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The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary is a new large-aperture wide-angle prime lens, specifically designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras. This replaces the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN. Which, to be honest, I never liked the 16mm F1.4 DC DN, so I’m very curious about how this Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary stacks up to the lineup.
The most important improvements in the new Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary are related to portability, with the new lens being 30% shorter, 45-50% lighter, with a weight of just 240g for the RF mount version, and a reduced filter size of 58mm, down from 67mm on the previous version. The new Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary certainly seems as if it should be ideal for travel and all sorts of photography where portability is important.
The new Sigma 16mm F/1.4 Contemporary lens will be available with Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X-mount, and Canon RF-mount versions, although there is no word yet on a Nikon Z-mount version of this lens. The new Sigma 16mm F/1.4 Contemporary will be priced at $579 USD, which is only a slight increase over its predecessor. The new lens will start shipping in mid-March.
Features: An ultra-wide with an especially portable design, the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary is a strikingly compact and fast prime lens with a huge field of view. Ideal for landscapes, interiors, architecture, and astrophotography applications, this is a maximalist lens with a minimalist form factor. |
Key Features
- APS-C | f/1.4 to f/16
- 24mm (Full-Frame Equivalent)
- Compact, Fast Wide-Angle Prime
- Stepping Motor AF System
- Assignable Control Ring
- FLD, SLD, and Aspherical Elements
- Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
- Splash-Resistant Design & Front Coating
Lens Construction and MTF
The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC features a sophisticated design for a sub $600 prime lens. It has an FLD element, three SLD elements, and three double-sided aspherical elements. According to Sigma, this is to ensure sharpness across the entire frame, minimal sagittal coma flare, reduced distortion, and strong performance even when used wide open at F/1.4.
In terms of build quality, the new lens sports an aperture ring or control ring on the Canon RF version, and is resistant to dust and splashes with a water and oil-repellent coating. The auto focus system uses a stepping motor.
Looking at the MTF, this lens appears to hit the promise in the press release. Contrast is near perfect throughout the frame, and sharpness is excellent even into the corners. The lines being close together also tend to indicate that astigmatism is low, and should result in decent coma performance as well.
How does this compare against the older Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC DN? Quite well. The contrast and resolution into the corners are remarkably improved, and the center gets a slight resolution bump as well. If you liked the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN, then you should love the new version, as it shows improved image performance and is remarkably smaller as well.
Press Release
Sigma Launches New Large-Aperture, Wide-Angle APS-C Lens: 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary
Ronkonkoma, NY, February 24, 2026 – Sigma Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of Sigma Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan), is pleased to announce the launch of the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary, a new large-aperture, wide-angle lens designed for APS-C cameras.
The 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary lens is the newest addition to Sigma’s lineup of fast-aperture prime lenses for crop sensor mirrorless cameras, and is the second such lens to feature a dedicated aperture ring (or control ring on Canon RF Mount versions) following the 12mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary released in 2025. Compared to the popular 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary, the overall length has been reduced by approximately 30%, and the filter diameter is significantly smaller at 58mm (down from 67mm).
Weighing just 220g, it is the lightest in the F1.4 DC Contemporary series, and is ideal for handheld video shooting and travel. The combination of a lightweight focus element and a high-performance stepping motor enables high-speed and high-precision autofocus, and the optical design effectively suppresses aberration fluctuation and focus breathing. Additionally, the dust- and splash-resistant structure ensures confidence even when shooting in harsh environments.
This new model combines uncompromising optical performance with excellent portability to allow for effortless creative expression. Scheduled for release on March 12, 2026, the 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary will be available at authorized Sigma dealers in the US for a retail price of $579 USD.
Available mounts: Sony E-mount, FUJIFILM X Mount, Canon RF Mount
Launch: March 12, 2026
Key Features:
- Outstanding portability allowing for creative freedom.
- Uncompromising sharpness across the entire image.
- Designed for comfortable shooting of both stills and video.
- Sigma F1.4DC series – Expanding creative possibilities with APS-C cameras.
Outstanding portability allowing for creative freedom
An all-round wide-angle lens with exceptional portability
This lens delivers a large F1.4 aperture and a focal length equivalent to 22.5mm on full-frame (24mm on Canon RF Mount), all in a compact, palm-sized body measuring just 64.8mm in length and weighing only 220g1.
Whether shooting everyday street photography, portraits, travel landscapes, or cinematic video production—even for live commerce and webinars—this lens delivers high-quality performance.
Its combination of outstanding portability and image quality makes professional-level expression possible wherever you go.
Approximately 50% lighter, delivering greater flexibility
As a frequently used focal length, this lens pursues uncompromising compactness and lightweight design.
One FLD glass element, three SLD glass elements, and three double-sided aspherical lenses are effectively arranged to achieve an approximately 30% shorter length and 50% lighter weight compared to the predecessor, Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary.
As the lightest lens in the Sigma F1.4 DC series, it accelerates creative freedom by further enhancing the mobility of APS-C cameras.
Uncompromising sharpness across the entire image
Pursuing even higher optical performance
The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary was developed with the goal of surpassing the highly acclaimed optical performance of its predecessor, Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary. Particular emphasis was placed on improving edge-to-edge performance while thoroughly suppressing sagittal coma flare, which is often noticeable in large-aperture wide-angle lenses.
The lens maintains uncompromising sharpness across the entire frame, even when shooting wide-open, delivering consistent performance from everyday street photography to starry landscapes.
Rich expressive power with a large F1.4 aperture
The lens delivers high optical performance even at its maximum aperture, allowing you to fully enjoy the distinctive rendering of F1.4. It excels in low-light conditions, such as dim indoor environments or nighttime street photography, while the nine-blade aperture produces beautiful circular bokeh that makes subjects stand out and adds a sense of depth, whether shooting stills or video.
Designed to minimize flare and ghosting
Using advanced simulation technology, flare and ghosting have been largely eliminated, ensuring that the lens renders clear, high-contrast results in any lighting condition.
Designed for comfortable shooting of both still and video
Ideal for high-quality video production
The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary, with its combination of portability and outstanding optical performance, enables high-quality video capture in any scene. Its F1.4 aperture creates a shallow depth of field that enhances three-dimensionality, producing impressive visuals. The lens is also well-suited for gimbal-based shooting, providing flexibility even in environments that demand mobility.
Furthermore, the lens delivers stable, high image quality for business applications such as live commerce, webinars, and corporate promotions, making it ideal for creating engaging and realistic content.
Smooth, responsive autofocus powered by a stepping motor
High-speed, high-precision autofocus is achieved by driving a lightweight focus lens with a stepping motor that enables precise control. The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary captures important moments without missing a beat, even in fast-moving scenes, while delivering excellent tracking performance for high-quality video production.
Minimal focus breathing
The lens is designed to minimize changes in the angle of view caused by focusing, enabling smooth, natural-looking focus pulls when recording video.
Aperture ring or control ring with various functions
Equipped with an aperture ring for intuitive control of the aperture. The Canon RF Mount version has a control ring instead of an aperture ring, allowing customizations of functions based on the user’s preferred settings.
Dust- and splash-resistant structure* / water- and oil-repellent coating
In addition to a dust- and splash-resistant structure*, the frontmost surface of the lens has a water- and oil-repellent coating applied, allowing photographers to shoot without concern even in harsh outdoor environments.
* The product is designed to be dust- and splash-resistant but is not waterproof. When using the lens near water, etc., take care not to allow large amounts of water to splash on it. If water gets inside the lens, it may cause a major malfunction and render the lens unrepairable.
Sigma F1.4 DC series – Expanding creative possibilities with APS-C cameras
A full range of F1.4 prime lenses for APS-C, covering ultra-wide to mid-telephoto
Sigma’s Contemporary line offers a wide range of F1.4 prime lenses for APS-C cameras, combining excellent resolution with compact, lightweight designs.
- 12mm F1.4 DC: An ultra-wide-angle lens that captures expansive landscapes
- 15mm F1.4 DC: A wide-angle lens ideal for everyday street photography
- 23mm F1.4 DC DN: A versatile lens with a natural field of view suitable for a variety of subjects
- 30mm F1.4 DC DN: A standard lens that naturally captures everyday scenes
- 56mm F1.4 DC DN: A mid-telephoto lens that emphasizes subjects with beautiful bokeh
With the addition of the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC | Contemporary, the lineup of the Sigma F1.4 DC series has expanded further, enriching creative expression for APS-C cameras from ultra-wide-angle to mid-telephoto.
Specifications
| Principal specifications | ||
| Lens type | Prime lens | |
| Max Format size | APS-C / DX | |
| Focal length | 15 mm | |
| Image stabilization | No | |
| Lens mount | Canon RF-S, Fujifilm X, Sony E | |
| Aperture | ||
| Maximum aperture | F1.4 | |
| Minimum aperture | F16 | |
| Aperture ring | Yes | |
| Number of diaphragm blades | 9 | |
| Optics | ||
| Special elements / coatings | 1 FLD, 3 SLD, 4 double-sided aspherics | |
| Focus | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | |
| Motor type | Stepper motor | |
| Full time manual | No | |
| Focus method | Internal | |
| Physical | ||
| Weight | 220 g (0.49 lb) | |
| Length | 65 mm (2.56″) | |
| Filter thread | 58 mm | |
| Hood supplied | Yes | |
| Tripod collar | No | |
Gallery
Features: An ultra-wide with an especially portable design, the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary is a strikingly compact and fast prime lens with a huge field of view. Ideal for landscapes, interiors, architecture, and astrophotography applications, this is a maximalist lens with a minimalist form factor. |
I am not into the Sigma primes yet, but I am very pleased with size, built and quality of my 18-50/2.8.
And if they can keep the IQ while reducing size and weight, that'll be always aprechiated.
A quick look tells me the 15 mm MTFs look even better...
(Sarcasm) If Nikon is blocking this third-party lens, everyone should get mad and quit buying Nikon cameras. 🙂
Small. Check Dustin Abbott's review. Used in on a full frame there's tons of space that's blocked, and cropping it away leaves only a slight tad more than the APS-C crop. He's using a Sony though, so a Canon 1.6x crop sensor will crop a slight bit more.
added, quite a better when you consider the difference in size between the two lenses. Also added in the size comparison and cleaned up the starting paragraph. not sure where my brain was yesterday.
The 30mm was decent, but it didn't reach the quality level of the Canon 32mm for the EF-M, so there's certainly room for improvement. It was also a very basic design, unlike what we've seen in more modern Sigma lenses. So it wouldn't surprise me if the 30mm is up before the 56mm, which was a stellar lens.
As far as the 56 itself? you really can't go wrong in getting that lens now. I had it for the EF-M mount, and absolutely loved it. A new lens would certainly have better corners, but that's not really as important for a portrait lens. When we were looking at doing some review stuff for CR, and I would be focusing on APS-C it was one of the first lenses I wanted to get again.
While the 12mm is still quite new (and is in their new design language) when it is eventually replaced in some years I would expect they'll make it a 10mm lens (or maybe 11mm) to get an even wider angle FOV on both 1.5x and 1.6x APS-C.
I have the 16, 23, 30 and 56mm RF-S lenses. Actually, the only Sigma RF-S lens I didn't yet have was the 12mm. Now the 15mm F1.4.
The refresh of the 16mm is welcome. Like Richard, my main problem with the 16mm was its size. Otherwise I'm quite happy with it. The new 15mm looks very enticing for the size/weight improvement for portability. I might end up getting it.
I really like the 56mm F1.4 and don't feel a need for an update at all, honestly. I'd be more interested in updates to the 23mm and the 30mm. If canon were to release an RF-S 22mm F2, then I'd skip any 23mm update from Sigma 🙂.
499,00 € for the 15mm F1.4 DC
999,00 € for the 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art