Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 dg dn c lens review and specs

IMAGE QUALITY

We can be brief about image quality: the Sigma 28 mm f/1.4 Art is, without lens correction, the best-performing 28 mm of more than 100 lenses that we have tested at a 28 mm field of view. That says everything about the lens design: that is of exceptional quality. If we look at the test results from corrected jpg files, then a number of other lenses, including the Sigma 24-35 mm f/2 DG HSM Art, perform more or less equivalent to the Sigma 28 mm f/1.4 Art. But those other 28 mm lenses are still defeated by the Sigma 28 mm f/1.4 Art when it comes to brightness and bokeh.

Not surprisingly, the Sigma 28 mm f/1.4 Art scores somewhat better than the Sigma 24 mm f/1.4 Art when it comes to vignetting. The vignetting is visibly present at full aperture at f/1.4, with more than 2 stops. The vignetting decreases with 30% with each stop stopping down.

Sigma 28mm Art vs Sigma 24mm Art

In comparison with the Sigma 24 mm f/1.4 Art, the Sigma 28 mm f/1.4 Art scores 10% better for sharpness than the 24 mm. After stopping down two stops, the roles are reversed. In both cases, the difference is so small that you will not notice it in practice. At full aperture, the 28 mm is visibly sharper in the extreme corners, but after two stops stopping down, they are evenly matched. In short, you will have to make a choice between 24 mm and 28 mm Art on the basis of the field of view, not image quality.

Both with and without lens corrections, we measure a distortion of 0.5%. That is nice for a wide-angle lens.

Visit our gallery with sample images from the Sigma 28 mm f/1.8 Art, where you can download the shots in full resolution:

Tip: also view the Sigma 28 mm f/1.4 Art sample images on Sigma’s Global site, which, just like our practice shots, can be downloaded in full resolution.

Reasons to Buy Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN C Lens

Here we’ve included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN C lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.

PROs

Weather-sealed

Autofocus

AF/MF Switch on Lens

Hood supplied

Internal Focusing

Fast Aperture at Wide end

Fast Aperture at Tele end

Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range

Covers Full-Frame Sensor

9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh

Extreme Wide-angle capability

Minimum focus distance of 0.25m / 9.8 inch

Report a correction

Buy Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E from or B&H PHOTO

CONs

We couldn’t find any significant Cons for the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN C

Lens Mount

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E is compatible with cameras that have a Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A6700, Sony ZV-E1 and Sony A7R V.

Sony A6700 with the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E Lens

Sony ZV-E1 with the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E Lens

Sony A7R V with the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E Lens

Size, Weight and Filter Thread

Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E has a maximum diameter of 77mm and total length of 101mm. It weighs 450g / 15.9 oz.

Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E and Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM (Sony E mount) to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life. Check the detailed comparison of these two lenses here.

Comparison image of the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E and the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Size and Weight

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E has a filter thread of 72mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E:

Optical Image Stabilization

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E doesn’t have an optical image stabilization system so the only option to stabilize the image taken with this lens is to mount on a camera body with IBIS (sensor based In-body image stabilization).

Zoom Method

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E features Rotary (internal) zoom method where the length of the lens doesn’t change while you are zooming in or out. Even though this design has a size disadvantage in general compared to extending designs, it has the benefits of better sealing against dust and moisture, no zoom creep and no weight balance shift while zooming.

Maximum Magnification Ratio

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.18x and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.25m. 0.18x means that the max magnification ratio is very low and not suitable even for modest close-up shots.

Below are the 3 Wideangle Zoom type Sony E mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:

Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G: 0.23x — (Compare)
Sony E 10-20mm F4 PZ G: 0.18x — (Compare)
Tokina 11-18mm F2.8 ATX-M: 0.1x — (Compare)

Aperture

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E is a fixed aperture lens with a constant max aperture of f2.8 from 16mm all the way to the 28mm .

Focal Length	Max Aperture	Min Aperture
16mm	F2.8	F22
28mm	F2.8	F22

Optical Formula

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E’s optical formula consists of 16 elements in 11 groups . Following special elements are used in this design:

5 FLD
4 aspherical

Lens Hood

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E comes with a removable petal shaped lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is LH756-01.

Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E Lens Hood

Popular Comparisons of Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E

Top Alternatives of Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 E Lens

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing
Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Compare	35mm FF	680 g / 1.50 lb	AF
Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD Compare	35mm FF	420 g / 0.92 lb	AF
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm F4 G Compare	35mm FF	353 g / 0.78 lb	AF
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art Compare	35mm FF	795 g / 1.75 lb	AF
Sony Vario-Tessar T FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS Compare	35mm FF	518 g / 1.14 lb	AF
Sony 12-24mm F2.8 GM Compare	35mm FF	847 g / 1.86 lb	AF
Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G Compare	APS-C / DX	494 g / 1.09 lb	AF
Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN C Compare	35mm FF	470 g / 1.03 lb	AF

Reasons to Buy Sigma 28mm F1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Lens

Here we’ve included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sigma 28mm F1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.

PROs

Autofocus

Aperture Ring

Distance Scale

DoF(Depth of Field) Scale

Hood supplied

Full-time Manual Focusing

Fast Aperture

Covers Full-Frame Sensor

9 Diaphragm Blades for Smooth Bokeh

Minimum focus distance of 0.2m / 7.9 inch

Report a correction

Buy Sigma 24mm F1.8 EX DG from or B&H PHOTO

CONs

We couldn’t find any significant Cons for the Sigma 28mm F1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro