DPRTV: Sigma X Mount Lenses, Better than Fujifilm Primes?

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When Sigma launched their new Fujifilm X mount trinity, we had a huge live blog here on FujiRumors, where we could see that these are very fine lenses.

Down below a summary in case you are in a hurry and can’t watch the video right now (plus a few personal notes).

Video Summary

Intro

  • With Tamron X mount, Viltrox, Tokina, Samyang and now Sigma we start to have lots more third party autofocus support for X mount [admin note: and more brands to come]
  • Sigma X mount nice metal construction and build quality
  • simple and handsome design
  • sealed against some elements (rubber seal around lens mount), so they can handle a little bit of rain water
  • Fujifilm WR lenses are more comprehensively sealed
  • quite light and compact
  • downside: no controls on the lens itself. No aperture ring, no AF/MF selector switch, no custom buttons
  • the Sigma lenses are out for a while and available for other mounts
  • they still test pre-production lenses, so autofofus is not final

Comparison

The better pick is…?

  • Price is a big part of the selling feature for the Sigma, as they cost less than half the price
  • the XF33mm f/1.4 is optically better, but yet it’s a big price jump over the Sigma 30mmF1.4
  • the Fujinon XF 56mm is an f/1.2 lens, so he feels you do get something substantially more significant for the price difference over the Sigma 56mm f/1.4
  • as for the 16mm, it’s a no brainer and Chris can’t see why not to go for the Sigma [admin note: the Fujinon XF16mmF1.4 is much smaller than the Sigma 16mmF1.4, so if that matters for you, this could be a reason to get the Fujinon anyway]

Conclusions

  • the Sigma lenses make a lot of sense for those, who just start out with Fujifilm and want to buy some affordable, nice and compact prime lenses
  • but it would make more sense to release lenses that Fujifilm does not cover well, like Tamron did with the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3
  • Sigma announced the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 for X mount and that’s also a move in the right direction
  • lots of people want super telephoto zooms that Fujifilm does not cover very well, although they do have the XF150-600 on the roadmap
  • for Sigma it is easy to take existing lenses and just switch out the mount
  • value for dollar: the Sigma contemporary lenses are excellent

FujiRumors Notes:

  • according to our rumors, Fujifilm will launch the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 R WR in 2022, which will without a doubt push image quality even further and make it not only a faster option over the Sigma 56mmF1.4, but also give it a sensible image quality advantage
  • What we can say overall is that older Fujinon lenses hold up well against the Sigma, but if you care about the best possible image quality, you should get Fuji’s newest f/1.4 lenses (or the XF56mm f/1.2 MKII coming later this year if the world still exists by then)
  • In relation to what said above, Fujifilm will release a 40 megapixel Fujifilm X-H2. The newest f/1.4 Fuji primes can support that high resolution (and so will the 56mm f/1.2 MKII). So I recommend to everybody, who plans to upgrade to the high resolution Fujifilm X-H2 to buy the latest Fujifilm primes, as it remains uncertain if the Sigma versions can support such a high resolution (probably not)
  • Be noted that Fujifilm will also release a 26MP Fujifilm X-H2. If you plan to get that one, the Sigma X mount lenses are a nice option

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