Exceptional performance in a portable wide-angle prime
The SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary is a fast, wide-aperture prime designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless systems. Combining an expansive angle of view with a bright F1.4 aperture, it excels in a wide variety of genres including street, wedding, event, environmental portrait and landscape photography. With fast, quiet AF and minimal focus breathing, it is also an outstanding choice for video work, from vlogging to professional filmmaking.
The large F1.4 aperture delivers a shallow depth of field for beautifully defocused backgrounds, while also allowing faster shutter speeds in low light for blur-free handheld shooting. Despite its impressive specification, the lens weighs just over 400g, making it a lightweight yet powerful tool for creators who need to balance portability with professional image quality.
On APS-C cameras, the lens provides a 24mm equivalent focal length, while on Micro Four Thirds it offers a 32mm equivalent. It forms part of SIGMA''s acclaimed series of crop-sensor F1.4 primes, designed to deliver consistent performance and handling across multiple focal lengths.
Features and build
The exterior of the 16mm F1.4 is built from Thermally Stable Composite (TSC), a lightweight yet durable polymer that behaves consistently with temperature changes while ensuring a robust, premium finish. A wide, rubberised focus ring provides smooth manual control, while the supplied petal-type lens hood helps to suppress flare when shooting in bright sunlight.
Autofocus performance is powered by a stepping motor combined with lightweight focus elements, delivering fast, accurate and virtually silent focusing for both stills and video. The design is fully compatible with the latest AF systems across supported mounts.
At the rear, a precision-machined brass mount with a protective rubber seal (excluding EF-M) ensures long-lasting durability and resistance to dust and moisture.
High-performance optics
The optical construction of 16 elements in 13 groups includes 2 aspherical, 2 SLD and 3 FLD elements. Together, they deliver superb correction of chromatic aberration, distortion and flare while maintaining exceptional sharpness right across the frame—even on today''s highest-resolution sensors.
Optical coatings, including SIGMA''s Super Multi-Layer Coating, further reduce flare and ghosting, preserving strong contrast and vivid colour even in backlit situations. Fine detail is rendered consistently into the extreme corners, while vignetting remains minimal even at F1.4.
Low-light and creative capability
The wide F1.4 aperture ensures exceptional low-light performance. For astrophotographers, it enables crisp, detailed skies with shorter exposures, while for event photographers it allows handheld shooting in dim conditions without excessive ISO.
The shallow depth of field also makes it easy to isolate subjects against softly rendered backgrounds. Smooth, rounded bokeh ensures a natural transition from focus to blur, adding to the lens''s creative versatility.
Perfect for street and travel
Compact, fast, and discreet, the 16mm F1.4 is ideal for street and travel photography. Its wide field of view makes it well suited to working in tight interiors and cityscapes, while the fast and reliable AF system ensures fleeting moments are captured instantly and with precision.
With its balance of portability, optical excellence and bright aperture, the SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary has established itself as one of the most popular wide-aperture primes for crop-sensor mirrorless systems.
16mm F1.4 DC DN Lens
PETAL-TYPE HOOD LH716-01
FRONT CAP LCF-67 III
REAR CAP LCR II
