Sigma 20mm f/2 DG DN: Brilliant Niche Lens in a Crowded Market

[@anthonyalongi3432]

I watched several internet reviews of this lens yesterday - most hyping the lens as a panacea. This was, far and away, the best, most balanced review of this lens that I viewed. Not that it matters, as I am a Nikon Z shooter, but one can hope! Thank you.

[@3BMEP]

My pleasure - thank YOU! 🙏🏻😊🖖🏻

[@innstikk]

Yeah, I'm in the 1% group 😁 (not that I don't have the 14-24 ART lens), but the small I series lenses with fp/fpL is sooo sweet. Pre-ordered. Interested to see how you in the future argue buying an $5000 Leica lens with all these available zooms 😁

[@rodwhite6308]

Another great video Hugh. I like your reviews very much. This sigma lens popped into my news feed today, piquing my interest as I hadn't seen it before. I already have the Leica 16-18-21 Tri-Elmar which ticks all of my wide angle boxes and a lens I wanted for a long time. Great on my M bodies, & SL2-S. With hyperlocal focussing, it's a doddle to use, even for street stuff but expensive compared to the Sigma and f4, so a little slow for astro (maybe). I'd be thinking very seriously about the Sigma 20 if it weren't for the Tri-Elmar but would consider trying one, if one pops up at my local store in the used dept.

[@3BMEP]

Would love to get your take if you do have the opportunity to compare the two!

[@rodwhite6308]

@@3BMEP Sure thing, one will almost certainly come through my local dealer at some point and I'll pitch them together in a test shoot.

[@commane21]

For interiors, my 16-35 f/4 does 95% of what I need. Sometimes a powder room is just too small and I need a bit wider lens. Rokinon has a 14mm for $500 or so. That’s where I’m looking. Thanks for your thoughts.

[@TealwayfilmsProductions]

Loxia 21mm F2.8 is an amazing lens that is really the standard for manual focus on a Sony. Leica lens on a Sony has issues with color and resolution in the corners.

[@3BMEP]

Another one I missed! And yes - Leica lenses (especially wide) do better on Leica cameras. Thanks!

[@fellowcitizen]

From the comparisons I've seen so far, I think the rendering is clearly nicer than the Sony - at least for skin tones 2:36 Leica 21mmF2 Summicron-SL and Panasonic Lumix S 18mmF1.8 have been announced, though (and the ART 20mmF1.4 is in L-mount) :) Don't forget that the S1R has 4K60 in its standard FF video mode of x1.09!

[@3BMEP]

Thanks for the reminders! 😊👍🏻

[@jaredzzz]

If you're mentioning M and/or zooms, there's also the Leica Wide Angle Tri-Elmar, which technically will do 20mm even though it only has stops for 16, 18 and 21.

[@3BMEP]

Oh - right! Good catch, thanks!

[@mmarashdeh]

I already have the sony 20mm 1.8 ,so was wondering if the sigma will bring something different to to the table. And I am excited to see what will be their next i Lens , will it be a 135 prime or a 200 prime , who knows. Thanks alot again for a very useful insights

[@joe2snj]

As always great content, recently used my Sony 20mm f1.8 G on a portrait project I’m working on. Very interesting results and looking forward to using it again :-)

[@3BMEP]

Would be interested in seeing those results!

[@TrevorMcGrathPhotography]

Apologies if you mentioned these or they came up in the comments... Voigtlander 21mm F1.4 Nokton Lens for Sony E-mount and even though it's F/3.5 the Voigtlander 21mm F3.5 Color Skopar again for E- mount. And then for Leica M we have the Voigtlander 21mm f1 8 Ultron.

[@markoehlschlager3862]

As a Leica afficianado with some experience with Sigma lenses, would you please offer me some guidance? I'm just getting started with photography and have been planning to put together a Leica CL kit for myself. My plan was to buy the Vario-Elmar-T 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 plus an Elpro 52mm close-up lens in order to cover the widest possible range of focal lengths and subject distance. However, I notice that Sigma offers a much faster 18-50mm f/2.8 for one quarter the price of the Vario-Elmar 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6. The price and the aperture difference has turned my head, but is there some qualitative difference I should be aware of that would justify my sticking with the Vario-Elmar 18-56mm?

[@3BMEP]

Other reviewers have had very good experience with the Sigma (as have I with other Sigma lenses), but my personal experience is that the Vario-Elmar offered superior image quality. This is only one data point, and the Leica lens is slower and more expensive as you point out. My advice? Try the Sigma first (buying from a vendor with an excellent return policy) and see if it does the business for you. If you feel it doesn’t, THEN go the Vario Elmar route.

[@markoehlschlager3862]

@@3BMEP Thank you very much.

[@thewanderinggoonies7785]

I love all your content and I am new to your channel , may I ask why none of your videos ever compare or speak about Fuji Film Camera's and or Glass? Thanks.

[@3BMEP]

You just haven’t looked closely! 😊🖖🏻

[@MrSpiff9]

Wonderful as always sir! Just one thing; you have the Tamron at $3300 for the 20mm 2.8 (sticky keyboard?). Hugs to you and Claudia, stay warm!

[@3BMEP]

Oy! Good catch - one too many 3s!

[@calvinchann1996]

Leica still make the T series lenses?

[@3BMEP]

They’re still being sold…

[@spincitysd]

You missed the Loxia 21mm by Zeiss. Are we really going to quibble over the 1mm? It deserves mentioning in the Sony system. It's a tad slow but it makes up for it being a tiny terror of a lens. Tasty all metal construction, Zeiss's T-star coatings, sharp enough to slice through a steak with ease. OK, maybe that last bit is hyperbole but the Loxia does earn a nod and a place in any discussion of 20mm and adjacent lenses for Sony. L Mount Alliance is a whole another can of worms, er glass.

[@3BMEP]

Good point! Thank you.

[@RickMentore]

You had me at the demonstration images! I would pay to see a comparison with this and the Leica Elmar-M 21mm, at f2.8 and $700.00 my money is on the Sigma.

[@3BMEP]

😊🙏🏻🖖🏻

[@michaelwhiles5282]

And a fast declining market too.. people are simply not buying modern kit as they did. Rising prices are only one issue - lots of money moving into film cameras and kit....decent 35mm gear has leaped over the past 5 years....Nikon FM - now crazy money - Nikon F3 - same - some Canon's and don't get me started over Leica M6 & M6 TTL - lovely (got one) but zooming towards £3K for a really good example - without lens - insane.