Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 lens is officially out, priced at $900

The new Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 has been rumored and even some photos of it leaked earlier this week. Now it’s officially out and ready for your orders, and it’s priced at $899, which is pretty tempting compared to other similar lenses.

The 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens comes in Sony FE and Leica L mount. It was designed for full-frame cameras, but of course, you can also use it on APS-C bodies. In that case, you’ll get a 36-105mm equivalent focal length. It’s a kind of a “one lens to rule them all,” with the wide-angle to portrait-length zoom range and a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture through all of it.

So what makes this lens different from other standard zoom lenses? Well, it’s pretty lightweight and small, to begin with. When I compare it to my 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma Art, my lens looks like a telescope. Another difference between the new Sigma and similar lenses from other manufacturers is the price. For example,  Nikon’s 24-70mm f/2.8 lens  costs $1,600, and Canon’s is $1,900. Sony 27-70mm lens retails at $2,100, and even Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art for Sony is $1,100. So, the $899 price tag is more than acceptable, and I sure hope that the image quality is too.

This lens features one lightweight focusing element to keeps the AF unit small. Sigma promises a quiet and fast stepping motor, which makes for responsive and near-silent AF performance. The minimum focus distance at 28mm: is 7.5″ (19cm), and 15″ (38cm) at 70mm. This gives you 1:3.3 and 1:4.6 magnification respectively.

As for the build, the lens packs 16 elements in 12 groups and a rounded nine-blade diaphragm for nice, creamy bokeh. It also has a brass bayonet, as well as rubber sealing for dust- and splash resistance.

Here are the specs:

The Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens is available for preorders and you can choose between Sony FE and Leica L mount. As I mentioned, the price is $899 and it should start shipping this March.