This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is no longer available.
The 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras from Sigma is a Digital Neo (DN) lens specifically designed for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. On a Micro 4/3 camera, its focal length is equivalent to 38mm. It has a newly developed linear AF motor for swift and accurate autofocus, making it ideal for video as well as still photography.
Three molded glass aspherical lenses offer excellent correction for distortion, color aberration and field curvature. The inner focusing system corrects the fluctuation of aberration to maintain image quality regardless of the focal distance. Multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting, and provides sharp and contrasty images even at the maximum aperture. The seven blades of the diaphragm produce a pleasing quality in the out-of-focus areas of an image (bokeh).
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length |
19 mm Comparable Four Thirds and Micro 4/3 Focal Length: 38 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/2.8 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format Compatibility | Micro Four Thirds |
| Angle of View | 73.5° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 7.87" (20 cm) |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:7.4 |
| Groups/Elements | 6/8 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | Front: 46 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 2.4 x 1.8" (6.10 x 4.57 cm) |
| Weight | 4.9 oz (139 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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Most Liked Positive Review
Great Performance for the Price
Sharp. Fast to focus...even in dimmer light on my EPL1. Actually focuses pretty quickly, as fast as the Panasonic 14mm, I think, when comparing. Not too big (about like the...Read complete review
Sharp. Fast to focus...even in dimmer light on my EPL1. Actually focuses pretty quickly, as fast as the Panasonic 14mm, I think, when comparing. Not too big (about like the Olympus kit zoom when collapsed), but not a pancake. Seems to be built well...and includes a hood, and a case.
Yes it takes a while to come on. And the elements rattle when the power is off (supposed to, with this form of focus motor), but it works fine so far...even wide open. For me a very useful focal length. Good sharpness, color and contrast. Really a pretty nice lens at any reasonable price.
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Most Liked Negative Review
Slow to power up
I like this lens, but have key reservations.
On the plus side: this is light, compact, and focuses lightening fast. The out of focus areas at f/2.8 are sm...Read complete review
I like this lens, but have key reservations.
On the plus side: this is light, compact, and focuses lightening fast. The out of focus areas at f/2.8 are smooth. Any bright spots in the OOF background are nicely gaussian, i.e. are not donuts with brighter edges. The coatings on the lens work very, very well. Lastly, the lens is marketed at an attractive price.
But, and this is a big but. I have 3 related complaints about this lens.
1) when not powered up, there are mechanisms inside that lens that are not engaged. Very simply, if you move the lens around, it rattles. A lot. This is very disconcerting, to say the least. Upon powering up the camera, this issue resolves, things engage, and there is not further rattling.
2) The power up of the lens (that leads to the engagement of the loose mechanical) is SLOW. As in a full 2 seconds slow. I have two Lumix G lenses, and one M.Zuiko lens, all three power up with the camera body, i.e. essentially instantly and without any noticeable lag.
3) The slow power up makes image composition and battery management more difficult:
a) Composition: during power up, the screen/EVF actually turns off for 2 seconds after having come to life for a brief moment. Such a black out never happens with the other MFT Panny and Oly lenses. Thus, there is no chance to view and compose the scene for those 2 seconds, which of course seems like an eternity.
b) Battery management. I often get in excess of 1500 shots with one battery charge on my Lumix G1. Really? Really. Presumably, this is becuase I power up and down as the scene demands and on a moments notice. Normally, I have my hand on the grip and power on as I raise the EVF to my eyes. Voil, the camera is normally already ready to shoot the camera is already ready to shoot. The 2 second delay with this lens is shocking in comparison.
I know the issues are not merely with the older G1 body, as I went to the store and threw the lens on a G3 body. Same issues.
SUPER BUMMER. I hate rattles, and I hate to wait.
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Reviewed by 32 customers
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
This is a nice, versatile prime. At the equivalent of 38mm in full frame, it is just between a wide angle and normal lens. This allows you to capture scenery and architecture, as well as giving you room to crop for tighter photos. It has a fast, silent autofocus. The bokeh is pleasing as well. I prefer it over the Olympus 17mm f/2.8 and the Panasonic 20mm.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I purchased this lens as a prime to complement the 14-42mm zoom on my Olympus PEN E-PM1. The lens is great. I'm very happy with the image quality -- it's miles ahead of the kit lens. The 19mm focal length is also great for walk around and street photography. The only limitation is the f/2.8 aperture is good for day time photography, but not fast enough if you are doing night time or indoor photography.
If you have lots of money to spend buy the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, but if you're on a tight budget this lens is a great buy.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
Hard to argue with the quality and price of this lense
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I had a popular Panasonic 20mm 1.7 which was great but a lot more money so I decided to give Sigma a try -no regrets. It's a little larger of course and does not open up to 1.7 but still 2.8 is useful and surprisingly very sharp. The built quality while not a professional grade but appropriate for the price range.
Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
Got this on sale bundled with 30mm 2.8. Would be nice if it were faster but then it would cost more. It's sharp and focuses fairly fast on EP2. The mount is metal and you have to twist it harder to lock into place. also the dot to align it is smaller and harder to find. It does rattle inside when it's not mounted, it's a bit disconcerting but for the price i got it at, it didn't bother me enough to return it. It is sharper than kit. The successor to this model is metal while this is plastic, it is probably the same optics.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I use this with my new GH3, its sharp enough for me but not as sharp as other prime lens. Fast auto-focus, small light-weight. Its not too wide or too zoom. Its a 38mm equivalent. Great for outdoor hiking and group portriats. Its not a Marco lens but I'm impressed that I can get in super close and still autofocus!
I wish this len was a little bigger, feels like a toy, filter size(46mm)is way to small for my taste.
This lens(19mm pair with 30mm) will do until I can upgrade to the pana 12-35mm.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
Great prime lens, however, its the same size as the GF3 kit lens, so don't expect any size savings from the 14-42mm lens that comes with most Panasonic GF3s.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I bought this lens as a $[$]kit, and at this price it is a great combo for the money! Sharp, close focusing, excellent for street and some landscapes. Hood supplied, focuses accurately and fairly quick on E-M5 and E-P3, manual focus ring feels good too.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
The value of this lens cannot be understated. It's inexpensive and does a great job. There are faster lenses than this ƒ/2.8, but for the price I was more than happy to get this and 30mm as a pair.
I enjoy that this isn't that heavy, came with a bayonet hood, and is fast to focus. Would it be better at ƒ/1.7 like the Panasonic 20mm or ƒ/1.4 like the Panasonic 25mm. Yes, that'd be great, but you won't find those at this price.
This lens will be a work-horse for me. I doesn't bulk up my camera and takes great photos. No complaints here.
There is a slight rattle when not powered up, This is just the focusing mechanism not being engaged. Some people might find fault with this, but I don't.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I bought the 19mm and 30mm together at a great price for the two. My copy of the 19mm was sharper than my copy of the 30mm. The 19mm is very sharp and quite fast to focus. I have been using it as my walk-around lens on my e-m5, and have really enjoyed using it.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I bought this lens together with the 30mm Sigma. It is about the same size as the 1442 kit lens on my Olympus EP3 and a tad heavier.
Construction is good and does focus quickly and accurately. Smooth manual focusing. Nothing much to look at.
My opinion on image quality of Sigma 19mm, Sigma 30mm, Kit lens and Pany 20mm.
Kit lens IQ 8/10 Versatile
Sigma 19mm IQ 8.2/10 One stop wider than kit at 19mm
Sigma 30mm IQ 8.7
Pany 20mm IQ 9.2/10
The small advantage this lens has over the kit lens hardly justifies its purchase especially as you loose the advantage of the kit zoom.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
I bought this because I'd read some decent reviews and the price and am not disappointed. The autofocus is quick and the photos have been quite sharp. It's very light and compact. There's a little bit of movement in the lens, but it has not affected anything negatively. It also comes with a really nice lens case and a basic lens hood. I would highly recommend this lens because of the value and results.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
One of the first primes I've ever bought and I love it very much. Sharper than the kit lens and slightly faster. Comes with a very nice case and a lens hood too. Build quality feels good in hand. It would be my current favorite lens if not for it's slightly longer brother, the 30mm.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
This lens works out to the equivalent of 38mm in the micro 4/3 world. Panasonic offers a fast and very popular 20mm "standard" lens, but it costs much more. This lens is a very nice lens and takes great pictures. The autofocus is very fast and it has minimal flare. B&H of course had a great price and its a real steal of a prime lens for the money.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
The lens is very sharp, with fast and quite auto-focus.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
This Sigma 19mm F2.8 lens is great prime lens for its price range. Its a little bulky compared to Panasonic Lumix 20mm F1.7, or 14mm F2.5, but those are way more expensive than this.
Also, this Sigma 19mm F2.8 lens takes a crisp and clear picture with quite fast auto-focusing in modest light circumstance.
This lens would be good add-up for your Micro 4/3 cameras considering its great price. If you already have Lumix 20mm F1.7, or Olypus 25mm F2.8, then you might not need this Sigma 19mm.
If you have only bundled 14-42mm lens, try this with 30mm F2.8, and you will love it.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
Not sure I really needed this lens, but when the price dropped to half, I thought it was a bargain. This review might be a bit of a mute point, since Sigma is discontinuing this design. I have the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and a Pany 14mm f2.5, and they cover most of my prime shooting, but I got both the Sigma 19mm and 30mm to kind of fill in the gap. The image quality of these lenses is fair, nothing to complain about. They are not as fast as my other two primes, but better than what my zoom ,that covers those focal lengths, does. The lenses definitely feel cheaper, and could have been smaller, like my Panny 14mm, so right away you can understand the price point. I did notice the delay on startup, but not a big deal. If you need a lens on the cheap, something you won't cry over if it is lost or stolen, then this lens is for you. The trick is to buy one soon, while they are still around, and at a bargain price.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
With that price, there is no way you can get a better lens, period. There are lots of reviews in the internet for this awesome piece of glass, check for yourself :)
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
This is very good prime lens, I had ordered when it was showing back-ordered, It shipped after 10 days. Really, photos @ F/2.8 for 19mm is very good.
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Comments about Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Lens for Olympus/ Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras:
For $ to get a prime lens f/2.8. Good Deal.