Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 (C) AF DC DN Lens for Canon EF-M X Mount, Mirrorless

Product Information

Illumination is also quite even from center to edge, a big plus for a bright lens. At f/1.4 and f/2 the corners lag behind the center by -1.1EV, which gives photos a very slight, natural vignette. At narrower f-stops the difference is about -0.8EV, which is barely noticeable in images. Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. In the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN C lens, Sigma employed an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades, which has resulted in quite nice bokeh in our view. We do realise, however, that bokeh evaluation is subjective, so we've included several 100% crops for your perusal. Image quality is similarly great to that already mentioned here with the Fujifilm version. Images display excellent sharpness, fantastic detail and a lovely drop off in focus thanks to the very wide aperture. I’d highly recommend the lens for Nikon Z mount DX users, and even potentially full-frame users too looking for a fast, 24mm lens at a good price. Amy Davies. Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN C Verdict This is a super lens. It’s a well-made bit of equipment, pleasant to use, and the photos taken with it look good. f/1.4 is fast. The images from it across the range of apertures are usable, but there is a substantial difference in sharpness across that range, and I had hoped that wide open, it would have been sharper.

Sigma 16 mm f/1.4 (C) AF DC DN Lens for Canon EF-M X Mount

With 16 elements in 13 groups, the optical system features a multitude of high-tech and high-end components, including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements, and two moulded glass aspherical elements. This optical system minimizes optical aberrations and ensures outstanding resolution at wide-open aperture and throughout the aperture range. In particular, the two aspherical lens elements have ultra-high-precision surfaces polished to tolerances under 10 nanometers, minimizing the onion ring bokeh effect that some aspherical elements produce and ensuring clear image quality throughout the frame. In addition, the structure of the optical system gently bends light to minimize sagittal coma flare and deliver optimal optical performance from the center of the frame to the edges. The result is a smooth, round bokeh effect with ample light volume throughout the frame. Sharpness remains very good across the whole image frame, right into the corners (Image credit: Matthew Richards) This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E-mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation. Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc.You don't get in-lens stabilization with the 16mm, but wide aperture primes typically omit the feature. It's bright and wide enough that you'll be able to shoot handheld and get crisp images without stabilization. But if you shoot a lot of handheld video, it's best to pair it with a body with sensor-based stabilization. From my perspective, having Image Stabilization on the lens doesn’t make that much of a difference when shooting video on the M50. Final Thoughts

Sigma 402965 16 mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary Sony E Lens - Black Sigma 402965 16 mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary Sony E Lens - Black

It is not a superbly sharp lens, but it is certainly impressively sharp and more than capable of capturing detailed images and making nice prints. As I expected, the out-of-focus area had a nice creamy feel. Please take note, you Micro Four Thirds naysayers, this is smooth, creamy bokeh and a shallow depth of field achieved with a wide-angle lens! Did the Images Stand Up to Inspection? The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens is one of three new EF-M prime lenses now being offered by Sigma (including a 30mm lens I reviewed here). For Canon users looking for EF-M lens options, the Sigma lenses couldn’t come at a better time, because Canon—for whatever reason—has never expanded their EF-M lens lineup with anywhere near the breadth of their full-frame EF lens options. Attached to my OM-1, it was nicely balanced. It’s similar in width to my Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8, but slightly longer. This lens isn’t only compatible with Micro Four Thirds; other versions fit the Sony E, Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, and Leica L mounts. It comprises nine rounded diaphragm blades, so I anticipated the bokeh would be pleasing. It’s also worth noting that although these lenses are designed for APS-C cameras, you can also use them with full-frame bodies, like the Nikon Z6 II, with the camera automatically switching to crop mode if you do. You might therefore consider it a good alternative to the Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S lens, which costs more than twice that of the Sigma.I recommend that you take a look at the image galleries here to see more images that I took during the review. Optical construction is 16 elements in 13 groups, and interestingly the instruction leaflet makes a point of informing that all the glass used is both Lead and Arsenic free. This is relevant to environmental issues if and when the lens is finally disposed of. There are various special lens elements, including 2 moulded glass aspheric, 2 SLD (Super Low Dispersion) and 3 FLD (Fluorite-like Low Dispersion). The FLD glass performs in a way very similar to a fluorite element, helping to reduce chromatic aberration even further. Fluorite elements are both expensive and quite brittle, so the FLD glass can be used with a very similar end result. There are 9 rounded diaphragm blades, aimed at making the aperture as circular as possible for improved bokeh. With only a few minor exceptions, all of SIGMA's manufacturing, including molds and parts, takes place under a single integrated production system in Japan. We are now one of the very few manufacturers whose products are truly made in Japan. We like to think our products are somehow imbued with the essence of our homeland, blessed as it is with clean air and water, and focused, hard-working people. We pride ourselves on the authentic quality of SIGMA products, born of a marriage between highly attuned expertise and intelligent, advanced technology. Our sophisticated products have satisfied professionals and lovers of photography all over the world because our manufacturing is based on genuine craftsmanship, underpinned by the passion and pride of our experts. Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or blue fringes along contrasty edges, are more of a problem with the Sigma 16mm and 30mm than with the 56mm F1.4 DC DN C. Chromatic Aberrations - Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN C

Sigma 16mm, 30mm and 56mm F1.4 DC DN C for Canon Review Sigma 16mm, 30mm and 56mm F1.4 DC DN C for Canon Review

Therefore the recent introduction of three F1.4 primes by Sigma is great news for Canon EOS M owners who want to move beyond the capabilities of the zoom lenses that they initially bought with their camera body. With the Sigma 16mm, 30mm and 56mm F1.4 DC DN C lens wide open at f/1.4, you can see some obvious light fall-off in the corners. Stopping down helps, although to completely get rid of this phenomenon, you will need to use an f-stop of f/4 or smaller. Light Fall-off - Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN C The 16mm DN is a very strongly performing lens, with a lot of resolution available even at wide apertures. In real world shooting I was very happy with the results, with a lot of good detail showing up at a pixel level. The sharpness is also nicely even across the frame, with fairly good edge performance (important for landscape photographers). Wide open (f/1.4) the center performance is stronger than the corners, but neither are the corners mushy, either. There is a bit of veiling (lower contrast) wide open that I traced to a fairly common problem with wide aperture lenses – some axial (or longitudinal) chromatic aberrations. Unlike lateral chromatic aberrations, which often appear near the edges of the frame as green and purple fringing on both the top and bottom of things like, say, tree branches or other high contrast subjects, axial CA (LoCA) occurs when not all colors focus equally. It typically appears as purple fringing before the plane of focus and sometimes also with some green fringing after the plane of focus. Lateral CA is mostly unaffected by aperture, and will appear at most aperture values. Axial CA is often “fixed” by stopping the lens down to smaller apertures, as the depth of field increases and there is less variance between the focus of the colors. Sigma’s approach to mirrorless lenses (DN) has come in two distinct phases. Sigma first released a series of three budget primes with moderately wide apertures (19mm, 30mm, and 60mm f/2.8 DN lenses). I’ve tested all of these, and they are actually surprisingly good little optics, with nice color, quiet focus, extremely compact size, and a bargain price. Though they look nothing like the other ART series lenses, they were, ironically, badged as ART lenses. In 2016 Sigma launched a new mirrorless lens, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DN DC. Though it shared a lot of design elements with the SLR ART series primes (similar body style and materials), along with the wide maximum aperture that ART primes are famous for, it was, ironically, badged a “Contemporary” lens. As a result, Sigma’s approach to mirrorless branding is a little like Alice’s “Through the Looking Glass”, where everything ends up somewhat upside down. The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DN lens certainly looks very much like an ART lens!Another night shooting situation proved slightly challenging for the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens. You can see that the lens produces some comatic aberration when shooting the night sky. This was not restricted solely to the corners either and was prevalent across much of the frame. A bright prime lens is the ideal way to experience the essence of the art of photography. Simply select a focal length that matches the image and enjoy complete control of the depth of field. Across much of the frame, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens is sharp. Sharpness does fall off a bit when you look toward the extreme corners of the frame, but even then, if you are stopped down, sharpness and resolution remains good.