To achieve such a compact construction, lens design is considered based on the capabilities of the camera body function to correct peripheral light amount and distortion. Moreover, axial color aberration, which is difficult to eliminate by image processing, is efficiently corrected by incorporating an SLD glass element. A compactness and lightweight construction combined with superb image quality is achieved.

As for the Sony 50mm, it makes sense if you are on a tight budget. The quality is good enough, and it comes with an important feature that neither the 55mm nor the 56mm has: optical image stabilisation. The 50mm is made from high quality plastics but features an external metal finish, whereas the 55mm and 56mm are both predominantly metal – hence the additional weight. The only non-metallic part of the 56mm is the rubber focus ring. All three come with a metal mount. I also love the short barrel length of just 2.34 in (60 mm). This is incredibly compact for the capability it offers in terms of focal length and minimum aperture. I found the focusing, when paired with the Fujifilm X-S10, allowed me to take full advantage of face and eye autofocus. Images had a lovely contrast with good skin tones, especially when paired with the Pro Neg Standard and Pro Neg Hi Film Simulations. I would recommend the combination as an affordable starting point to anyone starting out taking portraits. Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C for Nikon Z Mount Combined with the bokeh achieved at the minimum aperture of f/1.4, this lens creates some beautiful portrait images.Above, left to right: Sigma 56mm f1.4, Sony e 50mm f1.8, Sony FE 50mm f1.8. All at maximum aperture. Crops from right side. We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. The 55mm features a dust and moisture resistant design. The 56mm is only protected around the mount thanks to the rubber sealing. The 50mm doesn’t feature any weather-resistance whatsoever. Above, left to right: Sigma 56mm f1.4, Sony e 50mm f1.8, Sony FE 50mm f1.8. All at maximum aperture. Full images. Looking at the three E-Mount lenses side-by-side, we can see that although the 55mm is a little taller than the other two, and the Sigma is a little chunkier around the middle where the focus ring is, they are all more or less the same size.

We reviewed the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary just a few weeks ago so let's move on to its cousin now, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary. The lens is attractively priced at around 450USD/400EUR as is as such aligned to the more moderate camera pricing in the APS-C/MFT class. In full-format terms, it is equivalent to a fast "85mm" medium tele lens (on Micro-Four-Thirds: 112mm) which is suitable for a variety of use-cases such as portraits, street photography, or other shallow depth-of-field applications. Each lens has a filter thread at the front to which you can attach ND filters. The diameter is the same for the two Sony lenses (49mm) whereas the Sigma accepts 55mm filters.Stop them down to the first aperture value they share – f/2 – and the Sigma suddenly springs into the lead. f/2 As many of you know but which bears repeating here, the E-mount version of the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 lens represents a 35mm field of view equivalence of 84mm. This is roughly considered to be "classic portrait range," although some prefer even longer focal lengths for portrait work. Interestingly, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC is also available in a Micro Four Thirds mount version, and when mounted to an MFT body your 35mm equivalent focal length will be 112mm, which should prove to be quite an intriguing FL for portrait work once we're able to try one out.

At f/2, the bokeh balls are practically identical. The 50mm’s aren’t quite as round and the 55mm’s continue to display some onion rings but otherwise, it isn’t easy to tell them apart. f/2 At a close focus distance, we can see that the 56mm is a little sharper than either Sony lens at their respective fastest apertures. Fastest apertures Optical stabilization is also omitted. How important the feature is depends greatly on the camera you own. Some mirrorless models, like the Olympus OM-E E-M10 Mark III and Sony a6500, include in-body stabilization, which does a decent job eliminating motion blur from handheld shots and removing jitters from video. The bokeh of this lens is the other area where it excels. With a full frame equivalent focal length of 84mm, this is what most consider to be the ideal portrait photography focal length. We’ve been using the 56mm F1.4 with the Nikon Z30. It is the smallest of the Contemporary trio and balances pretty well with the Z30, though it’d also be an excellent match for the Z50 and the Zfc. It might feel a little small on a full-frame model, but the benefit of a lightweight option for your kit bag is potentially worth it.Sample Images Sigma 56mm f/1.4 a6300, 1/200s, f/4, ISO 100 a6300, 1/250s, f/5.6, ISO 100 a6300, 1/80s, f/2, ISO 100 a6300, 1/100s, f/1.4, ISO 5000 a6300, 1/100s, f/1.4, ISO 2000 a6300, 1/100s, f/1.4, ISO 1600 a6300, 1/160s, f/1.4, ISO 400 Sony 50mm f/1.8 a6300, 1/1600, f/1.8, ISO 100 a6500, 1/250, f/2.8, ISO 160 a6300, 1/2500, f/8, ISO 200 a6500, 1/400, f/1.8, ISO 100 a6500, 1/200, f/2.8, ISO 100 a6300, 1/320, f/8, ISO 200 a6500, 1/250, f/2.8, ISO 125 a6300, 1/1600, f/1.8, ISO 200 Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 A7s, 1/1250, f/1.8, ISO 100 – Sony 55mm A7, 1/50, f/5.6, ISO 100 – Sony 55mm A7r II, 1/125, f/4, ISO 200 – Sony 55mm A7s, 1/320, f/1.8, ISO 100 – FE 55mm f/1.8 A7s, 8s, f/1.8, ISO 25600 – Sony 55mm A7s, 1/1600, f/2.8, ISO 100 – FE 55mm f/1.8 A7s II, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 100 – Sony 55mm A7s, 1/100, f/2, ISO 12800 – FE 55mm f/1.8 A7s II, 1/50, f/2.8, ISO 12800 – Sony 55mm At f/8 and beyond, there isn’t a big difference between the three lenses. f/16 and f/22 are the only values I would avoid. f/8 f/11 f/16 This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E-mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation.