MINI TESTS
SPECIFICATIONS SIGMA 17MM F/4 DG DN Focal length: 17mm Mount: Sony E, Leica L Image coverage: Full-frame
Aperture: F/4-22 Aperture blades: 7
Construction: 9 elements in 8 groups, 2 SLD and 3 aspherical elements Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 12cm/4.7in 64x48.8mm/2.5x1.9in Weight: 220g/0.49lb SIGMA 50MM F/2 DG DN Focal length: 50mm Mount: Sony E, Leica L Image coverage: Full-frame Filter size: 55mm Dimensions (dxl):
Aperture: F/2-22 Aperture blades: 9
MATCHED SET The Sigmas are a lovely fit for Sony mirrorless
Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups, 1 SLD and 3 aspherical elements Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 45cm/17.7in
“For those who like to keep things compact, Contemporary lenses could be just the ticket”
accurate exposure changes. The slower 17mm and 50mm versions have more basic controls, which is a shame, but it makes them smaller. Both lenses have a front filter thread – 55mm on the 17mm lens and 58mm on the 50mm version. And they each focus relatively quickly, though they aren’t exactly built for speed. Paired with a Sony A1 and A7S III, the focusing proved both crisp and accurate. Manual focusing was not ideal due to the fly- by-wire control, but it was certainly decent enough. You can customise the manual focus response using the Sigma USB dock when alongside an L-Mount camera. We were on Sony E mount, though. The 17mm lens is not particularly fast, but it’s made to be small and light for travel use and provide excellent sharpness across the frame when shooting landscapes or architecture. For that, it definitely delivers. It’s the sort of lens you can pack away in a small space, but when you want to shoot some wide expanses it provides wonderful, sharp edge-to-edge image quality. The contrast is excellent, and if you shoot it wide open, the background bokeh is soft even though the iris only has seven rounded blades. Flare and ghosting are seriously well-controlled, considering this is a wide lens. The lens hood helps.
It also focuses very close at 12cm/4.7in, so can get right in there and create some funky-looking shots. The 50mm f/2 is a bit bigger, as it’s faster and has a more advanced optical design with nine aperture blades. Of course, you won’t get the wafer-thin depth-of-field you would expect from an f/1.4 optic. But you’re not paying f/1.4 money or having to cart around a heavier and bigger lens. And to be honest, f/2 is still pretty damn quick. Shoot it wide open and up close, and bokeh is smooth and actually very pleasing. It’s also marginally easier to get things in focus at f/2 than f/1.4. The colours are neutral, sharpness is good at f/2 and even better if you stop down a bit, too. Both models may offer modest maximum apertures compared to more exotic glass, but in their favour, they are relatively inexpensive, the AF is fast enough and both deliver terrific results. The build quality is typically Japanese, so you know it’s good. And you could buy the whole set of nine Contemporary lenses for less than the price of a boutique cinema prime. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 The affordable Sigma Contemporary range continues to expand and impress Pros: Size and price, image quality Cons: No built-in image stabilisation
Filter size: 58mm Dimensions (dxl): 70x68mm/2.8x2.8in Weight: 345g/0.76lb
STANDARD VIEW The 50mm has an aperture ring and MF/AF selector
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