Introduction
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is a quick wide-angle prime lens for Sony Alpha full-frame and APS-C E-mount mirrorless cameras, the place it offers a 30mm equal focal size. It is also out there for Leica / Panasonic / Sigma L-mount cameras.
This new lens is a part of the Sigma I collection of compact, high-performance, impeccably constructed primes for mirrorless digicam methods, which boast a premium all-metal weather-sealed development, a magnetic steel lens cap and a steel lens hood.
The Sigma 20mm F2 for Sony was launched in February 2022, becoming a member of the 24mm F3.5 DG DN, 24mm F2 DG DN, 35mm F2.8 DG DN, 45mm F2.8 DG DN, 65mm F2.8 DG DN and 90mm F2.8 DG DN lenses.
It options 13 parts in 11 teams, with one Particular Low Dispersion (SLD) ingredient to cut back chromatic aberrations and shade fringing, one FLD glass ingredient which helps to appropriate axial chromatic aberrations and three high-precision glass-molded aspherical parts to assist scale back the scale and weight of the lens.
There is a Tremendous Multi-Layer Coating to attenuate inside reflections in order that flare and ghosting don’t happen.
This lens boasts a dust- and splash-proof construction and has a minimal focusing distance of 22cm / 8.7in.. with a most magnification of 0.15x.
It has a rounded 9-blade diaphragm which creates a horny blur to out-of-focus areas of the picture and an inside focusing mechanism which implies the lens barrel does not transfer.
There’s a stepping motor for quick, quiet and exact auto-focusing, whereas the focusing ring offers effective guide focus management.
A standard aperture ring runs from f/2 to f/22 in third-stop increments with an Auto setting additionally out there for camera-based aperture choice.
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN lens is offered now priced at £649 / $699 within the UK and USA, respectively.
Ease of Use
Weighing in at 370g / 13.1oz. and measuring 70mm x 74.4mm / 2.8in. x 2.9in., the all-metal bodied Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is fairly mild for such a premium full-frame lens.
Its total measurement is well-suited to a digicam just like the Sony A1 that we examined it with, as proven within the product pictures.
Even with the equipped hood hooked up, it’s nonetheless pretty discrete for a 20mm lens.
The opposite 20mm lens that Sigma supply is the considerably sooner however a lot, a lot larger and heavier Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM, which weighs in at greater than 1kg.
The primary lens that Sigma are focusing on is the very comparable Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G, which is roughly the identical measurement and weight however is crucially fairly much more costly.
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is heavier than the comparable Tamron 20mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 lens, which solely weighs 215g and is smaller too, measuring 64mm x 73mm.
Construct high quality is solely very good, far exceeding what you may anticipate from a mid-range prime lens.
Sigma have actually gone to city on the brand new I collection, a lot in order that they’ve defined in nice element simply how a lot thought has gone into it.
It incorporates a brass bayonet mount that is supposedly extra sturdy than a standard steel mount.
A rubber seal is integrated into the lens mount’s design to make it dust- and splash-resistant.
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN lens has a steel lens mount and it accepts 62mm filters by way of steel threads on the entrance of the lens.
The lens does not function built-in optical picture stabilisation, relying as a substitute on the digicam physique’s stabilisation system (if it has one).
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN lens has an adequately sized, ridged motor-assisted focus ring that may be very properly damped. Guide focusing is feasible by utilizing the main focus mode change to toggle between AF and MF.
There aren’t any exhausting stops at both finish of the vary, making it a little bit tougher to set focus at infinity. Polariser customers needs to be happy that the 62mm filter thread does not rotate on focus.
The guide focusing ring is positioned a little bit too carefully to the lens hood when it is fitted, although, a lot in order that my proper thumb rubbed alongside the sting of the hood as I rotated the focusing ring. A minor element, perhaps, however nonetheless of some significance on a lens the place consideration to element is the defining attribute.
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN lens utilises a stepping motor which produces quiet, virtually silent, clean focusing, making it well-suited to capturing each stills and video, with the general lens size remaining fixed throughout focusing.
Relating to auto-focusing, it proved to be a fast performer on the Sony A1 digicam that we examined it with.
We did not expertise very a lot “looking”, both in good or dangerous mild, with the lens precisely focusing virtually all the time.
Sony’s close to flawless Eye AF works completely with this lens, rapidly locking onto and monitoring the topic’s eye regardless of the wide-angle view, and it totally helps Sony’s DMF and AF+MF capturing modes.
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN lens options an aperture ring that has 1/3EV stops starting from f/2 to f/22 and an Auto setting in the event you want to set the aperture by way of the digicam physique.
Sadly there is no Click on change on the lens barrel that permits you to de-click it for silent operation throughout film recording.
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN lens is not equipped with a lens case, nevertheless it does include an excellent high quality, hybrid plastic and steel, petal-shaped lens hood (LH656-02) that continues the ribbed texture of the lens barrel, and in addition an revolutionary magnetic steel lens cap (LCF62-01M), along with a standard plastic cap.
This devoted steel cap clips to the entrance floor of the lens magnetically, and there is even an optionally available magnetic steel lens cap holder (CH-11) that may be clipped to a bag or a belt.
Notice that the magnetic lens cap cannot be used with filters, although, and can be fairly awkward to make use of when the lens hood is fitted.
Focal Vary
The 20mm focal size offers an angle of view of 94.5 levels on a full-frame digicam.
Chromatic Aberrations
Chromatic aberrations, sometimes seen as blue or purple fringes alongside contrasty edges, had been considerably obvious in our take a look at photographs, showing in very excessive distinction areas. The examples beneath present the worst-case situation.
Gentle Fall-off
With the lens set to its most aperture of f/2, there’s very apparent mild fall-off within the corners, requiring you to cease down by no less than 3 f-stops to utterly stop it.
Distortion
There’s quite a lot of distortion evident in each the JPEG and RAW recordsdata which you will must appropriate in post-processing. Alternatively, most Sony Alpha cameras can robotically and efficiently apply Lens Distortion corrections to the JPEG recordsdata, however to not the RAWs.
JPEG
Uncooked
Sunstars
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is able to producing fairly good sunstars when stopped-down to f/16 and f/22, as proven beneath.
The lens is vulnerable to flare when capturing straight into the solar, although, even with the equipped lens hood fitted.
Macro
The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN is not actually a macro lens, providing a minimal focusing distance of 22cm / 8.7in. and a most magnification ratio of 1:6.7. The next examples reveal how shut you may get to your topic.
Bokeh
Bokeh is a phrase used for the out-of-focus areas of {a photograph}, and is often described in qualitative phrases, resembling clean / creamy / harsh and so on.
Within the 20mm F2 DG DN lens, Sigma have employed an iris diaphragm with 9 round blades, which has resulted in interesting bokeh for what’s in any case a wide-angle lens.
We do realise, nevertheless, that bokeh analysis is subjective, so we have included a number of examples beneath to your perusal, all shot wide-open at f/2.
Sharpness
With a view to present you ways sharp this lens is, we’re offering 100% crops on the next web page.
