Conclusion

The Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C is a very appealing mid telephoto prime lens, especially on the Sony E system where it has relatively few rivals.

Offering a classic focal length of 84mm for APS-C compact system cameras and a slightly longer 112mm for Micro Four Thirds cameras, the third lens in Sigma's f/1.4 trilogy exhibits acceptable sharpness wide-open at f/1.4 (at least in the centre) and excellent sharpness from f/2 onwards. Bokeh is very attractive thanks to the 9-blade design and telephoto focal length and chromatic aberrations are very well controlled. The only fly in the image quality ointment is very obvious pin-cushion distortion, which will need to be corrected in post-processing.

The build quality of the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C is very good, weather-sealing is a bonus, and the size and weight make it a great fit on the smaller APS-C and Micro Four Thirds bodies. It doesn't offer built-in vibration reduction, though, which won't please owners of older camera bodies, but anyone with a camera that does feature image stabilisation won't find it a problem. Sigma have even generously included a very good circular lens hood.

The auto-focusing system proved to be pretty quick and reliable on the Sony A6000 camera that we tested the lens with, and manual focus over-ride at any time is a great feature. The minimum focusing distance of 50cm / 19.7in isn't really anything to write home about, though, limiting the kinds of subjects that you can shoot at close quarters.

The modest asking price of £399.99 / $479.99 for the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C is very reasonable for such a fast, well-built lens that overall delivers great image quality. Other than the pincushioning and modest focusing distance, there's very little to complain about and lots to like, making the third and final lens in Sigma's APS-C trilogy our firm favourite.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	5