Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 ART Series
Earlier today, Sigma announced a recall for certain 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art lenses for E and L mounts as we have reported in detail here. They found that some lenses have trouble focusing at the wide end, which can cause problems reaching proper infinity focus or reduce overall focusing accuracy. Although Sigma will fix these lenses for free, it’s still a hassle to send your lens in, wait for the repair, and then have it shipped back to you.
The first version of this lens, the Sigma 24-70 F2.8 DG DN Art, had a different issue—dust would sometimes sneak in between the lens elements, significantly more than we experience with other extending zoom lenses, and you could see it looking down through the front glass. It was claimed that Sigma fixed that problem in later batches, but they never released an official statement, and there was no recall or clear solution for the existing lenses as far as we know.
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 ART vs Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 ART II vs Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lenses
Even with these problems, both the first and second versions of the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 ART are still excellent lenses. The second version, in particular, can hold its own against much pricier options like Sony’s FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II. Right now, Sigma is on a hot streak, releasing top-notch lenses and unique ones like the 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art and 28-105mm f2.8 DG DN Art. This makes other lens makers work harder and offer better prices.
Also read: Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art: What is New?
Still, issues like these can really bother customers and deter them from trying their new lenses in the future, especially those who buy the lens right after it comes out before anyone knows about these kinds of real-world problems. We hope Sigma steps up its quality control and does more careful testing before putting its lenses on the market.
