14 DAY TRIAL // Renowned Nippon optics manufacturer, Sigma has recently refreshed its 19mm f/2.8 EX DN lens model with the new 19mm f/2.8 DN A, which comes as part of their “Art” lenses category.
DxO Labs have tested this relatively new lens and compared it with its predecessor in terms of optical quality. Is the new lens version better than its predecessor or does it fail to live expectations? Let's find out!
Released earlier this year, the new lens was designed for Sony's E-mount as well as the smaller Panasonic and Olympus MFT (Micro Four Thirds) mount where it's equivalent to a 38mm f/2.8 lens.
The new lens body comes with a thin metal casing, which features 8 elements in 6 groups from which three are aspherical elements designed to minimize chromatic aberrations.
Tested on the highly-praised Olympus OM-D E-M1, the new lens model got a somewhat lower score, but not lower than its predecessor. It seems that the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN A comes with a decent center sharpness when fully opened, which doesn't get better as the aperture is stopped down.
Moreover, lateral chromatic aberration is a little higher in the corners. When compared with the 19mm f/2.8 EX DN, the new Sigma model doesn't seem to offer much of an improvement regarding image sharpness, performing slightly better than its predecessor.
In addition to that, it seems that Sigma further tuned the internal components to achieve a lower distortion and a slightly better transmission and chromatic aberration control.
While the tests clearly conclude that the new Sigma 19m f/2.8 DN A lens doesn't offer much of an improvement over its predecessor, the new model could be taken in consideration by MFT camera users due mostly to its competitive price. The lens is available in stores at a price of $199 / €145.