Sigma 35mm F 2 DG DN Review | 54 Data compared

The Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN Contemporary is a highly capable medium-wide prime lauded for its exceptional, retro-inspired all-metal build and compact form factor that balances well on modern mirrorless cameras. It delivers impressive sharpness, even on high-resolution 61MP sensors, complemented by smooth bokeh and distinct sunstars. However, the DPReview analysis notes that noticeable lateral chromatic aberration may require post-processing correction. Additionally, the lens exhibits strong vignetting and barrel distortion, along with occasional distracting flare when shooting directly into bright light sources. DPReview

The Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary, part of the premium "I-series" for mirrorless cameras, is described as a "Highly Recommended" lens, offering robust all-metal construction at a light 325g. According to ePHOTOzine, it delivers outstanding center sharpness, pleasant bokeh, excellent flare resistance, and includes dust/splashproof sealing. Conversely, the review notes the manual aperture ring lacks a lock in "Auto" and cannot be de-clicked, which may hinder videographers. Additionally, the lens relies on in-camera digital corrections to manage specific optical artifacts.

The Sigma 35mm f2 DG DN is a compact, mild wide-angle prime lens designed for full-frame mirrorless Sony E and Leica L-mount cameras. Positioned in Sigma’s "I series" within their Contemporary lineup, it stands out for its vintage-inspired all-metal construction, manual aperture ring, weather-sealed mount, and unique accessories like a magnetic lens cap. Optically, the lens delivers impressive results, proving exceptionally sharp right into the corners even when shot wide-open at f2. It features a useful 27cm minimum focusing distance for close-up detail work, and its autofocus operation is swift, accurate, and essentially silent, making it a highly practical daily walkaround lens compared to much heavier alternatives like Sigma's own f1.2 Art lens. The lens boasts several distinct pros, including its premium retro build quality, lightweight and portable 325g body, excellent center and corner sharpness, and smooth background bokeh. On the downside, the cons include noticeable colored fringing on blurred, high-contrast subjects—such as tree branches against an overcast sky—and a reliance on digital lens profiles to correct geometric distortion and heavy corner vignetting. Additionally, while the magnetic lens cap is...

The Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary lens is a highly versatile, budget-friendly prime designed for Sony E and L mount systems, bringing a lightweight option to the platform. Weighing just 325 grams and constructed with 10 elements in 9 groups, this lens delivers exceptional optical performance with center images that are razor-sharp even when shot wide open at f/2. The autofocus—powered by stepping motors—is swift and accurate for stills, tracking human faces, eyes, and animals smoothly. Furthermore, it produces natural colors, well-controlled chromatic aberrations, and beautiful background bokeh, especially when taking advantage of its close 10.6-inch minimum focusing distance. However, the reviewer highlights several notable drawbacks, particularly for videographers, including a significant amount of focus breathing and an aperture dial that cannot be de-clicked. While the lens boasts a premium metal build quality with a tactile manual focus ring, its weather-sealing is disappointingly limited strictly to the mount rather than the entire barrel. Additionally, the inclusion of a premium magnetic lens cap is hindered by a design flaw: it is completely impossible to remove while the metal lens hood...

The Sigma 35mm f2 DG DN Contemporary lens is a highly compact, lightweight L-mount and E-mount optic constructed with an all-metal barrel, brass bayonet mount, and rubber weather sealing. Weighing 325 g and measuring 70 x 65.4 mm, it offers a discreet footprint ideal for street, landscape, and travel photography. Testers pairing it with the Panasonic S5 noted that its silent, rapid stepping-motor autofocus kept up effortlessly with professional model shoots and face detection. Optically, the lens delivers tack-sharp images even wide open at f2, boasting excellent contrast, 3D depth, minimal flare, and smooth, modern bokeh from its 9 rounded diaphragm blades. The reviewer highlighted several major benefits, including the stellar all-metal build quality, fast and accurate autofocus, a dedicated physical aperture ring, and a premium metal lens hood bundled alongside an innovative magnetic lens cap. Priced at $639, it is positioned as a highly affordable, portable alternative to the $5,195 Leica APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f2. The primary drawback identified is the complete lack of built-in optical image stabilization, though the reviewer noted this is standard for its size class and...

The Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN Contemporary I-Series lens for E-mount earns praise for its exceptional, all-metal construction and physical controls, evoking the design aesthetic of classic Leica lenses. It is highly portable, measuring 70mm x 67mm and weighing 325g, making it a perfect everyday carry option for single-handed use. Performance-wise, the lens delivers fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus tracking that excels in both still photography and video recording. Image resolution is outstanding in the center of the frame starting at F2, peaking between F4 and F8 on high-resolution sensors like the 61MP Sony A7R5. Additionally, the external aperture and focus rings provide excellent resistance and user feedback. However, the reviewer details notable design and optical compromises necessary to achieve this compact footprint. Optically, the lens suffers from soft corners at wide-open apertures (F2), which require stopping down to F5.6 to fully sharpen up. There is also noticeable purple fringing in the image corners between F2 and F5.6, along with soft resolution and green fringing when shooting at the Minimum Focus Distance (MFD) wide open. On the physical side, the...

The LensTip review concludes that the Sigma C 35 mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary is a highly successful, premium-tier entry in Sigma's mirrorless lineup. Optically, its biggest strength is delivering excellent image quality in the frame centre even when shot wide open at f/2, outperforming several key rivals at its maximum relative aperture. Resolution remains very good on the edges of an APS-C sensor and holds up well on full-frame corners. Mechanically, the reviewer strongly praises the solid, all-metal casing, smooth focus-by-wire mechanics, and a well-engineered manual aperture ring. Furthermore, the lens features a silent, quick, and accurate autofocus system, handles spherical aberration expertly, and limits both lateral chromatic aberration and astigmatism to negligible levels. LensTip also highlights the inclusion of a high-quality metal hood and a unique magnetic metal front cap alongside the standard plastic option. Despite its stellar performance, the review identifies a few specific optical compromises. While it maintains decent control over some aberrations, it suffers from pronounced vignetting on full frame at the maximum f/2 aperture, which registers at roughly 27% (-0.92 EV) and requires stopping...

The Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN Contemporary is a compact, lightweight prime lens designed for Sony E and Leica L-mount mirrorless cameras, weighing only 325g despite its premium all-metal construction. The review praises its robust build quality, which includes precision-cut aluminium sections, a weather-sealed brass mount, and a unique magnetic metal lens cap. It features an internal stepping motor that delivers fast, virtually silent autofocus, alongside a tactile aperture ring and an electronically coupled manual focus ring. Optically, the lens delivers excellent sharpness across the entire frame, especially when stopped down between f/2.8 and f/11, while effectively managing ghosting, flare, and color fringing.

The Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary lens for Sony and L-mount cameras brings a premium, faux-vintage aesthetic and tactile refinement to a highly compact form factor. Priced at $639, this lens is praised for its exceptional all-metal build quality, snappy autofocus performance even in low light, and a beautifully dampened manual focusing ring. Its absolute standout feature is the incredibly satisfying, mechanical-feeling aperture ring, which significantly improves the shooting experience on bodies like the Sony a7 III. In terms of optical quality, the lens delivers clinical, stunningly crisp sharpness wide open, smooth bokeh balls with minimal onion rings, and outstanding contrast when shooting directly into challenging lighting conditions. Despite its high performance, the review highlights a few notable drawbacks to consider. For video creators, the lens suffers from visible focus breathing, and the highly praised aperture ring is unfortunately not de-clickable. For outdoor durability, the lens lacks full weather-sealing, featuring only a single rubber gasket located at the mount bayonet. Additionally, while the included minimalist magnetic lens cap is a nice aesthetic touch, it is completely impossible to remove...

The Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary is an autofocus prime lens designed for L-mount and E-mount cameras, retailing at $639.00. The reviewer praises its exceptional build quality, sleek metal lens hood, and tactile aperture ring with perfectly dampened clicks. Its compact dimensions (2.8 x 2.6") and lightweight body (11.5 oz) make it highly portable and an excellent ergonomic match for a camera like the Leica SL2-S. Performance-wise, the stepping motor autofocus operates silently, accurately, and quickly enough for street photography, while additional features like a 10.6" minimum focusing distance, an AF/MF switch, and dust/splash resistance add to its versatility. However, the lens does compromise slightly on optical performance compared to its bulkier sibling, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN Art. While its image quality is highly acceptable, it falls short of the f/1.4 version's sheer rendering capability, low-light performance, and shallow depth of field control, which the reviewer notes offers better value for pure image quality. Additionally, the lens lacks a de-clickable aperture ring—a missing feature found on some higher-tier Art series lenses. Ultimately, the reviewer found the lens...