Photokina 2018, the world’s largest imaging trade show, is awash in full frame and medium format cameras, industry partnerships, and lenses — lots of lenses. On Tuesday, September 25, Sigma announced five new lenses, including two in the Art series, one in the Contemporary series and two highly-anticipated Sports line lenses. The Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART, Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sport, and Sigma 60-600mm F/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports lenses are on display during this week’s Photokina 2018 in Cologne, Germany.
The Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Available in mounts for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, and Sony E, Sigma’s newest wide-angle lens is designed to minimize magnification chromatic aberration or colored fringing. The company says the lens is also designed to cut back sagittal coma flare, a type of distortion that can sometimes occur in astrophotography. The lens also houses a Hyper Sonic Motor with updated autofocus (AF) algorithms.
The lens’ exterior is sealed against dust and splashes, while the front lens element has coatings to repel oil and water. The wide angle, reduced flare, and bright aperture make the lens an excellent option for street, landscapes, and astrophotography, the company says.
The Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
In the same series, the 40mm is Sigma’s first design as a benchmark cine lens. Sigma claims less than one percent distortion, adding that sagittal coma flare is almost non-existent. Chromatic aberration was reduced using a new arrangement, with three F Low Dispersion (FLD) elements and three Special Low Dispersion (SLD) elements.
Sigma says the lens is designed for 8K compatibility as well as capturing sharp images even at the widest aperture, so the lens is also an option for low light photography as well as video. Like the other Art lens announced today, the lens will be available for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, and Sony E mounts.
The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary
Unlike the Art lenses, the new Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is designed for the Sony E mount as well as Micro Four Thirds with a crop factor pushing the prime lens into mid-telephoto territory. Despite the f/1.4 aperture and bokeh, the lens is designed with a compact, lightweight form.
The lens, Sigma reveals, is also compatible with Sony Fast Hybrid AF as well as eye and face AF, which helps deliver precise focus. The autofocus motor is also quiet enough for video shooting, Sigma says.
The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM
Continuing into the longer focal lengths, the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports mixes a telephoto zoom with Intelligent OS for stabilizing shots even when panning. While the name says Sports, the focal length is popular among other genres like weddings and portraits — Sigma says that a smooth bokeh and minimal aberration will help outside of sports, too. To that end, the AF Function button on the lens can be customized using a lens dock or through the camera.
Sigma calls the design both robust and lightweight ,with seals against dust and splashes and coatings on the front element to repel water and oil. The lens will be available in Sigma, Canon, and Nikon mounts.
The Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports
600mm isn’t uncommon, but is a pretty extreme telephoto — and Sigma’s is the first that has a 10x zoom, according to the company’s data. The 60-600mm carries a wide range of focal lengths but an aperture not as wide as the rest of Sigma’s Photokina announcements. The lens uses 25 elements in 19 groups to achieve that wide range.
The lens also packs in optical stabilization rated at four stops. All those lens elements also work together for consistent performance throughout the zoom range, Sigma claims. If the 10x zoom isn’t quite enough versatility, at the 200mm position, the lens can be used for close-ups at a 1:3.3 ratio. The lens will be available in Sigma, Canon, and Nikon mounts beginning next month with a list cost of about $2,000.
With the exception of the 60-600mm, Sigma hasn’t yet announced pricing and availability of the remaining five lenses.
