FOUR: The Twelve Links of Christmas 2022*: Sigma 45mm ƒ/2.8 Contemporary Lens

Sigma 45mm ƒ/2.8 Contemporary lens

This is the lens that turned me into a Sigma fan. It was intended to be the normal lens for the Sigma fp. It's my current lens for my fp.

I haven't investigated much about the lens yet. Haven't done my usual battery of tests for flare. Haven't looked into the bokeh, so I can't say much about that. I've just used it: you can see a selection of my pictures taken with it here. All the pictures in those albums were taken with it. As you can see it has a really nice look.

I particularly like its physical characteristics and ergonomics and feel. Optically it's incredibly good stopped down, extremely detailed without being harsh. The size and weight are perfect. The sense of solidity and quality are very satisfying. Manual focus feel is as good as many dedicated manual lenses (when I bought it I had no thought of using it with the fp in manual focus, but that's pretty much the way I always use it). The aperture ring is superbly weighted and precise. Its surfaces are metal. Even the lens hood is outstanding—made of metal with a very well engineered attachment to the lens.

It's part of a series of primes that Sigma makes in the L-mount (for certain Leica, Panasonic, Sigma, Leitz Cine, and DJI cameras) and Sony E-mount. The Amazon links are: 24mm ƒ/3.5, 24mm ƒ/2, 35mm ƒ/2, 45mm ƒ/2.8, 65mm ƒ/2, and 90mm ƒ/2.8. B&H Photo is closed for Shabbat till sundown tomorrow, but here are the B&H links: 24mm ƒ/3.5, 24mm ƒ/2, 35mm ƒ/2, 45mm ƒ/2.8, 65mm ƒ/2, and 90mm ƒ/2.8. Check the prices for your mount, because L-mount and E-mount lenses sometimes differ in price.

I've only tried the 45mm so far, but I have a feeling that will change in the future.

Mike
My flickr page / My New Yorker author page

*A list of a dozen beautiful gifty things in the spirit of the season.

Original contents copyright 2022 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Mark L: "I like the 24mm ƒ/3.5 so much I have one for my fp and SL, and another in FE Sony mount for my A7r Mark II. If you want to go wide with your fp it's a natural fit, focusses very close and is wonderfully sharp, without being in any way clinical."

Aaron: "I purchased the lens on a crazy sale a few months back--$250 I think--to use on a Sony camera. I like it a lot. My one and only complaint is that the focus ring is too close to the lens hood. To me it feels cramped when manual focusing. Bokeh's nice and smooth though."

Mike replies: That focus-ring placement doesn't happen to bother me, but I can see what you mean.

John Krumm: "I really am hoping that 2023 is the year Sigma comes to Nikon Z Mount. The rumor people think it will happen, but I've learned not to put too much stock in Nikon rumors."

Weekes James: "I love the fp/45mm combo. I opted for the EVF which I love. Just a wonderful lens/sensor pairing."

Bob Rosinsky: "Admittedly I was a bit skeptical when you first started writing about wanting to put together a dedicated black-and-white kit. But having looked at your pictures on Flickr, I see what you were aiming for. Impressive!"

Mike replies: Thanks.

Nick: "Aye to that Mike—I have the E-Mount version. It was a blind purchase, based solely on the focal length at the time. It has all the qualities you describe and is in fact so good that I also rushed to buy the 65mm when it came out—another bold focal length, considering the rather conservative market for lenses. IMHO Sigma hit the bull's eye with the Contemporary Lens series, with a perfect balance between weight/optical performance. Also, they remain relatively affordable. Looking forward to having you exploring the range further. Please report to us!"

Comments

[Stan B.]

That’s a delightfully weird contraption ya got there!

[Freddy S.]

Here is some background by Sigma about the design principles underpinning the 45mm lens:

https://www.sigma-sein.com/en/ohsone/45mm-f2-8-dg-dn-contemporary/

[brian]

Yasuhiro Ohson, head of product planning at Sigma, wrote this about the 45mm f2.8 lens:

[If] all attention is spent on high optical performance, it tends to end up with an unpleasing bokeh. Given the small bokeh permitted by a 45mm F2.8 lens, the bokeh needs to look beautiful, otherwise the images will have a rough atmosphere.

There we were, unable to raise the MTF performance and unsatisfied with the bokeh, when we received a surprising proposal from our optical engineers in charge: to develop the lens with the highest priority given to its expression of bokeh.

https://www.sigma-sein.com/en/ohsone/45mm-f2-8-dg-dn-contemporary/

[Joachim Schroeter]

Fully concur, Mike. Apart from two Panasonic GX8 bodies and a handful of super small lenses for handluggage only flight trips (luckily few and far between), I‘m exclusively (yes, alas pun intended) invested in the L system by now (but including a couple of M mount gems via adapter as well). The Sigma line of lenses are my favourite ones - for the AF/MF switch on the barrel (alas no direct manual focus - yet? - with the L system) as well as the dedicated aperture ring. And the superb built and ergonomics. With the optical quality a given. The trinity 3.5/24, 2.8/45 and 2.8/90 - joyfully all taking 55mm filters - are the L mount equivalent now for my former compact Micro 4/3ds gear. And with the likes of a 47MPx sensor the ranges between and in particular beyond - if and where inaccessible to feet zoom - are usually croppable without much ado.

[scott kirkpatrick]

I hope you will try the 24 mm in the Contemporary line of Sigma's lenses. Leica has been promising one in the L mount for many years, but I got the Sigma long ago and am quite happy with it.

[Dave]

". . . extremely detailed without being harsh."

That's what I noticed in the landscapes with trees in the "distant distance". That lens is amazing in its ability to clearly show the individual tree branches -- and as you mentioned -- without harshness.

The prices at the links you provided are shockingly low, "dirt cheap" even, considering that many other brands charge $1,000 more for a lens that isn't quite as good.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Let me join the confirmation of this as an excellent, reasonably-priced lens. I owned this and its 35mm sibling in L-mount for a year or so. Built like armored cars, but not heavy. Excellent tactility. I was truly sorry to see them go when I sold all my L-mount gear early this year.