I only carry the kit I truly need and love

The concept behind the newly-announced I series
35mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary is that of a ‘premium compact prime lens’.
With its combination of impressive optical performance and portability,
it is a lens that perfectly complements the SIGMA fp.

Every time I pick up the lens I am surprised by the high quality of its materials. From the aperture mechanism to the focus ring to the lens hood, all parts are constructed of metal, and the closer you look at the details, the more impressive the precision of the craftsmanship becomes. The focus ring turns with just the right amount of torque.

The aperture rings of the I series are made of metal as well. The clicks feel so precise and well-engineered that I often find myself turning it inadvertently!

Compared to the SIGMA 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary that was released at the same time as the SIGMA fp, the new horizontally-aligned AF/MF switch is bigger and much easier to use.

The magnetic lens caps that come with I series lenses are brilliantly designed and look amazing, and for me they further heighten the quality of the product. I like to keep things simple so I rarely use lens hoods, and this makes the new magnetic cap a very welcome addition.

The 35mm focal length is what I use for much of my everyday shooting. The combined weight of around 750g for the fp and the lens is light enough that it makes walking around with the camera in one hand a breeze.

This is the lens cap holder for the magnetic lens cap. The cap attaches to it firmly and easily, and thanks to the carabiner I can easily attach the holder to a convenient location on my body

I took a couple of shots of a piebald cat, which is a difficult subject to photograph in my experience. The AF was very fast, and the cat’s black and white hair is captured with detail and depth.

Walking around outside, I took a few handheld shots of the city in the evening sun. Despite its small size the lens offers a bright aperture of F2, and I was able to take the camera out of my bag and capture hand-held night scenes without further stabilization.

These are a few photographs I took in the mountains of the Northern Alps in the beginning of winter. When I’m on an expedition, I want to reduce my baggage as much as possible. The compactness of the fp and the brightness of the 35mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary make this camera-lens duo a great choice for astrophotography.