Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art review

What is the Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art and who is it for?

The Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art is the lens that users of crop-sensor mirrorless cameras have been calling for – a mirrorless version of Sigma’s 18-35mm f/1.8 DSLR lens from 2013.

What are the key features of the Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art?

Aperture

The constant f/1.8 aperture elevates it above a typical f/2.8 zoom, enabling low-light shooting and rich background separation.

Optical quality

It’s particularly sharp in the centre and midfield – even wide open – exhibiting fine detail, high contrast and minimal chromatic aberration thanks to the inclusion of SLD and aspherical elements in its construction.

If you’re a pixel-peeper, then edge and corner performance wide open aren’t perfect and there’s some longitudinal chromatic aberration that can show in out-of-focus areas. But in practical use, these aren’t noticeable.

Video

For video use, the lens excels in suppressed focus breathing and smooth aperture control. And the stepless aperture ring – or control ring on Canon RF mount – allows fluid changes too.

Autofocus

Autofocus, which is driven by the HLA linear motor, is rapid, near silent and impressively precise, even in dim lighting.

Design and build

Sigma’s use of an internal zoom mechanism keeps the lens length constant during use, reducing dust and moisture ingress.

At just 535g, with a 67mm filter thread, the lens is travel friendly. Build quality is quite solid, with Thermally Stable Composite housing, dust and splash resistance, a water- and oil-repellent front coating, two assignable AFL buttons and an aperture lock switch to prevent accidental iris changes.

Focal range and close focusing

The zoom range, covering an equivalent of approximately 25.5-60mm on APS-C systems or 27.2-64mm on Canon RF, delivers flexibility for portraits, environmental storytelling and event shooting without having to swap lenses. And, of course, you get the benefit of the fast f/1.8 aperture that’s great for low light or creative use of bokeh, lending a real three-dimensionality to your footage.

Another useful feature is that the lens maintains a 28cm minimum focusing distance across the entire zoom range, so you can get in close for some cool effects – especially shot at f/1.8 – that other lenses can’t match. Sadly, there’s no built-in image stabilisation, but it has everything else and is a major leap forward.

Conclusion

The Sigma Art lens is the perfect size to mount on a Sony A6300, and gives fantastic image quality, even shot wide open.

Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art price and availability

The Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 DC Art is available to buy, with a starting price of £779.

For more information, visit the Sigma website.