We learned this past week that Sigma will be announcing five new ahead of Photokina, which begins on September 26, 2018.
Below are the specifications for the upcoming lenses.
Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art
- Lens construction: 12 groups 17 elements (including 2 FLD lenses and 3 SLD lenses)
- Minimum focusing distance: 28 cm
- Maximum photographing magnification: 1: 5.4
- Filter diameter: 77mm
- Size: 82.8mm x 107.7mm
- Weight: To be determined
- Mount: Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony E
Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art
- Lenses developed to meet the requirements of the high-end cinerene lens
- Lens construction: 12 groups 16 elements (3 FLD lenses and 3 SLD lenses included)
- Minimum focusing distance: 40cm
- Maximum shooting magnification: 1: 6.5
- Filter diameter: 82mm
- Size: 87.8mm x 131mm
- Weight: 1200g
- Mount: Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony E
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
- Lens construction: 22 groups 22 elements (9 FLD lenses and 1 SLD lens included)
- Minimum focusing distance: 1.2 m
- Maximum magnification: 1: 4.8
- Number of diaphragm blades: 11
- Filter diameter: 82mm
- Size: 94.2mm x 202.9mm
- Weight: 1805g
- Compatible with TC-1401 / TC-2001
- Mount: Sigma, Canon, Nikon
Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5 – 6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
- Lens construction: 19 groups of 25elements (including 3 FLD lenses and 1 SLD lens)
- Minimum focusing distance: 60-260 cm
- Maximum photographing magnification: 1: 3.3 (200 mm)
- Image stabilization: 4 stops
- Filter diameter: 105mm
- Size: 120.4mm x 268.9mm
- Weight: 2700g
- Compatible with TC-1401 / TC-2001
- Mount: Sigma, Canon, Nikon
Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | Contemporary
- Lens construction: 6 groups 10 elements (including one SLD lens)
- Minimum focusing distance: 50 cm
- Maximum shooting magnification: 1: 7.4
- Filter diameter: 55 mm
- Size: 66.5mm x 59.5mm
- Weight: 280g
- Mount: Micro Four Thirds, Sony E
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The Sony 24 f/1.4 looks promising though.
The 70-200 is a Sports version, so it's probably well sealed.
Anyway.
Well, Sigma have made it quite clear over the last few years that they don't give a second thought to weight or size. Want to travel light? Sigma doesn't care. Want to fit your entire kit in a shoulder bag? Sigma doesn't care. Want to use screw-in filters? Sigma doesn't care.
Usually the optical quality and price is enough to justify it, but I do think they have recently gone overboard. The 105mm f/1.4, we were told, has the gigantic front element and weighs as much as a 70-200 in order to reduce vignetting. In reality it has almost exactly the same vignetting as the much smaller and lighter Nikon 105mm f/1.4. The Sigma 85mm is an optically superb lens, but there are several other 85-135mm lenses which outclass it while also being smaller.
I really want a pro-grade, fast 28mm lens for Canon. But that's a focal length I want because I grew up with it as the de facto walkaround lens. That's a focal length I like for environmental portraits, not studio portraits. 83x108mm and a 77mm filter thread mean it's almost certainly going to be over the 1kg mark. For a totally neutral, extra-high-quality 65mm lens I may use for a full-body shot in the studio, 77mm filters and 1kg+ bulk is fine. For a 28mm lens to use in the middle of a crowded trade show or bringing around a stately home? Nope. Nope, nope. Nope nope nope nopenope. Nope.
I mean, I expected it to be large, but that's taking the piss.
Good news is, as I mentioned on the last post about these lenses, I've handled the 56mm a while back and not only is it relatively light (especially by Sigma standards) but it's also extremely high-quality, despite the 'C' badge which I know a lot of people don't trust. Of all these, that is the lens which is really going to make a significant difference to the market.
I suppose I'll have to keep my fingers crossed Tamron will be inspired and make a more practical 28mm, since they do already have a quality 45mm. Lord knows Canon's had a 28mm f/1.4L patent forever and never acted on it...
Yes, but that's a case of the new 400mm primes being exceptionally light, and a 60-600 zoom having so much range that there's really no way it wouldn't be heavy. That's not a lens which is ever going to be used handheld, anyway, so I don't see it as much of a problem. If someone needs that kind of insane range in a zoom, they're not going to mind the size of it.
Just wanted to highlight this, since giving credits is somewhat rare one the Internet these days, so it shouldn't be ignored when its done.
Anyway, reading the weight of that 40mm shocked me a little bit. I have the 35mm 1.4 Art and delivers optical Quality that frequently amazes me - at about 670g. I'm curious what sort of improvements justify increasing that by almost 100%. I doubt the extra 5mm are to blame for it.
I always imagine Sigma coming up with the Art Series like: "What if 35mm... but big?" The thought must have continued for this one: "What if 35mm 1.4 Art... but BIG?" :LOL:
I was looking at the Tamron 45mm f/1.4 yesterday at a Tamron event. Focus is too slow on my 5DIV for what I need. I agree that a 28mm f/1.4 would be a great lens after looking at some images from my 24-70mm f/2.8L II from a party that lit Chinese flying wish lanterns. My favorite environmental shots were at 28mm compared to others at 35mm and I could have used f/1.4 in the very dark field.
The 150-600mm lenses are a little long when the wildlife comes in close for a portrait session. A sharp, quick AF 60-600mm would be very popular in Alaska regardless of the weight. This lens will be great for everything from birds, bears and whales to excursions into Denali National Park. One body with one heavy lens is still lighter than 2 bodies with with two lenses to cover the same focal range around your neck. This lens will be on my buy list if it has a good AF hit rate and is as sharp as others in its class.
I found it fast enough, albeit I've mostly used it on a 1DX2 (which delivers more power to the motors than the 5D4) and a 5D3 back when the lens launched (which always had slower focus on all lenses anyway). Regardless, the main selling point of the Tamron 45 to me is it's one of the few 'standard' primes with IS and weather sealing and, most importantly, it's got the most consistent edge-to-edge quality; only the strictest and most unrealistic of lab tests show any difference between the corners and the centre and there's zero distortion. That's become Tamron's whole thing. They're not record-breakers, but they're the most consistent.
Definition of "S" line now seems to be everything which has focal length above 135 and is not made of plastic.
The "mediocre" 150-600 allows you to do handhold wildlife shooting for hours. That's very action oriented for me.
Marketing. Being marked as a "C" is Sigma's scarlet letter.
Please give us the 60mm in EF-M.
It does fall behind if you're photographing test charts in a lab, but guess what, footballers don't wear test charts on their shirts and birds aren't carrying test charts in their beaks.
The definition of the Sport line is anything which is 1) fully sealed, 2) prioritises mid- to infinity-focus optic quality, and 3) prioritises operation over optics. (Not that any of the Sport lenses so far are optically weak in any way.) The aspects Sport lenses don't care about are size, weight, price, and optic quality at minimum focus.
For reference, Contemporary is about getting under certain size and price points for the focal length/aperture combination, and Art is about prioritising optic quality at mid- to minimum-focus distances. It's a little more nuanced than that, but it's not really hard to tell why a lens fits into which category.
They had a 50-500 and the optics were soft..... but it sold well.....
They now have a 60-600 and the optics are soft, but this time they have their 150-600 to compete with, a lens with better optics. The question will be, just how many people are willing to trade a bit of sharpness for a bit of convenience...