Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 (C) AF DC DN Lens for Canon EF-M X Mount, Mirrorless

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Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Field Test An affordable, fast and mostly good APS-C prime lens

Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN C Review - Amateur Photographer

Sigma’s approach to mirrorless lenses (DN) has come in two distinct phases. Sigma first released a series of three budget primes with moderately wide apertures (19mm, 30mm, and 60mm f/2.8 DN lenses). I’ve tested all of these, and they are actually surprisingly good little optics, with nice color, quiet focus, extremely compact size, and a bargain price. Though they look nothing like the other ART series lenses, they were, ironically, badged as ART lenses. In 2016 Sigma launched a new mirrorless lens, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DN DC. Though it shared a lot of design elements with the SLR ART series primes (similar body style and materials), along with the wide maximum aperture that ART primes are famous for, it was, ironically, badged a “Contemporary” lens. As a result, Sigma’s approach to mirrorless branding is a little like Alice’s “Through the Looking Glass”, where everything ends up somewhat upside down. The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DN lens certainly looks very much like an ART lens! The first in this SIGMA series of prime lenses for mirrorless cameras was the standard prime 30mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary, now followed by the wide-angle prime 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary. Going forward, SIGMA will add a telephoto lens to the series, making it a new and complete system for mirrorless camera users.To test this out, I mounted the Canon M50 on a monopod and took a walk. The Canon M50 has digital image stabilization, so I was curious to see if there was any difference using a lens (like the 11-22mm) that has internal stabilization versus a lens without it. To test, I turned Digital IS on and off for both lenses and shot comparison footage to see how they compare.

Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 (C) AF DC DN Lens for Canon EF-M Mirrorless Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 (C) AF DC DN Lens for Canon EF-M Mirrorless

There are 16 lens elements, two of which are SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, and three are Sigma’s FLD (Ultra Low Dispersion; one can only guess why they used F and not U in their acronym!) glass. Those glass specifications sound impressive, but they wash over me as much meaningless babble. When I’ve asked other photographers, they usually shrug their shoulders and admit they haven’t got a clue. I’ve tried lenses with all sorts of combinations of lens elements. Some have been great, and others not so. The only way to tell is to take the lens out and try it, which is what I did. Focusing Performance of the Lens With 16 elements in 13 groups, the optical system features a multitude of high-tech and high-end components, including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements, and two moulded glass aspherical elements. This optical system minimizes optical aberrations and ensures outstanding resolution at wide-open aperture and throughout the aperture range. In particular, the two aspherical lens elements have ultra-high-precision surfaces polished to tolerances under 10 nanometers, minimizing the onion ring bokeh effect that some aspherical elements produce and ensuring clear image quality throughout the frame. In addition, the structure of the optical system gently bends light to minimize sagittal coma flare and deliver optimal optical performance from the center of the frame to the edges. The result is a smooth, round bokeh effect with ample light volume throughout the frame.

Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN C Image Quality

This trio of affordable, ultra-fast prime lenses are of particular interest to Canon APS-C shooters because Canon have released so few native lenses for the EF-M mount - just 8 since the system was launched 8 years ago in 2012, with half of those being slow zoom lenses. The new SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary is the world's first interchangeable lens for mirrorless Sony E-mount cameras in the APS-C format to offer a 24mm focal length (35mm equivalent) and F1.4 brightness. The lens for Micro Four Thirds offers a 32mm focal length (35mm equivalent) with the same f-number of 1.4. This is the large-diameter wide-angle lens for which mirrorless camera users have been waiting. Visit us and you'll always find a friendly welcome. Our policy is to treat our customers as we would like to be treated ourselves, a simple ideal that we try hard to live up to. Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. The lens hood cuts harmful rays that can negatively affect photographs while also minimizing reflectivity within the hood itself. The hood also features a rubber construction and a non-slip groove to make it easy to hold in a variety of shooting situations.