When it comes to photography, I always reach for a telephoto lens. Because of its shallow depth of field and the way it composes the elements of an image, a telephoto lens suits my photography style. Although, when testing out the Sigma 20mm 2f Contemporary Lens, I was seriously impressed with how much Sigma managed to fit in such a small package.
Key Features of the Sigma 20mm Contemporary Lens:
- Available for L-Mount and Sony E-mount
- All-metal body
- Fast, f2 aperture
- Manual aperture ring
A 20mm lens is considered — by most — to be super wide-angle lens. My first idea to put this lens through its paces was to go hiking in search of some beautiful landscapes. But since it’s about zero degrees in New York right now, I went to the only reliable place to be both beautiful and warm — the conservatory at the Botanic Gardens.
First Impression
Upon mounting this lens to my camera, I immediately noticed the high-end build quality. As with the rest of Sigma’s Contemporary line — including the recent 18-50mm f2.8 lens — this lens is made at Sigma’s factory in Japan. Both the lens body and lens hood are made entirely of metal. Compared to some of more expensive, plastic-feeling lenses, the Sigma 20mm 2f Contemporary Lens.
A cool feature of this — and all the other lenses in Sigma’s Contemporary line — is the included magnetic lens cap. I find myself fumbling around trying to attach traditional lens caps, especially when wearing gloves in the winter. This one pops on and off easily and fits correctly every time.
Focusing
This lens also has a very short close focus distance at just .72 feet (slightly over 8.5 inches). While the autofocus is as fast as you’d expect, for really close-up shots, I prefer to focus manually. Fortunately, all the lenses in Sigma’s Contemporary Line have manual focus switches as well as perfectly dampened manual focus rings. While this may not seem like much, it makes for a great shooting experience when compared with other lenses.
This brings me to another of my favorite features — the manual aperture ring. I’m a nostalgic guy at heart and love old film cameras. Clicking though the aperture ring on the collar rather than spinning a little wheel on the camera body is oddly satisfying. It also adds an analog feel to an otherwise hyper-digital tool.
Fast Aperture
What I think really makes this lens stand out from the competition is it’s fast, f2 aperture. Since many other lenses of this focal length were designed with landscape photography in mind, the trade-off for that huge field of view is often a slow aperture. With this lens, you get the best of both worlds. You have a super wide field of view and a large enough aperture to get separation from the background. There are thirteen elements in eleven groups and an MTF chart nearly identical to Sigma’s top-of-the-line Art Series lenses. It’s no surprise this lens allows you to see the world through its stunning, almost dreamlike perspective.
With its fast aperture, super wide field of view, manual aperture ring, and amazing build quality, the Sigma 20mm f2 Contemporary Lens is a welcome addition to their ever-expanding line. If you’re looking for a wide prime with a small form factor and a fast aperture for either E or L mount cameras, this is definitely one to consider.
