Overview & Specifications

Both of these lenses are meant for camera bodies with APS-C sensors so you will need to take this under consideration when deciding if this is the lens for you. The Nikon 35mm can be used on a full frame body but will be cropped to DX anyway.  The Sigma 18-35 is meant for APS-C sensors and will not function effectively if used with a full frame body. Most new photographers may not realize that even though a lens that is meant for an APS-C camera body, the focal lengths are not what are advertised. Full frame focal lengths are the standard and lens manufacturers stick to this standard for consistency, even if the lens isn’t meant to be used with a full frame body.

Take for example the two lenses we’re reviewing today. The Nikon 35mm is actually comparable to 55mm on a full frame body. While the Sigma 18-35mm would be comparable to a 27-52.5mm lens. To add further confusion to this topic, APS-C camera bodies from different manufacturers have different crop factors. Sigma’s crop factor is 1.7x, while Canon’s cameras can range from 1.3x to 1.7x! Although most modern Canon bodies have a crop factor of 1.62x – only the older bodies have 1.3x or 1.7x. In the case of this article, we used a Nikon D7000 that, like all other Nikon APS-C bodies, has a crop factor of 1.52x.

You can learn more about APS-C sensors here.

That being said, those of you with full frame bodies do not need to be saddened by the lack of compatibility that the Sigma 18-35 has with full frame bodies. Lenses like the Nikon 24-70 F2.8 is not only directly comparable in terms of the aperture (F2.8 lets in the same amount of light on a full frame body that F1.8 does on an APS-C sensor) but it has a larger focal range as well.

Now, despite being a zoom lens, the Sigma does not have a large range. At only 18-35, it’s just under a 2x magnification. You can pick up a basic zoom lens that will have a focal length of 70-300 for very cheap these days. In fact Sigma is releasing its own 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 lens in the coming weeks for an unbeatable price of  $579! Nikon currently has its own 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 and is currently available for around $899. Despite the convenience of these large focal range lenses, photographers will know right away that a lens with a maximum aperture of F1.8 is a lot more convenient to have than F3.5-6.3. Is it worth the large price tag of $799 though? For a lens that is compatible with APS-C bodies, $799 can be a very hard price to justify considering that APS-C cameras are generally aimed towards budget minded people. In fact, Sigma’s own 24-70 F2.8, (for full frame bodies) which has a larger focal range and equivalent aperture, is also $799. People who are willing to pay that much for a lens may rather just get the full frame lens.

Notable features that set these two lenses apart is the minimum aperture and the size/weight. For most applications, it’s true you really don’t have much reason to use an aperture past F16, but considering how much this lens costs, it would be nice to have the option to go to a relatively standard minimum aperture of F22, like the Nikon 35mm does. Lastly of course the Sigma 18-35 weighs more than four times as much as the Nikon 35mm! An extra 21 ounces may not sound like a lot, but once you add on a grip and an external flash like the SB-700, you will notice the difference between having the 35mm equipped and the 18-35mm.