Sigma 60mm F2.8 DN

By Jim Fisher

The Sigma 60mm F2.8 DN ($239 direct) is the largest and most expensive lens that the company currently offers for mirrorless cameras, but it's still fairly light and compact when compared with SLR glass. The prime produces a 90mm (full-frame equivalent) field of view when paired with a Sony NEX camera, and a tighter 120mm viewpoint when mounted on a Micro Four Thirds camera. It's not optically stabilized, which is a downer given its short-telephoto design, but Olympus Micro Four Thirds photographers and Panasonic GX7 owners will be fine thanks to in-body stabilization.

It measures 2.2 by 2.4 inches (HD), weighs 7.5 ounces, and sports a 46mm filter thread. Like the other lenses in the DN series, it's available in black or silver, its barrel is metal, and the focus ring has no texture to it. Your mileage may vary, but I prefer a focus ring that delivers a bit more grip. A reversible lens hood is included, as is a soft carrying case. The minimum focus distance is 19.7 inches, so it's by no means a macro lens. Micro Four Thirds shooters should look to the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro if close focus is a concern.

I used Imatest to check the performance when paired with the Sony Alpha 3000. It's an impressive performer, delivering 2,342 lines per picture height at f/2.8 and virually no distortion. Edges are nearly as sharp as the center, and sharpness is even from f/2.8 through f/5.6. My only gripe is that it's not stabilized, which coupled with the f/2.8 aperture and short-telephoto field of view forces you to use a faster shutter speed to get a crisp handheld shot. It's not the only short-telephoto lens for mirrorless cameras that's impressed us; the Sony 50mm f/1.8 resolves 2,055 lines at its maximum aperture, is capable of capturing more than twice the light as the Sigma, and is optically stabilized.

The Sigma 60mm F2.8 DN is another solid entry in the company's lens catalog. It isn't stabilized, but it comes in at an attractive price point. Micro Four Thirds shooters may prefer the Olympus 60mm Macro due to its close focusing capability, but its price tag is double that of the Sigma, and many Micro Four Thirds cameras have built-in stabilization. If you're looking at the lens for a NEX system, you're better served with the Sony 50mm f/1.8. Its field of view is a little wider, but it's also quite sharp, it's stabilized, and it's not that much more expensive than the Sigma.

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