Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon

Incredible rendering performance delivers unprecedented visual experiences. Enjoy enhanced control of light and composition.

With a focal length of 20mm and F1.4 aperture, this lens delivers outstanding large-aperture brightness and bokeh, delivering unprecedented visual experiences.

The world's first F1.4 ultra-wide-angle lens for full-frame DSLRs

SIGMA has extensive experience in leveraging its advanced design capabilities and leading-edge technologies to craft large-aperture prime lenses that bring out the full potential of ultra-high-megapixel DSLRs. As its latest achievement in this category, SIGMA has created an ultra-wide-angle lens with F1.4 brightness. With a focal length of 20mm and F1.4 aperture, this lens delivers outstanding large-aperture brightness and bokeh, delivering unprecedented visual experiences. Allowing the photographer to leverage the perspective provided by the wide -angle and the shallow depth of field provided by the large aperture, this lens is ideal not only for such ultra-wide-angle subjects as landscapes and starry skies, but also for snapshots in low light, indoor photography, portraits with a natural bokeh effect, and much more.

Art line delivers high-level artistic expression

SIGMA is organizing all its interchangeable lenses into three product lines: Contemporary, Art, and Sports, each with a distinctive concept. Designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance and abundant expressive power, Sigma's Art line lenses deliver high-level artistic expression. Offering astonishing rendering performance that meets the highest standard, they are perfect for landscapes, portraits, still-lifes, close-ups, and casual snaps. They are made for the kind of photography that unleashes the inner artist. A powerful ally in every genre of photography, SIGMA’s Art line lenses excel both in the studio for formal works and outdoors for impressive shots of architecture, starry skies, and many other scenes.

Advanced technologies make a 20mm F1.4 lens possible

To offer an ultra-wide-angle 20mm focal length and F1.4 brightness at wide-open aperture, this lens incorporates a large double aspherical lens 59mm in diameter. Lenses of this type had been considered extremely difficult to manufacture, but SIGMA took on the challenge to realize an F1.4 ultra-wide-angle lens that fulfills the strict performance requirements of the SIGMA Art line. What made this breakthrough possible were SIGMA’s advanced manufacturing technologies, which the company has developed over time by producing a wide range of ultra-wide-angle and large-aperture lenses. For example, milestone lenses such as SIGMA 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL HSM, SIGMA 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM, and SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art were completely original products that helped SIGMA develop outstanding design and production know-how and its current high-precision, high-efficiency production system. In turn, these advances made possible the new SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art. Moreover, SIGMA’s advanced optical design minimizes distortion, transverse chromatic aberration, sagittal coma flare, and the reduction of brightness toward the edges of the image. Delivering top performance even at wide-open aperture, this lens can be considered the culmination of SIGMA’s Art line.

Minimized distortion

Distortion is a common issue in wide-angle lenses, and it is not possible to correct it simply by changing the aperture value. For this reason, a lens must be designed from the start to minimize this issue. By adjusting the incidence angle of light starting with the first lens element and incorporating optimally positioned aspherical glass elements, the SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art lens minimizes distortion throughout the entire image.

This lens minimizes chromatic aberrations, a common issue in large-aperture ultra-wide-angle lenses. It features two FLD (“F” Low Dispersion)* glass and five SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements to minimize transverse chromatic aberration, which is mainly visible around the edge of the image. The optimized lens power distribution helps minimize axial chromatic aberration. As a result, this lens delivers high image quality in every situation without color smearing, and its rendering performance is consistently sharp with high contrast. 

* FLD glass is ultra-low-dispersion glass that offers performance of the highest level. Highly transparent, its refractive index and dispersion are extremely low as compared to conventional types of glass. It offers characteristics very similar to those of fluorite, which is valued for its high anomalous dispersion. These characteristics minimize residual chromatic aberration (secondary spectrum), which cannot be corrected by ordinary optical glass, while helping to produce sharp, high-contrast images.

Exclusive low-dispersion glass

The degree to which light is refracted by glass depends on the light's wavelength. This fact causes different colors of light to focus at slightly different points. The result is chromatic aberration, the color fringing that is particularly noticeable in telephoto lenses. Most chromatic aberration can be removed by combining a high-refractivity convex lens element with a low-refractivity concave element. Yet residual chromatic aberration known as “secondary spectrum” may still remain. To minimize this secondary spectrum, which can be a serious issue with conventional lenses, SIGMA lenses feature up to three types of exclusive low-dispersion glass offering superior performance: ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion), SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and FLD (“F” Low Dispersion). In particular, FLD glass offers ultra-low dispersion in combination with high transmittance and the anomalous dispersion characteristics of fluorite. Meticulous deployment of these types of exclusive low-dispersion glass and optimization of power distribution gives SIGMA lenses superlative image rendition undiminished by residual chromatic aberration.

Flare and ghosting reduction

From an early stage in the lens design process, flare and ghosting have been measured to establish an optical design resistant to strong incident light sources such as backlighting. SIGMA’s Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting to help photographers produce sharp and high contrast images even in backlit conditions. The included lens hood can be attached to block out extraneous light, which can have a negative effect on rendering performance.

The ideal high-speed lens for snapshots and much more

At the dawn of the film camera, there was very little high-sensitivity film, and bright lenses that worked well in low-light conditions came to be known as “high-speed lenses.” These lenses are ideal for shooting indoors, in the evening, under cloudy skies, or in any low-light situation. Since the SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art provides the benefits of an ultra-wide angle lens with minimal distortion, it is ideal for photographing landscapes, starry skies, and architecture. In addition to capturing wide-angle shots with the whole scene in focus, the photographer can leverage wide-open aperture to take snapshots with the subject in focus and the background blurred with an attractive bokeh effect. Designed for ultra-high-megapixel digital cameras, this high-performance lens delivers outstanding resolution and high-clarity image quality even at wide-open aperture.

The finest in materials, usability and functionality

There are three requirements for outstanding lenses: fine design, precise manufacturing and inspection that ensures compliance with all specifications. SIGMA lenses are born of well-thought-out design concepts and sophisticated, advanced Japanese manufacturing technology; the final clincher is Sigma's lens performance evaluation. Sigma used to measure lens performance using conventional sensors. However, they has developed their own A1* proprietary MTF (modulation transfer function) measuring system using 46-megapixel Foveon direct image sensors. Applying this system, Sigma checks each lens in their new lines at their Aizu factory, their sole production site. Even previously undetectable high-frequency details are now within the scope of Sigma's quality control inspections, allowing them to deliver consistently high lens performance.

Hyper Sonic Motor ensures high AF speed

The Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures silent, high-speed autofocusing, while the optimized AF algorithm helps realize even smoother AF performance. At any time during AF, users may access MF simply by rotating the focus ring. This feature makes faster focus adjustment possible, since there is no need to use the AF/MF focus mode switch. Also, the optional SIGMA USB DOCK allows the user to set the lens to conventional full-time manual focus override.

High-precision, rugged brass bayonet mount

The brass mount combines high precision with rugged construction. Its treated surfaces and enhanced strength contribute to the exceptional durability of the lens.