Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC Contemporary Brings Serious Speed to APS-C Wide Angles
Sigma is making a very clear case that APS-C isn’t a stepping stone but a destination, and the new 15mm F1.4 DC Contemporary feels like a lens designed to settle that argument quietly but convincingly. Announced by Sigma Corporation and scheduled to ship on March 12, 2026, this wide-angle prime combines a genuinely fast aperture with a form factor that still makes sense on small mirrorless bodies. At a US price of $579, it lands in a zone that feels ambitious without drifting into boutique territory, which is exactly where many APS-C shooters live.
The focal length choice is doing a lot of work here. On APS-C, 15mm translates to roughly a 22.5mm equivalent, nudging closer to 24mm on Canon RF APS-C bodies, and that range has always been one of photography’s most flexible viewpoints. It’s wide without being aggressive, expressive without distorting reality too much, and comfortable for everything from street and travel to interiors and handheld video. What’s striking is how Sigma packaged this with an F1.4 aperture into a lens that’s just under 65mm long and weighs only 220 grams. Compared to the older 16mm F1.4 DC DN, the new design is around half the weight and significantly shorter, which sounds abstract until you carry it all day or mount it on a compact gimbal and suddenly everything feels easier.
Optical ambition is clearly part of the story, not just miniaturization. The lens uses a dense mix of FLD, SLD, and multiple aspherical elements to push sharpness right out to the edges, even wide open. Sigma specifically highlights improvements in sagittal coma flare, which is the kind of thing you only really notice when it’s wrong, usually at night when streetlights or stars smear into little wings at the frame edges. The claim here is simple but bold: shoot this lens at F1.4 and don’t feel like you’re trading half your frame for that speed. If it delivers in real-world use, that alone makes it a compelling option for night shooters and anyone who lives in low light.
That large aperture also opens up a more expressive side of wide-angle photography. An F1.4 lens at this focal length can separate subjects in a way that still feels natural, especially with the nine-blade rounded diaphragm Sigma is using here. Backgrounds don’t just blur, they recede gently, giving scenes a sense of depth that’s often missing from smaller-aperture wide lenses. Indoors, at night, or in mixed lighting where raising ISO starts to nibble away at fine detail, that extra light can quietly change how you shoot.
Video creators haven’t been sidelined either. The autofocus system relies on a stepping motor designed for smooth, controlled movements rather than abrupt jumps, and Sigma has paid attention to focus breathing, keeping shifts in angle of view to a minimum during focus pulls. Combined with the lens’ low weight, this makes it an easy fit for gimbal setups and handheld rigs alike. Sigma even leans into non-cinematic use cases, calling out live commerce, webinars, and corporate video, which feels honest and realistic given how often APS-C cameras are used in exactly those environments.
Handling details are practical rather than flashy, and that’s a compliment. Most mounts get a physical aperture ring for intuitive exposure control, while the Canon RF version swaps that for a customizable control ring in line with Canon’s system design. The lens body includes dust and splash resistance, plus a water- and oil-repellent coating on the front element, which doesn’t make it invincible but does make it far less precious when weather or urban grime get involved. It’s the kind of protection that encourages use rather than caution.
Seen as part of Sigma’s broader F1.4 DC lineup, the 15mm slots in as a natural expansion rather than an outlier. From ultra-wide to mid-telephoto, the series now covers most everyday needs for APS-C shooters with a consistent philosophy: fast apertures, serious optics, and bodies that don’t overwhelm smaller cameras. The 15mm F1.4 DC Contemporary doesn’t try to redefine wide-angle photography, but it does refine it in a way that feels very current. For anyone shooting APS-C who wants wide, bright, and genuinely portable, this lens reads less like a spec exercise and more like Sigma paying attention to how people actually shoot.