Sigma has announced three intriguing lenses for Sony E and L mount – two primes and a zoom. They are latest additions to its Art and Contemporary series.
The ever-industrious independent lens maker, based in Aizu, Japan, continues to bring out innovative, competitively priced glass for popular mounts.
Let’s find out more about the three new lenses, which include the world’s first autofocus 135mm f/1.4 glass, the first superzoom for full-frame cameras with 20mm wideangle, and a revised, smaller version of Sigma’s 35mm f/1.2 lens.
Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II | Art
This is the successor to the company’s 35mm F1.2 DG DN | Art. As well as offering an improved optical performance, this fast lens is approximately 30% lighter and 20% shorter than its predecessor, measuring 81 x 111.4mm and weighing in at 755g.
This has been enabled by the adoption of a floating focus design, enabling the focus groups to move independently of each other while maintaining high optical standards. Additionally, the improved optical design features four aspherical lens elements and thinner lens elements.
Fast and quiet autofocus is achieved by a dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) system, which drives each of the two focus groups by an individual linear motor. In addition to a dust- and splash-resistant structure, the front element of the lens also features a water- and oil-repellent coating. Onsale September 25th for £1,299.
Sigma 135mm F1.4 DG | Art
This is the world’s first 135mm autofocus lens to achieve a maximum aperture of f/1.4. Sigma notes that the circular bokeh produced by the 13-blade diaphragm is larger than that of its 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art and is comparable to that of the company’s 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports.
Four large FLD glass elements suppress chromatic aberration, along with high-dispersion glass elements. This new lens also features a dual HLA system for fast AF, along with a dust and splash-resistance structure. Available from September 25th for £1,649.
Sigma 20-200mm F3.5-6.3 DG | Contemporary
Sigma claims this all-rounder is the world’s first 10x zoom starting at a wide 20mm, making it particularly attractive to landscape, sports and travel photographers. It also achieves a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2 from 28mm to 85mm, enabling photographers to enjoy a broad range of half-macro photography with different angles of view.
This new zoom is compact and portable: it weighs 550g, is just 115.5mm long and has a zoom ring diameter of 70.4mm. Other key features include an HLA system for fast AF, a dust and splash-resistance structure and a zoom lock switch that can be fixed at the wide end. Again, available from September 25th, this time for £799.
Further reading
Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art review: the ultimate large-aperture zoom?
