Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary Review

The Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary ($449), available for both Sony E and Micro Four Thirds camera systems, is a stellar performer, even if it captures a different angle of view depending on which camera system you use.

It fills a big gap in the Sony lineup, as there's no other bright prime available with such a wide field of view, while Micro Four Thirds owners have other options available in this focal length.

Given the image quality it delivers, even at f/1.4, it's a clear choice for Sony shooters shopping for a fast prime lens, and an Editors' Choice, but for Micro Four Thirds photographers there is some competition.

Design

The 16mm F1.4 ( at Amazon) measures 3.6 by 2.8 inches (HD), weighs 14.3 ounces, and supports 67mm front filters.

It's built to the standard of other modern Sigma lenses, with a tough metal and polycarbonate barrel, a large rubberized manual focus ring, and protection from dust and splashes.

I received the lens for review in E-mount, and tested it with the Sony a6500.

It's on the large side for the a6500's body style, but the pairing still feels nicely balanced for handheld photography.

When paired with the APS-C sensor used by Sony E cameras, the lens captures a field of view that's equivalent to a 24mm lens on a full-frame system—a wide angle of view, just shy of ultra-wide.

It's a bit of a different lens when paired with a Micro Four Thirds camera.

The sensor is smaller than APS-C, so its angle of view is more like a 32mm—a more moderate swath of coverage.

Here the lens has some peers, including the svelte Olympus 17mm f/1.8 and Panasonic 15mm f/1.7, both of which are a little more expensive and gather a bit less light when shot wide open, but are very light and compact.

And there's the premium Olympus 17mm f/1.2, which captures more light than the Sigma and features a manual focus clutch, but is a lot more expensive.

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.

The lens can focus as close as 9.8 inches, which is a good, close working distance for a wide angle prime.

It's not a macro by any means—the maximum subject magnification is 1:9.9 life-size—but you can still lean in, rather than back up, when framing a shot.

Image Quality

I tested the resolution of the 16mm F1.4 with the 24MP APS-C Sony a6500 ($1,189.99 at Amazon) and Imatest software.

At f/1.4 the lens scores 2,798 lines on a center-weighted sharpness test, an excellent result for a 24MP sensor (we want to see 1,800 lines at the bare minimum).

Sharpness isn't completely uniform across the frame, but it's close; edges show 2,676 lines, an outstanding showing for a wide, f/1.4 lens shot wide open.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

There's an uptick in clarity at f/2 (2,981 lines), f/2.8 (2,972 lines), and f/4 (2,963 lines).

You'll get the absolute sharpest images at f/5.6 (3,112 lines) and f/8 (3,027 lines).

There's a modest drop in resolution at f/11 (2,841 lines) and f/16 (2,418 lines).

You can't ask for much more from a resolution perspective, but the 16mm isn't absolutely perfect.

It shows about 2.8 percent barrel distortion, which means that lines that are perfectly straight in real life will be drawn with an outward curve.

Barrel distortion is something we often see with wide lenses, so it's not surprising to see it here.

You can correct it with software—Adobe Lightroom Classic CC includes a profile that removes distortion from images with a single click.

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.

Conclusions

At $449 the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary isn't cheap, but it's not priced exorbitantly, especially when you consider that similar lenses from Olympus and Panasonic for Micro Four Thirds systems gather less light and cost more.

Sony owners don't have another lens that covers this type of angle with this level of image quality and brightness—there's an older 16mm f/2.8, but it's not nearly as sharp or well-built.

If you've got an APS-C Sony camera and want a lens that covers this angle of view with a bright design, the 16mm F1.4 is a no-brainer purchase.

There's nothing else out there that matches it—the closest you'll get from Sony is the Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8, which isn't nearly as wide and costs more than twice as much.

Micro Four Thirds owners have some more thought to put into a lens with this angle of coverage.

The Olympus 17mm f/1.8 ($389.00 at Amazon) and Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 ($547.99 at Amazon) don't gather as much light and cost more, but if you have a smaller camera you may put more emphasis on their smaller, lighter designs.

There's also the premium Olympus 17mm f/1.2 to consider; it's priced around $1,200, and is larger than the Sigma, but is brighter and also an excellent performer.

Either way you shake it, the 16mm F1.4 is a strong option and worthy of being called an Editors' Choice.

Thanks to Lensrentals for providing the Sony a6500 used for this review.