Sigma’s new bright ultra-wide prime for crop sensor cameras is drastically lighter than its predecessor – and it even comes in three different mounts. Unveiled on Tuesday, February 24, the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary is a lighter upgrade to the brand’s earlier 16mm f/1.4 lens for APS-C cameras.
The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary will be available in three different mounts for APS-C cameras – a list that even includes the Canon RF mount, which has been notoriously more closed off but is now steadily gaining more third-party autofocus lenses, at least for crop sensor bodies.
The lens will also be available in Fujifilm X and Sony E mounts. Curiously, that list doesn’t include the Nikon Z Mount, L Mount, or Micro Four Thirds, all mounts that the predecessor, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, has available. Of course, it’s not unusual for Sigma to launch an existing lens in a new mount – so it’s possible those other mounts could arrive later on. After all, the earlier 16mm initially only launched in Sony E and Micro Four Thirds.
One of the key changes is that the new 15mm is 50 percent lighter than the earlier 16mm – which now makes the 15mm f/1.4 DC the lightest lens in Sigma’s Contemporary series. The lens weighs 7.8 oz / 220g. It measures 2.6 inches / 64.8mm long for the E-Mount version, which also makes it 30 percent shorter than the older 16mm version.
Despite the smaller, lighter design, Sigma says that the optics on the new lens outperform those of the 16mm. One focus in particular was on improving edge-to-edge performance and suppressing sagittal coma daltre, a type of flare that is particularly noticeable in astrophotography. The company says that the design also works to eliminate lens flare and ghosting.
Sigma also says that the lens is designed to shoot both stills and video, including the lens’ stepping motor for autofocus and efforts to reduce focus breathing.
The lens is designed with dust and moisture seals, while a control ring on Canon RF and an aperture ring on Fujifilm X and Sony E offer users quick access to settings.
The new Sigma 15mm f/1.4 joins the Contemporary series, a line that focuses on bright, portable primes for APS-C cameras that spans from 12mm to 56mm.
Announced ahead of the CP+ photography show in Japan, the 15mm was announced alongside Sigma’s new 35mm f/1.4 full-frame lens. The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC DN begins shipping on March 12th. The lens is expected to list for £449 in the UK; International pricing details were not available at the time of the announcement.
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