Sigma 24mm F/3.5 DG DN | C

This Sigma is a compact 24mm prime for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It comes in Leica L and Sony E mounts, so choose the version made for your system. Sigma introduced it in 2020, and it remains in production.

A 24mm focal length suits street photography, travel, landscapes and interiors, where you want to include the whole setting. It also works for architecture, where whole facades need to fit. Indoors, it lets you frame a room from a doorway.

The main trade-off is the F/3.5 maximum aperture, which favours daylight scenes over dim interiors. In return, the body stays compact for everyday carrying. That balance suits travellers more than event shooters, who often need wider apertures in dark venues.

The Leica L version weighs 7.9 oz (225 g). The lens body measures 2.52 in (64 mm) across and 1.92 in (48.8 mm) long, so it adds little bulk to a mirrorless camera.

A screw-in filter must match the 55mm thread. A polariser or ND filter of that thread size screws straight on. The physical score is 93 out of 100.

At 24mm, you take in wide scenes in a single frame. Whole streets and full rooms fit without stepping back. There is no zoom range, so you frame by moving your feet.

The F/3.5 maximum aperture is modest for a prime. After sunset or inside dim buildings, handheld shutter speeds fall and ISO climbs. A small tripod or a handy wall keeps things steady in those moments.

At 24mm, depth of field runs deep even wide open. Landscapes stay in focus from foreground stones to distant hills, which is why wide lenses suit them. Isolating a subject against a blurred background is harder, so flattering portraits are not this lens's job.

Close work is a strength. The lens focuses as close as 0.4 ft (10.8 cm). Its maximum magnification reaches 0.5x, so small subjects can fill much of the frame. The wide view also keeps a nearby subject's surroundings in the picture. Flowers, market finds and cafe details all gain from that nearness.

Weather sealing is present, and it fits the outdoor role of a travel wide-angle. Dust, sand and light rain become less of a worry on coastal walks and dusty trails. Sealing helps most when the camera body is sealed too.

Image stabilization is absent. At 24mm, most handheld work stays practical, so the omission hurts less than it would on a long lens. This section scores 32 out of 100.

The front element has no fluorine coating, so there is no extra layer to shed water and smudges. A cloth in the bag covers damp outdoor days.

Inside sit ten elements in eight groups, including aspherical elements and low-dispersion glass. The aspherical surfaces help correct distortion and spherical aberration, which is welcome where straight edges can otherwise bow. The low-dispersion glass helps reduce colour fringing along high-contrast edges, such as branches against a bright sky.