11 Best Sigma Lenses in 2024

Sigma Lenses have become a staple for photographers aiming to improve their gear without breaking the bank. Known for their quality and versatility, these lenses offer a range of options for various photography styles, from portraits to landscapes.

We cover all three Sigma lens types here: Art lenses are their top-of-the-range offering, Contemporary lenses offer a more consumer-friendly version, and Sports lenses, well, the name speaks for itself. Many of the lenses are available in a range of mounts as well.

Our top pick, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A for Nikon F, stands out for its exceptional low-light performance and beautiful bokeh, making it a prime choice for professional photography. Alongside this standout lens, we also explore 10 other Sigma Lenses, ensuring there’s a perfect match for every photographer’s needs.

What Is the Best Sigma Lens?

Selecting the best Sigma lens involves considering sharpness, versatility, and build quality. Our list, tailored for various photography needs, highlights lenses excelling in low light, portrait, and landscape photography. Each lens is chosen for its ability to improve professional photography, ensuring clear, vibrant images across different scenarios.

Our Favorite Sigma Lenses

Let’s take a closer look at our favorite Sigma lenses. From wide-angle primes to telephoto zooms, there’s a lens here for every scenario, ensuring you find the perfect match for your photography style and requirements.

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A for Nikon F is a prime Art lens that shines in portrait and low-light photography. Its wide f/1.4 aperture allows for a shallow depth of field, creating beautiful bokeh that makes subjects stand out. This lens is also great in low light, capturing clear images without needing a flash.

A 50mm lens is useful in a truly wide range of situations, and with one this fast, and this sharp, you might find yourself relying on it every day. This lens is built for the prosumer market, so it is big and heavy for a 50mm, weighing between 1.8 lbs (815g) and 2 lbs (905 g) depending on the mount.

The optical performance is top-notch, with minimal distortion and chromatic aberration. Its sharpness is impressive, even at wide apertures, making it a good option for professional photography. Despite its few downsides, its quality and versatility make it a very useful tool.

The Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A is a prime lens known for its sharp images and beautiful bokeh. It’s part of the Art series, which means it’s built for high-quality photos. The lens is heavy, at 3.6 lbs (1.6 kg), which might make it hard to carry around. But, its weight is a sign of its solid build and quality glass.

With a wide aperture of f/1.4, this lens is great for low light and creating a shallow depth of field. This makes subjects stand out with a smooth background. Autofocus is quick, sure, and near silent.

This lens is best for portrait photographers who want top-notch image quality. Its 105mm focal length offers a flattering perspective for portraits. While it’s not versatile like a zoom lens, its optical performance is among the best. For those who can manage its size and weight, it offers professional results.

The Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A is a prime Art lens, notable for its ultra-wide angle and large aperture, making it a top pick for landscape and astrophotography enthusiasts. Its ability to capture vast scenes with stunning clarity, even in low light, sets it apart. However, its weight, at 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg), and size might not suit everyone, especially those who prefer lighter gear for travel or extended shooting sessions.

With an aperture of f/1.8, this lens excels in capturing detailed night skies and expansive landscapes with minimal distortion, a rare feat for such a wide lens. Its construction is solid, featuring weather sealing for durability in various conditions. 

Ideal for photographers focused on capturing wide vistas or the night sky, the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 offers unmatched optical quality in its class. Its professional-grade build and sharpness across the frame make it a very useful tool, despite its heft and fixed focal length.

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN | C for Sony E is a prime Contemporary lens that excels in delivering sharp images and beautiful background blur. Its wide f/1.4 aperture makes it perfect for low light and achieving a shallow depth of field. This lens is ideal for street photography, portraits, and everyday shooting, offering a natural perspective similar to the human eye. 

Weighing 12 ounces (265 g), this lens is both lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry around for daily use. Despite its small size, it packs a punch in terms of optical performance, with minimal distortion and chromatic aberration. The autofocus is quick and silent, suitable for both stills and video.

For photographers looking for a versatile and high-quality lens without breaking the bank, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a great option. Despite its fixed focal length, it’s a versatile little lens.

The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | C is a prime Contemporary lens celebrated for its sharpness and beautiful bokeh, making it a favorite among portrait photographers, as it is equivalent to 84mm on a full frame sensor. Its wide f/1.4 aperture excels in low light, allowing for crisp images with a shallow depth of field. This lens is particularly good for capturing detailed portraits and intimate wildlife shots.

This lens is both light and compact, weighing just under 10 ounces (280 g). so it’s ideal for photographers on the move. Despite its size, it doesn’t compromise on image quality, offering minimal distortion and chromatic aberration. The autofocus is quick and silent, perfect for both stills and video.

For those in need of a high-quality, versatile lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 is a solid choice. Its performance in various lighting conditions and the ability to produce images with a pleasing background blur make it a valuable tool for enhancing visual storytelling.

The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN | C is a great value Contemporary lens for those who need a wide aperture combined with a wide-angle view. Its f/1.4 aperture is perfect for low-light conditions and for creating images with a shallow depth of field. This lens is especially good for landscape and architectural photography, where its wide field of view can capture expansive scenes in great detail. 

This lens only weighs s shade under 1 lb (450 g), so it is relatively light and compact, making it an easy addition to any photographer’s bag. It delivers impressively sharp images at the price, with little aberration or distortion. The weather sealing (not available on Canon EF mount) is a big plus, providing extra protection in challenging conditions.

For photographers and videographers looking for a versatile wide-angle lens, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN | C is a great option. It provides the rather wonderful 16mm view of the world, whilst not breaking the bank.

The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S for Nikon F is a versatile Sports zoom lens that excels in a variety of shooting conditions. Its constant f/2.8 aperture provides excellent low-light capabilities and depth of field control, making it ideal for sports, wildlife, and portrait photography. The lens’s optical stabilization (OS) ensures sharp images even at slower shutter speeds, a big advantage in challenging lighting.

Constructed with high-quality materials, this lens is both durable and reliable for professional use. At 3.9 lbs (1.8 kg),  it’s solid but well-balanced on most DSLR bodies. The weather sealing adds an extra layer of protection, making it suitable for outdoor shoots in various conditions.

For photographers in need of a high-performance telephoto zoom, the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 is a compelling choice. Its sharpness, speed, and versatility make it a valuable tool for capturing detailed and vibrant images across a range of subjects and scenarios.

The Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | A is a versatile Art zoom lens that shines in a variety of shooting scenarios. Its constant f/2.8 aperture across the zoom range makes it ideal for low-light conditions and for achieving beautiful bokeh effects in portraits. This lens is part of Sigma’s Art series, known for its exceptional optical quality and robust build, making it a favorite among professional photographers.

It is a solid piece of equipment at 2.2 lbs (1 kg) that balances well on most camera bodies. Despite its weight, the lens’s ergonomic design ensures comfortable handling during long shooting sessions. The weather sealing adds an extra layer of protection, making it reliable in adverse conditions.

For photographers looking for a high-quality, adaptable lens, the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 is a strong contender. Its sharpness, combined with the ability to handle various lighting situations, makes it a valuable tool for capturing everything from sweeping landscapes to detailed portraits.

The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | S for Sony E is a remarkable Sports lens that offers unparalleled versatility. Its expansive 10x zoom range caters to a wide array of photography needs, from capturing wide landscapes at 60mm to zooming in on distant wildlife at 600mm. This lens is particularly suited for photographers who find themselves in dynamic shooting environments where changing lenses is not practical. The inclusion of Optical Stabilization (OS) enhances its performance in low-light conditions, ensuring sharp images even at slower shutter speeds.

Constructed to meet the demands of professional photographers, this lens combines robust build quality with advanced optical elements to minimize aberrations and ensure high-resolution images across the entire zoom range. Weighing 5.3 lbs (2.5 kg), it’s a hefty piece of equipment, but its ergonomic design and weather-sealing make it a reliable companion for outdoor shoots.

For those in need of a lens that can handle a variety of shooting scenarios without compromising on image quality, the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS | S is an excellent choice. Its combination of reach, optical performance, and build quality makes it a valuable asset for wildlife and sports photographers alike.

The Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN | C for Sony E is a versatile Contemporary zoom lens that stands out for its wide-angle capabilities and constant f/2.8 aperture. Ideal for landscape and architectural photography, this lens allows for capturing expansive scenes with ease. Its compact and lightweight design, weighing just 1 lb (450 g), makes it a great companion for photographers on the move, ensuring it won’t be a burden during long shooting days.

Optically, the Sigma 16-28mm impresses with sharpness across the frame and effective control of chromatic aberrations, thanks to its advanced lens construction. While it lacks image stabilization, the wide aperture and solid build quality, including weather sealing, make it reliable in various shooting conditions. This lens is a good choice for those who need flexibility without compromising on image quality.

For photographers looking for a high-quality wide-angle zoom lens, the Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN | C offers a blend of performance and portability. Its ability to deliver professional-grade images in a range of environments makes it a valuable tool for capturing everything from dramatic landscapes to detailed interiors.

The Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C for Canon EF is a telephoto Contemporary zoom lens that offers a blend of versatility and optical quality, making it an excellent choice for photographers specializing in wildlife, sports, and telephoto landscape photography. Its broad focal range allows for capturing subjects at various distances, from detailed close-ups to distant scenes, without the need to switch lenses. The inclusion of Optical Stabilization (OS) enhances its performance in low-light conditions, ensuring sharp images even at slower shutter speeds.

Constructed with durability in mind, this lens is equipped with weather sealing, providing an extra layer of protection against the elements. It weighs 2.5 lbs (1.2 kg), so it balances well on most DSLR bodies, making it suitable for extended handheld shooting sessions. The lens’s optical design, featuring Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements, minimizes chromatic aberrations, resulting in clear and color-accurate images across the zoom range.

For photographers in search of a reliable telephoto zoom lens that doesn’t compromise on image quality or versatility, the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C is a compelling option. Its combination of reach, optical performance, and build quality makes it a valuable tool for capturing stunning images in a variety of outdoor settings.

Conclusion: The Best Sigma Lenses

Sigma Lenses offer a wide range of options for photographers, each with its own strengths. From wide-angle to telephoto, these lenses are designed to meet various photography needs, ensuring sharp images and beautiful bokeh effects. From pro-level Art lenses, to the more affordable Contemporary, and the more specialist Sports, they bring top-quality optics at accessible prices.

Our top choice, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A for Nikon F, stands out for its exceptional sharpness and low-light performance. It’s a versatile prime lens that’s very useful for professional photography. But if it’s not the right fit for you, then there are 10 other lenses to explore, each offering unique features for different photography styles.