- Sigma launches existing 16mm F1.4 and 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lenses for Canon RF mount
- The lenses cost $439 / £389 / AU$617 and $549 / £479 / AU$817 respectively
- That’s six Sigma RF-S lenses, but none for full frame yet
Sigma has launched two fast aperture prime lenses for Canon mirrorless cameras; the 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary and the 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary. They join four other Sigma lenses available for the Canon RF mount, all designed for crop sensor (APS-C) models such as the Canon EOS R7 and Canon EOS R100.
The new lenses bring the total number of Sigma “RF-S” lenses to six and are the first large aperture lenses; the 16mm lens has a focal length equivalent to 24mm, while the 23mm lens has a focal length equivalent to 35mm.
Both lenses offer popular focal lengths with fast f/1.4 apertures, ideal for working in low light and creating shallow depth of field portraits. Personally, I relied on a Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens for several years when shooting documentary photography in the East. Africa.
Sigma has priced the 16mm F1.4 lens at $439 / £389 / $617, while the 24mm F1.4 costs $549 / £479 / AU$817. These are reasonable prices when you consider the proven optical performance of Sigma Contemporary lenses, as well as the fact that Canon equivalents would likely be more expensive – if Canon ever released them.
6 and above, but what about full frame?
Canon has kept its lens mount closed to third-party lens makers longer than competing brands, a move that has frustrated some fans, especially since Canon has released few lenses for its APS-C cameras. Everything changed in April 2024 when Canon gave the key to its RF mount door to Sigma and Tamron, and we already have six existing Sigma lenses deployed for the RF mount.
All of these lenses are aimed at Canon’s APS-C cameras, which sort of addresses the biggest problem against entry-level Canon mirrorless models like the EOS R10: limited lens selection.
Meanwhile, Canon has been very active in releasing new lenses for its full-frame cameras, like our 2024 Camera of the Year, the EOS R5 Mark II. However, we have yet to see full-frame lenses from Sigma and Tamron.
To us, it looks like Canon is taking care of its full-frame lenses while leaving APS-C lenses to third-party manufacturers like Sigma. This isn’t a bad approach; However, it’s only a matter of time before Canon fans demand that Sigma start making affordable full-frame lenses for Canon.
