Sigma just dropped one of the best lenses you never knew you needed – and once you know it exists, you may not be able to do without it.
The Sigma 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary is a not-so-standard zoom that delivers prime-level sharpness while minimizing the footprint of full-frame cameras – which means that those small bodies like the Sigma BF, Lumix S9 and Sony A7C II actually stay small.
Yes, the Lumix heads among you may be pointing out that Panasonic already made a lens like this. But while the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 was a very good lens, it's a stop slower – and it's only available for L-Mount, whereas Sigma's lens is also available for Sony E (but not, alas, Canon RF or Nikon Z).
Take a closer look in the launch video:
Topping and tailing the 24-70mm standard zoom lens, Sigma's 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary offers a much more useful ultra-wide starting point of 20mm – which is rapidly becoming the new normal, thanks to smartphones changing the game.
And it's that extra width that makes this such a useful everyday, walkabout, travel and even vlogging lens – ideal for those situations such as indoor photography, taking pictures of church ceilings and presenting pieces to camera where you can never "get far back enough". Focus breathing is well controlled, too, further buttering its bread as a video optic.
Indeed, the bottom-heavy zoom range also makes this a very practical zoom for APS-C shooters, where it offers an eminently practical 35-90mm equivalent focal range, with a minimum focus distance of 158mm at 28mm for versatile close-up shooting.
Positively palm-sized at just 72 x 88mm and weighing a mere 375g, this little lens packs 15 elements in 13 groups – including a trio of aspherical lenses and a trifecta of special low dispersion glass elements.
"I'm really impressed that Sigma has been able to design this lens with its ultra-wide-angle potential, while delivering excellent image quality in a package that's refreshingly compact and lightweight," said my colleague Matthew in his Sigma 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary review.
"Sure, the inner barrel extends at longer zoom settings but that's only natural. And although it has a variable aperture rating, it's faster than is often the case. All in all, I think this Sigma lens is a small wonder, and a bargain at the price."
The Sigma 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary will be available from September 30, priced $849 / £749 / AU$1,179.
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