Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Review L Mount

Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Review L Mount:

If you’re in the market for an ultra wide angle lens for the L mount system that is also compact and light, the new Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary has been added to the I Series collection.  As of now, this is the widest I Series lens to date, and thanks to Sigma, I was able to get a pre-launch sample to test.  This was quite a fun lens to use, and here are my thoughts on it.

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Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Build Quality:

Build, like the rest of the I Series, is excellent.  The barrel looks to be the same or similar, at least, to my Sigma 45mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary, which is a lens that I love.  The 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary feels just as solid as my 45mm f2.8, thanks in part to the barrel being made of all metal.  Finishing it off is a brass bayonet mount, and rubber sealing at the mount making the lens dust, and weather resistant.  The overall design of the lens is clean looking, which is what I like.  It’s all about concentrating on what’s most important, like a knurled focus ring, which is smooth in operation. There’s also an aperture ring, which clicks in third stops.  It is such a great feature to me.  Unfortunately, my native Leica SL lenses do not have aperture rings, and it’s something I do miss from my Leica M days.

↑ The compact Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary mounted on a Panasonic S5 body.

What’s really a huge selling point here is the ergonomics.  As you can see in the photos, the 17mm f4 is ultra compact and light.  The dimensions are 64mm x 48.8mm/2.5 in. x 1.9 in. with the filter size being 55mm.  Weight here is only 225g / 7.9 oz.

There had to be a trade off to achieve this, of course, and as you can see, the maximum aperture is just f4.  This may seem a bit slow but, I think this trade off makes sense for a lens like this one.  The 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary will be used for subject matter like street photography, travel, and landscape just to name a few.  These are areas in photography where you don’t necessarily always need an ultra wide angle lens with a large maximum aperture.  In fact, I would imagine a lot of photographers will stop this lens down further than f4 anyway.  That’s how I shoot my wide angles in general.

So, it probably makes more sense to have something that is more compact, and light because subject matter like landscape or street photography, for example, often require the photographer to be out, and about walking or hiking, sometimes all day long.  Therefore, you want something that won’t tire you out at the end of the day.  You may also want something that is more discreet or something that just doesn’t draw so much attention in general for street photography as well.  I’m all for lenses with large maximum apertures but I feel that’s really more for specialized purposes, especially when it comes to ultra wides.  Sigma definitely makes fast ultra wides but they are huge and heavy just like any other manufacturers’.  The 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary is designed to be an everyday lens you can live with very easily.  It’s designed to be a constant companion.

As for what’s in the box besides the lens, there is a cool magnetic lens cap along with the snap on one, and a metal lens hood.  The magnetic lens cap is metal, and felt lined on the inside, so it won’t scratch up the lens.  You can also purchase the Sigma CH-11 Magnetic Cap Holder to hold the cap when it’s not in use.  The lens hood is a twist on type that locks in place.  It works great, and it’s also reversible, so you can save some space in your bag.

↑ The 17mm f4 comes with a magnetic lens cap and a clip on one.

↑ Here’s the magnetic lens cap attached to the lens.

↑ A lens hood is also included.

Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Autofocus:

As for the autofocus, the 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary uses a stepping motor that is both fast, and essentially silent in operation.  I tested the autofocus in many different types of conditions from dimly lit scenes to ones where everything was a lot brighter.  The focusing always felt immediate and just drama free.  Focus was also very accurate.

Moreover, with a magnification ratio of 1:3.6, the 17mm f4 is capable of focusing as close as 12cm.  That’s actually pretty cool, if you ask me.  While wide angle lenses are generally not used for macro work, this will give you a unique look given you’d be working with a 17mm focal length.  In other words, it’s something different, and will help you produce something with a unique take because you can get real close to your subject but at the same time, have this hugely expansive background.

Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Image Quality:

While the 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary may have a more modest maximum aperture, it certainly makes up for it in the image quality department.  Like the other I Series lenses I’ve tested, the 17mm f4 truly excels in this area.

↑ This was taken with f11 and 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken with f8 and 800 ISO.

↑ Here’s a photo taken with f11 and 200 ISO.

↑ This photo was taken with f8 and 100 ISO.

For instance, the 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary is one sharp little lens.  Center sharpness at f4 is excellent with even the corners holding up quite well in terms of detail.  Stopping down improves sharpness a bit but truthfully, I am already pretty impressed by what f4 has to offer.  This is the type of lens that you can set at f5.6 or f8, and pretty much forget about it but if you do need f4, this lens will still deliver the goods.  Everything is just so crisp, and clean no matter what aperture I seem to use.

↑ Here’s a photo taken with f8 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

↑ This was also taken with f8 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

In addition, the 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary has other great features that should be mentioned.  There’s nice depth, and pop to the images.  Contrast and color rendering are excellent.  This lens does vignette some at wide open aperture.  This is not uncommon, especially for a lens of this nature, and stopping down by just one stop helps quite a bit.  By f8, it is nearly all gone.  I also did on a rare occasion get a little flare but keep in mind that for like 99.999 percent of the time, it was fine  Also, this isn’t uncommon for ultra wide angle lens.  I remember that I was pushing the lens a bit too, so I do feel the Sigma 17mm f4 does a fantastic job in controlling any flare or ghosting.  Overall, I found this lens to produce excellent images, and being that it’s a 17mm, it was just plain out fun to use, especially since it is so easy to carry around.  It’s well worth the asking price of $599.

↑ This was taken with 400 ISO and f11.

↑ Here’s one taken in the early morning using f8 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s another taken with f8 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s another taken with f8 and 100 ISO.

Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Bokeh:

With this lens being a 17mm, and having a maximum aperture of f4, it is difficult to achieve a thin depth of field.  It’s nothing against the lens, it’s just physics.  Any ultra wide with a max aperture of f4 will have trouble producing a shallow depth of field.  With that said, the 17mm f4 has the capability to focus as close as 12cm, so if you don’t mind shooting closer, you can blur out the background a bit.  When you do, the bokeh is still very smooth, and inviting.  Shooting so close with something like a 17mm combined with the blurred out background does produce a cool look depending on the subject matter.

↑ This was taken using f4 and 250 ISO.

Pros And Cons:

Pros:

• Excellent build.
• Ultra 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.
• Magnification ratio of 1:3.6, and capable of focusing as close as 12cm.
• Decent price.
• A lot of fun to use

Cons:

• There is some vignetting, especially at wider apertures.

Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary Verdict:

The 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary is an exceptional lens that is also a great addition to the I Series, and the L Mount Alliance as well.  It has all the features one would expect from a great ultra wide like excellent build, decent autofocus, and of course, superb image quality.

↑ This was taken using f8 and 400 ISO.

↑ Here’s one taken with f8 and 100 ISO.

↑ I used f11 and 320 ISO here.

Best of all, the 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary is something that can be taken everywhere.  It’s so compact and light; it is absolutely perfect for travel, street photography, landscape or just as an everyday lens.  It is something small, and light enough that you can just throw in your bag for those “just in case” moments.  I can see some replacing their M mount lenses with this lens, since unlike the M mount lenses, this one has autofocus, and doesn’t require an adapter.  I currently still use my Leica Super Elmar 18mm f3.8 ASPH.  While I love that lens, the Sigma is just easier to use, and I’m still getting great results.  It’s true that the 17mm has a more modest wide open aperture but I bet you’ll use it a lot more often then an ultra wide with a larger aperture :).

↑ I used f4 and 100 ISO here.

↑ This photo was taken with f8 and 640 ISO.

If you’ve been looking for an ultra wide angle lens with autofocus that is also easy to live with all while producing great images, the Sigma 17mm f4 should be something that you consider.  Not only is the performance excellent, the 17mm f4 is just so fun to use, and in my opinion, it’s worth every bit the asking price of $599.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If you’re considering purchasing the Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary, and my review helped you decide, please help support this site by purchasing from the links below or any mentioned in this review.  It will not cost you anything extra. Thank you for your support!

Sigma 17mm f4 DG DN Contemporary at B&H Photo

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