Sigma 19mm F2 8 DN A Review | 54 Data compared

The Sigma 19mm F2.8 DN is a compact wide-angle prime lens designed for Sony E-mount (NEX/Alpha) and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless systems. Priced at $199, it offers a focal length equivalent to 28.5mm on Sony APS-C bodies and approximately 38mm on Micro Four Thirds cameras. Measuring 1.8 by 2.4 inches and weighing only 5.6 ounces, the lens features a smooth metal barrel and can focus as close as 7.9 inches. In lab testing, it demonstrated impressive center sharpness at f/2.8, scoring 2,045 lines, which exceeds the benchmark for high-quality imagery. The primary advantages of this lens are its inexpensive price point, compact form factor, and the inclusion of a lens hood and soft carrying case. However, the review notes several significant drawbacks, including a lack of image stabilization and a modest f/2.8 maximum aperture. While center sharpness is strong, the edges of the frame remain soft at wider apertures and do not show significant improvement until stopped down to f/8. Additionally, the lack of texture on the manual focus ring makes for an unusual tactile experience. Ultimately, it is rated...

The DPReview field test highlights the Sigma 19mm, 30mm, and 60mm F2.8 DN Art-series lenses for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount as compact, lightweight, and highly affordable options that deliver exceptional pixel-level sharpness, particularly at wide-open apertures. These lenses also feature a new linear autofocus motor that provides quiet, smooth, and quick focusing performance. Conversely, the lenses suffer from a uniformly smooth, metal focus ring that lacks texture, making them difficult to grip, especially in cold weather. Additionally, the modest f/2.8 maximum aperture limits low-light capability, and the exterior finish is prone to scuffing.

The Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN is a highly affordable, compact prime lens designed for mirrorless cameras, offering surprisingly solid build quality for its low price point. Weighing under 180 grams and measuring less than 5 cm in length, it is exceptionally lightweight and portable, making it an excellent choice for landscape and urban photography. Optically, the lens delivers impressive performance with excellent central sharpness even when shot wide open at f/2.8. Furthermore, it exhibits virtually no barrel distortion, suffers from minimal chromatic aberration, and resists significant flaring during use.

The Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN is an affordable, lightweight wide-angle prime lens designed for APS-C crop sensor cameras, offering a 28.5mm equivalent field of view on Sony E-mount and Micro 4/3 systems. Priced at $199, it undercuts its closest rival, the Sony 20mm f/2.8 pancake lens, by $100 while delivering superior optical performance and image quality. Built primarily from plastic with a sturdy metal bayonet, the lens features 8 elements in 6 groups—including 3 aspherical elements—and a 7-blade aperture diaphragm wrapped in Super Multi-Layer Coating to minimize flare and ghosting. Real-world testing reveals excellent central sharpness that improves significantly past f/5.6, minimal distortion, and mild vignetting, making it a highly capable companion for handheld low-light shooting, museum visits, and landscape photography. The lens boasts several notable pros, including its highly competitive price, lightweight build optimized for travel and hiking, swift and quiet linear autofocus motor, and exceptional central sharpness. On the downside, the lens lacks built-in image stabilization, features a less robust plastic body, and exhibits a noticeable sharpness falloff toward the edges of the frame. Furthermore, while the minimum...

The Sigma 19mm F2.8 DN ART is a compact, solidly built wide-angle mirrorless lens manufactured in Japan, designed as an upgrade over the previous EX DN version. Available in silver or metallic black, this lens offers a 38mm equivalent focal length on Micro Four Thirds cameras and a wider 28.5mm equivalent on E-mount systems. It features an optical design of 8 elements in 6 groups, including 3 aspherical lenses to minimise distortion and optical aberrations. Equipped with a Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, the lens takes 46mm screw-on filters and supports a close-focusing distance of 20cm with a 1:7.4 magnification ratio. In real-world testing, the reviewer highlighted several pros, including its lightweight build (160g), excellent color rendering, high-contrast imagery, and impressive sharpness even when shot wide open at F2.8. The near-silent, fast autofocus mechanism and the smooth, addictive feel of the focusing ring were also praised, alongside a 7-blade rounded diaphragm that produces attractive bokeh. However, a notable con is that the 19mm focal length can feel somewhat tight for framing landscape scenes, particularly for photographers who...

The Sigma E-Mount Art series DN lenses (19mm, 30mm, and 60mm f/2.8) offer exceptional optical quality for crop-sensor Sony mirrorless cameras at a highly accessible price point. Tested on a Sony Nex-6, the autofocus performance is vastly improved over the previous generation, providing smooth and quiet transitions that mirror native Sony lenses, which is particularly beneficial for video recording. Optically, the 60mm f/2.8 lens stands out as the sharpest and serves as an excellent budget portrait option, followed closely by the 30mm standard lens and the 19mm wide-angle prime. Furthermore, the 19mm significantly outperforms competitor lenses like the Sony 16mm pancake lens, which suffers from poor corner sharpness. Despite their impressive sharpness, the lenses exhibit a few design and functional drawbacks. The lightweight plastic and metal construction can feel cheap or toy-like, and an internally floating lens group further contributes to this lower-tier build sensation. The satin-smooth finish on the focus ring is a major fingerprint magnet. Operationally, the lenses occasionally disconnect from the camera body, dropping the electronic connection and forcing the user to power-cycle the camera. Additionally, they...

The Radojuva review highlights the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN Art as an affordable, compact wide-angle prime for Sony E-mount and Micro 4/3 cameras, featuring a metal mount and fast, quiet autofocus. It is noted for good center sharpness, low distortion, and well-controlled chromatic aberration, serving as a high-mobility, budget-friendly alternative to branded lenses. However, the lens suffers from notable, persistent corner softness at f/2.8 and lacks weather sealing, say the review. Additionally, the glossy focusing ring is prone to dirt, and the internal focus group produces a rattling sound when the camera is turned off.