Lens Bubbles: Sigma E-Mount 19mm f2.8 Shoots Kensington Market

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Sigma E-Mount 19mm f2.8 Shoots Kensington Market

Personally, I think the Kensington Market in Toronto is a quirky, off-beat place. Many of its buildings are old and run-down, but at the same time, many more are uniquely decorated and colorful. The shops sell a variety of products from second hand bicycles to freshly grown produce with many restaurants, cafes and specialty food stores spread through out the market. What strikes most first time visitors is the many wonky shop names and interesting painted store fronts. Definitely a great place for photos.

The lens I used for this shoot was the E-Mount Sigma 19mm f2.8. It is the sister lens of the 30mm f2.8, which I am very enamored of. Although the lens is very sharp in the center at f2.8, its corner sharpness is not as good as the 30mm f2.8, even when stopped down. At f8, the corners are acceptably sharp, but not quite up there to the level of the 30mm. The barrel distortion is also quite a bit worse as well, but miles ahead compared to the kit zoom lens at the same focal length and it's quite a bit better than the Sony E-16mm f.28 pancake. I know it's not fair to compare a very wide angle (19mm) to a mini wide (30mm). The design is different. The wider the lens, the more challenges the designers must overcome to achieve a balance of cost vs quality; both material and optical. At $99, it's a very good deal.