Sigma 56mm F1.4 DN DC: Final Review | 4K

[@johndonaldson5126]

The best lens I own. No matter how many times I shoot with this lens it surprises me with quality images. Nice review Dustin.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's an extremely sharp little optic.

[@g43654]

I love this little lens. It's been on my a6500 95% of the time in the last 4 months since I've had it. Fantastic portrait lens, although my wife doesn't like how it shows her pores lol. Crazy sharp and affordable.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

And that's a pretty great combination.

[@shang-hsienyang1284]

All DN DC lenses can be used on full frame cameras with 1:1 crop (24mm by 24mm) with no problems. I also hope Sigma could make more of these amazing lenses.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm sure that's true, actually, as they do cover slightly more than the APS-C image circle.

[@NikoSavic]

Dammit, I would really love if Sigma launched the 85mm and 105 or 135mm in the Contemporary series.

[@richardpcrowe]

Great portrait focal length and aperture for APSC Sony Mirrorless Cameras. The 84mm, f/2.0 equivalent is just about perfect! I use some 55mm and 58mm vintage lenses for portraiture and I love them. If I didn't own the Sony 85mm f/1.8 and Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS lenses, I would certainly purchase this lens.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Others have made similar comments.

[@honzamak]

Hi, great video, but do you think that this lens is still worth it in end of the 2020? I mean for portraits and video too, but mainly portraits..

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would say so. I haven't tested a sharper option

[@honzamak]

@@DustinAbbottTWI ok, thanks

[@ZarlokTV]

Is this 56mm on APSC? AND 84 MM ON FULL FRAME? or diffrent? 56mm on full frame crop mode, but on apsc 85mm ?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

This only covers the APS-C image circle, so while it would be 56mm on full frame, it wouldn’t cover the whole image circle. All focal lengths must be multiplied by the crop factor of the camera they are on. So 84mm full frame equivalent on APS-C.

[@mikewhitehurst6508]

Thanks for the review Dustin. I just purchased this lens for my a6000 and I'm looking forward to trying it out. I take a lot of photos at a motorcycle drag track and I'm looking for a lens that works well with fast moving objects and also low lighting for night shots...... any suggestions? Thanks again.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would start by trying this lens. It's got good autofocus and fast maximum aperture.

[@maxshean2607]

This is finally a lens that can compete with the Pro lenses of the MFT system, but undercutting their prices by two or three times. I sold my Pana Leica f1.2 for this one and now have 450€ to spend on another lens without loosing on image quality. Bonus is the size and weight advantage over the Nocticron and I believe the same applies to the Olympus version. So if you are not stuck to the 85mm equivalent focal length, this should be a serious consideration against the other (although great performers themselves) MFT options.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Very true, Max.

[@arttiz01]

Thanks!! You did not mention Canon EF-M mount, I tested the 56mm in my Canon M50 and I loved it

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It wasn't available in EF-M at the time of my review. They just recently released this trio of F1.4 lenses on EF-M - which is a great addition!

[@AudreyRayal]

is that why my 56mm is not fitting my canon m50

[@lawrencelam1820]

Haha, I look forward to shooting it on my Fujifilm X-H1 soon. 😉 Thanks for your comprehensive review as always, Dustin.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm excited to see these coming to Fuji. They will be very welcome there.

[@Jasmate]

Really comprehensive and forensic review. Awesome.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thank you

[@davidburton2294]

I recently bought the Sigma 30mm 1.4 for my A6000 and it's awesome! This 56mm looks even better. Hope you didn't strain your neck doing the focus test :)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It is a sweet little lens, and yes, this 56mm is better.

[@davidburton2294]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Just bought it too thanks Dustin!

[@RobertWhitfield]

Great review! I just got this and it is tack sharp! Regarding auto focus, this is my second auto focus lens. I have my A 6500 set on Continuos AF and center spot and the lens set to Apature is slow to focus! If I aim it at a photo 12 feet away and it grabs focus, then I put my hand up 3 feet out, it won't focus on my hand unless I half press the shutter? I called B&H thinking I have a defective lens and they said that kind of auto focus where you just point the camera at something and it grabs focus when you move between near and far subjects only works in video! What say you? I thought it was supposed to quickly grab focus on photo mode too?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You can set up a camera to continuously focus, but I frankly don't like it. I prefer for focus to only happen when I want it to happen, as focusing constantly can be distracting and burns battery. If you want continual focus, though, turn on Pre-AF in the your settings.

[@princeharbinger]

Hello Dustin, great review. One thing you didn't touch upon is how well the AF performs in lowlight. Does this lens have any focus hunting issues?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I didn't have any issues

[@efficaciousuave]

What is 0.135 magnification? does it mean images are smaller? because the ratio is smaller than 1..? or does it mean the final image is 135 times larger or smaller? or something like that..what is it? please someone explain wrt this particular lens. thanks!!!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The ratio would be something more like 1:7.5

[@harijs70]

Hello, Dustin! Thank you for rewiev! Can you suggest high quality sharp ultra zoom or telezoom lense for Canon M50? No native. Thank you!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

My favorite M zoom right now is the Canon 18-150mm. It's fairly good optically and incredibly versatile.

[@harijs70]

@@DustinAbbottTWI sharper THEN 50_200?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I didn't see much of a sharpness difference.

[@harijs70]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank You!

[@meynardmacol]

i am glad i purchase this lens when i was in Japan. my go to lens even for street photography. haven't tried landscape yet, i've been using my sigma 16mm for landscapes. i am considering getting the 6400 is it worth the upgrade? i currently own a 6500 which i love!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't really think the a6400 is a big upgrade for a6500 users, particularly if you enjoy having IBIS. The autofocus is better, but the AF in the a6500 is pretty good already.

[@meynardmacol]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you!

[@denmayy721]

I am considering about this lens and 85mm f1. 8, which one is better for night Potraits and bokeh? Thanks

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

If you are shooting on APS-C, this 56mm is a more natural fit.

[@MrJAM-np7go]

Just comparing price, but the outcome of E-mount became an open source make the ecosystem quite appealing. Sony A6400($900) + Sigma DC DN 16mm 30mm 56mm 1.4 primes($400+290+430) = $2020 Fuji X-T30($900) + 16mm 1.4, 35mm 1.4, 56mm 1.2 primes($900+550+900) = $3250 Of course, Sony's "FF first, crop next" policy is not the most welcoming environment for crop sensor camera users, but Sigma nicely catches the need for native fast prime lenses. DC DN series is truly a godsend.

[@MrJAM-np7go]

But I agree shooting photography is not just about the resolution of the photos or absolute price/performance ratio of the gear. Fuji X lenses are famous for their rendering and combination with their body is absolutely beautiful and nostalgic.

[@MrJAM-np7go]

@Foto4Max I own the Sony and I usually bought used lenses for that reason.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's a great observation. Sigma is both undercutting Sony lenses but also allowing the Sony ecosystem to make a lot more sense.

[@MrJAM-np7go]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Focusing on making bodies and outsourcing lenses to reduce R&D cost... clever tactics. And if Tamron or other makers make some fast, useful zooms, crop sensor E-mount would be a quite usable option for professionals.

[@johnkevin7992]

@@MrJAM-np7go looking especially tasty with the 17-28 FE they'll be releasing soon!

[@theautomationchannel6920]

I have 6400 crane 3 and sigma 16mm Do you recommend this one as my second lens or 30mm Purpose is videography and products B-roll for factories

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's tough. 56mm will be long in a lot of situations, so 30mm is more versatile. The 56mm is the better lens, though.

[@NikoSavic]

All of the lenses from the Sigma Contemporary series suffer from distortion. I have a 16mm, and it surprise me every time when editing photos how straight lines are that much distorted. But ticking that "Profile Corrections" box in Lightroom usually fixes this.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I think this is the primary reason why they brand them "Contemporary" rather than ART.

[@mariuszgonczewski5865]

10:25 damn the distortion

[@nwvideographotographer7186]

I love this lens. I did a review on it for shooting portraits. You can stop down to deal with the bokeh so there is none at all.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's a very good lens.

[@JimBailey]

Thank you Mr Abbott

[@joshglaister]

Your videos are all so good, being so informative and Helpful. Just need an educated and in depth review of the Sony Zeiss 35 f2.8. that would be awesome

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

It's hard to fit in a lot of catalog lenses (older lenses) when there is a constant stream of new stuff that I have to cover. I'm already releasing 3 videos a week (and work a full time job), so I can't make any promises.

[@joshglaister]

@@DustinAbbottTWI No Worries Dustin. I do fully appreciate your best efforts in providing videos like you said 3 a week! That's amazing, so thanks for keeping up the work and constant stream of new stuff too. Thanks again

[@CKramburglar]

Sigma's essentially become the "default" lenses to get for Sony APSC in a similar way that Tamron has for Sony FF. Will be interesting to see if/when Sigma starts designing mirrorless FF lenses from scratch. Hopefully we'll live in a world where we'll get some Sigma/Tamron comparison videos from you of their 70-200 2.8s or 150-600 lenses designed from the ground up for mirrorless.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would really love to see that. It will make Sony FE a very different platform.

[@safterpolitika]

Is the sharpest of sigma 16mm and this 56mm same?, bcs i saw your videos for sigma 16mm and it was not good as this 56mm.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The 56mm is sharper.

[@ClementFaucher]

Get the 16 and 56 is this the best combo ?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I would say that's true.

[@mudkickerfiftyone3430]

Q: Sony 6400, portraits from about 5' to 7' maximum distance due to room size. Ok with a slight loss in detail, and either 1.4 or 1.8. Would you recommend the Sigma 56mm 1.4, or Samyang AF 45mm 1.8. I trust your opinion.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The Samyang might be better if you're concerned with not having enough room. It has nicer bokeh, though the Sigma is a bit sharper.

[@mudkickerfiftyone3430]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you Dustin, appreciated.

[@Vasudev_films]

I heard like autofocus is missing sometimes when compared to sony 50 1.8 oss. What do you say regarding autofocus as it's the key factor for me to have video shoots?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I didn’t find that to be true at all. I had very good auto focus results, and frankly the Sony lens doesn’t have as sophisticated an AF system

[@Vasudev_films]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thanks a lot dear😊

[@KrunoslavStifter]

Good video. Thank you. I would just add that for those on the budget using Sony APS-C system there is a good budget friendly but still good quality native lens. Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS Lens (Black) (75mm Equivalent f/2.7) $248.00, its not as sharp or as fast as Sigma and has a bit of flaring, but its great in auto focus, it has OSS (stabilization) so for low light and video work it actually works better than Sigma which does not have OSS if I'm not mistaken. For portraits where absolute sharpness is Paramount I think this Sigma is a bit sharper, but most people won't notice unless they pixel peep. Bokeh also probably goes in favor of Sigma, but that is a personal choice I guess.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The Sigma does not have OSS, so that is one advantage for the Sony. I suspect the Sigma wins all the other categories, though.

[@KrunoslavStifter]

@@DustinAbbottTWI You are probably correct. Expect the OSS and double the price, I think it overall sharper, faster lens. Yes. Nice to have options for more users. :)

[@JesusGodHolySpirit3]

Will this lens work with Canon EOS R Mirrorless Full Frame Camera ?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

No it won't. It is made only for APS-C and only comes in a Sony E and Leica L mounts.

[@KevinNordstrom]

@@DustinAbbottTWI canon M mount as well is that correct?

[@Forzaguy5]

I am thinking to buy this lens for shooting basketball, indoor, from the baseline. I am in between this lens and the sony 50mm f1.8 . i shoot with a6600. Could this sigma be better than sony in terms of autofocus ? Anybody out there used it for shooting aports ? Thanks a lot !

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

This lens focuses quickly and has a big maximum aperture. It should work fine.

[@lifeasakingstonlaak8843]

Awesome review! Ty... Subbed

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks for the sub!

[@GilbertTV]

great review ... If I didnt already own the excellent Sony E 50mm F1.8 ..i'd of already bought this sigma beauty

[@sergtrav]

GilbertTV excellent 😹

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Choices, choices...

[@wichiencochari7291]

Good reviews,

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thank you

[@kian8382]

Does the Sony bodies correct for distortions for 3rd party lenses in live view?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

No, I see correction applied as the photo is taken, not live.

[@kennethHuo]

I just bought this lens , and it is noticeable sharper then my Zeiss 24mm 1.8

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Yes...it's extremely sharp.

[@johnbecich9540]

Have you tested the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 lens, for HSS (High Speed Sync) compatibility? My new Sigma 56mm f/1.4 lens FAILS, when used with my Sony a6400 camera and Godox V860iii speedlight. Illumination is massively overdone.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't think I've tested that combination. I don't own the lens, however; I had it for 3-4 weeks to test.

[@johnbecich9540]

​@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for your reply... on a thread that's 4 years old no less. My latest news is that the Godox V860iii speedlight will be exchanged, under a warranty that's almost expired. The grossly overexposed photos occur only when said speedlight is mounted atop the Sony a6400 camera's hot shoe. When I used my Godox X2T transmitter as hot-shoe occupant, and any or all lights as wirelessly-connected slaves, the High Speed Sync (HSS) image was reasonably well illuminated; i.e., not blasted by full light emission from any illuminator. While the failure results from a particular combined usage of three differently-branded components, the speedlight seems to be the most likely to be defective.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's very likely.

[@S.A.A75-j7q]

Compared to sigma 56mm, does sigma 30mm preform great in portraits?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The 56mm is better, obviously, but the 30mm is fine. You can find images from it (including portraits) on my website.

[@oliversteiner0815]

Its bokeh looks actually quite nice, though.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Bokeh is subjective, so if you like it, that's what matters most.

[@oliversteiner0815]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Well, at least it's smoother than many more expensive FF options out there.

[@DansEarway]

👏👏👏

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks

[@jorgem50]

Would this lens work with a Sony full frame?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Only in APS-C mode.

[@SuperBuickregal]

Good video.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks, Thomas

[@guitardipu]

This or the sony 50mm f1.8 oss for the sony a6400. Subbed!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

How important is OSS to you? If it isn't important, then the Simga all the way.

[@guitardipu]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Ok, but is there a way to add lens profile in Luminar to correct out the very obvious pin cush distortion?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You certainly could manually correct. I'm not sure if there is a lens profile there yet.

[@guitardipu]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I am also new to Luminar...anyways i had already received the Sigma 56mm and was about to return it in lieu of the SOny 50mm..now keeoing it! Thanks a ton!

[@evanh75]

Thank you for the review👍

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You're welcome.

[@robertcudlipp3426]

Another excellent review thanks. Be interested to see what DXOMARK make of this lens as they rate the Sony Z 551.8 so highly. That said, all users have achieved stellar results with a lens that does not weigh 14 lbs, as a Art series would. Excellent value for money I intend purchasing one for portrait, or people shots when funds permit.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

On APS-C this lens is easily sharper than the 1.8/55

[@RandomWalker1995]

Fujifilm 56 1.2 your review please!!!!!! (its the only lens also for comparison)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The 56mm is on my list for a future review.

[@vsenturk]

Thank you so much...

[@Johnyestak3528]

Thank you for the review , great vidéo 😉👍. I have a question : i have the sony A6500 and the Samyang/Rokinon 50mm f1.2 umc cs (that i use manualy), ans i would like to know if i should upgrade for the new Sigma? If the image quality (and the "bokeh" quality) is better on the Sigma 56 1.4?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't think that the bokeh is better on the Sigma, but it is definitely sharper.

[@Johnyestak3528]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for the answer 😊

[@rustamhaydarov5403]

Great!!!!!!!

[@kian8382]

Seeing the pictures, I can agree to that the bokeh, if you know what to look for, you can certainly find some imperfections but I think this lens still does really great, the second I see the photos I can tell it has really good contrast and aberrations are no where to be seen.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Definitely very good contrast and well controlled aberrations.

[@dafernandez80]

How does it compare vs sigma 60mm 2.8?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I didn’t directly compare them (though I do own that lens). The 60mm is very sharp wide open and has arguably nicer bokeh, but it’s autofocus is not in the same class.

[@Noealz]

seems to me Sigma has alot of love for Sony bodies =p

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Here's hoping we see the same for FE

[@GilbertTV]

@@DustinAbbottTWI I second that

[@wademortenson]

Hey bud, noticed a typo in the title of this video. Should be "DC DN". Love your reviews. Feel free to delete this once you correct it.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Thanks for the info.

[@m_requiem5267]

i'd be honest, im here because of that slipper in thumbnail preview.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to.

[@m_requiem5267]

@@DustinAbbottTWI just a punt, 😂 cheers for the review.

[@lfcmarkeb7124]

get on with it!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

You do realize that this video was recorded over a year ago and isn't going to get any shorter, right? ;)

[@PhilippeOrlando]

Well, if it's sharp it's not a portrait lens, guaranteed. Maybe a landscape lens, but most models and people don't want to see their fine wrinkles. Too much sharpness is not what people want in their portraits

[@june5646]

These Sigma DC DN Lenses have NO CROP FACTOR on APS-C sensors, NOOOOOO CROP, the 16mm, 30mm, 56mm are as they advertise on any sony aps-c camera not 24mm, 45mm, 84mm-----this also means no lowering of your aperture either. Please do your research and make the corrections for every one here.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

LOL - you just don't know what you're talking about. EVERY lens for an APS-C camera will have it's focal length magnified by the crop factor (1.5x on Sony). Every one. From Sigma's listing"The new SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary is the world’s first interchangeable lens for mirrorless Sony E-mount cameras in the APS-C format to offer a 24mm focal length (35mm equivalent) and F1.4 brightness. The lens for Micro Four Thirds offers a 32mm focal length (35mm equivalent) with the same f-number of 1.4. This is the large-diameter wide-angle lens for which mirrorless camera users have been waiting". Maybe you should do your research, my friend.