Earlier this year we reported that Canon had given Sigma the green light to manufacture a series of APS-C Canon RF lenses, a sign that Canon was easing its stranglehold on the RF mount.
In recent years, Sigma has been creating some optically outstanding lenses for mirrorless cameras at a more affordable price than native options, and thankfully Canon users can now benefit from them too. Sigma has issued a release schedule for 4 new Canon RF mount primes, each boasting a wide f/1.4 aperture and high-speed AF.
The first two of the four lenses to be released are the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary and the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, both scheduled to become available on December 5, 2024.
The remaining two lenses, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary and Sigma 23mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, have an approximate launch date of January 23, 2025.
The four lenses are already available for Sony E, Canon EF-M, L-Mount, Fujifilm X, and MFT fittings. The 16mm, 30mm and 56mm are also available in Nikon Z mount.
The new Sigma lenses will be ideal partners for Canon's four RF-S-mount cameras - the EOS R100, EOS R50, EOS R10 and EOS R7.
Sigma Contemporary prime lenses are renowned for pin-sharp quality and versatility in performance. Optically designed for mirrorless camera systems, these third-party lenses offer high performance for both stills and video in a compact and lightweight body. For a more detailed examination of how the lenses perform, see our complete reviews highlighted above.
Although these four lenses have been available for other mounts for some time, these scheduled for release have been specifically optimized for the Canon RF mount supporting high-speed AF, Servo AF, and in-camera aberration correction.
Sigma states, "A control algorithm including AF drive and communication speed optimization has been developed specifically for Canon RF Mount interchangeable lenses. In addition to realizing high-speed AF, the lens also supports Servo AF and in-camera aberration correction (for cameras that support it)".
Sigma also offers a mount conversion, an innovative measure to get the most out of your lenses and avoid rebuying them if you swap camera systems. Once the relevant lenses have been released, if you own the lens in another mount, you can send it off to have its mount converted to the new RF mount – genius!
The price point of these lenses is just as attractive as the performance, offering an affordable entry point to professional glass. The lenses will be priced at – Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary $489 / £389, Sigma 23mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary $599 / £479, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary $369 / £319, and the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary $529 / £419 (Australian pricing to be confirmed).
Canon has held on pretty tightly to the RF mount since the launch of its mirrorless camera system, only allowing a select few third-party brands to develop lenses for it. We have seen this relax slightly over the past year, however, only for APS-C lenses. Hopefully, this starts to trickle toward full-frame RF soon!
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