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Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens Review

Sigma has earned a reputation for pioneering innovative lenses that employ new optical formulas, often with stunning results. The introduction of the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens for Sony E and 28-45mm f/1.8 for L-Mount continues this legacy, arriving as the world's first full-frame f/1.8 aperture zoom lens.

In this Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens Review, we take a closer look at the 28-45mm f/1.8 Art, exploring its key specifications, most notable features, and the ideal users for this versatile wide to standard zoom. Join us as we delve into the details, starting with its release date and pricing.

When was the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens released?

Both of the Sony E and Leica L-mount versions of the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens were released on 3rd June, 2024. This is impressive as the new zoom arrives just two weeks after the second-generation Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 DG DN II Art Lens launched.

Sample 01 @28mm. Captured with Sony A6500. Camera settings 1/4000 sec. f/1.8. ISO 400

How much is the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art?

The Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art is priced at £1299.00, which is excellent value for such a prestigious Art series lens, particularly as its the world's first full-frame zoom with an f/1.8 aperture. In comparison, the 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art is available for £1179.00.

Key lens features

The wide to standard zoom combines a number of features for stills and video content creators, including:

• 5 SLD and 3 aspherical elements contribute to optical performance, which is comparable to prime lenses
• HLA (High-response Linear Actuator)
• Inner zoom mechanism
• 30cm minimum focusing distance across the whole range
• Maximum magnification ratio of 1:4 (telephoto end)
• Premium build quality, with a weight of approximately 960g
• Suppressed focus breathing for video focus pulls and focus stacking
• 11-blade rounded aperture diaphragm
• Well suppressed ghosting and flare thanks to the ghostbuster team at Sigma
• Bi-wire driven focus ring for accurate manual focusing
• Two customisable AFL buttons
• Dust and splash-resistant design
• Common 82mm filter thread

Sample 02 @45mm. Captured with Sony A7S III. Camera settings 1/400 sec. f/2.5. ISO 400

What is the 28-45mm lens good for?

With a full-frame range of 28-45mm, this is a unique zoom lens, which provides a wide to standard range, spanning ever popular 28mm, 35mm, and 40mm primes, which are particularly suitable for both stills photography and videography. Some of the most common subjects you can capture include:

• Landscapes
• Architecture
• Street photography
• Astrophotography
• Wedding groups and event photography
• Environmental portraits
• Vlogging
• Video
• Travel
• Everyday snapshots

While this isn’t a complete list, it provides a good idea of the most common subjects, which this focal range covers with ease. You can of course capture other subjects, including food photography, lifestyle and many more.

As a full-frame lens this works perfectly on cameras like the recently released Panasonic Lumix S9 for L-mount creators, and equally well on crop sensor Alpha bodies, like the A6700, where it provides an equivalent focal range of 42-67.5mm.

Sample 03 @28mm. Captured with Sony A7S III. Camera settings 1/620 sec. f/2.5. ISO 400

Where does the 28-45 DG DN fit into Sigma’s range?

Sigma offers an extensive range of Sony E and L-mount lenses for full-frame and crop sensor mirrorless cameras. These are divided into Contemporary (everyday use), Art (professional quality), and Sports (telephoto), ensuring versatile options for all users while remaining interchangeable as required.

The latest Sigma 28-45 DG DN Art joins as a pro-level lens, with an ultra bright constant aperture designed to excel in low light situations, while being capable of rendering an extremely shallow depth of field. This makes a great option for stills and video content, where handholding is key, although the lens maintains it’s size when zooming, ensuring it is equally at home on a gimbal stabiliser or video rig.

Where lenses like the 15mm F/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art are designed for specialised and quite niche subjects, the 28-45mm is a far more general purpose option, being well suited to a variety of subjects as outlined earlier.

Sample 04 @28mm. Captured with Sony A7S III. Camera settings 1/1000 sec. f/2.5. ISO 400

High-speed AF

Although high-speed AF isn’t always required for every subject, it is highly desirable when capturing certain moving subjects, including humans, animals and anything which isn’t a stationery landscape or building! To meet these needs the Sigma lens includes a high-speed AF mechanism, which utilises Sigma’s High-response Linear Actuator (HLA).

This provides super quick AF for stills and video, with extremely responsive tracking performance when combined with Phase detection and Ai-Driven subject detection and tracking.

Sample 05 @45mm. Captured with Sony A6500. Camera settings 1/250 sec. f/2. ISO 400

What is the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Image Quality Like?

The Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art lens boasts exceptional optical performance that rivals prime lenses. With a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture and an 11-blade rounded diaphragm, it delivers beautiful bokeh and shallow depth of field, ideal for low-light and handheld shooting.

Sigma’s newly developed optical design, featuring 5 SLD elements and 3 aspherical elements, corrects aberrations and suppresses axial chromatic aberration, ensuring crystal-clear images with minimal coloration. This will truly challenge any notion that a zoom cannot rival a prime in image quality, even when compared to Sigma’s own Art series primes, which are renowned for their sharpness and clarity.

Advanced coatings are also integrated in order to reduce flare and ghosting, providing clear, high-contrast images even in backlit conditions. Focus breathing is well suppressed, making it perfect for natural focus pulls in video recording.

Sample 06 @45mm. Captured with Sony A6500. Camera settings 1/640 sec. f/2.2 ISO 400

Durability and Ergonomics

Despite its fast zoom capabilities, the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art lens is impressively lightweight at just under 1kg. Its premium build quality combines rigidity and durability without adding bulk, making it convenient and reliable for various shooting situations.

It also features a practical inner zoom mechanism, maintaining its length during focal length or focus distance changes, enhancing stability for handheld, tripod, or gimbal use. Additionally, the lens is dust and splash-resistant, with a water- and oil-repellent coating on the frontmost surface, ensuring it withstands harsh outdoor conditions and is easier to clean.

Features for Filmmaking

The Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art lens offers several features tailored for filmmaking. Its high-speed autofocus mechanism, powered by the High-response Linear Actuator (HLA), ensures fast and near-silent focusing, ideal for video recording. The de-clickable aperture ring, smooth manual focusing, and on-barrel AFL control buttons provide versatile control options.

The lens's consistent 30cm minimum focusing distance across the zoom range allows for impressive close-ups and dynamic compositions. With minimal focus breathing and advanced coatings to eliminate flare and ghosting, this lens enhances the overall cinematic quality of your footage.

Conclusion

The Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art lens is ideal for both photographers and filmmakers who need a high-quality, versatile solution. It excels in capturing a broad range of subjects, from dynamic landscapes and detailed portraits to low-light scenes and cinematic videos.

Its impressive optical performance, durable build, and advanced features like fast, silent autofocus and minimal focus breathing make it a valuable investment. This lens combines the flexibility of a zoom with the quality of a prime, ensuring stunning results in any shooting condition, making it an essential addition to any creator’s toolkit.

Reserve your Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens for Sony E or 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens for L-Mount today and discover how this portable zoom can help transform your content creation.

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By Nick Dautlich on 03/06/2024