The Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary ($599) turns the company's value-minded F1.4 Contemporary trio into a quartet, with an angle that sits comfortably between the wide 16mm F1.4 and the standard 30mm F1.4 (a $479 56mm F1.4 finishes off the set). Like the others, it's light on flair with a basic black polycarbonate finish, but is capable of snapping razor-sharp photos with softly defocused backgrounds. We like it enough to recommend it as an Editors' Choice winner, especially for Sony APS-C cameras versus the aging Zeiss 24mm F1.8 ZA ($1,099.99).

Editors' Note: This review was originally published on April 3, 2023. It has been updated to reflect changes in price and availability for additional camera systems.

Design: F1.4 for APS-C

As with other lenses with the DC DN designation, the 23mm F1.4 Contemporary's optical formula is made for APS-C format sensors. In full-frame terms, that makes its angle of view similar to a 35mm prime, a favorite focal length for street photography and reportage. The image circle isn't big enough to cover full-frame chips, so Sigma is able to deliver sharp, bright optics in a satisfyingly lightweight form. The 23mm F1.4 measures 3.1 by 2.6 inches (HD), weighs about 11.6 ounces, and supports 52mm front filters.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Sigma markets the lens for four different camera systems: Canon R, Fujifilm X, L-Mount Alliance, and Sony E. Sigma sent an E-mount version over for evaluation, and while I didn't have an APS-C camera available, the 60MP a7R IV proves a fine option for testing (when the appropriate in-camera crop is set it captures 26MP pictures).

Sony APS-C owners are most likely to weigh this lens against the Zeiss 24mm F1.8 ZA, which is now in its second decade of availability. We took a (relatively) fresh look at the lens in 2017 and found it to still be a good performer, though it's not as compelling now that Sigma delivers similar picture quality for so much less.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

For Canon, there aren't any made-for-APS-C alternatives to consider, but the brand does have the full-frame RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM in its catalog. The 24mm F1.8 focuses closer and includes optical stabilization, and is priced identically.

Fujifilm photogs will look at this one against the recently refreshed XF 23mm F1.4 R LM WR, on sale for around $900. The Fuji lens includes full weather protection and on-barrel aperture control, not included with the Sigma, and does a better job suppressing false color than either the Sigma or Zeiss 24mm F1.8.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The L-mount release is a little curious, if only because no one is currently making an APS-C camera for the system. The Leica CL and TL2 are both out of production, though it's not out of the question that fans of the series may look to this as an F1.4 alternative to the Summicron-TL 23mm F2 ASPH. ($1,950).

Handling and Controls

As mentioned, there's not too much to the 23mm F1.4 Contemporary. The black barrel is a mix of aluminum and polycarbonate, with the silver C badge the only adornment of note. The focus ring takes up about half the space and is finished with rubber ridges, similar to most modern-day lenses.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

You'll need to jump into the camera menu (or use an on-lens switch with some Fuji models) to change focus modes, though, as the lens does not include an AF/MF toggle. Likewise, Fuji owners may find the lack of an aperture ring to be a disappointment.

Manual focus fans can find something to like here. The focus ring has a bit of resistance, and nonlinear response (for Sony and Fuji) means it's easy to make precise adjustments to get your plane of focus set just right. The focus throw is fairly long, too, so it takes a couple of very quick twists to move across the entire range.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

A stepping motor (STM) drives autofocus. With our a7R IV test body, the lens racks from near to far quickly (0.1 seconds). The lens focuses accurately and, for the most part, confidently. I noticed the lens hunting back and forth to find the focus point on a couple of occasions, but its struggles were short-lived and only occasional.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The 9.9-inch minimum focus makes for 1:7.3 macro magnification at best, so this won't be your first choice for insects, coins, watches, and other small subjects associated with macro photography. It's a useful working distance for portraits, and I managed to get a decent photo of blossoming dogwood flowers. Still, I'd like something with a bit more close-up versatility for Sakura season.

Sigma 23mm F1.4 Contemporary: In the Lab

I used the full-frame Sony a7R IV to test the 23mm F1.4 Contemporary, but set the camera to its 26MP APS-C crop mode to simulate use with an APS-C camera. The pair puts up outstanding resolution, even wide open, in this mode (3,300 lines) and delivers picture-perfect results down through f/11.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

We observe a loss in picture quality at f/16 due to diffraction, but you may still want to set the aperture down all the way to get the best-looking sunstars. The 23mm F1.4 readily draws crisp, multi-point starbursts when set to its smallest aperture. There's some ghosting evident when pointing the lens into the sun with the aperture closed, a result of light rays bouncing around inside the lens, but flare is minimized at wider apertures.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Distortion isn't a big concern for most use cases with this lens. The optics show a bit of barrel distortion, but in-camera digital corrections compensate for the effect when snapping JPGs or recording video. For Raw capture, developers that leverage embedded correction data remove the unwanted effect. Adobe Lightroom Classic relies on a custom profile to do this; Sigma provided it for us to use during testing and likewise, it removed the slight fisheye bulge from the barrel effect.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Illumination is strong across the frame, even when using the lens wide open at f/1.4. The lack of vignette is no doubt tied to the optical formula, which offers close to full-frame coverage. Take a look at the comparison above, which shows a full-frame view (left) versus the same scene in APS-C. The lens hood creates the odd-shaped vignette; without the hood, the vignette is circular.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Besides gathering more light than zooms, a benefit of F1.4 optics is the ability to capture images with an extremely shallow depth of field. When only a razor-thin slice of a scene is in focus, the look of background blur can be as important as what's in focus. The bokeh here is lovely, with soft-edge blur and highlights that are generally circular. False color is evident, though, something to keep in mind if you are sensitive to the green and purple bokeh color shifts (LoCa).

Verdict: The Fast Look for Less

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

It's a little surprising that Sigma took this long to release a 23mm F1.4 for APS-C mirrorless systems. The angle of view matches that of a full-frame 35mm prime, one of the all-time favorites for documentary and street photography. This makes sense in a lens series that already includes wide 16mm F1.4 and standard 30mm F1.4 entries.

Like the others in the line, the 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a fantastic value option. At $599, it's much less costly than the Sony Zeiss 24mm F1.8 ZA, an older lens that skips weather protection entirely and is even more prone to false color. Today, we think Sony owners should snag this one instead unless they're in love with the more characterful Zeiss optics.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

For Fuji owners, the choice is less clear. The XF 23mm F1.4 R WR LM comes in at $900, but is more thoroughly weather sealed, breathing corrected, and does a better job of suppressing false color. Likewise, Canon R photogs with APS-C cameras have a solid alternative with stabilization and closer focus in the form of the RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM. Most L-mount owners should skip this one, unless you're holding on to one of the few APS-C sensor models. If that's the case, there's no reason not to get this lens if you're after a moderately wide prime.

Regardless of mount, we like the 23mm F1.4 Contemporary enough to call it an Editors' Choice winner, and it's hard to argue with its pictures, especially given the price.