Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens Review:
With the new I Series, Sigma is aiming at photographers who want full frame but don’t necessarily need or want to carry some of the larger lenses associated with it. This series is aimed at the individual who doesn’t necessarily need a large maximum aperture, and instead, will be willing to trade that for something that is not only still optically sound but also compact and light. Take for instance, the new Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens. This may have a modest maximum aperture but it is a very compact wide angle prime that also happens to be currently the smallest lens in the I Series. Here’s what I think of it.
Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens Build Quality:
While the 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens may be currently the smallest in the I Series, it has still inherited the excellent build of its siblings. The 24mm f3.5 is very solid feeling thanks in part to the barrel being made out of all metal. There’s also a brass bayonet mount, and rubber sealing at the mount to make this lens dust and weather resistant. Furthermore, like the 65mm f2 I reviewed a short while ago (review here), the focus ring feels nice, and smooth when you rotate it. Plus, there’s an aperture ring, which I love using. I used to shoot with an Leica M system but now I’m shooting with the SL system. I have no regrets switching but I do miss the aperture ring on the native lenses, which the SL lenses do not have. The one on the 24mm f3.5 clicks in third stops.
↑ The Panasonic S5 with the Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens attached.
So, let’s get back to talking about the overall size and weight of this lens. The Sigma 24mm f3.5 has a modest maximum aperture as you can see. However, in my opinion, the trade off is well worth it. First off, anything that is a 35mm or under, in terms of focal length, I usually stop down anyway, and I imagine there are other photographers that feel the same as me when they are shooting wide angles. I’m going to use a lens like this for street photography, travel, and landscape. I may use it for full length portraiture as well for a certain look but in all these cases, I don’t need an f1.4 lens. Plus, even at f1.4, the depth of field really isn’t that thin with a 24mm lens unless you’re shooting very close.
So, I feel the f3.5 aperture on this lens is perfectly fine because we’re getting a lens that is ultra compact and light. The dimensions are 2.5 x 1.9″ / 64 x 48.8 mm, and the weight is 7.9 oz / 225 g. I can easily carry this lens around all day long without feeling tired, and that’s perfect for travel or street photography. I can see myself hiking all day to get the perfect landscape photo. If you think about it, this is even in line with what Leica does with their Super Elmar lenses, which all have maximum apertures around the f3.4 to f3.8 area. Plus, the lens can be more reasonably priced. Currently, the 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens goes for $549.
I’ve been using this lens with the Panasonic S5, which as some of you know, is already a very compact full frame camera. I couldn’t ask for a better combo. We already have these large aperture lenses in the L Mount Alliance that are huge and heavy. Hey, I am definitely not complaining; I still think we need them, and as some of you know, my most used lens is the Summilux-SL 50, which is big. But with that said, we need a range of different lenses in the L mount system. This new 24mm f3.5 is a lens we definitely need, and I’m glad Sigma stepped up, and created it.
↑ This photo is just to show you the I Series lenses are very compact. From left to right: my Summilux-M 50mm f1.4 ASPH, the Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens, the Sigma 35mm f2 DG DN Contemporary lens, and the Sigma 65mm f2 DG DN Contemporary lens.
So, in addition to the fantastic build and portability of the lens, a metal lens hood, and a magnetic lens cap along with the snap on one are included. The lens hood is a simple twist on type that works great but I left it at home most of the time. I didn’t have any issues with flare, and in general, I find that most decent lenses are highly resistant to things like that these days. As for the magnetic lens cap, it’s a cool little feature. It’s metal, and the inside part is felt lined, so you won’t scratch your lens. It sticks on perfectly, and is such a great idea. You can also purchase the Sigma CH-11 Magnetic Cap Holder to hold the cap when it’s not in use.
↑ The 24mm f3.5 comes with two caps. One is a snap on and the other is a magnetic type, which is pictured above. The inside is felt lined.
↑ The magnetic cap on top of the 24mm f3.5.
Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens Autofocus:
The autofocus system of the Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens is similar to the 65mm f2 in that it uses a stepping motor. I found the system to be fast and near silent. It has also been very accurate. I’ve been using it mainly with the S5 I mentioned earlier, which I am also reviewing, and I haven’t had any real issues with the autofocus. I’ve tried it in many different types of conditions, and it’s been drama free for me.
I also did get a chance to try the face detection feature of the S5 with the 24mm f3.5, and I’m happy to report they work great together. I took the 24mm f3.5 on one of my professional shoots just to give it a try, and found the focus to be immediate, and dead-on accurate. It had no problems keeping up with the model as she changed poses, and the 24mm f3.5 never broke the rhythm of the shoot. Like the 65mm, I also use the 24mm for some boudoir shots that I took in difficult lighting where there were heavy shadows and highlights; The 24mm f3.5 worked great in this situation.
Another point worth mentioning is that you can focus quite close with the 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens. You have a maximum magnification of 1:2 pairs with a 4.25″ minimum focusing distance. This may give you a unique creative perspective given that the 24mm is a wide angle lens.
Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens Image Quality:
As for image quality, the 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens definitely does not disappoint. Like the 65mm f2, this lens may not have a large maximum aperture but it certainly makes up for it in the image quality department.
↑ This was taken right around the Oculus area. I always love the shadows here. I keep telling myself I’ll do a shoot here one day but I haven’t done it yet. The settings were f8 and 125 ISO.
↑ This was taken around the Lower East Side of Manhattan with 100 ISO and f8.
↑ Here’s a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge that I took right under the FDR Drive. The settings were 100 ISO and f8.
I found the lens to be tack sharp even at f3.5. Of course, as you stop down a bit, sharpness does steadily improve slightly. I would say the optimal sharpness is around f8 but the lens is definitely sharp enough to be used throughout its aperture range without any issues. I found the images to have a nice crisp to them no matter what the setting.
↑ Here’s another photo of the Manhattan Bridge taken under the FDR Drive using 100 ISO and f8.
↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above. Look at all that detail.
↑ Here’s another photo taken at f8 using 100 ISO.
↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.
Other features of the Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens include great contrast and color rendering. Like the 65mm f2, the 24mm f3.5 produces images with nice 3D pop and depth to them. There is some vignetting, and stopping down does help get rid of it. In other words, nothing out of the ordinary. There is also a bit of barrel distortion but nothing that would prevent me from using it. As for flare, I found this lens to be highly resistant to it.
↑ The 24mm f3.5 is highly resistant to flare. This was taken using f8 and 100 ISO.
↑ Here’s another taken at f8. I used 320 ISO here, and this was around the Wall Street area.
↑ Here’s another photo of the WTC. I thought it was kind of cool to add the Park sign in the photo. The settings were f8 and 320 ISO.
As for the shallow depth of field, it’s not easy to achieve considering the Sigma 24mm f3.5’s modest maximum aperture, and the fact that it is a wide angle; however, since this lens can focus at a very close distance, it does help quite a bit. It’s rounded seven-blade diaphragm definitely helps to create a beautifully smooth bokeh effect. It’s a more modern looking type of bokeh but still very nice.
↑ Shallow depth of field is more difficult to achieve because it’s a wide angle but if you get close enough, you can get some smooth bokeh. The settings here were f3.5 and 100 ISO.
↑ Here’s another photo taken at f3.5 and 100 ISO.
Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens Pros And Cons:
Pros:
- Well built.
- Very compact and light.
- Metal lens hood and magnetic lens cap (in addition to the snap on lens cap)
- Fast autofocus that is accurate.
- Excellent image quality.
- Beautiful bokeh.
- Maximum magnification of 1:2 pairs with a 4.25″ minimum focusing distance.
- One of the very few wide angle primes in the L mount system so far.
- Great price.
Cons:
- No image stabilization but even then, I don’t look at this as a real con.
Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens Verdict:
The 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens is a fantastic addition to the I Series, and also a great lens to have in the L Mount Alliance as well. It has all the hallmarks of a superb lens like excellent build, fast autofocus, and great image quality.
↑ This was taken around the Wall Street area. The settings were f11 and 400 ISO.
↑ Here’s a shot I took around the Civic Center in Manhattan using f8 and 125 ISO.
↑ Here’s a shot of the WTC taken with 125 ISO, and the lens set at f8.
To top it all off, it is ultra compact and light as well making it pretty much perfect for travel, street photography, landscape or even just hanging with friends and loved ones. I feel like this lens holds a unique position in the L Mount Alliance right now. I can’t really think of many native wide angle primes with autofocus for the L mount system that are also small except maybe the APO-Summicron-SL 28mm f2 ASPH. However, that retails for $5,195, and it isn’t nearly as compact and light as the Sigma 24mm f3.5.
↑ Here’s a shot of the New York Stock Exchange taken at f8 with 250 ISO.
↑ Here’s a view of some buildings around the Wall Street area. The settings were f11 and 250 ISO.
↑ Here’s one more photo of the Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN Contemporary lens attached to the Panasonic S5.
Bottom line is if you’re in the market for something that is compact, light, easy to carry around all while also offering up some fantastic image quality, it’s going to be hard to beat the Sigma 24mm f3.5, especially give the price, which is $549. This is another fantastic lens that Sigma has produce, and I highly recommend it!
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