The Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary ($528.98) is small, light, and offers a bright aperture. The lens is available for a few different types of mirrorless cameras and offers coverage for sensors as large as APS-C. Its angle of view is great for portraiture, but the lens isn't limited to that purpose. It's an overall excellent performer and a welcome addition to any kit—especially if you're into portraiture. It balances price, performance, and size quite well, so we're naming it our Editors' Choice.

Editors' Note: This review was originally published on August 9, 2019. It has been updated to reflect changes in price and availability for additional camera systems.

Design: Compact, But Not Sealed

The 56mm Contemporary measures 2.3 by 2.6 inches (HD), weighs just 9.9 ounces and supports 55mm front filters. It's finished in black and ships with a reversible lens hood and front and rear caps.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Sigma doesn't include dust and splash protection in the 56mm, which can be a concern. Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony all offer camera bodies with weather protection that work with the lens. None offer similar lenses with sealing at a close price point, however. Sony has the full-frame FE 55mm F1.8, Olympus offers the high-end M.Zuiko 45mm F1.2 Pro, and Panasonic sells the 42.5mm F1.2, all with weather protection, but also for a lot more money.

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 only on-lens control is the manual focus ring. It occupies the bulk of the barrel and is finished in textured rubber, so it's comfortable to adjust focus. Mirrorless cameras offer manual focus aids, including peaking and magnification, to help you hit the perfect point of focus. Of course, autofocus is supported, and it's both quick and quiet.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Focus is available as close as 19.7 inches (50cm). At its closest focus distance, it's good enough for 1:7.4 life-size magnification. It's certainly not a tool you'll use for macro images, but it is similar to what you get from the Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS and Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8.

Mount Options: Available for Most Mirrorless Systems

Sigma markets it for different camera systems. We tested a copy in Sony E mount, but you can also get it for Canon's retired EOS M and current EOS R systems, as well as Fujifilm X, L-Mount Alliance, Micro Four Thirds, and Nikon Z cameras. Its angle of view matches up with an 85mm full-frame camera with most of these systems, save for Micro Four Thirds, where the smaller sensor format narrows its angle to be closer to a 112mm telephoto. Most versions of the lens cost $529, but the Nikon Z edition is less expensive at $499.

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(Credit: Jim Fisher)

For systems that also have full-frame options (Canon R, Nikon Z, and Sony E), you can use it with a larger-sensor camera if you desire. These cameras give you the option of cropping down to an APS-C view at reduced resolution or opening up the full-frame sensor to get circular photos. You can see its full-frame projection in the following image, captured with a Sony a7R III camera.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

There aren't many alternatives to list off, regardless of mount. Viltrox makes a 56mm F1.7 for Fujifilm, Nikon, and Sony cameras that costs only $180, but we've not yet completed a review to see how it measures up. Canon EOS R owners can look to the full-frame RF 50mm F1.8 as an low-cost option, it's a good performer for $200, but not as optically sound as the Sigma. For Fuji, you can go high-end and get the XF 56mm F1.2 R WR for around $1,000 for an even shallower depth of field, plus full weather sealing. Micro Four Thirds photogs can save a little money with the M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8, but its narrower aperture and wider angle of view don't blur backgrounds as readily. Finally, Sony photogs can look to the aforementioned E 50mm F1.8 OSS for just $350 and enjoy stabilized optics but lesser background blur.

Image Quality: Another Sigma Stunner

Sigma's lenses typically excel in terms of resolution, and the 56mm F1.4 is no exception. I tested it along with the 24MP Sony a6400. At f/1.4 the pair manages 2,629 lines on a center-weighted Imatest evaluation, an excellent result. Edge resolution is decent (2,064 lines), but inconsequential to most images made at f/1.4—depth of field will blur out everything but your subject.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Performance crosses to the outstanding range at f/2 (3,141 lines), and edge performance is close enough to average (2,902 lines) that we won't fret about it from here on out. Images show even more detail at f/2.8 (3,557 lines), and peak performance comes at f/4 (3,878 lines).

Resolution continues to be impeccable at f/5.6 (3,723 lines), but diffraction starts to cut into detail as early as f/8 (3,341 lines). Still, you can shoot there and at f/11 (2,915 lines) and net crisp photos. There is certainly a loss of quality at f/16 (2,354 lines), which is expected.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

While we have absolutely no complaints about resolution, the 56mm does show a visible pincushion distortion effect, about 3.4%. If you use the lens for images of architecture or other subjects with visibly straight lines, it will capture them with a slight inward bow. It's very easy to fix using software—Lightroom offers a one-click correction to compensate.

Illumination is relatively uniform from center to edge, even when working at f/1.4. The lens shows a modest -0.9EV drop at the corners of the frame relative to the center, which is, for all practical purposes, invisible.

Verdict: A Sharp Lens at a Good Price

It's hard to buy a bad lens these days, assuming you have the funds. And while I certainly wouldn't classify the $529 Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary as a budget option, it doesn't carry the high-end price or the bulk of first-party alternatives like the $1,200 Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm F1.2 Pro or Fujifilm XF 56mm F1.2. There are good budget options for a few mounts, but none that open up all the way to f/1.4. Ultimately, the 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary earns our Editors' Choice endorsement because of its picture quality, background blurring aperture, and compact build. If you own a compatible system and are in the market for a short telephoto lens for portraiture and shallow depth of field images, the 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary will serve you well.