Best Sigma prime lens for landscape photography with a Nikon body?

Question

I'm leaving for a trip to Zion in ten days and I'm panicking because I still haven't picked a wide prime for my D850. I've been looking at the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art and the 14mm f/1.8 but the reviews are all over the place. Some say the 14mm is a total brick to carry on long hikes and I'm gonna be doing serious miles but then I read the 20mm has weird distortion for big landscapes. I need something sharp but manageable.

budget: under $900 (used is fine)

mount: Nikon F

use case: mountain vistas and some astro

timeline: need it by next Thursday

Which one should I actually grab?

FluxFathom · Accepted Answer

Honestly Zion hikes are no joke. Over the years Ive realized that hauling massive glass up those trails is a recipe for a bad time. If you want something actually manageable on a D850 without sacrificing that Art series sharpness, look at the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Nikon F. This lens hits the sweet spot for a few reasons:

Weight: It weighs about 665g, which is almost half what that 14mm brick weighs. Your neck wont be killing you after five miles.

Price: You can grab a used copy for around $550, which is well under your $900 limit.

Astro: At f/1.4 it gathers plenty of light for the stars over the canyon, and the coma is pretty well controlled. It might not be as wide as the 14mm, but it takes standard 77mm filters which is huge for landscape work. Pro tip... grab it from a used site with overnight shipping today so you can test the focus calibration before you leave next Thursday.

Josephroove · Answer

> Some say the 14mm is a total brick to carry on long hikes The Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Nikon F is 1,170g, which is a lot of glass to haul. If you check Lenstip for the resolution data, the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Nikon F has better center sharpness but more coma wide open. Honestly, a used Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Nikon F is better for Zion. It only weighs 665g and has lower distortion specs for vistas.