Sigma 20mm f2 DG DN REVIEW vs Sony 20mm f1.8 G

[@bobpaulson9r72fk24]

Great review! The Sony 20mm is probably my favorite lens. I’m amazed how sharp it is wide open at min focus distance. Truly spectacular lens. I’m hoping sigma comes out with a 28mm f2 in this line up. The Sony 28mm isn’t very good.

[@cameralabs]

Agreed, there's room for a new 28...

[@professionalpotato4764]

@ 28mm is a classic among street and documentary photographers. It is insanely popular if you think about how many people are willing to spend upwards of $18,000 just for a body and 28mm lens. I personally loath the 35mm because it is never wide enough, never tight enough and looks boring. The 24 has far too much distortion for everyday use too. 28 sits nicely in between.

[@cameralabs]

@@professionalpotato4764 for a long time, 28 was the only wide you could easily buy too. Not sure how many people would spend 18k on a body and lens though, you're referring to Leica, right? I don't think they sell a huge number, but they are in demand. There's definitely room for more 28's - I feel they've gone out of fashion.

[@cameralabs]

@@ElementaryWatson-123 I think it's fallen out of fashion but for a long time, 28 was THE standard wide lens, especially on 35mm film SLRs.

[@benjamindover4337]

Love this series. The 35 + 65 is my "if i had just two lenses". I'd like to see a 85mm f2. And the 90 is remarkably compact. I wonder if they can make a similar sized 135mm.

[@networm64]

Waiting for the 135mm f2.8 and the 200mm f4 as well!

[@marcram01]

Those are the 2 I have for my S5IIX. I may add the new tiny 18 to 40 to get the wide end, but this one is appealing.

[@GregThurtle]

Great review and as a l mount and e mount owner it's nice to see both being catered for. Next up I'd like a 28mm prime as I find 24mm too wide for people and 35mm too tight sometimes so a 28mm would be ideal for me

[@cameralabs]

Thanks Greg,

[@paulgoossen]

As always: I'm impressed by the great quality and pleasant style of your reviews! THANKS!

[@cameralabs]

Thank you!

[@youuuuuuuuuuutube]

Much better review than most, including DPR ... Reviewers need to understand that we need to see the problems, and need to see comparisons. It's our money after all so we want to spend it wisely.

[@cameralabs]

I always put the effort in to not only make direct side-by-side comparisons against key rivals, but also to do them in real-life conditions with landscapes rather than charts all the time. It takes a huge amount of work and my reward is fewer views and less payment than anyone else reviewing them here.

[@ZOB4]

It was always going to be hard to beat the Sony. That is one of the best lenses in their entire range, GMs included.

[@orphanuprising]

Yeah its basically a GM lens. It seems they only branded it G because it's f1.8

[@Donbros]

@@orphanuprising its like if they even release 20mm 1.4. Why would they do that with 24mm gm. But I believe they could release batis 18 mm gm with 18mm f1.4 which will be 1.8k unfortunately. It would interest me more than sony 20mm 1.8, but its hard to beat 900 price tag. Would it be worth double the price. I believe it would buuuut if you have sony 16-35gm or 12-24gm its would be not that awesome or necesarry

[@definingslawek4731]

@@Donbros i currently have an a7iv, a tamron 28-75 g1, and a sigma 85mm f1.4 art. I'm wanting to have the option of something wider than my minimum focal length of 28 currently. I'm considering the 20mm f1.8 G, would you suggest getting the 16-35GM instead? or maybe even the sigma 20mm f1.4 ART that just came out. (tho in northrups video it seems way less good for astro and astro is something I'd like to try at some point, the difference is so large it makes me wonder if he made a mistake in testing)

[@Donbros]

@@definingslawek4731 it really depends what you prefer because even though fl is similar between 16-35 gm and 20mm g they are for very different occasions. Gm is significantly heavier. 20mm is perfectly balanced on mirrorless For astro and awesoke bokeh and ultra sharp corners 20mm g. It is also very good for vloging because it still makes your face look more natural If you want epic opening scenes for video or unique perspective distortion - 16-35 gm or if you tend to film documentaries. Its not the best for vloging, but good as backup. Also this lens is extremely versatile and tends to sit on my camera whatever I am into filming a lot of stuff. While 20mm g goes more for vloging and specialty stuff like mentioned astro, landscape (it is ultrasharp, so if you lile bokeish landscape shot it is one of the best), night stuff. F2.8 is not really for night, more for low light indoor scenarios. I really tested those two when I was having holiday by the sea this summer. Tested astro, landscape, vloging and portraits. Amazing lenses. You should try the weight of 16-35 gm. If you are good with it, it is much more versatile. So 16-35 gm is like main, while 20 is like specialty lens. Probably the widest one you can make portraits more on natural side than fairytale look

[@MadChalet]

Thanks for the informative review and comparison. I'm not looking for a 20mm at the moment but I appreciate learning about what's out there.

[@olegvorkunov5400]

Great review. Also, A7IV has lens breathing compensation for Sony lenses. Slight crop, but I would not mind it for such a wide lens.

[@MLee-vcrr]

Another fantastic review Gordon...Thx! I love comparison with the Sony 20mm since I shoot both systems. I still may go with the Sigma L-mount version though for practical reasons.

[@cameralabs]

Glad to be of service!

[@danfarmer_photo]

Great review! I really love this series of lenses from Sigma. However, as an A7IV user, the Sony 20mm G has to be the choice for video due to the fact that the A7IV doesn’t allow the focus breathing compensation to work with the Sigma. It’s a great feature that I use often with my current lenses so I’ll be picking up the Sony. It’s a shame as the Sigma 20mm (and the entire series) are a great looking lens and seems to produce great results.

[@cameralabs]

Good point about the breathing correction, i should have mentioned that. I actually demo it in my A7 IV review.

[@danfarmer_photo]

@@cameralabs It may not be a factor for a lot of shooters, but certainly worth a mention. Thanks again for your reviews. High value for all levels.

[@db6572]

It's a shame Sony can't manage to produce lenses that don't breathe. They need to add breathing compensation to the camera instead to get around that with a lot of crop. What a cheat. Similar to the stabilization with Active Mode.

[@danfarmer_photo]

@@db6572 I take your point, but I am not sure it’s so much a cheat. The reality is, the GM glass is foremost designed to be the best stills lens it can be. They don’t factor in breathing when it isn’t a consideration for stills photography.

[@AllCarsUnited]

@@danfarmer_photo breathing is a consideration for still photography, focus stacking is a very commong thing and a impossibility because if the heavy breathing

[@nightcoder5k]

I love my Sony 28mm f/2. :)

[@daveychainsaw961]

Thanks Gordon, great review. I'm interested in these two and have to agree that the Sony looks better optically and is probably where I'll end up. Having switched from a 5dmkIV and 2.8 zooms and the 35mm 1.4L it's great be on mirrorless with fast, small, well built lenses like we had in the film days.

[@cameralabs]

Yep, there's some great options out there now...

[@DanielHodotcom]

Thank you so much for the wonderful review!

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

very good in depth comparison. Keep up your good work Gordon. it is very good for people who are deciding to buy photography gears. cheers

[@cameralabs]

Thanks, they involve a lot of work! I wish more people would watch them.

[@ortonnorth]

Absolutely fantastic review, showing every single detail about that Sigma lens. It helped me to make my decision a lot! Thank you very much Gordon. Liked and subscribed. Great channel!!!

[@cameralabs]

Thanks, hope you get a chance to check out my other reviews!

[@jdpattok4357]

I assume the camera settings and any processing were the same across the board? As much as I love the I series, the Sony seems like the better lens, although I like the warmer tones out of the Sigma better.

[@cameralabs]

Yep, same settings

[@chesslover8829]

I'll be the odd one of the group: I intend to buy the Sigma over the Sony. The Sigma is 40% cheaper, and when it goes on sale, it can be had for $549. The Sigma has better build quality than the Sony, and it is lighter and more compact. Since I'll be using the Sigma on the Sony a6400 for street photography, vignetting and barrel distortion will be somewhat reduced because of the APS-C crop factor of the a6400. If I need a 20mm lens on a full-frame Sony camera, I would consider the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG DN Art instead.

[@paulbeckmann]

Brilliant as always!

[@cameralabs]

Thanks!

[@troyphillips1077]

Oh wanted to say Sigmas plastic caps are hard to get seated properly. They knock off easily and get lost . I use and love the magnet cap . I use the Sony 20mm g all the time for video and live it . After seeing photos from the Sigma and how it renders light sources I want it . I just purchased the 90mm Sigma i because of your review and some others . With your side by side photos I’m liking the image of the Sigma . Until this lens I was just so happy with that great Sony . Lol

[@fellowcitizen]

Colour of the Sigma is so much nicer. This kind of rendering is more significant for compact lenses, as ART lenses or PRO lenses make more sense to use for absolute IQ advantage. Looking forward to a comparison with the upcoming Panasonic S 18mm f/1.8 From the launch illustrations, the lens design looks very close to that of the I-series 24mm f/2

[@JosephValenti]

I am honestly really enjoying this lens so far

[@mikey7326]

Good review as usual, thanks very much.

[@KevinGannets]

Looking to buy my first camera as an upgrade to my iPhone vlogs. Will the hand held vlogging you showed be similar on the A7C? it didn’t look as shaky as some other videos I watched 😬

[@marcusoutdoors4999]

Great review… the ginger cordial is excellent (off topic)

[@dyong888]

Nice detailed video review. One comment and one question. First the comment. I think you should have done the review with an a7r4 which has 61MPs. Doing so really shows up the differences and allows a better quality lens to really pull ahead. As it is now I'm left to guessing how the sigma will perform on my 61MP camera. Now for the question. Do you need a native Sony lens to do active stabilisation for sony cameras which support it? Or will it work even on the Sigma or say a Tamron? Cheers.

[@cameralabs]

In answer to your comment, I'd love to use the highest res body available BUT I don't always have access to them. In this case, the best one I had available to me was the A7 III. I think there's a perception reviewers have access to everything at all times. I don't, and with this video earning mw about $50 and not bombarding you with sponsorships, I can't afford to buy any new bodies.

[@dyong888]

@@cameralabs Fair enough. All the best.

[@GaryJahman]

Looks pretty solid, thx Gordon

[@cameralabs]

You're welcome!

[@batmenic365StopMotion]

Hope they someday do a 135 for this range of lenses

[@cameralabs]

Me too, I'd be surprised if they don't in the next year.

[@remoras]

What is that orange ring at the end of the lens?

[@QippysChannel]

Would love to see a sigma coming to the RF Mount soon or even also the FX Mount :)

[@daliamosesp]

Thanks looks like a fun lens

[@cameralabs]

I love really wide lenses!

[@tt-ew7rx]

For the L-mount, a 14 would be much more relevant as Panasonic is coming up with an 18 and the kit zoom already starts at 20.

[@Princeton_James]

Yeah but doesnt the kit start at 3.5? Not even in the same league.

[@keith2599]

Excellent review Gordon, Yes i have been watching closely and im glad to know from you that it is on L.Mount; This will be great for my s5, I like astro as well as general picture taking, 20mm is great focal length as i dont like to much fish-eye effect and with that nice f2 to boot...WOW....Really enjoy all your reviews....Take Care...

[@cameralabs]

You're very welcome, and yes it's a great one for L-mount!

[@NeXMaX]

DG DN lenses are practically guaranteed to head to the L-Mount as Sigma is part of the alliance.

[@cameralabs]

@@NeXMaX I'd say they're definitely guaranteed to L mount so long as Sigma remains part of that alliance.

[@NeXMaX]

@@cameralabs I'm just hoping for Z-Mount DG DN lenses at some point. I'm moving to Z soon and it would be really nice to get those lenses on Z.

[@cameralabs]

@@NeXMaX Nikon and Canon need to open up their lens mounts or third parties have to reverse engineer with potential issues.

[@tt-ew7rx]

Sony's apparent don't care attitude to focus breathing is now making more sense as the auto-compensation comes along in their cameras.

[@chicken_person]

Very nice comparison! I wanted to see whether the Sigma had a chance of being superior for astrophotography, but it seems unlikely. However, it would have been an incredible option back when I was on a tighter budget, and got the Rokinon/Samyang 18mm f/2.8. This lens seems to nicely fit the mid-point between the Sony and the Rokinon.

[@cameralabs]

Exactly!

[@viajeterapia]

Have you tried the Tamron 20mm f2.8 in astrophotography ? I'd like to know before buying it, thanks

[@chicken_person]

@@viajeterapia sorry, I haven't used the Tamron. I just checked some reviews and threads online, though, and it seems to have little coma (although it is still visible). The biggest downside to it, it looks like, is some absurdly strong barrel distortion. So you pretty much will need to do lens corrections if there's supposed to be straight lines in your frame. But if it's reviews, it would probably be better to read them yourself to get rid of whatever bias I may or may not have.

[@superelectic45]

@@viajeterapia Tamron has wild barrel distortion, as does its 24mm

[@stkuj]

We need a DG DN version of the 50 1.4 & 105 1.4... PLEASE

[@lucaban]

How about the Tamron 20mm?

[@cameralabs]

This one? www.cameralabs.com/tamron-20mm-f2-8-di-iii-osd-m12-review-2/

[@MaxusMV]

Strangely enough Sony 20mm f1.8 is about $150 cheaper than Sigma 20 f2.0 in the region where I live, so it’s a no brainer. On the other hand I bought Sigma 65mm f2.0 dg dn instead of Sony 85mm f1.8 despite the latter being $150 cheaper. I preferred the smaller focal length and higher optical performance of Sigma 65.

[@davidbradley565]

Why didn't Gordon mention the excellent Tokina 20mm f2 ?

[@cameralabs]

I reply to all my comments, so you can refer to me in first-person! I didn't know about the Tokina, but the bottom line is there are a surprising number of 20s out there

[@TheFisherman1963]

hi gordon i was down your neck end of the woods a 600 mile round trip i got the photo i wanted,,,,,but do not no how to post it for critc,,keep it going pal......,,,

[@schoeferfilm]

Really good review Gordon 👍🏻 I have the Sony 20mm 1.8 in combination with my FX6 and I am very happy with this combo 😉 best cinematic greetings from a german filmmaker

[@cameralabs]

Danke schoen!

[@schoeferfilm]

@@cameralabs 😉👍

[@raymondmenard5444]

Great review here Gordon thank’s for sharing. This Sigma offering seems to be a very ''competent’’ lens especially at this price point. From what i can tell it’s colours seem quite a bit warmer and although perhaps not as accurate as the Sony’s, it is still pleasing at least for videos in my opinion. Have a great day.

[@cameralabs]

Thanks!

[@nightcoder5k]

Such a nice lens.

[@SuperBuickregal]

Hello Gordon, good info! ☕

[@cameralabs]

Thanks, glad you found it useful, and thanks also for the coffee, much appreciated!

[@Featinwe]

Frankly, the Contemporary I series doesn't convince me. I'd rather see a mirrorless 1.4 art version. The dSLR one is AMAZING piece of lens (except it's GIGANTIC) - I used it with Nikon D810.

[@cameralabs]

Yes it was a great lens, I remember reviewing it.

[@Featinwe]

@@cameralabs exactly! having in mind what sigma done with 35/1.4 and 85/1.4 DG DNs, 20/1.4 would've been a great lens! maybe we're gonna have one one day :) or at least 24/1.4.

[@mrbaiser4133]

I want a Sony FE 35mm f1.8 mk2 that's on the same level as the 20mm.

[@mikaelsilkeberg9734]

Thanks, I have to say I am not a fan of Sony lenses and this convinced me to get the sigma lens...

[@ConnorMcGaffey]

Cmon RF mount 🤞🏻

[@cameralabs]

I know, right?

[@qiwu4132]

Thank you Gordon! I am looking at those two lenses for my SONY A7C recently. It is great to see such a detailed comparison! They both fit the A7C body pretty well while providing superior performance. I think I will grab the Sony 20f1.8 in the end because of the better IQ and slightly wider aperture considering I am also interested in astrophotography. The price difference is acceptable for me, and the Sony 20f1.8 is really really unbeatable at this price point with a GM quality!

[@superelectic45]

Sony is definitely better, significantly less distortion and better colour rendering. Third party lenses always seem to struggle with micro contrast and colour.

[@MaxCherry4170]

Wow, I'm really surprised there's such a difference. There would need to be a reasonable difference in price to not just get the sony

[@tomlee2215]

Holly crap! Take my money Sony!

[@benharveyphotography]

Yay. My Sony won! Is the fact that it was made in Taiwan a good thing?!?

[@cameralabs]

It's made in Thailand Ben! It's written on your own lens! I've actually visited that factory.

[@dkmchui]

$550CAD vs $1100.