New: Sigma 90mm f/2.8 DG DN 'C' lens review with samples (Full-frame & APS-C)

[@christopherfrost]

Price: £549, €619, $639. Both available Sept 24th. By the way, happy birthday, Sigma - the company is 60 years old yesterday!

[@WeekndPhotographerKH]

Thanks a lot, always watching your vid 😍📸🇰🇭

[@sandb1867]

@@TigaWould ".I’m assuming optically, there will be a lot of changes." Not likely. Sigma would have taken Nikon's 2mm shorter flange-to-focal distance in designing it's latest lenses. This ain't their first rodeo.

[@高途遠]

Well, I finally remembered my password. It's so nice to find that after years you're still updating new reviews and you have much more and new cameras than before!

[@SkyToddler]

Gamechanger, I never had the money for a 105mm or Sony 90mm its perfect!

[@GaryFerrao]

these magnetic lens caps are oddly satisfying

[@troyphillips1077]

I have the Sigma 65mm with the magnetic cap and love it . Don’t even know or care to know where the pinch cap is .

[@videosuperhighway7655]

The whole line kicks ass 17,24,45,50,90 in my line up as consistent performers.

[@ChuckFars]

This would have have been a real banger if it was cheaper, but it's hard to not immediately compare to the 85 f1.8

[@Sorgesol]

The small size decided it for me. Will be perfect with my sony a7c. 🙂

[@cinematik9726]

This comment

[@antonoat]

Guess we should all be thinking lens speed is not always the only consideration, for portability and excellent overall quality

[@michaelbell75]

Ive owned many f/1.8 and f/1.4 lenses and shot with a few of the newer f/1.2 lenses and Im done with them. The only ones that are really sharp with fast and accurate AF are very few and far between and are at or near $2k. All the cheaper ones from China and Korea (Samyang, Yongnuo, Viltrox etc..) are junk, Ive had and sold them all. Meanwhile, these new smaller f/2.5 and f/2.8 lenses from Sony and Sigma are all incredibly built, fast and accurate AF and very sharp even wide open. A 90mm in this size is a game changer.

[@michaelbell75]

Cannot wait for this. I just picked up the Sony 50 f/2.5 G and its excellent. Very small and lightweight, super fast and accurate AF and really sharp. Build quality is fantastic. I do not miss lugging around huge and heavy f/1.4 or even much bigger f/1.8 prime lenses any longer. Plus, the 50 G blows them away in AF and sharpness too. A huge step up from the cheaper 3rd party lenses from Samyang, Viltrox and others with their cheap plastic build, poor AF and soft photos. These new I lenses look incredible as well. I wish Sony made one of these new G lenses past 50mm, but this looks like a great choice to fit that

[@martin9410]

actually my small sized kit is working well. I have the Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens, Tamron 35mm f/2.8 (which has great sharpness and contrast), Sony 50mm F/2.5 G lens, the Sigma 90mm F/2.8 lens (which I love) and an adapted Canon 200mm f/2.8 when I need it.

[@alaskalonghunters2990]

Thanks!

[@christopherfrost]

Thanks for your support!

[@SunnySoCal]

i haven’t seen something so perfect at f2.8 since the sigma art 70mm macro

[@SunnySoCal]

i also own the 70mm macro for anybody who is considering this i would get that for a little less $569 to be exact US it’s worth it & it has smoother bokeh for a macro lens in my opinion & you can use it for landscapes & macro i also did a few portraits which came out lovely only catch is the focus isn’t as fast as this but outside of that 90mm f2.8 like chris said is not a very interesting option imo you can get something brighter & just as sharp even the $300 samyang 75mm f1.8 which i own is wonderful for such a low price

[@shang-hsienyang1284]

How does it focus breath? Is it good for focus bracketing? Thanks

[@fellowcitizen]

@@shang-hsienyang1284 I think Gordon covered this and found that the focus breathing was well-controlled on the 90mm (but not on the 24mm which also released.)

[@SunnySoCal]

@@shang-hsienyang1284 the 70mm macro has terrible focus breathing & the focusing system in general is a bit flawed but it is accurate once it locks focus after trying for long periods as for this 90mm focus breathing the comment above is right Gordon covered it & chris had it around f22 it didn’t seem too bad but it is apparent to me but if you’re on sony just get the 85mm f1.8 for a bit less & a few stops more brightness & just as much sharpness if not more smooth bokeh & a nice quality build you won’t get the clicky aperture but i think it’ll be much more useful than 90 f2.8

[@N1k37ick]

I would love these primes on RF mount!

[@michaelbell75]

Everyone except Canon would. Blame them for keeping their mount closed. I dumped my R6, RP and RF lenses and moved to Sony for lenses like this and the fantastic new Sony G series lenses with the 24, 40 and 50mm. Sell the Canon gear :)

[@alexku3348]

I am a street photographer and for general purposes I use wonderful Ricoh GRIII. Now I’m looking for some tele combo and A6400+Sigma 90mm f2.8 seems a good one. The main reason is that it is compact, isn’t it?

[@Chunkfterbi7183]

I welcome a tiny, lightweight and affordable 90-100 mm lens suitable for FF & aps-c as it allows to have it always around, and happily pay the price in terms of a stop slower. I loved the Cosina 100/3.5 In my early Pentax K100d times, so I had three primes, a 15/4, a 35/2 and a 90/3.5 on a ibis body as a superb small travel kit. Especially the Cosina 100 has given me super photos. I will not give away my FE 85/1.8 because it’s got one of the most beautiful images in my setup, but I will gladly embrace it for travel. Now I‘m waiting for Sigma to bring out their XF mount lenses, as I more and more go out with XT20 instead of A7iii or A6400 - Fuji, despite all its shortcomings vs Sony, is just much more fun to shoot with…

[@nicholassmith7723]

Did you end up buying the Sigma 90mm? I also have had the 85mm 1.8 since jumping into the Sony system many years ago. Curious about your thoughts on the two and if it's worth selling the 85mm. Thanks

[@mauiuaui]

Christopher sigma 500mm f4 sport review please.

[@andreasschroder7880]

So hope this will be available for Fuji some day!

[@alexanderkoumis8424]

The beach picture at 7:24 is amazing. Was any filter used for this shot?

[@christopherfrost]

Polarising filter :-)

[@j_quads]

Thanks for the video Christopher. For family portrait I want a small len. I m between this and samyang 75. The built quality is not so important neither price difference. Please, Do you have any recommendation for me? Help me to make the decision

[@jklphoto]

Love the tiny size and build quality of these lenses. That wide-open close-up characteristics of this 90mm looks just like the 45mm DG DN. They have some pretty strong competition from the Panasonic S-line with f/1.8 speed.

[@ahmonon4352]

you should've set sony camera to AF-C for faster focus aquisation. On AF-S mode it doesn't use phase detect system, only slow contrast detect system

[@quikee9195]

Why wouldn't it use PDAF on a less demanding AF mode...

[@ahmonon4352]

@@quikee9195 It doesn't, AF-S mode is for accuracy , as contrast detect system is more accurate

[@quikee9195]

​@@ahmonon4352 Well it uses a hybrid approach CDAF/PDAF approach in all situations.

[@Cony989]

love these new sigmas, wish i could afford them all ;-)

[@classicboy97]

Do you think Sigma will produce an "Art" body in the I series sometime, since they didn't rebrand the I series as its own thing?

[@bahaatamer1245]

Meanwhile I started saving up for their 105mm f1.4, for my APS-C Sized Canon EOS 90D Camera body And yes, I am aware that the distance I'm getting is 168mm, but I want to test it out on the long run

[@levibaruch]

For that kind of money you can also buy a secondhand full frame canon with it hahaha

[@emerywd]

Would love to see how you get on. Ive tried my Minvus 85 on a G9 for 170mm 2.8 DOF with 1.4 expapsure. It is awesomw

[@KADET4x4]

@@levibaruch , не всем нужен полнокадровый фотоаппарат. У меня АРS-C и меня он удовлетворяет на 99.9%. Особенно ,когда в наличии Sigma ART 18-35/1.8 и 50-100/1.8, которым нет аналогов на полном кадре.

[@adhamfaraitodi8300]

Wow nice lens

[@robertmont864]

Can you test the Tokina SZX 400mm f/8 Reflex MF Lens for Sony E mount?

[@IliasKoureas]

I'd love if sigma made these for the Z mount in the future since I'll treat myself with the zfc soon. They would look great on that body

[@Joe-hm1zk]

I don’t know why sigma and tamron seem to be ignoring the Z and RF mounts. Then again, maybe all of these new lenses have been in the pipeline for many years now.

[@iamhassan9943]

@@Joe-hm1zk They are not ignoring the Z mount. Sigma CEO has said that they are prioritizing the manufacturer of their lenses that sell most at the moment. They would love to sell Z mont but they are running at full capacity at the moment and do not have room as of now for Z mount. But that could change in the future.

[@IliasKoureas]

@@Joe-hm1zk we will just have to wait. We will get our lenses in the future. For now let's settle with nikon and viltrox lenses 💪

[@JimBailey]

Thank you Mr Frost.

[@sumitkolisetty]

Bro plz make a video about Sigma 90mm 2.8 vs sony 90mm 2.8 macro 🥺🥺

[@catnapwat]

I hope the magnetic lens cap catches on because the cap for the 24-70 2.8 is so awful I got a £2 generic replacement from ebay which works far better, and that's not so good on a £1k lens.

[@jklphoto]

Dumb question: Are lens correction instructions built in the lens or camera body (or post-processing software)? When a new lens comes out, does the camera firmware have to be updated? I shoot these fine Sigma DG DN primes on a Leica SL and wondering if my files are being corrected in-camera.

[@samlee2944]

Hi Christopher, does the rest of the lens have weather sealing? Thanks

[@yusuihang]

Chris, when you do your "bright light" test, do you have the lens hood on?

[@nanahobBob]

Is it the answer to a question no one is asking, or is it making you ask the question “should I get it?”

[@greenbrightly]

I always trust your reviews - this is great.

[@Skipsul]

That looks like such a lovely lens. How does this compare to something like the Sony 85mm f/1.8? They are at such similar price points.

[@jandydelarosa7843]

I’m sure it’ll be close lol i currently have an a7rii might have to hit up my local camera store when they have it to see

[@michaelbell75]

Wont be much of a competition. This lens is smaller. lighter, made in Japan with excellent build quality, has pro features like the aperture ring, the AF is faster and more accurate and its sharper. The one and only advantage of the Sony 85 f/1.8 is its faster aperture, for those who can't live without more blurry and fuzzy backgrounds.

[@martin9410]

I have had both. With the exception of the f/1.8, I find the Sigma lens far superior. More sharpness corner to corner till about f/4 (then they're equal). Metal construction, aperture dial, more character, etc.

[@mr_cramberry]

Cant wait for the 100 and 135 f2.8 versions. Ultra compact

[@michaelbell75]

we can dream....

[@mrmonday42]

There's a zeiss batis 135 f2.8 but it is quite large. To make a 135 the same size as this 90 it would have to be f4.3

[@powdermuaythai]

excellent video

[@bikingmoments]

Hi Chris, thanks for the review! Just wonder if there is any disadvantage of post-correcting distortion?

[@trym2121]

IQr suffers because of correction. Most noticable when the distortion is extreme because you have to flatten the distortion and fill the empty data with algorithm

[@fellowcitizen]

Also such lenses are often wider than the designation so the camera can scale them. Sigma lenses are so sharp, and the practise so refined at this point that it would rarely be an issue. Even the Art-line lenses now do so sometimes. If you need a short tele that doesn't, the HSM version of the Sigma 85mm Art lens is optically corrected - however it is almost double the weight of the new DN Art 85mm, and almost quadruple the weight of this 90mm.

[@mogeking56]

A Look at Sigma's Compact Portrait Lens, the 90mm f/2.8 Contemporary: Camera 📷 lenses are so expensive that if your not a professional it’s a waste of your money seriously 😳. Their high cost is killing their own Industry.

[@debanjanliverpool]

The legendary Sony FE 90mm f2.8 macro G lens will give a serious competition to this lens.. on one side the sony has the OIS and on the other the compact design of the Sigma will be it's usp

[@tkermi]

Otherwise yes, but they are in different price range. At least here that Sony costs 50% more even with discounts.

[@networm64]

@@tkermi Well and their magnification ratio is miles different! lol

[@pizzablender]

@@networm64 And the close focus image quality - I suppose the Sony will not have such low contrast close up!

[@networm64]

@@pizzablender Of course! It's one of the sharpest macro lenses ever!

[@tkermi]

@@networm64 True 🙂, that Sony is a nice macro. Actually I forgot the Sony Cashback though. So here the difference now is 33% (899€ vs. 675€).

[@rusinsr]

Every Sony user: we want a small & fast ~50mm lens! Sigma: slow 90, take it or leave it.

[@spillogic]

There’s already the 50 1.8 from Sony. Doubt they gonna make it more compact than that.

[@rusinsr]

@@spillogic _yawn_ only F1.8?

[@spillogic]

Rusins well then there’s the 1.2 from voigt but it’s manual focus! Stop being greedy lol

[@Princeton_James]

If shooting couples this woukd be perfect. 1.8 is too shallow. Small size and razer sharp. Highly considering this lens.

[@mauricerijnders3507]

I returned my Sigma 90mm. It had serious bokeh issues with straight lines leadings up to the focus point... Showed the camera store and they completely agreed and refunded my money. Anybody else seen this?

[@benjamindover4337]

You posted this on every single review of this lens. Yet not one other person complained. The store manager probably realized you were nuts and just refunded to get rid of you.

[@mauricerijnders3507]

@@benjamindover4337 oh yes. That must be it 😅 Enjoy your day and thank you for your great in depth response 👍🏼

[@bijosn]

@@mauricerijnders3507 can you give an example? ive never heard of this issue...perhaps you just needed a reason to return it?😆

[@phuong9264]

Next is xf 90mm fuji 😁

[@Stefan1968ful]

All looks nice. But…all the Sigma and Tamron lenses being the Sony A1 down to 20fps or even less. So I am wondering what Sigma and Tamron Are doing on this?

[@MrJaomul]

It's a Sony made restriction. Do you really need more than 20fps though?

[@Stefan1968ful]

@@MrJaomul What an awkward question is that? Do you really buy a Sony A1 and cripple the camera then to 20fps with a Sigma or Tamron lens?

[@MrJaomul]

Wasn't meant to be an awkward question. And no, you certainly don't buy a Sony A1 to cripple it with a lens that can't keep up. All I meant is 20fps is absolutely loads and I wouldn't see a 90mm lens as the type I'd generally want to use faster than that. I could see it as a restriction on a telephoto doing wildlife or sports, or maybe a macro when trying for the best focus out of a bunch, but to me (and everyone is different) this small sigma is about convenience, image quality and weight. And to be fair most of us don't have A1s 😃

[@Stefan1968ful]

@@MrJaomul I use the A1 for all type of Wildlife and Sport. And the 30fps come here really, really handy. And true, a 90mm lens you don’t use for this purpose. BUT: Sigma and Tamron will have to do something here. Because I am sure the 30fps will be available sooner or later also on Sony cameras below the A1. And as good the Tamron 150-500mm is, it cannot make use of the 30fps what is a pity.

[@lorenzogattaldo3764]

Great little lens, but too expensive, I find.

[@diegorivera2711]

Second? What a pity.

[@christopherfrost]

Take courage! It's not the setbacks we encounter and the mistakes that we make in life which define us...only how we respond to them :-)

[@austinrichards5643]

Looks awesome. I prefer the plastic of RF lenses, and especially plastic hoods though over metal because the metal just adds unnecessary weight. Can't wait for sigma RF lenses.

[@michaelbell75]

These lenses are still lighter than any plastic RF lens aside from the RF 50 f/1.8 I believe.. This lens weighs nearly half what the RF 85 f/2 weighs and its much smaller. Its even lighter than RF 35 f/1.8. There wont be any Signs RF glass, Canon is keeping the mount closed.

[@austinrichards5643]

@@michaelbell75 Yes, but no matter what lens, having a metal exterior adds weight. And a closed mount doesn't mean sigma won't release RF lenses. Other brands have done so, they are just still in R&D and have made statements they are working on it.

[@michaelbell75]

@@austinrichards5643 This lens is beautifully constructed and built in Japan. Obviously not for those rare few who prefer plastic lenses made in China. Sigma made that statement all the way back in January and have said nothing since. Canon has already chased off Samyang, who announced they will no longer produce their two RF lenses. You wont see any Sigma or Tamron lenses for the RF mount. Canon is too greedy and wants you to buy their absurdly priced RF glass.

[@levibaruch]

Such a shame they dont make these lenses for EOS R mounts

[@justpray365]

That’s why we buy Sony.

[@camerone397]

@@justpray365 or Panasonic ;)

[@lorenzogattaldo3764]

first!

[@nogerboher5266]

Man... I'm really desperate for an E mount native Voigtlander 80-90mm lens - or a new Zeiss in the same focal range. I'm sick and tired of poor Sigma/Samyang/Tamron optics...

[@SkyGW]

Not sure there's a place for this one when the Sony 85mm 1.8 exist for the same price, sometimes even cheaper

[@alexmilesg3]

Size

[@michaelbell75]

Well lets see. This lens is smaller. lighter, made in Japan with excellent build quality, has pro features like the aperture ring, the AF is faster and more accurate and its sharper. So there's that.

[@kronusaerospace8872]

Honestly I think the price for this lens is pretty ridiculous. And it being small and light is not a justification to me (because it accomplishes this by just having a darker then average aperture), unless paying more for less suddenly became a good thing. There needs to be more small primes like this, because the only reason I can think of for Sigma to price the lens like this is the lack of competition.

[@anchorsanvils]

Sony Pancake trio have the same issue, but the point for this market niche is not "sport pro quality" photographers, its more for film makers and travel photographers. I would definitely choose to go on a hike or pro video shoot with this any day over an 85mm G Master, that is not only 3 times the price, but 3 times the weight and length, holding that G master lens on an RS2 is a great workout but also a quick burn out if you're doing a week of video production for a trade show for example. On top of that atrocious focus breathing almost all G Master suffer from you're over paying for a photographic oriented lens over a hybrid compact gem like this. G Masters lenses remind me of why i left DSLR Canons and Nikons behind. I do agree this is more 450-550 (price point the Sony pancake trio are priced at) at the most but no one else except Leica and Zeiss (batis line) is producing beautiful lenses like this.

[@mrmonday42]

Samyang makes similarly small and light primes that are much cheaper, but the build quality suffers.

[@xkal636]

삼등!

[@shang-hsienyang1284]

For a 90mm prime lens, the distortion is absurdly bad.

[@sergtrav]

Pointless overpriced lens.

[@martin9410]

I don’t find it pointless at all. I like it so much that I just sold my Sony 85mm 1.8 lens. The Sigma is sharper corner to corner, smaller, better built and more fun to travel with. One of the reasons I entered the mirrorless world was for a small, lighter kit. It is only priced 39 dollars over the Sony lens. I always found the Sony lens sort of sterile and void of character. To each their own.

[@sergtrav]

@@martin9410 Sony is sharp from corner to corner at f2.8 too, but it also has f1.8 when you need it.

[@martin9410]

@@sergtrav At F2.8 up to f4, my Sigma is sharper from corner to corner than my Sony was. I have another lens that is an f1.4 when I need it. Here is what I love about the Sigma lens over the Sony: (1) smaller lens-more portable, (2) sharper corner to corner up to F4, (3) metal construction, (4) more character-Sony is just sort of bland and sterile, (5) Control aperture with aperture dial on lens, (6) Better warranty, (7) metal hood, (8) bokeh is not as busy and jagged as with the Sony. But having said that, to each their own. Everyone has their own tastes, wants and purposes. Maybe for you, the Sony works best, but as for me, I'm head over heels in love with my Sigma. In the past I had bought and sold the Sony 3 different times. Sure, the f1.8 was nice, but other than that, I just wasn't that thrilled.