Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C)
Review by Editor AL Lee, Text by Li Shiqing
Image: Editor AL with the Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R at Malacca Encore.
19th May 2023, Singapore, Malaysia – Recently, the new Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) had been making waves in photography circles about its capability & usability. So we decided to find out for ourselves what the hype is all about. A quick call to Sigma Singapore’s office and within the next hour, we have the new Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) with us! And we decided to bring this lens with us to Malacca for a review!
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
We are not new to Sigma lenses as we have been reviewing Sigma lenses for more than 15 years as of today. We had also witnessed the evolution of Sigma’s quiet but aggressive move to meet the demands of mirrorless systems users. Launch in April 2023, this 23mm F1.4 had been anticipated for a quite a while by the photography community and finally it had reach our shores just a couple of weeks ago!
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
One of the key aspect that I love Sigma’s DC DN series lenses is the compactness of the lens as well its capability to produce high quality images. This 23mm F1.4 is no difference, as expected it is small and measures only 65.8 x 76.9mm and weights a mere 340gm (with Hood). The lens barrel is made from the company’s highly successful TSC compound which is hardy and feels expensive to touch. The design cue is pretty much similar to the rest of the range with the same layout which is a plus as most Sigma users are already familiar to the ergonomics of Sigma lenses. For new Sigma users, you will find that the layout will be very similar to your proprietory brand lenses which is very easy to use and navigate around the lenses.
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
Since it’s all good on the outside, let’s take a look inside the lens. The 23mm F1.4 has 13 elements in 10 groups for the optics and this is impressive as the lens produces near-zero optical faults! This APS-C lens focuses from F1.4 to F16 with 09 aperture blades which is pretty standard.
On the front, the Sigma 23mm takes 52mm filters and it focuses as near as 25cm with a magnification ratio of 0.14x – very useful when you use just 1 lens for travel or street photography. 23mm on APS-C translate into 34.5mm (wide) equivalent on a full frame camera and this is a superb focal length for many applications and shooting environments.
Image: Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) mounted to a Sony a7R.
Let’s check out the images produced by the Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) – I mounted it on an ageing Sony a7R and brought it to Malacca, Malaysia for a weekend, check out what I shot.
First & foremost, I really like how light the lens is – I carried the camera with the Sigma 23mm F1.4 mounted whole day on my hands and there was never a moment that I wanted to put the camera down. It did not tire me out simply because it is really light! And the bokeh produced at F2, F2.8 and F4 is creamy smooth, really feels like I am using a high end Art-series lens although this 23mm is designated as a Contemporary line lens.
I love the amount of details captured and how crispy-sharp the images turned out. Especially those that I had shot the Encore Building (above) as we know, architecture photographers seldom use this focal length to shoot building – but I did it and the result is awesome!
Do check out my full album here.
Now let’s check out the bokehs! I brought along my little Gundam RX-78-2 to Malacca and thought I might as well use it to test the 23mm’s bokeh.
And the magnification, check out the next few images.
The Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens is a wide-angle prime lens designed for mirrorless cameras. It is specifically designed for APS-C sensor cameras, offering a focal length equivalent to approximately 35mm in full-frame terms. The lens is part of Sigma’s Contemporary series, which aims to provide high-quality optics in a compact and lightweight package. And to add, it is priced very very friendly too!
With its wide maximum aperture of F1.4, the Sigma 23mm lens is capable of producing images with shallow depth of field and excellent low-light performance. This makes it suitable for various photography genres, including landscapes, street photography, and environmental portraits.
The lens features a durable construction and incorporates advanced optical elements to deliver high image quality. It likely utilizes aspherical and/or low-dispersion glass elements to minimize aberrations, distortions, and chromatic aberrations, resulting in sharp and detailed images.
As a DC DN lens, it is compatible with mirrorless camera systems such as Sony E-mount and Leica at the moment but I am sure Sigma will be creating the mounts for other mirrorless systems (maybe even Micro Four Thirds). This lens is designed to take advantage of the shorter flange distance of mirrorless cameras, allowing for more compact lens designs.
Buying this Camera
OK people, Buy your Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN (C) from our Accredited Merchants to experience this great camera for yourself!
Renting this Camera
For those of you who wish to try out the lens before purchase, we are pleased to share that this camera (may) be available for rental (do call them to check) at our appointed rental merchant:
Camera Rental Centre is Conveniently Located at:
50 South Bridge Road, CMO Building, (very near to Clarke Quay MRT)
#02-18. Singapore 058682
Website: http://sg.camerarental.biz/
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Reviewer: Chief Editor AL Lee
Chief Editor & Founder of Ourshutterjourney.com Worldwide and Principal Trainer at Ourshutterjourney Photography Academy. AL is a commercial photographer as well as an educator who believes in the art of digital memories. An ambassador of several photography brands, AL is well versed in many camera systems. Someone once told us AL’s man cave looks more like a camera store than a bedroom.
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Contributing Editor – Lee Shi Qing
A firm believer of Self-Sufficient living and gives no f**k to anyone getting in her way to reaching her goals in life. Kind in nature & Dangerous when provoked. Loves Mcdonald’s Fries and hates all the burgers there. While she helps out in gear reviews, Qing is currently serving as an Online Administrator for Ourshutterjourney.com Facebook Groups and Online Shop.
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