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S5II with Sigma Lenses

H

hybrid_fan

New Member
When I got the S5II I was planning to stick with Panasonic lenses only. I thought that AF would suffer with other lenses, especially video CAF. However, I recently picked up the Sigma 45 f2.8 and 28-70 f2.8 as compact options for one lens outings. I have been pleasantly surprised. Both Sigmas have been rock solid with AF. In practice, I can't really see any difference between these and the Panasonic lenses. I haven't tested every scenario - e.g. I don't shoot burst stills - but basic stills and video have been great. Just wanted to share this in case others had similar hesitations with non-Panasonic lenses.
 
At least in theory, all L mount partners should offer compatibility between components. The only Sigma lens I’ve used so far is the 16-28 which was excellent. I’ve got a 35mm f2 on its way to me now and I have high expectations for it.
 
I don't use the tracking AF mode a lot, but have tested a bit in video. It seems the same as Panasonic lenses to me. The focus using subject detection (human and animal) works great.

I'm not sure what to say about build quality. Some assume that the sigma 45mm (and others in the same lineup) have better build quality because they feel solid and are metal. I've never had a build failure in any lens whether plastic or metal. The rings on my two sigmas are smooth and comparable to the Panasonics. Both brands claim some level of dust and/or weather resistance. The only annoyance I have with the sigma is the zoom direction, which is opposite the Panasonics.
 
pdk42 said:
At least in theory, all L mount partners should offer compatibility between components. The only Sigma lens I’ve used so far is the 16-28 which was excellent. I’ve got a 35mm f2 on its way to me now and I have high expectations for it.
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Agree. One thing that could make a difference is the type of focus mechanism used in the lens, but that doesn't seem to be a factor with these as far as I can tell. I'd always assumed that Panasonic optimizes their mechanism for video, while others might not.
 
hybrid_fan said:
I'd always assumed that Panasonic optimizes their mechanism for video, while others might not.
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Panasonic strives to control focus breathing in their S lenses, and to also have their S zoom lenses close to parfocal. They do this for video - these things are less interesting to photographers. Focus breathing is well controlled with the few Sigma prime lenses I have. The only Sigma zoom lens I have is the older (and bigger) 14-24mm. Focus breathing is low except for very close up, so for normal video distances it is good.

I don't think any of the "photographic" zoom lenses we work with are truly parfocal, but they can be close enough for most video work. For my Sigma sample of one, the 14-24mm, it is fine.

Of focus breathing and parfocal, of course focus breathing is the highest concern for video. I have some of the recent Sony wide angle primes, which are wonders of small size for their large apertures, but their focus breathing is high, to the point I don't use them for video. Sony has focus breathing compensation for some of their newer cameras which lessens the problem, but I don't have this. When I shoot with the S5II and Panasonic or Sigma lenses it is just not a thing to worry about.
 
CharlesH said:
Panasonic strives to control focus breathing in their S lenses, and to also have their S zoom lenses close to parfocal. They do this for video - these things are less interesting to photographers. Focus breathing is well controlled with the few Sigma prime lenses I have. The only Sigma zoom lens I have is the older (and bigger) 14-24mm. Focus breathing is low except for very close up, so for normal video distances it is good.

I don't think any of the "photographic" zoom lenses we work with are truly parfocal, but they can be close enough for most video work. For my Sigma sample of one, the 14-24mm, it is fine.

Of focus breathing and parfocal, of course focus breathing is the highest concern for video. I have some of the recent Sony wide angle primes, which are wonders of small size for their large apertures, but their focus breathing is high, to the point I don't use them for video. Sony has focus breathing compensation for some of their newer cameras which lessens the problem, but I don't have this. When I shoot with the S5II and Panasonic or Sigma lenses it is just not a thing to worry about.
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I don’t do video so neither parfocal design nor lack of focus breathing are concerns for me. However, having watched a few reviews on YT of the Sigma 35mm f2 i-series, it seems there’s a lot of focus breathing. The Panasonic 35/1.8 seems almost immune from it though, but it’s quite comprehensively beaten by the Sigma on sharpness. So in this case, it’s a definite case of “buy the Sigma for photos but the Panasonic for video”.
 
I use the Sigma 35/2 and 28-70/2.8 on the original S5. Build quality is excellent on the 35/2. It feels better than the 50/1.8 or 85/1.8 Panasonic. The 28-70 hasn't that high quality feeling, but still nothing to complain. More like the 1.8 Panasonic primes. Both Sigma lenses also focus very well, even in AF-C Tracking when shooting stills. That said, the Panasonic lenses are better or feel more confident, especially in difficult situations, like low contrast and difficult light. However I hadn't compared the lenses to there direct counterpart from Panasonic. I think the Sigmas should work even better with the S5II.
 
I'm heading off to Oxford this afternoon so will give it a workout! I'll post some photos later.
 
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Since I took the shot of the S5 + 35mm with a Pen-F plus 17mm, I thought I'd do it the other way around!

PS5_7570_1024.jpg
  • Panasonic - DC-S5
  • 35mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary 020
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/7.1
  • 1/60 sec
  • Pattern
  • Auto exposure
  • -0.7
  • ISO 2000
 
xaviergut said:
...such a beautiful camera the Pen-F...
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Yes, it is. I took some comparison shots in the garden with the Pen-F and 17/1.8 against the S5 and 35/2. Shot at f4 and f8 respectively and at base ISO there’s very little between them. The S5 + 35 is a tiny bit sharper in the corners but that’s about it. Of course, do the same test in low light or push the shadows hard and it would be a different story. But for street photography and similar, the Pen F is hard to beat.
 
hybrid_fan said:
Agree. One thing that could make a difference is the type of focus mechanism used in the lens, but that doesn't seem to be a factor with these as far as I can tell. I'd always assumed that Panasonic optimizes their mechanism for video, while others might not.
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At least on Sony there are reports that the AF is not as reliable for tracking on Sigma lenses but I don't know for sure if this carries over. I have seen some demonstrations of video tracking with certain Sigma lenses on the S5 II that were lagging slightly behind but nothing that most people would probably notice very often.
 
Frankly, it's the Sigma lenses that made me switch to L-Mount. I'm running the 16-28 and 28-70 f/2.8 zooms on the original S5. And I love it. I have added the compact Sigma primes: 17 f/4, 24 f/3.5, 45 f/2.8 and 90 f/2.8. The only larger f/2.0 prime I have is the 35mm. I do have some Panasonic glass: the 20-60 f/3.5-5.6 zoom that came with the camera, the 50 f/1.8 prime and the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6.

I'm delighted with the Sigmas but you should know that they only feature a gasket around the mount for weather sealing. If you want full-on weather sealing from Sigma, look to the bigger and heavier 14-24 and 24-70 f/2.8 zooms. The Panasonic glass that I have is fine, if just a bit less interesting to me. Image quality between the two brands is comparable. But I get the impression that the Sigmas are a tick better for stills and the Panasonics just a bit better for video. And the Panasonic lenses have full weather sealing.

I have an S5 II on the way and I'm looking forward to trying the Sigmas on that.
 
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Biro said:
Frankly, it's the Sigma lenses that made me switch to L-Mount. I'm running the 16-28 and 28-70 f/2.8 zooms on the original S5. And I love it. I have added the compact Sigma primes: 17 f/4, 24 f/3.5, 45 f/2.8 and 90 f/2.8. The only larger f/2.0 prime I have is the 35mm. I do have some Panasonic glass: the 20-60 f/3.5-5.6 zoom that came with the camera, the 50 f/1.8 prime and the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6.

I'm delighted with the Sigmas but you should know that they only feature a gasket around the mount for weather sealing. If you want full-on weather sealing from Sigma, look to the bigger and heavier 14-24 and 24-70 f/2.8 zooms. The Panasonic glass that I have is fine, if just a bit less interesting to me. Image quality between the two brands is comparable. But I get the impression that the Sigmas are a tick better for stills and the Panasonics just a bit better for video. And the Panasonic lenses have full weather sealing.

I have an S5 II on the way and I'm looking forward to trying the Sigmas on that.
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I agree that the Sigma i-Series lenses represent a nicer owner and user experience than the Lumix lenses, but the results from both are excellent. As to weather sealing - why put a gasket on the lens mount, but nothing else? Seems an odd decision.
 
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pdk42 said:
I agree that the Sigma i-Series lenses represent a nicer owner and user experience than the Lumix lenses, but the results from both are excellent. As to weather sealing - why out a gasket on the lens mount, but nothing else? Seems an odd decision.
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It does seem odd. In the case of the primes, perhaps that’s all you need. But the zooms need a bit more, I’m sure. Perhaps it was a part of efforts to keep the size down. And, of course, I’m sure cost was a factor.
 
Biro said:
It does seem odd. In the case of the primes, perhaps that’s all you need. But the zooms need a bit more, I’m sure. Perhaps it was a part of efforts to keep the size down. And, of course, I’m sure cost was a factor.
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I assume it's more of an effort to upsell people on the ART series.
 
inspiredtimothy said:
I assume it's more of an effort to upsell people on the ART series.
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I thought so and the ARTs felt 'the business' but ultimately were just a bit too large and I moved back to the Panasonic S lenses for reasonable size and weather sealing
My only 'sigma' is now the Leica 24-70 which I use when weather truly awful
 
Biro said:
Frankly, it's the Sigma lenses that made me switch to L-Mount. I'm running the 16-28 and 28-70 f/2.8 zooms on the original S5. And I love it. I have added the compact Sigma primes: 17 f/4, 24 f/3.5, 45 f/2.8 and 90 f/2.8. The only larger f/2.0 prime I have is the 35mm. I do have some Panasonic glass: the 20-60 f/3.5-5.6 zoom that came with the camera, the 50 f/1.8 prime and the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6.

I'm delighted with the Sigmas but you should know that they only feature a gasket around the mount for weather sealing. If you want full-on weather sealing from Sigma, look to the bigger and heavier 14-24 and 24-70 f/2.8 zooms. The Panasonic glass that I have is fine, if just a bit less interesting to me. Image quality between the two brands is comparable. But I get the impression that the Sigmas are a tick better for stills and the Panasonics just a bit better for video. And the Panasonic lenses have full weather sealing.

I have an S5 II on the way and I'm looking forward to trying the Sigmas on that.
Click to expand...

I agree that it's the Sigma lenses that attracted me to the L-mount far more than the Panasonic ones (and certainly not the Leica ones) and it's the Sigmas I get the most enjoyment out of using. The Lumix 50/1.8 is optically fantastic but I miss the aperture ring and solid metal feel of the I-series lenses when I'm using it.

I haven't noticed any difference in AF speed or accuracy between my Lumix and Sigma lenses.
 
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