A Canarian tale
Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 art
Sony E-mount on α7rIII
Ph. Francesco Riccardo Iacomino
A photo review from my last trip to the Canary Islands, with the new SIGMA 24-70mm 2.8 Art.
This is the new spearhead of the Zoom Art series, designed specifically for the mirrorless world, with Sony E-mount, on test for SIGMA Foto Italia (thanks to M-trading)
This is the new spearhead of the Zoom Art series, designed specifically for the mirrorless world, with Sony E-mount, on test for SIGMA Foto Italia (thanks to M-trading)
We land on Lanzarote, a wild arid volcanic paradise.
The barren and lava landscape, dotted with volcanic cones and craters, slopes down to the ocean, that seems to be always there.
The barren and lava landscape, dotted with volcanic cones and craters, slopes down to the ocean, that seems to be always there.
The vegetation seems non-existent, except for cacti and succulents that rise here and there in a wasteland.
In the whole island there is the indelible imprint of Cesar Manrique, the artist who made Lanzarote a real open-air museum.
Through a masterful mix of nature and architecture, his works give an unmistakable face to the island, starting from the Jardin de Cactus, where wonderful succulents become amazing natural sculptures, in a masterly designed dreamlike garden.
From 24 to 70mm, from f 2.8 to f 8.0, this SIGMA is the ideal lens to for capturing the surprising variety and unpredictable charm of this extraordinary garden.
At Jameos de Agua the genius of Manrique combines nature and culture, in a space where lights and shadows face each other with unexpected complicity.
The contrast is extreme, but the combined SIGMA - Sony is impeccable and returns the unusual magic of this environment intact.
Deserts come to life as you approach the ocean, with unexpected flashes of low and bristling bush vegetation.
Volcanoes on the horizon and lonely roads to be captured. SIGMA 24-70 is versatile and light, connected with the Sony Alpha. It is a pleasure to stop at every corner to capture suggestive shots.
Volcanoes on the horizon and lonely roads to be captured. SIGMA 24-70 is versatile and light, connected with the Sony Alpha. It is a pleasure to stop at every corner to capture suggestive shots.
Following deserted dirt tracks we reach a windswept promontory, with magnificent ocean beaches, including the wonderful Playa de Papagayo.
As the light warms up we head north, to the border between land and sea.
We climb onto a high promontory, until we reach the Mirador del Rio, a perfect panoramic point from which to admire the island La Graciosa in the warm atmosphere of the late afternoon.
As the light warms up we head north, to the border between land and sea.
We climb onto a high promontory, until we reach the Mirador del Rio, a perfect panoramic point from which to admire the island La Graciosa in the warm atmosphere of the late afternoon.
From 70mm to 24mm the scene changes drastically, but the color rendering and sharpness of the SIGMA are impeccable in the entire focal range.
Inland, the barren landscape sometimes becomes lunar. The area of La Geria, with its extraordinary terraces on volcanic soil, projects us onto a different and fascinating planet.
The vines protected by the labyrinthine stone walls are dry in this season, which makes the environment even more alien.
The rectangular motifs return also at the Salinas de Janubio, on the western side of the island. Fascinating geometries, immortalized with the clear and reliable eye of SIGMA 24-70 mm.
At sunset the ground lights up, so from the moon we find ourselves catapulted onto Martian soil. The chimneys of the volcanoes rise in the background, while the lava cliffs of Los Hervideros are colored with fire, refreshed by the incessant action of the icy ocean.
One last long exposure at 24mm, when the sun has now set and the sky is tinged with pastel pink.
We dedicate a few hours to discover LagOmar, an extraordinary architectural work formerly the residence of the well-known Omar Sharif, today a truly fascinating house-museum.
I love the versatility and lightness of my photographic equipment. SIGMA 24-70 is a simply perfect lens for any occasion.
Continuing our journey, we enter the Timanfaya park, a real descent into the underworld among desert expanses of lava soil that seems to have just cooled.
A lonely road winds its way through the Martian landscape, primitive and uncontaminated.
The calderas of the volcanoes alternate with irregular expanses of lava, painting a landscape of harsh and unusual beauty.
I love the color rendering of SIGMA 24-70, its easy handling and the precision in focusing.
I love the color rendering of SIGMA 24-70, its easy handling and the precision in focusing.
An oasis of Agave plants interrupts the arid expanse of lava, just as the last light of the day illuminates the volcanic peaks in the distance.
Freehand, the absence of stabilizer on the 24-70 is not a problem, thanks to the wide opening, combined with the stabilization of the Sony sensor.
Freehand, the absence of stabilizer on the 24-70 is not a problem, thanks to the wide opening, combined with the stabilization of the Sony sensor.
Punta Mujeres is the last stop, a coastal village dotted with white houses and natural pools that interrupt the thousand shades of blue between sky and sea.
In the meantime, the old year has left room for the new.
We decide to sail to Fuerteventura, another Canarian island just south of Lanzarote.
We decide to sail to Fuerteventura, another Canarian island just south of Lanzarote.
The wind blows incessantly. We head towards Pozo Negro, an isolated fishing village suspended in time.
White lacquered stone walls alternate with sky blue doors and windows, while the ocean bathes the deserted beach of black stones.
Through the lens, turning the bezel, details and wide views alternate without stopping, but in each shot SIGMA returns the suggestive beauty of the place intact.
Through the lens, turning the bezel, details and wide views alternate without stopping, but in each shot SIGMA returns the suggestive beauty of the place intact.
The charm of abandonment permeates some details of the coast.
Proceeding to explore the island, we go to the wild south-western coast, towards Cofete.
The dirt road climbs along the arid coast that descends towards the blue ocean. Nice mountain goats welcome us fearless at every turn.
At f 2.8 the SIGMA 24-70mm detail is impressive, regardless of the focal length.
The island is arid and barren, crossed by infinite beaches and oceanic lagoons.
An extraordinary scenic road divides the golden dunes of Corralejo from the Atlantic ocean.
We explore the hinterland, traveling along unexpected and winding panoramic roads in a desert landscape.
Stone cottages, now forgotten, abandoned in the sun of the arid desert.
Natural pools of emerald water interrupt the rocky ocean coast near Aguas Verdes.
The Sony mirrorless-SIGMA 24-70mm kit is compact and light, ideal for exploring cliffs and ravines.
The Sony mirrorless-SIGMA 24-70mm kit is compact and light, ideal for exploring cliffs and ravines.
It is finally time to return. The return flight leaves from Gran Canaria, so we embark again and then we travel on the road along the coastal road that winds between the ocean and high slopes, dotted with countless cacti of all shapes and colors.
A dead end road leads us to a hidden and suggestive viewpoint, Mirador el Balcon, from which we immortalize the Jurassic coast with the clear eye of SIGMA 24-70 in backlight.
At sunset we reach the last stage of our journey, the sandy dunes of Maspalomas.
The sunset and the light ocean breeze make this last look memorable. Once again I rely on SIGMA 24-70 fully: without a tripod I do not have any problem in terms of sharpness, and the dynamic range of SONY allows me to close the diaphragm in order to enhance the uncut desert textures.
Finally, the sun sets on the dunes and on our memorable journey, leaving the stage to a timid moon that lights up the last night before the return.
A journey full of unexpected emotions, surprising landscapes and alien expanses of sand and lava bathed by the ocean is coming to an end.
SIGMA 24-70mm Art f 2.8 has proved to be an ideal and irreplaceable lens: versatile and easy to handle, solid and extremely sharp. An optimal color rendering and a wide focal aperture guarantee excellent quality images, fundamental characteristics in order to satisfy the demanding 42mpx sensor of Sony a7rIII.
Francesco Riccardo Iacomino
Thank you!