Photo: Henry Söderlund (CC BY 2.0)
Quick answer
A large, fast 40mm prime for full-frame DSLRs from Sigma's Art line. It takes 82mm filters and focuses as close as 0.4 m.
Pros
- f/1.4 aperture
- HSM autofocus
- 9-bladed aperture
- Strong sharpness
Cons
- Big and heavy for a 40mm
- 82mm filters
- Unusual focal length
Verdict
A niche lens for those who like 40mm. Its size is the main trade-off.
About this lens
The Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is a full-frame fast standard prime lens covering 40mm at f/1.4 for Nikon F mount cameras, from the Sigma Art line with Hyper Sonic Motor autofocus. The natural field of view suits street, documentary and everyday photography.
Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art specifications
- Brand
- Sigma
- Mount
- Nikon F
- Focal length
- 40mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/1.4
- Lens type
- Prime
- Format coverage
- full-frame
- Optical construction
- 16 elements in 12 groups
- Aperture blades
- 9
- Autofocus motor
- HSM
- Minimum focus distance
- 0.4 m
- Maximum magnification
- 0.15x
- Filter thread
- 82 mm
- Length
- 131 mm
- Diameter
- 87.8 mm
Specification source: sigmaphoto.com
What can you shoot with the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art?
- Portraits and reportage
- Street photography
- Studio work
Its very wide maximum aperture suits low light and shallow depth of field with strong background blur.
Full-frame equivalent and field of view
Calculated from the focal length and crop factor. Not measured.
| Sensor | Crop | Equivalent | Horizontal FOV | Diagonal FOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1.0x | 40mm | 48.5° | 56.8° |
| APS-C | 1.5x | 60mm | 33.4° | 39.7° |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 Art so large?
Its optical design uses 16 elements in 12 groups and favours image quality over size, making it much bigger than typical 40mm lenses.
Is 40mm a useful focal length?
It sits between 35mm and 50mm and gives a natural view for street and reportage work.
What filter size does the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 Art use?
82mm, which is shared with several other Sigma lenses such as the 70-200mm f/2.8 Sport.
Alternatives for Nikon F from other brands
All Nikon F lensesSame mount, overlapping focal range, closest maximum aperture first.
