Comparing SIGMA's Best Standard Zoom Lenses for Mirrorless

SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art vs. 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art

2024 was a big year for SIGMA. With the release of the new 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art, SIGMA increased their selection of lenses for mirrorless to a broader audience of users, filling the void for creators that were hoping for a longer version of the classic 24-70mm lens.

But there are plenty of users who want that traditional focal range, too, with all the latest technology. The 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Art was updated in September 2024. The 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art has been enhanced in practically all areas, and is nearly the same price as its predecessor.

But which lens is my favorite? It’s hard to choose, but hopefully the photos that I have captured with these two remarkable lenses will help decide on a winner.

First, a physical comparison

Since introducing lenses specifically made for full-frame mirrorless cameras, SIGMA has made strides to downsize the form factor of their lenses without any compromise to image quality. The 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art and the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art certainly follow that trend, with relatively compact dimensions considering the range and maximum aperture of the lenses.

For comparison, the 24-70mm mounted on a Sony A7C II, and the 28-105mm mounted on a Sony A7R V

For Auroras

On October 10, 2024, we were blessed with an amazing display of colors of the aurora borealis from a severe geomagnetic storm (Kp9 on the scale) that shocked people all around the country. Photographers and amateurs alike witnessed this spectacular event right in their own backyards! The storm was so intense that people from New Jersey were able to see the dancing lights over the NYC skyline.

The image below was captured from Bear Mountain, Garrison, New York. This area has significant light pollution and I was still able to witness the northern lights with the naked eye. This was certainly the best I’ve ever seen!

For this unique event, I used the SIGMA 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art lens, for no other reason than I wanted to be prepared just in case I needed a longer focal length, but I’m sure the 24-70mm would have been just as effective.

For Travel

When I travel, it can be difficult to decide which lenses I’m going to take with me. Lately, I usually take either of these F2.8 zooms along on my trips for different reasons. The deciding factor in some cases can be the size and weight. If I’m out for a long day and I just need one lens, I’ll usually bring the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art. Coming in at just 735g for the E-mount version, this lens is a bit easier to carry around for a longer period of time.

For Comets

When SIGMA announced the 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art, I was happy to get a copy of this lens in time to capture images of an exciting new comet (Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The focal range is perfect to capture the comet from multiple perspectives. I love having that constant F2.8 aperture at any focal length – especially for astrophotography.

For the Milky Way

I was excited to try out both of these lenses for some astrophotography. The night sky is one of my favorite subjects to capture while I’m out traveling, and both of these lenses have an ideal focal range to photograph a variety of night sky scenes.

The SIGMA 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art ready to capture the night sky.

For Cityscapes

During the last Supermoon of 2024, I decided to try the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art for this composition. I did use the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports separately for this scene as well, but I wanted something wider on my second camera body. Of course, I could have used the 28-105mm in this situation as well, but I wanted to try this lens and I was impressed with the results!

For Candids & Portraits

Both of these lenses are fantastic options for candid photos and portraits due to the flexibility of the focal range. If you’re a portrait, wedding or street photographer, both of these lenses serve their purpose very well. The bokeh will be more pronounced on the 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art when you’re shooting on the longer end of the lens due to the perspective compression, but as mentioned before, the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art is easier to travel with, and it has a slight advantage at the wide end.

Even For Wildlife

The autofocus performance from both of these Art lenses is snappy and accurate. I used the Sony a7R V with the animal/bird subject recognition for capturing wildlife with the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art. I decided to use this lens to see how the results would be as the focal range was limited on the longer end. As it turns out, I didn’t really need the longer focal length from the 28-105mm for these specific wildlife subjects.

Closing Thoughts

I’ve been using both of these lenses since their release and I’m very confident to use either one of them for practically any situation. Both of these lenses have outstanding image quality. The benefits of the lighter weight and wider focal length from the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | Art are appealing, but the extra reach from the 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art is really impressive with that constant F2.8 aperture. Ultimately, I use both of these lenses in different situations for certain reasons as they both serve their purpose perfectly for each scenario.

Of course, aside from the lens features, there’s a difference of a few hundred dollars between these two Art lenses, which could affect a creator’s decision. In the end, it really depends on what subjects you’re shooting the most in order to make a final decision, and I hope that the examples I provided can help steer you in the right direction. Personally, I really like using both of these lenses. I cannot choose one over the other!