higher vignetting figures.

Stopped down the differences are even bigger: all the other lenses show at least 2 EV even when stopped down to f/11 whereas this Sigma only shows as little as 0.6 EV from f/5.6.

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art

It is recommended to have a look at this article first to get an idea how this brightness graph works.

Sharpness

infinity (42mp Sony A7rII)

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7rII | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/11

Opinions on this lens’ performance at f/1.8 seem to vary a bit. By my experience all these fast ultra wide angle lenses suffer from sample variation issues, so that may be the reason.

This sample of the Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art is a little bit softer at f/1.8 compared to f/2.8. There is no midzone dip, but the corners clearly benefit from stopping down and peak across frame performance is reached between f/5.6 to f/8.0. 

The Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM I tried was a bit sharper in the center at f/1.8 but showed a similar performance in the corners. The Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G, the  Laowa 15mm 2.0 and Viltrox 16mm 1.8 showed better across frame sharpness at their maximum aperture thanks to better corner performance.

close 0.27 m, 1:8.4 (42mp Sony A7rII)

Sony A7rII | Sigma14mm 1.8 DG Art | 100% crops from center

This Sigma lens offers a maximum magnification comparable to the Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM and the Viltrox 16mm 1.8 AF (the Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G and the Laowa 15mm 2.0 offer higher magnifications).

Also here this lens is a bit softer at f/1.8 and again the competitors look a bit better. 

Sony A7rII | Sigma14mm 1.8 DG Art | 100% crops from border

Similar to most ultra wide angle lenses the field is not very flat at close distances. You need to stop down this Sigma 14mm 1.8 to f/8.0 to f/11 to look good in the corner and border regions and to perform on a similar level as the Viltrox 16mm 1.8 at f/1.8. Now there are not many applications where this matters, but maybe one day someone will read this who actually cares about that.

Flare resistance

As always evaluating flare is a complex matter since you can get any lens to look bad if you push it hard enough and a slight change of scenario can affect results a lot.

Lenses with such bulbous front elements usually struggle in this category and this lens had already been released in 2017, so this will not be a positive surprise, right?

Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

At its maximum aperture, I hardly managed to create any kind of artefacts with this Sigma 14mm 1.8 lens. 

Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/11

Stopped down I managed to create some colorful artefacts with the sun just outside the frame. 

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

Similar to the Sigma 105mm 1.4 DG Art in dark environments you can see some blooming around strong point light sources.

For a lens with these parameters, this is still a very good performance, similar to the newer Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM and least as good as the Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G.

Coma

Sony A7rII | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | 100% crops from corner

In 2017 this could be considered a decent coma correction, by 2026 we have seen more impressive mirrorless lenses. The Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM and Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G show a better correction at their maximum aperture and I would expect the same of Sigma’s even faster 14mm 1.4 DG Art. The Viltrox 16mm 1.8 looks similar and the Laowa 15mm 2.0 a little worse.

This is only half the story though, as we should also take into account the lower vignetting figures of this Sigma lens. It creates a more even across frame illumination at its maximum aperture than its competitors, meaning it collects more light (stars) in the corners here.

Distortion

Sony A7rII | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/4.0

Vignetting is almost non-existent over most of the frame, but there is some distortion in the corners. For this distortion pattern a lens specific correction profile is needed and the one to be found in Lightroom/CameraRAW does a good job at.

Bokeh

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

The f/1.8 maximum aperture may sound impressive, but when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses you can only blur the background in close focus scenarios and you also need to watch out for the strong perspective distortion typical for a 14mm lens, this limits the range of possible applications a bit.

The general quality of the bokeh looks alright to me, older ultra wide lenses struggled way more here.

sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

Sunstars

Sony A7rII | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | 25% crops from center

Sunstars are usually not a high priority for Sigma’s engineers and that is also the case here. It really takes stopping down to f/16 to create distinct sunstars, but here you are definitely in diffraction territory, so I usually try to avoid stopping down that much.
If you want to know more about sunstars have a look at this article.

Chromatic aberration

lateral

The Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art features a built-in lens correction profile for lateral CA that will also be recognized in most raw converters, so using this lens on an E-mount camera you won’t see any.

Nikon Zf | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

I did check the amount of lateral CA with this lens adapted to a Z-mount camera though and here you can actually see a medium to high amount – it can still be easily corrected in post.

longitudinal

Sony A7rII | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | 100% crops

We can again see this Sigma 14mm 1.8 being a bit softer at f/1.8, purple fringing is not really an issue though. Due to its parameters bokeh fringing is generally not something you will encounter often.

Conclusion

good

  • sharpness over most parts of the frame
  • flare resistance
  • correction of longitudinal CA
  • vignetting
  • handling/build quality
average

  • Coma correction
  • slightly wavy distortion
not good

  • corner sharpness at wider apertures could be better
  • no filter thread
  • size/weight

If you are looking for a high performing fast ultra wide angle lens for your DSLR, this lens is pretty much without competition. 

If you are using a mirrorless camera the situation is different. Since 2017 many alternatives have been released and there are some advantages designing a lens like this for mirrorless cameras instead of DSLRs. 

This lens still has one advantage though: it shows lower vignetting figures than the newer mirrorless designs which can be beneficial for astrophotography, especially if you want to create panoramas with a wide field of view.

If you can live with a little more vignetting, be sure to check out the following section though.

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Alternatives

All the alternatives are covered in our Guide to 9-18mm ultra wide angle lenses for E-mount, so I will only talk about the most obvious ones in detail here.

A word of caution: it seems to be quite difficult to manufacture these fast ultra wide angle prime lenses as there is a higher degree of sample variation here compared to longer lenses. Buy these lenses from places where you can thoroughly inspect/return the lens and check if it works properly for your applications before committing to it.

AF

Sigma 14mm 1.4 Art DG DN:
Sigma’s successor to the lens being reviewed here and specifically marketed as a lens for astrophotography. It is just as huge and heavy as this 14mm 1.8, but two thirds of a stop faster (at least in the center of the frame that is). Review coming soon
In 2025 this became a “made to order” lens and the price has also been raised.
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Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM:
The Sony FE 14mm 1.8 GM corrects Coma better and is a lot smaller and lighter. It shows higher vignetting figures and is more expensive though.
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Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G:
If you can live with 16mm instead of 14mm this is actually the best performing f/1.8 ultra wide angle lens and fairly priced on top of that. 
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Viltrox AF 16mm 1.8 FE:
The Viltrox showed better corner sharpness, comes with a normal filter thread and costs less. Coma correction is similar, flare resistance is worse. The Viltrox is smaller and lighter, takes normal filters and can be bought for less than a used Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art.
buy from manufacturer’s shop (use the code PRnet for 8% discount) | B&H | ebay.com (advertisement/affiliate links) for $549

MF

Laowa 15mm 2.0 Zero-D FE:
This lens has been my choice for landscape astrophotography and whenever I needed an ultra wide angle lens in places where I couldn’t use a tripod since 2017. Now in 2026 I would probably try to find a good copy of the Sony FE 16mm 1.8 G instead, as it performs better in most categories. The Laowa might still appeal to you if prefer manual focus or if you want an ultra wide angle lens with more distinct sunstars.
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Sample Images

Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8
sigma 14mm 1.8 art dg hsm fe review sharpness contrast bokeh astro milky way coma vignetting 42mp 63mp sony a7 a7ii a7rii a7rv a7v z6 z7 z8 z9 zf
Sony A7III | Sigma 14mm 1.8 DG Art | f/1.8

Most of the sample images in this review can be found in full resolution here.

Further Reading

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My name is Bastian and I am your expert here when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses, super fast portrait lenses (ranging from a 50mm f/0.95 to a 200mm f/1.8) and I also have reviewed way too many 35mm lenses. Don't ask me anything about macro or wildlife shooting though.

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