Sigma I-Series Lenses: Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN, Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN, Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN for Sony Mirrorless and Leica L
See my Sony mirrorless wishlist.
Canon and Nikon have positioned themselves as incompatible with a wide variety of Sigma lenses... that’s not exactly a plus for those mirrorless systems—being locked-into a single-vendor lens line is fine for a small casual system, but it is not a wise move for the medium/long term. My top pick in mirrorless is the Sony A7R IV.
Sigma I-Series lenses for Sony mirrorless and Leica L are now available for pre-order at B&H Photo. See the B&H Explora article for an overview.
These new I-Series lenses are about 2/3 the price of the f/1.4 Sigma Art series lenses and follow the Sigma 45mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary, which I reviewed last year. Sigma has not ruled out higher-grade 'Art' lenses in similar form factors, but
I welcome lenses having a form factor better for walk-around photography, and I expect these lenses will deliver beautiful images, but for landscape photography my top priorities are negligible field curvature, freedom from focus shift, and corner-to-corner sharpness at least by f/5.6. It remains to be seen how well they perform for those demanding requirements.
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Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN Contemporary
An ultra-wide prime with an emphasis on portability, the Sony E-mount 24mm f/3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens, from Sigma, is a versatile and highly compact lens well-suited to a variety of shooting tasks. Its sleek profile makes it ideal for walkaround shooting, especially for hiking or travel landscapes, as well as street and reportage applications.
Distinguishing itself from other wides, too, it features a 1:2 maximum magnification ratio and 4.25" minimum focusing distance for working with close-up subjects. Its optical design features both aspherical and low dispersion glass elements, which suppress a variety of aberrations and distortions for well-controlled and accurate rendering. Also, a Super Multi-Layer Coating helps to reduce ghosting and flare for improved color fidelity and contrast.
Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary
An inherently flexible focal length, the Sony E-mount 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is a sleek wide-angle prime pairing a bright design with a portable form factor. The standard wide field of view is useful for a broad array of subject types, including landscape, street, and reportage shooting, and the f/2 maximum aperture excels in challenging lighting and enables greater control over depth of field.
In terms of the optical design, three aspherical elements and one SLD element are used to minimize a variety of aberrations and distortion for sharp and accurate rendering. Also, a Super Multi-Layer Coating helps to control ghosting and flare for improved color fidelity and contrast. In regard to handling and focus, this lens features a stepping motor for quick and quiet AF performance that suits both photo and video applications. As an I Series lens, too, this lens features a manual aperture ring and all-metal barrel constriction for enhanced tactility. Additionally, there is a rounded nine-blade diaphragm for smooth bokeh quality and the lens housing is also weather-sealed to suit working in inclement conditions.
Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary
Stylishly sleek, the Sony E-mount Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary Lens is a short-tele/long-normal prime offering a unique field of view well-suited to portraiture and selective everyday shooting. Complementing the slightly long focal length is a bright f/2 design that helps to maintain a portable form factor while also contributing to low-light performance and depth of field control. Optically, this 65mm f/2 includes a pair of aspherical elements and one low dispersion element in its design to control a variety of aberrations and achieve notable sharpness and clarity. A Super Multi-Layer Coating has also been applied, which reduces flare and ghosting for greater contrast.
Benefitting handling, this lens features a stepping motor for quick and quiet AF performance that suits both photo and video applications. As an I Series lens, too, this lens incorporates a manual aperture ring and all-metal barrel constriction into its design for enhanced tactility. Additionally, there is a rounded nine-blade diaphragm for smooth bokeh quality and the lens housing is also weather-sealed to suit working in inclement conditions.
Choosing compact lenses for demanding uses
Unless autofocus is a priority, I’d steer my readers to the 50mm and 65mm Voigtlander offerings. The Voigtlander 50mm f/2 APO-LANTHAR Aspherical has few peers, ditto for the Voigtlander 65mm f/2 Macro-APO-Lanthar Aspherical.
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