A Month in Tokyo with the SIGMA F1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lenses

Tokyo is truly a city that never sleeps. The vibrant energy of this bustling metropolis is noticeable from the moment you arrive. With its neon lights and crowded streets, Tokyo is a sensory overload in the best way possible. I recently had the opportunity to spend a month in this incredible city, capturing content and exploring… it was an experience I would never forget.

And what would a month-long trip be without capturing those timeless memories?


SIGMA F1.4 DC DN lenses – the perfect gear for an unforgettable trip

For camera gear, I wanted to pack light but also have a decent range of focal lengths for any situation that presented itself. I opted for a smaller APS-C (crop sensor) setup, which made the perfect travel companion. Everything was shot on my Sony A6500 + SIGMA F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary lenses. I was especially excited to test out the new 23mm F1.4 that SIGMA was kind of enough to send over before its release!

SIGMA’s F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary selection consists of 4 prime lenses with an aperture of F1.4 – 16mm, 23mm, 30mm, and 56mm. This was perfect for all the nighttime shooting I’d be doing, and also for that beautifully blurred background that we all love. Compact, sharp, and light, everything I could ask for, fitting snugly into my carry-on bag.

My journey began at Narita International Airport after a long travel day from Los Angeles. At first impression, I was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the Japanese transportation system. I purchased a Pasmo card, which allowed me to easily hop on and off trains and buses throughout the city. Tokyo is known for its extensive public transportation system, and it did not disappoint. Getting around the city was a breeze, and I could explore all corners of Tokyo without any trouble.

I noticed my lenses of choice when shooting around the city were the 23mm and 56mm. They rarely came off my camera, and here’s why: they’re both small and light, great for carrying all day without weighing me down. But aside from that, they’re INCREDIBLY sharp and versatile, perfect for street photography. I was able to snap photos without anybody noticing with this ultra-compact setup!

Pretty quickly, I fell in love with Tokyo’s unique and vibrant culture. It was a fascinating blend of traditional Japanese with modern Western influences. Not to mention it’s without a doubt the most clean city I’ve ever visited. This is even more impressive after realizing how hard it is to find a trash can while out and about. The citizens take great pride in keeping their streets and public spaces spotless – something we should probably adopt over here in the states.


Capturing the action with SIGMA F1.4 DC DN primes

As a professional BMX athlete, I wanted to make sure I captured my fair share of riding content before I got into full tourist mode. The first two weeks were dedicated to pedaling around the city’s vast metropolitan area, and finding its most unique features to ride my bike. The 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary really gives a great perspective when it comes to these types of action shots, and the 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary does an amazing job of isolating the subject from the surroundings, and both lenses are razor sharp. You can see more of this content on my Instagram page @JarrenBarboza.


Going “full tourist mode” with my SIGMA lenses

Once my BMX work was done, it was time to explore the city. In true tourist fashion, one of my first stops was the famous Shibuya Crossing. This intersection, located in the Shibuya district, is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. It was incredible to stand in the middle of the chaos and watch as thousands of people crossed the street in every direction. I quickly learned that this is a city that moves fast, and I was excited to keep up with the pace.

Just above the Crossing is Shibuya Sky, a must-visit as long as you’re not afraid of heights. 46 stories up, it has one of the coolest views of the city with its 360-degree observation deck. I spent quite a few hours here gazing into the never-ending skyline. I was able to get a few shots with my 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary, which gave me some really cool compression with the layered buildings on the horizon. On the way down, the 45th floor has a nice café where you can sit and enjoy a quick bite.

One of the best parts of my trip was discovering the incredible food scene in Tokyo. From Michelin-starred restaurants to tiny street vendors, Tokyo has something for every foodie. I personally indulged in piping hot ramen more often than I’d like to admit – but everybody has their thing right? Every meal was an adventure, and I was constantly surprised by the creativity of Japanese cuisine.

Visiting Mount Fuji was also high on my to-do list. I woke up with the sunrise and headed to Shibuya Station to catch the express bus to Kawaguchiko. The bus ride was comfortable and scenic, with glimpses of the mountain in the distance. As we arrived at the fifth station, I was struck by the sheer size and beauty of Mount Fuji. In search of the best vantage point, I found myself at Arakurayama Sengen Park. The peaceful, yet painful trek up 400 stairs led to the Chureito Pagodato, a vivid red monument with sweeping views of Fuji. Thankfully, I came on a day with good weather. Some locals mentioned the volcano is often hidden by clouds and grey skies, but on this day, I had a perfect view.

I also had an opportunity to meet some friends that were competing at X-Games close by in Chiba. After getting my hands on a few tickets, I thought it would be cool to check out the event. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans; and she made that abundantly clear after some heavy showers. With the event being postponed, I took the time to catch up with friends and appreciate our time on the other side of the globe before returning to the city.


Wrapping up an amazing trip, all captured with SIGMA F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary lenses

They say all good things must come to an end, and I suppose that meant this trip would, too. Tokyo is truly a beautiful city that I left with a newfound love and gratitude for. Not to mention the 200GB of content I captured as well!

Special thanks to SIGMA for allowing me to share some of these moments and memories with you all. Looking back on these photos in 10 years will remind me of how special this trip was to me. I can’t wait to capture the next adventure on my SIGMA F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary lenses!

Still and Video Review: SIGMA 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary

Let’s face it. Camera gear is heavy. Specifically, high-quality lenses are heavy. However, if you want to produce high quality videos and photos, you have to use the right lens. Though that may be true, more and more companies are producing lenses that are smaller, lighter, and more affordable while still producing high-quality results. This opens up opportunities for rising filmmakers and photographers to do what they love, and that’s to tell amazing stories.

The SIGMA 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary is the third lens in the fast-aperture prime line for mirrorless camera systems. Already in this line are the SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary and SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary lens, which have already proven to be fan favorites among photographers and filmmakers alike. I fell in love the SIGMA 30mm F1.4 when it first came out; I was blown away by the performance and image quality it produced. I felt the same when the SIGMA 16mm F1.4 came out, and now that feeling continues even more so with the new SIGMA 56mm F1.4. Available for Sony E-Mount, Canon EF-M, and Micro Four Thirds, these DC DN lenses are amazing mirrorless fast-aperture primes!

Similar to its sibling lenses, the SIGMA 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary produces beautifully sharp images in photo and video. The glass inside the lens has two aspherical elements and one special low dispersion element, which helps reduce levels of chromatic aberration, or color fringing. At the same time, the lens remain light, compact, and solidly built. Autofocus performance is great as well, keeping up with cameras that shoot at 12 frames per second.

I don’t know about you, but I’m rough with my gear and take it through all sorts of environments. I’m happy to say that the SIGMA 56mm F1.4 has weather-sealed construction, making it easier for you to focus more on the story and less about the lens.

The constant f/1.4 aperture of this lens helps crop sensor cameras like the Sony a6500 perform well in low light situations, as well as create beautiful shallow depth-of-field images coveted by most photographers and filmmakers. The rounded 9-blade diaphragm renders smooth bokeh in the background which makes any subject or object in the foreground come to life.


The Math Behind Crop Sensor

In many ways, the SIGMA 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary is an ideal portrait lens for crop sensor cameras due to the crop factor of APS-C and micro four third lenses. To clarify, an APS-C camera like the Sony a6500 has a crop factor of 1.5x. This means that a 56mm lens on the a6500 has a full-frame equivalent of an 84mm lens on a full-frame camera. I realize that’s a lot of math, but here’s the basic rundown:

56mm x 1.5 = 84mm

For APS-C camera systems, here is the full-frame equivalent of the SIGMA 16mm, 30mm, and 56mm lenses:

SIGMA 16mm = 24mm full-frame equivalent

SIGMA 30mm = 45mm full-frame equivalent

SIGMA 56mm = 84mm full-frame equivalent

Had enough math? Too bad! Micro four thirds camera systems have a 2x crop factor, so you simply have to double the focal length to get the proper full-frame equivalent. Here is the full-frame equivalent of the SIGMA 16mm, 30mm, and 56mm lenses:

SIGMA 16mm = 32mm full-frame equivalent

SIGMA 30mm = 60mm full-frame equivalent

SIGMA 56mm = 112mm full-frame equivalent

In other words, crop sensor cameras get a much further reach than full-frame cameras. Sporting events, concerts, weddings, and similar events benefit from using crop sensor cameras with longer focal lengths to capture tighter shots. The silver lining with crop sensor cameras so to speak.

The SIGMA 56mm F1.4 DC DN | C completes a “lens trifecta” of sort when it comes to standard focal lengths. For APS-C cameras like the Sony a6500, the SIGMA 16mm, 30mm, and 56mm closely match the classic focal lengths of 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm on full-frame cameras. These focal lengths are considered to be the classic focal lengths to capture any type of shoot. In a funny way, these lenses can help cameras like the Sony a6500 produce images very similar to full-frame cameras.


SIGMA 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary Video Review

It’s thanks to companies like SIGMA that make it easier for us to tell the best stories we can. As technology continues to advance in camera bodies, one thing still remains true: it is the lenses that bring out the very best in a camera. Sigma lenses have a distinguished look that brings stories to life while producing sharp and beautiful images. The 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary is no exception and is affordable enough that any photographer or filmmaker can pick up.

SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary: Hands-On First Look Review

The SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary lens is the second in the series of fast-aperture prime lenses designed specifically for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. This bright F1.4 prime equates to a 24mm F1.4 lens on the Sony E-mount system thanks to the 1.5x APS-C crop factor, and is the first wide angle lens for this system to offer this focal length and aperture. On Micro Four Thirds cameras with a 2x crop factor, it equates to a 32mm F1.4 lens. And it is just a flat-out great optic for these systems!

I’ve had the Micro Four Thirds sample for a few days now, and offer up this first look, hands-on mini-review with a variety of image samples of the lens paired with an Olympus OMD-E5. In a nutshell: this is a great, economical, fast-aperture prime wide angle lens for mirrorless cameras. The lens is super-sharp, the stepping motor provides swift, quiet autofocus, and it feels great in the hands and is right-sized for the systems it pairs with.

I’m impressed with this lens wide open at F1.4 for subject isolation shallow depth of field, and stopped down, it is edge-to-edge sharp from here to infinity. The focus ring offers great grip to balance the lens and is very responsive when switching over the manual focus.

For the most part, I shoot with the OMD-E5 through the eye-finder, but I did use the LCD for a couple of high- and low-angle shots. Single-shot Focus locks very swiftly in most lighting conditions with decent contrast and tracking focus was dead-on in both my still and video experiments, and most importantly, the AF motor is unobtrusive, and does its job to keep focus moving well below the ambient noise levels in all but the most sterile of audio environments. This isn’t meant to be the end-all set of images with the lens, but is a sampling of my first week in a variety of situations to give the lens a performance run-through. I’ll be adding some holiday lights bokeh shots early next week.

The nine rounded aperture blades make the images from this sharp, fast, wide prime shine and create great background blur when wide open, and create pleasant starbursts when stopped down. The lens just feels good in the hands, and with the 32mm field of view on the Olympus OMD-E5, the overall experience is very similar to pairing the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art with a full-frame camera; but in a much more compact package for top-quality imaging with a smaller footprint than a big full-frame kit.

All in all, the 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary packs a lot of performance into an economical, compact package for Sony E-mount and Micro Four Thirds photographers.

The Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN is an Instant Classic

As regular readers of this blog know, I’ve been very excited about Sigma’s new line of DN lenses since I first posted about them back in early January. And now that I’ve spent a few weeks with the Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN paired with my trusty Olympus E-PL2, I can report that this has quickly become one of my favorite lenses for my Micro Four Thirds cameras for making both stills and videos.

An Instant Classic: The Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN is designed for both still and video shooting on Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount cameras.

In the hands, this camera and lens combination feels like a classic analog rangefinder from years gone by. Except, of course, that the Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN is a fully modern lens designed for the rigors of today: it autofocuses with a linear drive motor that is optimized for both still images and HD video capture without intrusive motor noise, and the telecentric optics are designed for edge to edge sharpness with digital image sensors.

Continue reading The Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN is an Instant Classic

Sigma Launches DN Lens Line With Two F2.8 Primes

It’s official. Sigma has just announced the Digital Neo line of lenses for compact interchangeable lens cameras with a worldwide announcement launching as CES 2012 gets underway out in Las Vegas. The relatively small physical  size of the 19mm F2.8 EX DN and 30mm F2.8 EX DN notwithstanding, this is big news for us!  You can read the full press release here.

Sigma 19mm F2.8 EX DN

As of now, photographers with Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras and Sony NEX-series cameras have the choice to couple a pair of sharp Sigma F2.8 primes to the go-everywhere cameras.  These two prime lenses for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount cameras have been designed from the start for both still and video capture, which, of course, is what makes this camera category so exciting.

The tele-centric optical design of these lenses is designed specifically for light transmission to digital sensors for edge to edge  image quality, and there’s a new AF system designed for the DN lenses for both still and video capture.  On Micro Four Thirds cameras with their 2x lens factor, the 19mm F2.8 EX DN translates to a 38mm F2.8, and the 30mm F2.8 EX DN translates to a 60mm F2.8. On Sony E-Mount NEX cameras with a 1.5x lens factor, the 19mm F2.8 equates to a 28.5mm and the 30mm F2.8 equates to a 45mm F2.8. These are two new  serious lenses for a class of cameras that I think are great go-everywhere cameras.

Continue reading Sigma Launches DN Lens Line With Two F2.8 Primes

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