Over the years, Sigma has made a name for itself and its lenses for photographers who are uncompromising regarding image quality. On Monday, Sigma continues its push into the world of ultra high-resolution optics with the announcement of three Sigma Art lenses in the Global Vision line: the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art Ultra-Wide Angle Zoom, and the Sigma 500mm F4 DG OS HSM Sport Lens.
The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art series lens has been designed to complement ultra high-resolution sensors — like those found in the 50-megapixel Canon 5DsR or 36-megapixel Nikon D810 — by offering incredible sharpness. Sigma claims its high-performance optics were built to produce a natural and attractive bokeh effect that many portrait photographers look for. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens also sports a re-engineered AF system that brings 1.3 times the torque of its predecessor and includes a full-time manual focus override system even in continuous autofocus to give photographers faster and more accurate focusing capabilities.
One of the biggest pains for landscape photographers is getting wide-angle shots that are free of distortion, ghosting, or flaring, Sigma’s 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art lens offers photographers a lens built to deliver center-to-edge sharpness without any of the aforementioned problems. Combined with a constant F4.0 aperture, re-engineered autofocus system, and minimum focus distance of only 9.4-inches at 24mm, photographers will have the ability to take on wide expanses or close-ups without sacrificing the bigger picture.
If covering professional sports or wildlife is what you do, the Sigma 500mm F4 DG HSM Art lens hopes to meet your demands. The 500mm F4 DG HSM Art lens incorporates two FLD and SLD glass elements to minimize chromatic aberration to keep everything in the frame sharp and can be coupled with Sigma’s Telephoto Converter without degradation of image quality.
The Sigma 500 F4 DG HSM Art is built tough by featuring magnesium alloy components, a carbon fiber hood, a water- and oil-resistant front element coating, and dust and splashproof sealing, the lens is built to withstand the elements. The lens also includes a rear filter slot for polarizers, UV, or ND filters, Optical Stabilizer for added stability when shooting handheld, as well as a customizable autofocus-return function for setting the focus position of one’s choice and returning to that preset distance.
The Sigma 85mm F1.8 DG HSM Art, 12-24mm F4 DG HSM Art, and 500mm F4 DG HSM Art are all compatible with Canon, Nikon, and Sigma mounts. The Nikon-mount versions of the lenses feature the new electromagnetic barrel The anticipated pricing for the 85mm, 12-24mm, and 500mm are $1,199, $1,599, and $5,999 respectively and all three will be available in late October. The 500mm F4 DG HSM Art for Nikon will ship in early November.
