When I was 13 years old, I was gifted a Pentax ME 35mm film camera. From then on, I was hooked. I vividly remember the smell of the dark room and excited anticipation of developing my prints. Since then, photography has been a part of me. Like many over the years, my photography has evolved; not just in style and process, but in gear as well.
When I had my first child, I shifted away from film to digital. I gravitated toward the ease, instant gratification and more importantly quality I could achieve. More recently I’ve transitioned from a digital SLR camera to mirrorless, specifically, a Canon EOS R camera body. Of course, the first thing I was concerned with is how I was going to continue to use my SIGMA Art lenses with this new body. The solution was a simple and inexpensive one.
Switching to Mirrorless
Before I dive into how I was able to easily make the transition, I want to explain why I switched from my DSLR to mirrorless in the first place. While I’ve been content with my DSLR for many years, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the focusing performance and sharpness. Not to mention the overall weight of my heavy DSLR making things more challenging as well. With five children in tow and my hands often full, having a camera body that was smaller and lightweight was a necessity. Where my DSLR lacked, my new mirrorless camera made up for.
“Not only did these adapters simplify and minimize gear for me, they also saved me a fortune.”
Meg Loeks, SIGMA Ambassador
Yet there was the issue of my SIGMA EF mount lenses working with my new Canon EOS R5. There was no way I was going to part with my SIGMA Art prime lenses, so I purchased the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (thankfully without having to buy any additional gear), which works flawlessly. I also use a Sony A7R IV for some situations, and I am able to use all my SIGMA EF mount lenses with that body as well simply by attaching the SIGMA MC-11 Mount Converter to it.
Not only did these adapters simplify and minimize gear for me, they also saved me a fortune. I was able to continue to use my current lenses with my Canon EOS R5 in indoor low-light settings (my favorite light to work in), and my Sony A7R IV outside because I gravitate toward the color. All SIGMA Art, Sports and Contemporary lenses are compatible with the Canon EOS R adapter too, but if firmware is needed, it’s easy to update with the USB Dock. The dock isn’t something I use often, but it’s handy to have and very simple to use, especially for updating firmware.
Lens Performance
Speaking specifically about the Canon EF-EOS R Adapter, this small and lightweight item smoothly locks into place on my mirrorless body, and I’m able to easily and tightly attach any of my SIGMA EF mount lenses to the adapter. In full transparency, I was a little hesitant about how well my camera and lens would communicate with one another, but it has been seamless. In fact, my mirrorless with my SIGMA EF mount lenses outperformed my DSLR in autofocus speed, AF tracking and sharpness.
“My mirrorless with my SIGMA EF mount lenses outperformed my DSLR in autofocus speed, AF tracking and sharpness.”
Meg Loeks, SIGMA Ambassador
My work is 95% focused on homelife and my children who obviously at times move quickly. One of the biggest frustrations I had with my DSLR was that I had missed memorable moments because my camera could not keep up or my image was out of focus. With my new system it’s extremely fast, no matter the lighting situation. It’s incredibly rare that I ever miss focus. Not only that, when I zoom in on my subject I can count their eyelashes. This is the kind of sharpness and quality I was seeking when I made the switch to mirrorless.
Why I Stick with SIGMA
The very first lens I ever purchased when I made the switch years ago from film to DSLR was a SIGMA lens. I’ve always been a big advocate for their lenses simply because they offer quality gear at an affordable price. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to test competitor lenses that are priced much higher compared to SIGMA, and noticed no difference in quality. In fact, SIGMA outperformed these competitors in sharpness, especially in low light.
Not to mention SIGMA offers a huge and diverse range of focal lengths. I tend to gravitate towards prime lenses and love that I’m able to easily shoot anything from environmental portraiture to a classic portrait to landscape with my gear. Lastly, I have been so impressed with how well my SIGMA EF lenses operate on my mirrorless. It honestly exceeded my expectations, especially when it comes to autofocus speed and sharpness.
Ready to Make the Switch?
Over the past several years, I’ve witnessed more and more photographers make the switch to mirrorless. Universally, I kept hearing two things. The first was how incredible the autofocusing is, especially with eye tracking as an option on both my Canon EOS R5 and Sony A7R IV. The second was the sharpness. That piqued my interest because as I mentioned earlier, the main struggle I had with my DSLR was autofocusing and sharpness.
With either the Canon adapter or SIGMA MC-11 Mount Converter, I was able to easily and efficiently transition to a new system (and Nikon users can enjoy the same flexibility when adapting their SIGMA gear to the mirrorless Z system with the Mount Adapter FTZ). Making the switch to mirrorless was one of the best, and easiest, photography decisions I have made.
Adapt your favorite SIGMA lenses (compatibility tested by SIGMA)
| SIGMA Global Vision Lenses | Adapter Needed | Compatible Camera Systems |
|---|---|---|
| SIGMA EF mount (for Canon) lenses | Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (all versions) | Canon EOS R cameras (RF mount) |
| SIGMA EF mount (for Canon) lenses | SIGMA MC-11 Mount Converter | Sony Alpha cameras (E-mount) |
| SIGMA EF mount (for Canon) lenses | SIGMA MC-21 Mount Converter | L-Mount: Panasonic Lumix S, Leica, & SIGMA fp cameras |
| SIGMA F mount (for Nikon) lenses | Nikon Mount Adapter FTZ / FTZ II | Nikon Z cameras (Z mount) |
