Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary
Announced September 26, 2018
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a compact, lightweight prime lens that delivers exceptional sharpness and smooth bokeh for portraiture; although it lacks built-in stabilization and physical controls, it remains a high-value option for various mirrorless systems.
Weighted from 35 reviewer scores
Pros
- Compact and lightweight build quality
- Excellent image sharpness and high contrast
- Fast, quiet, and accurate autofocus
- Pleasing bokeh and subject separation
- Affordable price and high value
Cons
- Lack of optical image stabilization
- Significant pincushion distortion
- Absence of physical aperture ring and AF/MF switch
- Noticeable flare and chromatic aberration issues
- Limited minimum focusing distance
- Launch price $479 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 56mm f/1.4
- Mount & coverage Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon RF-S, L-Mount, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Canon EF, Canon EF-S APS-C
- Stabilization None
- Close focus 50 cm (0.14x)
- Filter thread 55mm
- Autofocus motor Stepper motor
- Weight & size 280g (9.9 oz) · 66.5 x 59.5 mm (2.62 x 2.34 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 35 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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The Sigma 56mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a high quality compact lens that reminds you why APSC and smaller formats are still very relevant in a World increasingly obsessed with full-frame.
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A lens like this with that performance and that sharpness at that price tag, and being in that 85mm wheelhouse that I like so much, I would say that's a terrific purchase for a Sony Alpha shooter.
- OpticalLimits 8/10
The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary has a superb resolution characteristic. [...] The [...] center [...] quality is superb between f/2 and f/5.6 and the borders/corners are also highly impressive.
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With the 56mm f/1.4 DC DN C, Sigma has produced a very appealing compact prime lens for users of a host of camera brands: Fujifilm X, Canon EF-M, L-Mount, Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount, and with Nikon Z on the way.
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The compact, lightweight Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens is a superb choice for portraits, along with other applications advantaged by the 56mm APS-C angle of view and wide f/1.4 aperture. This is a fun lens to use, and looking at the results is even more fun.
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I’m very, very thankful for the Sigma DN lenses, as they are servicing a niche in the Sony APS-C market that few others (including Sony) are.
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[T]he Sigma is simply a brilliant optic, one of the best APS-C lenses I've tested, and so it comes highly recommended.
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It is another excellent optical instrument, offered at a sensible price; it shows that pricing of other producers of mirrorless devices is really over the top.
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The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN C is a fast, bright, short telephoto that performs superbly at a great price.
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The Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C is a very appealing mid telephoto prime lens, especially on the Sony E system where it has relatively few rivals.
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It’s another winner from Sigma’s Contemporary line-up of f/1.4 primes for mirrorless crop-sensor cameras.
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Sigma's 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens captures crisp images with a shallow depth of field and is a solid addition to your camera kit.
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The longest telephoto option of a quartet of f/1.4 primes designed for APS-C cameras, the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary is my pick of the bunch.
- Photo Review 9.0/10
Performance-wise, this is a great little lens. Its compact size and relatively light weight made it a good match for both the Panasonic G95 and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera bodies we used it on.
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To put it this way: if you shoot with APS-C E-mount, get this lens. It’s the best portrait lens for Sony’s 6000 series cameras. Sigma nailed it with this lens, and I hope to see them continue to push affordable, high quality optics such as this going forward.
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At the end of the day, the lens is excellent; it's a fantastic value for the dollar in my opinion.
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[...] I was very impressed with the Sigma 56mm f/1.4. It seems to have all the qualities of a top-performing lens: great build quality, excellent autofocus, impressive image quality, and fantastic value!
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It is an incredible, incredible, superb lens, and I think you should get it, especially if you have a Sony a6500, 6300, or a 6000.
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[T]his is another fantastic lens from Sigma and it's going to be very popular.
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This is the second Sigma Contemporary lens I’ve tested, and as with the 18-50mm f/2.8 that I previously used, I was extremely impressed with the 56mm regarding build quality, size,
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In our view, this is still a very good bargain for what you are getting and if you need a fast portrait lens for your Sony E-mount camera – the new Sigma 56mm should be very high up your list.
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[I]f you're a portrait photographer, you're on the budget, you don't want to go full frame, then get this lens, you won't be disappointed.
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This Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is an excellent lens for an excellent price. It's lightweight, compact, and optically great.
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[...] I give the Sigma 56mm lens 4.5 out of 5 stars, only deducting half a point for lack of an aperture ring and weather resistance.
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With a fast aperture lens, say at F1.4, this will allow us to capture any moments in low light as well as create a clear subject separation by giving us the ability to control the depth of field.
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So my final thoughts: for $479 this lens is a spectacular buy. Sigma really did it again.
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To wrap things up here, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a fantastic lens at 84 and 112 millimeters respectively for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds, if those focal lengths are something that's actually going to be useful for you.
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Anyways, it's time for the conclusions of my conclusion, and this lens is, it's a great lens, it's a killer lens, it's a bokeh master. That's the most important thing, it's a bokeh master, and it's great for portraits and so much more.
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I think this Sigma 56 is the new king of portrait lenses in the Sony APS-C E-mount lineup.
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Wrapping up, this lens does tick a lot of the boxes of things that we're looking for, and just like the 16 millimeter and the 30 millimeter f/1.4 from Sigma, this lens should be no different in reputation.
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At the end of the day, this lens is a good investment for portrait photographers using the Sony a6000 series. It’s also incredibly affordable [...] which is a solid price for any photographer’s budget.
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[T]he Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is pretty hard to beat for the price, especially when you talk about in terms of image quality and the fact that it's a tiny lens.
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At about $350 on Amazon, it's a steal for the quality.
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As I mentioned in my opening, Sigma is known for the exceptionally built, high performance they make.
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If you are looking at getting this lens, I'd highly recommend it.
