Hands on with the Sigma 17mm f/4, 50mm f/2 FF and 23mm f/1.4 Contemporary lenses
May 4, 2023
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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We got quite excited at DIYP when Sigma announced their new 50mm f/2 DG DN (buy here), 17mm f/4 DG DN (buy here) and 23mm f/1.4 DC DN (buy here) Contemporary lenses at the beginning of April. We wanted to check them out in person and see them for ourselves. So, while we were at NAB 2023, we headed to the B&H booth to speak with Sigma Technical Representative Aaron Norberg to learn more about them.
Sigma’s Contemporary line of lenses are designed to be as compact and lightweight as portable. Contemporary lenses lack many of the bells and whistles of the Art and Sports series lenses in Sigma’s Global Vision lineup, but not everybody needs those bells and whistles. This allows Sigma to bring the price right down and provide the best possible value for those users.
Sigma 17mm f/4 DG DN Contemporary
The Sigma 17mm f/4 DG DN Contemporary lens provides a low-budget, wide-angle lens option for Sony E and Leica L mount shooters. It’s the widest lens in what Sigma calls its “I series” and is extremely light, weighing only 225g (for the L mount version). It’s also quite small, measuring only 48.8mm in length.
| Focal length | 17mm |
| Max aperture | f/4 |
| Min aperture | f/22 |
| Lens mount | Sony E, Leica L |
| Format | Full-frame |
| Angle of view | 103.7° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 12cm |
| Optics | 9 elements in 8 groups |
| Aperture blades | 7, rounded |
| Focus type | Autofocus |
| Stabilisation | None |
| Filter size | 55mm (front) |
| Dimensions | 64mm x 50.8mm |
| Weight | 220g |
| Launch Price | $599 |
Price and availability
The Sigma 17mm f/4 DG DN Contemporary lens for full-frame Sony E and Leica L mounts is available to buy now for $549.
Sigma 50mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary
50mm is the classic “standard” focal length. It’s a focal length that resides in the bags of many photographers and filmmakers. This is the fifth I series lens with an f/2 aperture, adding to the 20mm, 24mm, 35mm and 65mm lenses. Again, it’s designed specifically for full-frame cameras and is available in Sony E and L mount flavours.
| Focal length | 50mm |
| Max aperture | f/2 |
| Min aperture | f/22 |
| Lens mount | Sony E, Leica L |
| Format | Full-frame |
| Angle of view | Unspecified |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 45cm |
| Optics | 11 elements in 9 groups |
| Aperture blades | 9, rounded |
| Focus type | Autofocus |
| Stabilisation | None |
| Filter size | 58mm (front) |
| Dimensions | 70mm x 70mm |
| Weight | 345g |
| Launch Price | $639 |
Price and availability
The Sigma 50mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary for full-frame Sony E and Leica L mount cameras is available to buy now for $639.
Sigma 23mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary
The Sigma DC DN Contemporary, being a “DC” lens, is designed for APS-C. It adds to Sigma’s DC DN Contemporary f/1.4 APS-C prime lens lineup, joining the 16mm, 30mm and 56mm. It fits a nice gap in the middle, providing a field of view equivalent to approximately 35mm on a full-frame camera – a common focal length for things like events or street photography.
| Focal length | 23mm |
| Max aperture | f/1.4 |
| Min aperture | f/16 |
| Lens mount | Sony E, Leica L, Fuji X |
| Format | APS-C |
| Angle of view | Unspecified |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 25cm |
| Optics | 13 elements in 10 groups |
| Aperture blades | 9 |
| Focus type | Autofocus |
| Stabilisation | None |
| Filter size | 52mm (front) |
| Dimensions | 65.8mm x 79.2mm |
| Weight | 330g |
| Launch Price | $549 |
Price and availability
The Sigma 23mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary APS-C lens for Sony E and Leica L mounts is available to buy now for $549. The Fuji X mount version is coming at some point during summer 2023.
DIYP’s coverage of NAB 2023 is sponsored by Sennheiser, Zhiyun, B&H, and SmallRig
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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