News tagged with "sigma"

Some people are happy to shoot with lenses and think only of the results, but it can also be fascinating to think about how such complex, precision pieces of engineering are made. Some insight is provided by Dave Etchells over at Imaging Resource, who has just posted a story about his visit to Sigma's factory in Aizu, Japan. However, no matter how hard you try, you can't make every lens perfect - as Lensrentals Roger Cicala explains in his recent blog post. Click through for more.

Sigma has announced firmware updates for two of its most recent lenses. Version 1.02 for the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM A012 (Canon mount) and version 1.01 for the 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM C013 (Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts) bring improvements to autofocus operation and, for the latter, optical stabilisation. The lenses must be updated using Sigma's USB Dock, and owners should download the latest Version 1.1 of Sigma Optimization Pro software first. Click through for more details and the download link. 

Sigma's 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM has generated a lot of excitement since its announcement in April, as the fastest zoom ever made for SLRs. Designed for use on APS-C / DX format cameras, it offers a 28-54mm equivalent zoom range, and promises similar depth of field control to an F2.8 zoom on full frame. But can an F1.8 zoom really work? Read our detailed review to find out.  

It's an open secret that many compact cameras are produced by OEMs - companies that produce large numbers of products that are then sold under other brand names. There are also consumer-grade zooms from big name manufacturers that look much alike (we know for a fact that third-party makers commonly create lenses for the bigger brands). But we were still surprised to read about Sigma's latest patent for a 75mm F1.8 prime lens...

Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been investigating lenses for the Pentax K-50, and have just published an article assessing which score best on this well-featured little SLR. They've looked at 28 different models, from both Pentax itself and third-party makes like Sigma and Tamron, and given recommendations for the best lens to buy in various categories. This week they've also tested the Sigma APO 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM super-telephoto zoom, and compared it to the rather more expensive Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. Click through for the links.  

Sigma has been doing lots of good things recently, and one of its most interesting recent products is the USB Dock. This device connects a lens to a computer and, in concert with Sigma's Optimization Pro software, allows the user to do such things as update the firmware and configure detailed autofocus microadjustment settings. In our quick review we take a close look at how it works and what it can do. Click through to find out more.  

Just posted: Our review of the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM | C. This lens occupies its own little niche in the market, as an upgrade to the typical 18-55mm zoom that offers both usefully extended zoom range and a faster maximum aperture. It also includes Sigma's 'Hypersonic Motor' for silent focusing, and built-in Optical Stabilisation. In the latest of our lens reviews prepared in partnership with DxOMark, we see whether it should be top of the short-list for SLR owners looking to progress beyond their kit lens.

Sigma has announced a 'Mount Conversion Service' for any of its recent 'Global Vision' lenses - a paid-for service designed to reduce the uncertainty of changing camera systems. The company says it will charge between $80 and $250, plus shipping costs, depending on the specific lens. The Global Vision range currently includes seven lenses - from the huge 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS Sport for full-frame DSLRs, down to the 19mm F2.8 DN Art for Micro Four Thirds. The company has also extended the warranties on all new products to four years (USA only).

Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been investigating lenses for the Canon EOS 6D, and have tested no fewer than 95 lenses from Canon, Samyang, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and Zeiss to see which score highest. The results are presented in a multipart article, that also compares the EOS 6D results to those from the EOS 5D Mark III and the Nikon D600. Meanwhile for APS-C SLR users, this week DxOMark also reviewed two fast lenses from Sigma, the 30mm F1.4 DC HSM and (in case you missed it earlier this week) the 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM. Click through for the links.  

We've just updated our preview of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM with lens test data, courtesy of DxOMark. This lens has generated a lot of excitement as the fastest zoom ever made for SLRs, but the big question is whether its speed comes at the cost of optical quality. We've looked into this by comparing the 18-35mm to some current benchmark designs - and the results may surprise you. Click through to read all about it.

Sigma has posted an informative article on its blog by photographer Jack Howard, sharing tips on how to photograph fireworks. The article comes just in time for the 4th of July celebrations in the USA, but is equally relevant to various festivals, year-wide, all over the world. Tips include obvious pointers like making sure you have a good, sturdy tripod, but also more detailed advice about how to set up your camera's exposure and focus modes, as well as how to trigger exposures. Click through for a link to the article at blog.sigmaphoto.com.

The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM has garnered a huge amount of interest from our readers, as the fastest zoom lens ever made for SLRs. UK residents can now win one courtesy of Sigma UK's latest competition, along with a two day landscape photography workshop in Dartmoor with pro photographer Lea Tippett. For a chance of winning, submit your best landscape photo, along with 80 words saying how you'd benefit from the workshop. The closing date for entries is 31st July 2013: click through for full details.  

Sigma USA has announced its 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens for APS-C DSLRs - the world's first constant F1.8 zoom - will be available from July at a street price of around $799. Meanwhile the recommended retail price will be £799.99 in the UK, and €999 in Europe. The company has also said the lens will be available for Pentax and Sony mounts, as well as the Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts originally announced. It covers a 27-52.5mm equivalent range and offers the depth-of-field of a constant F2.7 lens on full-frame. Click through for more information and to link to our first impressions of shooting with the lens.

Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Sigma have released firmware updates, for the EOS 650D / Rebel T4i, 1 System cameras, Stylus XZ-2 and DP Merrill-series APS-C compacts repectively. The EOS 650D gains several bug fixes, mainly related to the use of STM lenses. Nikon's 1 System cameras have been updated to add support for the new 32mm F1.2 lens and continuous AF with the Nikon mount adapter FT1 and AF-S lenses, among other refinements. The Olympus Stylus XZ-2 has been updated for support with the new VF-4 electronic finder, and Sigma's DP Merrill-series benefit from several performance and stability improvements. Click through for details. 

We've just published our first impressions of shooting with the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art lens. We've tried to express just why we're so excited about this lens, which offers APS-C DSLR users access to some of the depth-of-field and low-light capabilities that full-frame shooters get from their F2.8 zooms. We're hoping to hear about pricing and availability soon so, in the meantime and in the light of our first impressions, what would you expect to pay for this lens? Click through for a link to the article and for your chance to comment. 

We've been lucky enough to get our hands on an early pre-production sample of one of the most anticipated lenses of the year, the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM, and bring you a gallery of full-resolution sample images shot with it. This lens is the fastest zoom ever made for SLRs and, in principle, should provide the depth-of-field control and low-light image quality on an APS-C DSLR that you'd get using an F2.8 zoom on 35mm full-frame. We've shot a samples gallery including a variety of subjects, using a range of apertures, focal lengths and subject distances, to try to give an initial flavor of how the lens performs.

In a brief note on its Japanese website, Sigma has announced that the Sony and Pentax mount versions of its highly-regarded 35mm F1.4 DG HSM 'Art' lens will go on sale on 31st May. It's also announced that the Nikon-mount version of its 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM 'Sports' telephoto zoom will be available at the same time. We gave the 35mm F1.4 our Gold Award when we reviewed it back in December, for its combination of exceptionally good optics and solid build at a price rather lower than the camera manufacturers' equivalents.

Sony's RX1 fixed 35mm full frame compact has received the prestigious Camera Grand Prix 2013 title, while Sigma's 35mm F1.4 DG HSM was named lens of the year. The awards, organized by the Japanese Camera Journal Press Club have a history of recognizing what prove to be historically significant cameras. Meanwhile, the Editors Awards were given to the Canon EOS 6D and Sigma's DP Merrill series of compacts.

Just posted: Our hands-on preview of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens. The announcement of the world's first constant F1.8 zoom caused a lot of discussion, much of it centered around the idea that the brighter aperture would help APS-C DSLRs to compete toe-to-toe with full frame cameras in many respects. We've had a chance to handle the lens and prepare a preview putting its capabilities in more context. Click here to find out more.

Korean website lcap.tistory.com has published what it claims are sample images from the new Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM lens, purporting to show its performance in a range of different shooting situations, on both a Canon EOS 600D and 5D Mark III. We doubt very much that the site had Sigma's permission to publish the images from a pre-production lens, but if you're curious, you can click through for a link to the original 'preview' at lcap.tistory.com.