SIGMA 16mm F1.4 for APS-C mirrorless cameras
A review and Photo example of the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN with Leica CL
Table of contents
Gallery
- The example photo was taken using a LEICA CL typ7323 camera.
Review
1．Overview
The Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN was released in 2017 and is a lens for APS-C size sensor mirrorless cameras.
The main specifications are as follows, and detailed specifications are listed in the table.
- Aperture value: 1.4
- Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups
- Aperture blades: 9
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.25m
- Hood: Plastic snap-on hood
- Mount variations
- L mount
- Sony E mount
- Fujifilm X mount
- Micro Four Thirds mount
- Canon EF-M mount
- Nikon Z mount
- Canon RF mount
Sigma lenses only list their specifications, and the notation is confusing even though it is easy to understand, so it is easy to get confused when minor changes or lenses with similar specifications are released.
The official name of this lens is SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary, made by Sigma, focal length 16mm, maximum aperture F1.4, DC=APS-C, DN=mirrorless.
2．Usability
The Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN is a handy wide-angle prime lens.
Since it is an APS-C lens, the focal length is about 24mm when converted into a 35mm film.
Sigma has released four prime lenses for APS-C sensors: 16mm, 23mm, 30mm, and 56mm, with 16mm being the widest angle.
Since a wide-angle of 24mm is standard even on mobile phones, it doesn’t feel that wide-angle, but it depicts images without distortion to all four corners, and the AF speed seems to be quicker than the 35mm Summilux-TL.
Despite having 16 lenses, it weighs only about 400g, and the minimum shooting distance is 25cm, so it can be used for table photos. I think it’s just the right lens to take with you as a sub-camera.
I bought it for about 30,000 yen, and it is a lens of sufficient quality, including its appearance.In Leica terms, it has the same brightness as the Summilux at F1.4, and a complex lens configuration of 13 elements in 10 groups, so the price and quality are amazing, and I think it’s one of those lenses that qualifies as “Sigma’s scientific expertise is the best in the world.”
3．Add Info.
Apart from Sigma, Leica is the only company that has released APS-C size lenses for the Leica L, so I am very grateful that they are releasing APS-C sensor lenses for the L-mount, which has a low market share (almost extinct).
I fully understand that this is due to the APS-C sensor cameras, Fuji X, and Sony E, and I am very grateful to X-mount and E-mount users. I personally appreciate Sigma’s product strategy that makes full use of their position to release products with multiple mounts. Sigma’s lenses, which can be used with various mounts by changing the mount and control chip, are released for many mounts such as Canon RF, Nikon Z, and Micro Four Thirds.
The sad thing about L-mount lenses is that their resale value is more than 10% lower than that of X-mount and E-mount.
Specification and SIGMA DC DN Single focus Lens Variations
| Items | C017 | C023 | C016 | C018 |
| Focal length(mm) | 16 | 23 | 30 | 56 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | 24 | 34 | 45 | 84 |
| Max aperture | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Leaf blade | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Lens Construction | 16elements in 13groups | 13elements in 10groups | 9elements in 7groups | 10elements in 6groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Lens length(mm)(L-Mount) | 90.3 | 76.9 | 71.3 | 57.5 |
| Max diameter(mm)(L-Mount) | 72.2 | 65.8 | 65.4 | 66.5 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 67 | 52 | 52 | 55 |
| Weight(g)(L-Mount) | 415 | 340 | 280 | 285 |
| Release date | 2017/11/22 | 2023/04/21 | 2016/03/18 | 2018/11/22 |
| Price(Yen/Non tax) | ¥57,000 | ¥65,000 | ¥48,000 | ¥57,000 |
Reference links
Update
- 2025.3.29
- 2024.04.06
- 2023.08.22
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