© Hiroshi Haraguchi SIGMA 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary Impression 50mm is the most common focal length for a "standard lens." It is considered to be ideal for capturing everyday scenes because it best corresponds to the perspective of the human eye. However, it sometimes feels too long to capture the cityscape naturally. I also think of the 35mm, but it is "too short for a belt, too long for a sleeve tie." After all, I return to the 50mm worrying about the extra length. When I was asked to test this 45mm F2.8 lens, I was most delighted with the 5mm shortness, putting the optical performance aside. The difference of 5mm sounds small, but it makes a big difference in photography. The additional information brought by the 5mm shortness enhances the depth in images and the slight wideness makes me feel light. The location was Kyoto city. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and I walked as my mood dictated. © Hiroshi Haraguchi Facades of the main streets This shot taken on the main street shows the flexibility of the 45mm focal length. The difference of 5mm is more significant than I expected. I did not have to step back taking a semi-crouching position to use the slightly wider perspective. Shooting is fun because I do not have to think too much about the composition. I am also impressed by the color reproduction which expresses the gradation of the pink color of the cherry blossoms. The focal peak is sharp enough, though it has an elegant softness under the slight backlight situation like this.

© Hiroshi Haraguchi

© Hiroshi Haraguchi

The streets of Kyoto follow a grid pattern composed by crossing straight roads. Similarly, the historical architectures along the roads are framed by delicate straight lines. Perhaps, it is this beauty weaved by the straight lines that realizes the sophistication of the cityscape of Kyoto city. The 45mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary captures straight lines just as they are. The low distortion throughout the frame is reassuring and I can always use geometric patterns in composition. As a professional photographer, I take the uniform image quality to the corners for granted. And when a lens provides it at wide open, I have more trust in it.

© Hiroshi Haraguchi

© Hiroshi Haraguchi

Shot at wide open. The tiles and framework look very sharp and have good contrast. Vignetting is almost negligible.

So far, I learned that this lens has a nice softness at wide open, while it also has high basic performance. This is a kind of lens that becomes more fun to shoot as I use it.