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| It may be lacking an aperture ring, but the 56mm F1.4 DC DN makes a great match for the Fujifilm X-T4, in terms of size and balance. |
The arrival of Sigma’s 16mm, 30mm and 56mm F1.4 DC DN lenses is another step forward for the X-mount system. No matter how comprehensive Fujifilm makes its own lineup of lenses, it’s always beneficial to not have a system solely tied to one company’s vision of the system or dependent on its production priorities.
Sigma joins Zeiss, Tamron, Tokina and Viltrox in supporting the system, giving Fujifilm users an increasing array of options.
Sigma has repeatedly stressed the planning and manufacturing challenges of trying to support large numbers of lens mounts, saying it has been waiting to see which systems were developing a large enough user base to be worth addressing, making these launches something of an endorsement of the X-mount and its potential.
The arrival of Sigma’s 16mm, 30mm and 56mm F1.4 DC DN lenses is another step forward for the X-mount system
It also points to the benefits to X-mount users that have come from Fujifilm letting in third-party lens makers, since Sigma’s CEO had earlier expressed his doubts about whether his company could justify the cost of reverse-engineering the communication protocol.
Personally, I really like the 56mm F1.4 DC DN, even though it ends up overlapping with the Tokina (and Viltrox) 56mm F1.4, and Fujifilm’s own beautiful but rather slow-focusing 56mm F1.2s. The 30mm F1.4 fills a gap that’s otherwise unaddressed in the system, and the 16mm F1.4 presents a lighter, less expensive alternative to the Fujinon version.
Also exciting is the prospect of a 3rd-party fast zoom for X-mount, in the shape of the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN, which is expected by the end of 2022. This, and rumors that Tamron could release an X-mount version of its own 17-70mm F2.8, show the value that third-party support can bring.
Sigma has a great history of supporting APS-C and helping the format live up to its full potential for enthusiasts.
Read our assessment of Sigma’s track-record for APS-C
What does it mean for Fujifilm users? In the short-term, more choice, but it should also be seen as a vote of confidence in the system, ahead of the announcement of the 5th generation of X-series models due in May 2022. We’re expecting these announcements to include the promised Stacked CMOS sensor based X-Trans model.
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