Sigma Lens for Sony E Mount- Go for the affordable option

In The camera lens market, you find two main categories the first and the third party lenses.  First-party lenses are the ones made by the companies that manufacture the most popular camera brands. These include big names like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and Pentax.

On the other hand, a third-party camera lens is one that has been developed by a different company than those who built your camera’s body. These include well-known names like Sigma, Tamron, ZEISS, Rokinon, Samyang, and Tokina.

Why use third-party lenses

One of the most common reasons is price, as third-party lenses tend to be more affordable than their first-party counterparts. a third-party lens may offer a specific focal length and aperture combination that’s not offered by the camera’s brand.

Additionally, a third-party lens could offer faster autofocus, a lighter or more portable build, or fewer image quality issues such as chromatic aberrations or focus breathing.

For example, one of our favorite third-party E-mount lenses is the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art. When we compared it to the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens, we found it offered comparable performance capabilities, a smaller and lighter build, and a more affordable price tag.

What is Sony E-mount?

The Sony E-mount is a lens mount developed by Sony for use in cameras and camcorders. It is designed for both full-frame E-mount mirrorless digital cameras and APS-C-sized E-mount cameras. For more information about Sony E mount, check my post “Sony Digital Camera Lenses- The Best Picks”

Sigma lenses product lines

SIGMA is organizing all its interchangeable lenses into three product lines. Each line has its own clearly defined concept.

• Art line

These lenses reach the high standards demanded by photographers with an artistic, creative inclination. The Sigma Art line is intended to help photographers come up with the best photos. This is why these lenses offer the best optical performance, and advanced technology, not to mention dust-and-splash resistant construction.

The Art line includes a wide range of lenses. It has prime and zoom lenses. And it also features wide-angle and standard view lenses.

• Sport line

Sports line lenses provide an amazing long telephoto capability, along with super-tough build quality that holds up to the most extreme conditions. The Sport is reportedly sharper, has faster autofocus, is more ruggedly built, and boasts better weather sealing. The Sports lens line is aimed at the “pro” market.

• Contemporary line

The Contemporary lenses are compact, high-quality, and affordable, to meet the needs of a wide audience of creators who simply want great images and product quality that doesn’t break the bank.

Simply, a Contemporary lens has the advantage of being smaller, lighter, and more affordable, and chances are it’ll be all the lens you need for almost any situation.

Sigma lens abbreviations

Lens abbreviations save you the trouble of going through lens or camera manuals to find out what you can achieve from each scene. The table below lists the abbreviation system used by Sigma for its lenses, what these abbreviations stand for and how they can work for you.

Example of Sigma Lens Abbreviation: Sigma 17-50mm 1:2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD

The lens abbreviations tell us the following:

• It is a zoom lens with a focal length range: of 17mm to 50mm
• It has a maximum aperture of f/2.8
• It’s of a professional standard (EX)
• It is designed for a crop sensor (APS-C) camera (DC)
• It has optical image stabilization (OS)
• The lens has a hypersonic motor (HSM)
• It employs a fluorite low dispersion lens element (FLD)

Sigma Lenses for Sony E Mount

The below list shows our recommended Sigma lenses for both full-frame and crop sensor Sony mirrorless cameras with E mount.

1. Sigma DC DN Contemporary 16mm f/1.4    
2. Sigma DC DN Contemporary 30mm f/1.4     
3. Sigma DC DN Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8      
4. Sigma DC DN Contemporary 56mm f/1.4    
5. Sigma DG DN Art 14-24mm f/2.8    
6. Sigma DG DN Contemporary 24mm f/2      
7. Sigma DG DN Art 35mm f/1.4     
8. Sigma DG DN Art 24-70mm f/2.8   
9. Sigma DG DN Art 85mm f/1.4     
10. Sigma DG DN Art 105mm f/2.8 macro  
11. Sigma DG DN OS Sports 150-600mm f/5-6.3    

1- Sigma DC DN Contemporary 16mm f/1.4

APS-C   Contemporary

Mixing a comfortable wide-angle design with an ultra-fast maximum aperture, the 16mm f/1.4 DC DN is part of Sigma’s Contemporary series of lenses and is designed for use with APS-C-format Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras.

Characterized by its bright f/1.4 maximum aperture, this lens is adept at working in low-light conditions and affords increased control over the depth of field for selective focus control.

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2- Sigma DC DN Contemporary 30mm f/1.4

APS-C   Contemporary

A fast, versatile prime, this 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is designed for use with APS-C-format Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. The bright f/1.4 maximum aperture benefits working in low-light conditions and affords extensive control over the depth of field for using selective focus techniques.

Additionally, benefitting both stills shooting and video recording, this compact prime also incorporates a stepping AF motor for smooth, near-silent autofocus performance.

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3- Sigma DC DN Contemporary 18-50mm f/2.8

APS-C   Contemporary

Ideal for a wide range of photo and video applications including landscapes, portraits, street photography, architecture, and events, the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is a small, light, and bright standard zoom for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras. Offered here with a Sony E-mount, this lens provides a versatile full-frame equivalent zoom range of 27-75mm and a wide constant aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range.

Autofocus is exceptionally fast and quiet thanks to the lens’s stepping motor, which can be particularly useful when shooting video or fast-moving subjects such as children and animals.

An ultimate workhorse, the lens features a minimum focusing distance of just 4.8″, enabling it to be used for macro-style close-up photography, and the lens is also outfitted with a rounded seven-blade diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh quality.

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4- Sigma DC DN Contemporary 56mm f/1.4

APS-C   Contemporary

An especially sleek portrait-length prime, the 56mm f/1.4 DC DN is part of Sigma’s Contemporary series of lenses and is designed for use with APS-C-format Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. The lens is characterized by its bright f/1.4 maximum aperture, which suits working in difficult lighting conditions and also offers improved control over depth of field for isolating subjects and working with selective focus techniques.

A super multilayer coating has also been applied to suppress flare and ghosting in order to achieve more contrast and color accuracy when working in strong lighting conditions.

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5- Sigma DG DN Art 14-24mm f/2.8

Full frame   Art

Created for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens provides a versatile range of wide-angle focal lengths with excellent image quality while optimizing size and weight.

As an Art-series zoom, it is a fast f/2.8 constant maximum aperture to suit working in available lighting conditions also distinguishes this lens

Though the full-time manual focus is available, this lens is equipped with a stepping motor that enables smooth, high-speed autofocusing that is notably quiet whether utilizing features such as Face/Eye Detection AF or during video shooting.

A built-in Autofocus-Lock (AFL) button can be assigned additional functions to widen the range of operations available on the lens, while inside, a rounded 11-blade diaphragm improves image quality by helping to create smooth bokeh. Additionally, a built-in lens hood serves to protect the front element as well as prevent stray light from causing flare.

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6- Sigma DG DN Contemporary 24mm f/2

Full frame     Contemporary

A compact wide-angle prime, the Sony E-mount 24mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma provides excellent edge-to-edge sharpness in a stylish all-metal design.

An ideal lens for landscape, nature, interior, and architectural photography, the lens provides a modestly bright f/2 maximum aperture for low-light performance and shallow depth of field control.

Additionally, its fast maximum aperture makes it a natural choice for the night sky and astrophotography. In regard to focus, this lens features a stepping motor for quick and quiet AF performance that suits both photo and video applications.

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7- Sigma DG DN Art 35mm f/1.4

Full frame   Art

A classic wide-angle lens updated for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless systems, the 35mm f/1.4 DG DN from Sigma is an Art-series prime characterized by its advanced and updated optical design, sleek profile, and bright design.

The f/1.4 maximum aperture enables working in low-light conditions and also provides increased control over the depth of field for achieving shallow depth of field effects.

The optical layout incorporates two SLD Special-Low Dispersions, one ELD Extra-Low Dispersion, and one FLD Low Dispersion element. In addition, a Super Multi-Layer Coating enhances image quality by suppressing lens flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color fidelity in strong lighting conditions.

It features a physical aperture ring, which can be de-clicked or locked, along with a dedicated focus mode switch and AFL button for intuitive and tactile control.

For autofocus, a stepping motor is used that maintains a lightweight and compact design while promoting fast and near-silent focusing performance for both stills and video applications. Additionally, the lens features an 11-blade rounded diaphragm for smooth bokeh quality and the lens housing is also weather-sealed to suit working in inclement conditions.

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