One Lens, 6 Pros: We put the Sigma 24-70mm Art lens to the ultimate test

What happens when you give six pro photographers across six cities in six different genres of photography one lens for one week each? Yeah, we were curious, too! So, we tried it with the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens and were floored by the results. This lens got the ultimate test so we could give you the ultimate review.

But hey, don’t take our word for it. Go check out #1lens6pros on Instagram and see for yourself. We’re also gonna give you a little summary right here, just because we love making your life easier.

The documentarian

The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens is hands down the most versatile lens I’ve ever used. From the beach to day trips to corners inside my home, and even to a client’s birth session at the hospital… the lens worked like a charm to help me create gorgeous, crisp images with stunning color and beautifully rendered light. As a photojournalistic photographer and filmmaker, I depend on my lenses to be fast and capable of many different shooting situations and lighting conditions. I’m telling you, the Sigma 24-70mm Art delivered on all fronts.

The making of this image

This image was made in a dark aquarium observation tunnel. My goal was to capture the magical feeling we all experienced being there with the light streaming through the fish. I wanted all three children in the frame, so I zoomed out to 24mm and backed up as much as I could in order to incorporate three subjects and both sunbursts. I bumped my ISO to 1250, focused on my daughter’s face, and waited for the right moment when everyone was engaged in the scene to click my shutter.

Find Angie Klaus on Instagram and view more of her gorgeous images on the #1Lens6Pros project.

The family photographer

The Sigma 24-70mm Art is an amazing lens for fun, playful family photography. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it complemented my style of shooting. Whether I was at home in low light or outside in full sun, the 24-70 proved to be fast, sharp and incredibly versatile. I was shocked to discover just how beautifully the Sigma 24-70mm Art renders light. The images are super sharp right where I need them to be, the bokeh is delicious, and the colors almost had me jumping out of my chair with happiness while I was editing!

The making of this image

As we entered the water I noticed that dad immediately started swinging his son, so I zoomed in to focus on their fun interaction. To my delight, I realized that the little sister was gleefully reacting to the scene and the big brother was still deciding how he wanted to participate. I definitely had a bigger story to tell so I quickly zoomed out to 25mm to create this photo. I love how it really shows all of their personalities as well as how they interact as a family. Without the Sigma 24-70mm Art, I would’ve missed this moment for sure!

Find Erin Brant on Instagram and view more of her gorgeous images on the #1Lens6Pros project.

The adventure photographer

We are a family who loves to adventure, so I was thrilled for the opportunity to bring the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens along for a few family trips around the Pacific Northwest. This lens is fast to focus and incredibly crisp. The versatile focal lengths gave me the freedom to capture both the details of every moment by zooming in, as well as sweeping storytelling pullbacks by zooming out, all without having to switch lenses. And, it was perfectly sharp at all focal lengths! I love that I was able to beautifully frame my scenes in camera; no post-process cropping needed, and I didn’t find myself constantly running backward to capture the entire scene. With just one lens, I was able to capture the entire story of each of our adventures.

The making of this image

For this image, I zoomed out to 35mm because I wanted to capture the entire scene surrounding my son, including the mountains behind him, the sun as it began to set, and the reflection of the sun flare in the water. I positioned myself so that the majority of the splash would be directly in front of the mountain for good contrast. Then, I changed my setting so I could rapid shoot and get a handful of splashes to choose from. This lens is fast to focus and incredibly crisp, which is what I needed to capture the details of the splash at high speed, the ripples in the lake, and the priceless expression on my son’s face.

Find Jess Buttermore on Instagram and view more of her gorgeous images on the #1Lens6Pros project.

The wedding photographer

I have always been a huge fan of Sigma Art series lenses, having owned both the 35mm f/1.4 Art and the 50mm f/1.4 Art. Naturally, when the 24-70mm f/2.8 Art was announced, I knew it would be hard to resist. As a wedding photographer, it is extremely valuable to me to have a single lens in my bag that can not only keep up with the action, but also give me the flexibility to capture more than one vignette from any given scene without moving. I loved being able to go from a full scene to a smaller area within the same scene with a simple twist of the lens. This means I get to capture more storytelling images in a shorter period of time, thus giving my clients more variety and ensuring I capture all the precious details of a couple’s big day.

The making of this image

The part of a day that I love the most also happens to be the time when the sun is setting the fastest. For a wedding, that means I have a very limited time to get the couple to a location that is desirable (like this gorgeous tree), get them comfortable and then frame my shot. For me, this photo is not just about the couple, but also about showcasing the beautiful environment of the wedding day. The water, the glow of the sun and the expansive tree all come together to frame the newly married couple. I was able to take this photo in seconds, knowing it was sharp at f/2.8, and captured the entire scene.

Find Amy Kolodziej on Instagram and view more of her gorgeous images on the #1Lens6Pros project.

The newborn photographer

If you’ve ever shot with a Sigma Art lens, you know that it’s not only a beauty to hold in your hands, but the results it produces are just as lovely. When I was planning my week with the Sigma 24-70mm Art lens, I wanted to test it out in various types of light and conditions to really put it to the test. To share a bit about my gear setup, I was shooting with the Fujifilm X-T2 and an adapter for Nikon mount lenses. While Sigma does not offer a Fuji mount, I found the adapter to work well for me. My favorite thing about the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 Art lens, hands down, is versatility. Having a range of focal lengths at a twist of the hand is a luxury that can’t be beat. It allows for fine tuning of composition as well as a variety of view points in a single scene without having to move much.

The making of this image

When photographing newborns, anticipating the scene is an important step in the process. The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens allowed me to position myself behind the subjects and fine tune my framing as I waited for a sweet little smile that I just knew was coming based on baby’s cues. Paying close attention to the shadows and light, I was able to zoom in to 50mm and capture this moment that mom will cherish for a lifetime. This lens handles indoor light in the best of ways!

Find Brittany Blake on Instagram and view more of her gorgeous images on the #1Lens6Pros project.

The commercial photographer

I photograph most of my product and still life images from above as flat lays. For a great flat lay, I need all of the items in focus and styled in a compelling composition. To achieve this, I used to roughly style the scene and then go through a never-ending process of raising and lowering my tripod to get the framing just right. The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens allowed me to quickly get the framing exactly how I wanted while keeping my tripod in place. Game changer! What’s more, it was tack sharp when capturing texture and other fine details. Plus, it was quick to focus when changing the focal point, which was key when I had little hands in the shot.

The making of this image

Since I knew that I wanted to include my two-year-old daughter in the scene (and her ability to hold a pose is short) I set up my equipment and scene in advance. Based on my tripod height at the time, 44mm turned out to be the best focal length to get the scene in the frame without unwanted background showing. I was able to quickly zoom the lens without moving my tripod. As my daughter went to explore the knitting needles, I noticed that her hand placement was perfect. Because the lens has such a fast autofocus, I was able to quickly change my focus point and capture this shot before she moved.

Find Kimberly Murray on Instagram and view more of her gorgeous images on the #1Lens6Pros project.

What a fun project! We love bringing you reviews you can actually use from people who shoot like you do. What better way to see how a lens performs than with photo examples… from six different pros! Tell us what you think of this project and let us know what lens you’d like us to test next in the comments.

This is a sponsored post, but opinions are those of the participants. 

Feature photo at the top of the page is by Jess Buttermore.