Sigma 20mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary Beautifully Crafted

The seventh of Sigma’s I series of prime lenses, the Sigma 20mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary follows the same exquisite design language. Does it also inherit the excellent performance of the others in this series? K Madhavan Pillai puts it to the test.

- K Madhavan Pillai

The Sigma 20mm f/2 DG DN | C, available for the Sony E-mount and the L-mount (shared by Leica, Panasonic and Sigma) is the latest in Sigma’s I series of lenses. Designed distinctively to be premium, compact primes for full-frame (the ‘DG’ in the nomenclature) mirrorless cameras (denoted by ‘DN’), the I series itself is a part of the Sigma Global Vision’s ‘Contemporary’ line of lenses, or lenses that balance quality, compactness and practicality.

By its very nature, 20mm is a fascinating focal lengths and among my personal favourites. It delivers a useful 30mm equivalent on an APS-C sensor, and is great for videos. This is a challenging focal length for manufacturers to maintain optical finesse in a compact size for full-frame sensors, far more than the next focal length standard of 24mm. Going any wider involves significant optical design challenges, but every lens makers I know has at least one prime offering at 20mm or in that vicinity.

Plus

• All-metal design

• Ergonomics

• Overall sharpness

Minus

• Some vignetting

Features

The Sigma 20mm C is made of thirteen elements in eleven groups. This includes three glass-moulded aspherical lens elements, one SLD element, and one FLD element to suppress optical aberrations including sagittal coma flare, for a high level of overall detail. It also features Super Multi-Layer Coating and Nano Porous Coating (NPC), to control flare and ghosting.