The Sigma 65/2 DG DN Contemporary is part of the Sigma I series of compact, high-performance and excellent build quality lenses. It features a premium all-metal weather-sealed construction including a metal hood and magnetic front cap. Together with the Sigma 24mm f/3.5 and 35mm f/2 DG DN lenses, they join the existing 45mm f/2.8 DG DN.
It features 12 elements in 9 groups, with one special low dispersion (SLD) element to reduce CA and 2 aspherical elements to minimize distortion and spherical aberrations (SA). The Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN's mount has a dust-and splash-proof weather rubber strip, super multi-layer coating and a minimum focusing distance of 5cm. (maximum magnification: 0.15x)
It has a rounded 9-blade diaphragm which translates to sunstars with 18-points and it has an internal focusing mechanism which means the front element neither extends nor rotates when focusing the lens.
There is a stepping motor that is quite fast and almost silent and from my initial tests, AF seems quick and precise in both AF-S contrast detect and AF-C phase detect modes. The focusing ring has perfect resistance and provides 270 degrees of focus throw for fine-tuning as well as a linear response. A traditional aperture ring runs from f/2 to f/22 in third-stop increments with an Auto setting also available for camera-based aperture selection.
The lens itself weighs a mere 408g (measured) without caps but the all-metal hood adds another 55 grams and extra bulk which negates the compact design when attached. There is also a MF/AF button. The craftsmanship and low tolerance production is impressive, especially for a lens at this price point.
Lens construction: 12 elements in 9 groups, with 1 SLD glass and 2 aspherical elements
The Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN performs at a very high level on the Sony A7R IV camera (61MP). It does not break resolution records but performs similarly to the Voigtlander 65mm f/2 APO-Lanthar. (Although not quite as good)
Center resolution and contrast are already excellent from wide open but improve to outstanding levels at f/2.8 and f4.
At mid-zone, the 65/2 DG DN performs great at f/2, slightly better at f/2.8 and optimal at f/4.
The extreme corners follow the same trend with very good performance from f/2, improves at f/2.8 and it is optimal at f/4.
So, to recap the optimal apertures for each area:
Center (f/2.8 to f/4), Mid-zone (f/4), Corners (f/4)
Here is the full image thumbnail showing the areas demonstrated at 1:1 magnification.
Distance: Infinity
Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
I’m a big fan of this lens so far - the combination of sharpness, size, and rendering, along with the extra bit of reach, means this one will see lots of use. The first image is to simply show the bokeh and sharpness wide open. The last few were added for good measure.
Thanks Fred. As always you do a stellar job. When I first saw the crops in isolation I thought "Wow that's impressive". Then I saw the comparison to the Voigt and I was like "Oh okay, that's what impressive looks like". The Voigt is just so impressive. Great job by Sigma too.
dakel wrote:
Thanks Fred. As always you do a stellar job. When I first saw the crops in isolation I thought "Wow that's impressive". Then I saw the comparison to the Voigt and I was like "Oh okay, that's what impressive looks like". The Voigt is just so impressive. Great job by Sigma too.
Yes same here. For landscapes, the Voigtlander is superior even at small apertures but I don't think the resolution difference will be very noticeable in real world images.
I don't know which one has better flare performance but I am guessing the Sigma will do better. (I will compare them)
Wide open though, the Sigma does slightly better at mid-field (rule of thirds area), so where it matters.
This is my second 65/2 DG DN loan and a great copy. It's perfectly centered on my A7R IV and sharper than my first copy.
tsdevine wrote:
I'm curious to see the forthcoming rendering section.
I did some rendering comparisons today and the Sigma is more pleasant to my eyes. Specular highlights are cleaner and have less outlining. Although both are corrected for SA, transition zone is smoother on the Sigma and rendering is more uniform across the field since it has lower optical vignetting.
I've already suspected this after seeing some of the 'great' comparisons you posted on another thread.
Looking good so far. I think for the size, price (though the Voigtlander is a great value too), and AF the Sigma will likely be a better choice for a lot of folks. I just recently sold my CV 65 for the Sigma and have been enjoying it a lot.
I really like this new Sigma line of lenses, but find it hard giving up the Voightlander 65 even with the lack of AF. Something about the clean and naturally saturated images that even surpass my new 135GM.
Ah..., super Merci Beaucoup
Very interested in all your findings.
Do you think the greens on the Sigma are more pronounced or clearer?
Not sure if it's the case..., do not have a calibrated screen here, just a phone...
The Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN focuses as close as 0.55m and at around this distance, there is only slight spherical aberration (SA).
This optical design provides a good balance between ultimate resolution and neutral rendering. At close distance, the lens performs best at f/3.2 where residual SA goes away.
It's interesting to point out that focus shift is minimal.
Close distance performance: (f/2 vs f/2.8) There is an improvement at f/2.8 where SA pretty much goes away
Close distance performance: (f/2.8 vs f/4) Slight increase in resolution/contrast at f/4
Focus shift: (LEFT) focused at f/2 and captured at f/4, (RIGHT) focused and captured at f/4 (Minimal focus shift)
Sunstar Rendering compared to Voigtlander 65mm f/2 APO
Voigtlander lenses are well-regarded when it comes to defined sunstars. They can be achieved even at large apertures thanks to their flat aperture blades.
In the case of the Sigma 65/2 DG DN, f/20 or f/22 is needed for defined sunstars because its aperture blades are rounded.
Are are a few comparisons between these two lenses:
Flare Resistance Compared to Voigtlander 65mm f/2 APO
Generally the Sigma 65/2 DG DN is not as flare resistant compared to the Voigtlander 65/2 APO. The latter has slightly better veiling resistance and less ghosting at backlit scenes. The Sigma has just average flare performance.
