Sigma Expands Art Line – Adds 24mm f/1.4 + New dp0 Quattro Camera

When Sigma introduced the 50mm Art lens photographer were pretty happy to get an almost Zeiss quality lens for under a $1000 price tag. (You can see some comparisons and tests here, here and here). We’ve heard many rumors on an upcoming 24mm art lens and today Sigma broadens the art line with a 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens, and if it compares to the 50mm art, there is much reason to rejoice.

The 20 art (A.K.A Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens) will be available for all three mounts when it starts shipping: Nikon, Canon and Sigma. I assume we will see Sony coming soon. Well, there are no prices or dates yet, so those will probably have to come first :)

One nice update to the line is the ability to switch from Auto focus to manual focus simply by engaging the focus ring (similar to Nikon and Canon lenses).

Here are the dry specs:

• SA Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
• Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
• FLD and Special Low Dispersion Elements
• Aspherical Glass Elements
• Hyper Sonic AF Motor
• Full-Time Manual Focus Override
• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
• Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Here are some highlights from the press release (bolding is mine):

The much anticipated 24mm F1.4 Art wide angle lens is designed for full-frame DSLRs, and when used on digital cameras with an APS-C size image sensor, it effectively becomes a 38mm. The lens is ideal for capturing a variety of photography subjects, including cityscapes, mountain ranges, astrophotography and weddings and is great for videography work as well. The 24mm also excels at indoor photography in low illumination thanks to the combination of exceptional focal plane sharpness, and gorgeous bokeh rendered by nine rounded aperture blades. The lens achieves a maximum magnification of 1:5.3 with a minimum focusing distance of 9.8 inches. The 24mm incorporates both “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass and Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass in a design of 15 elements in 11 groups to minimize chromatic aberration of magnification especially in the edge of the image field. Moreover, the optimized power layout includes aspherical elements that are positioned in the rear of the lens for improved wide open performance. This helps to ensure minimal distortion through the correction of axial chromatic aberration and sagittal coma flare. The new lens element design also delivers excellent peripheral brightness.

Other updates to this lens include a new full-time manual focusing mechanism that switches to manual focusing, simply by rotating the focus ring, even when AF is being used, first introduced on the 50mm Art. This allows the photographer to make focus adjustments quickly and easily. As with all new lenses under the Global Vision categories, every 24mm will be tested using Sigma’s own MTF measuring system, “A1,” in the company’s factory in Japan.

Other lenses in the Art line include 35mm F1.4 DG HSM, 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM, 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM, 50mm F1.4 DG HSM, 19mm F2.8 DN, 30mm F2.8 DN and 60mm F2.8 DN.

The 24mm F1.4 is compatible with Sigma’s USB dock, allowing photographers to update the lens’ firmware and change focus parameters as well as manual focus over-ride using Sigma’s Optimization Pro software. It is also compatible with Sigma’s Mount Conversion Service. The lens will be available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts, and timing, pricing and availability will be announced at a later date

Sigma dp0 Quattro Digital Camera

The company also announced a new Sigma dp0 Quattro Digital Camera which again) has a weird genius form factor. The new camera will utilize the Foveon X3 Quattro CMOS Image Sensor, but maybe the biggest edge with this camera over previous generation is the 14mm f/4 Lens – the widest of the line so far.

Here are the product highlights:

• 29MP Foveon X3 Quattro CMOS Image Sensor
• TRUE III Image Processing Engine
• 14mm f/4 Lens (35mm Equivalent: 21mm)
• 3.0″ 920k-dot TFT LCD Screen
• ISO Range: 100-6400 in 1/3 Steps
• RAW Image Capture
• Max RAW Resolution of 5424 x 3616
• Contrast Detection Autofocus
• Manual Focus Ring
• P/S/A/M Exposure Control