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Sigma 15mm Fisheye Lens First Look Review

Sigma has an extensive range of highly desirable Sony E-mount lenses and Leica L-mount lenses, which fall into Contemporary, Art and Sports series options. The prestigious Art series is set to expand with the launch of the unique 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art Lens for Sony E and Leica L compatible 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art Lens For L-Mount.

The ultra wide angle prime is the world’s first full-frame mirrorless fisheye lens of its kind, launching nearly a decade after the equivalent used Sigma 15mm F/2.8 EX DG Fisheye EF Mount Lens, which is designed for Canon DSLRs.

The mirrorless version introduces a completely new design, with the latest technology, optics and features aimed at enthusiasts and professional photographers who seek unique ultra wide images, with an extraordinary 180º field of view.

Our Sigma 15mm Fisheye lens first look review highlights key features, and compares this with three existing ultra wide angle Art series lenses, in order for you to make an informed choice as to which is perfect for your style of photography.

Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art lens price

With a host of advanced features and Art-series optics, the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art Lens commands a price of £1,859.00, which places it firmly at the premium end of the Sigma lens lineup. This price is the same for both the L-mount and E-mount versions.

Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art lens highlights

Sigma has developed this unique ultra wide fisheye lens from the ground up, with a number of defining characteristics, which include:

• A bright maximum f/1.4 aperture
• Ultra wide 180° angle-of-view
• Optical design renders sharp details across the frame
• De-clickable and lockable aperture ring
• Highly resistant to ghosting and flare
• 11-blade rounded diaphragm
• Lens heater retainer
• Rear gel filter holder
• Numerous controls and customisable lens controls
• Fast and precise AF with High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) motor
• Weather sealed design

Sample image 01 with Leica SL2. Camera settings: Exposure 1/1600 sec. f/2.0. ISO 1600

What is a 15mm Diagonal Fisheye lens good for?

An ultra wide 15mm Diagonal Fisheye lens is ideal for capturing distinct images and videos across a number of genres, including:

• Landscape photography
• Astrophotography
• Architecture
• Creative portraits of humans and pets
• Weddings

It is a specialised lens, however with the right handling you can expand your creative opportunities significantly with this type of optic, creating compelling images, which are all but impossible with a regular wide angle lens.

Image quality

Image quality is sure to impress thanks to Sigma’s optical know-how, which had lead to a design, which is composed of 21 elements in 15 groups, including 4 FLD, 3 SLD, and 2 aspherical elements.

The special glass elements not only render high resolution with excellent detail, but also help to reduce sagittal coma flare and other optical aberrations. This is especially important for astrophotography, where point light sources make up the central interest in an image and need to be as sharp as possible.

Is the Sigma 15mm Diagonal Fisheye lens good for astrophotography?

Yes, Sigma has developed the 15mm Diagonal Fisheye lens with a number of features, which make it an excellent choice for astrophotography. These include a built-in rear filter holder, which allows for gel-type ND filters to be inserted, a lens heater retainer and a manual focus lock switch.

Once focused you can disengage the focus ring completely to avoid accidentally changing focus, which can be very hard to notice and subsequently re-acquire when shooting in the dark of night. The heater retainer is equally useful when shooting in colder environments at night, which prevents heat strips from slipping over the front of the lens, while reducing the chances of the lens fogging up with condensation while shooting.

Autofocus capabilities

This is Sigma’s fourth lens to be fitted with a High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) motor. This technology ensures very responsive focusing in all shooting situations, with faster, smoother, quieter and more accurate focusing than can be achieved by a stepping motor.

Lens ergonomics and usability

With a 1360g weight this is a hefty lens, which can be tripod mounted thanks to an included detachable tripod socket, ensuring a balanced setup when shooting from a camera tripod. At this price point users also gain a comprehensive set of useability features for faster workflows. Amongst the most beneficial are:

1. Support for DMF and AF+MF to override AF when required
2. Compatible with AF assist (Sony E-mount only)
3. Manual focus lock (MFL) switch
4. Aperture ring with click switch and lock switch
5. Customisable AFL button
6. Focus Mode switch
7. Support for switching between linear focus / non-linear focus ring settings (L-Mount only)

L-mount users also have the ability to customise the lens and update firmware via the optional Sigma USB Dock for L-Mount.

Sample image 02 with Leica SL2. Camera settings: Exposure 1/2000 sec. f/4.0. ISO 1600

Where does the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye sit within the lineup?

Sigma offers a range of ultra-wide-angle lenses in its Art series, which are similar to the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye. For photographers deliberating among these choices, the following table outlines the key features of each lens, providing a comprehensive comparison to help in your selection process.

Accessories

Without a front filter thread, only rear mounted sheet-type filters can be used, which provide the advantage of making stars appear softer, larger and brighter. Aside from these, accessories for the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Diagonal Fisheye lens include:

• Lens wrapping cloths, like the 3 Legged Thing Swirls Wrapz Large, which sports a 70’s design and is the world’s first waterproof cloth wrap with nano-technology
• The Benro Polaris Astro 3-Axis Head is a cutting-edge smart electric tripod head, which enables you to capture amazing astro images with Star Tracking.
• Keeping your lens clean is essential and can be done with the ZEISS Lens Cleaning Kit.

Sigma’s new ultra wide fisheye for mirrorless cameras is a unique lens, which offers an expansive 180º field of view and a number of advanced features to help you capture professional results. Image quality is extremely high and the lens benefits from a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture, which is sure to appeal to astro photographers in particular.

Reserve your Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Diagonal Fisheye for Sony or 15mm F1.4 DG DN | Art Diagonal Fisheye for L-Mount today and harness these professional features to elevate your creative photography.

If you’re considering upgrading to this lens, why not complete our simple form and get a free quotation when trading in unwanted camera equipment and enjoy Park Cameras stress-free upgrade experience.

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By Nick Dautlich on 21/02/2024