- 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 makes six Sigma RF-S lenses, but none yet for full-frame
Sigma has launched two fast-aperture prime lenses for Canon mirrorless cameras; the 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary and 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary. They join four other Sigma lenses available for the Canon RF mount, all of which are designed for crop sensor (APS-C) models such as the Canon EOS R7 and Canon EOS R100.
The new lenses increase the total number of Sigma 'RF-S' lenses to six in all, and are the first wide-aperture primes; the 16mm lens has an equivalent 24mm focal length, while the 23mm lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length.
Both lenses offer popular focal lengths with fast f/1.4 apertures, ideal for working in low light and for creating shallow depth of field portraits – I personally relied on a 35mm f/1.4 Sigma lens for a number of years while doing documentary photography in East Africa.
Sigma has set the price of 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 from Sigma Contemporary lenses, plus the fact that Canon equivalents would likely be pricier – should Canon ever launch them.
6 and counting, but what about full-frame?
Canon kept its lens mount closed to third-party lenses makers longer than rival brands, a move that frustrated some fans, especially given how few lenses Canon has launched for its APS-C cameras. That all changed in April 2024 when Canon gave the key to its RF-mount door to Sigma and Tamron, and we have six existing Sigma lenses rolled out for the RF-mount already.
All of these lenses are for Canon's APS-C cameras, which somewhat addresses the biggest strike against beginner mirrorless Canon models like the EOS R10: limited lens choice.
Meanwhile, Canon has been very active in launching new lenses for its full-frame cameras, like our 2024 Camera of the Year, the EOS R5 Mark II. However, we're 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 the APS-C lenses to third-party manufacturers like Sigma. That's not a bad approach; however, it's only a matter of time before Canon fans demand that the likes of Sigma start making affordable full-frame lenses for Canon.
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