In this part of our 2019 seasonal gift guides, we’re moving on from cameras to focus on lenses. There have been some great ones released over the last year. And there have also been one or two unusual ones. Here are some of our favourites.
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art vs. Canon 85mm f/1.2L II: how does it stack up?
by 1 Comment
If you’re in the market for a new lens, it may be hard to decide whether to go for a third-party option, or stick with the same brand as your camera. The Sigma Art series has received a lot of praise, and photographer Julia Trotti put it to a test. She used the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art and compared it to the Canon 85mm f/1.2L II. In the video below, you can see how the lenses compare on Canon and Sony bodies.
Sigma announces five new Global Vision lenses
by 1 Comment
Sorry, completely skipped this one in the last Sigma press event post. I was distracted by full frame freaking Foveon! But that’s not all they’ve mentioned today. Sigma has now officially announced the five new “Global Vision” lenses (that’s the collective name for their Art, Sport & Contemporary lenses) that leaked last week.
Battle of the 24-70 f/2.8 lenses: how does Sigma Art compare to Canon?
by 2 Comments
If you’re in the market for a 24-70 f/2.8 lens for your Canon camera, there are a few options available. In this video, Matthew Gore goes in-depth about the similarities and differences between Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L II and Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 ART. Both have a good reputation, and the price difference isn’t really big, which makes the decision not so easy to make. So, if you’re having second thoughts which of these to choose, this video could answer some of your questions and help you decide.
Sigma’s 14mm, 70mm and 135mm Sony E-Mount Art series lenses have started shipping
by Leave a Comment
Sigma’s lineup of native Sony E-Mount Art is now almost complete. Having shipped the 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm E-Mount lenses in June, Sigma has now started sending out the 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM, 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro and 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art series E-Mount lenses.
Having played with E-Mount versions of the 20mm and 50mm lenses only a week ago, they seem to show definite improvement on Sony bodies over MC-11 adapted EF or SA mount lenses. So these should be warmly welcomed by Sony shooters, particularly the 135mm f/1.8.
Sigma Art for Sony E vs. native Sony lenses: which perform better?
by 3 Comments
Earlier this year, Sigma announced nine Art lenses with native Sony E mount. Jason Vong tested three of them and compared them to native Sony counterparts in terms of sharpness, AF performance for photo and video, and form factor.
Jason visited Anime Expo and shot some videos and stills in this lens shootout, testing the pairs of 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.4. Let’s see his impressions and whether or not Sigma Art lenses can outperform their Sony counterparts.
Sigma announces NINE new native Sony E-Mount Art series lenses
by 5 Comments
As if Sigma hadn’t given us enough today. With new 70mm f/2.8 Macro and 105mm f/1.4 Art series lenses, we were already pretty excited. But Sigma also have an extra gift for Sony shooters. Both of the two new lenses today, as well as nine of their popular Art series full frame lenses are being released with a native Sony E-Mount.
A native Sony mount offers advantages over simply using the Canon mount version with the Sigma MC-11 adapter. Such as compatibility with Sony’s continuous (AF-C) and high speed autofocus. And you’ll likely see some Eye-AF improvements, too. Very handy if you’ve been eyeing up that new Sony A7III.
New Sigma 135mm F/1.8 DG HSM Art lens is now available for preorder
by 4 Comments
Sigma 135mm F/1.8 DG HSM Art is now officially available for preorders. Sigma has presented us with as many as four new lenses last month, but without any details on shipping and price. Now the 135mm is ready for preorders, and the shipping begins pretty soon – it’s expected on April 10th. We expected a good quality lens, and I’m sure it’s what they are. Sigma has definitely been raising the bar and improving over the years. But one thing that is pretty unexpected – the price.
The new Sigma 14mm f/1.8DG Art – Is it an astrophotographer’s dream lens?
by Leave a Comment
When it comes to taking photos of stars, the best camera/lens combos are the ones that capture the most light.
Some photographers like to use the earth’s rotation to create star trails, but many other photographers like their stars to appears as points of light. For enthusiasts who haven’t invested in tracking hardware (systems that counteract the rotation of the earth) or want to keep terrestrial elements sharp, the “500 Rule” provides basic guidance about the exposure duration. The wider the lens, the longer the usable exposure.
Sigma officially presents four new lenses: an ART zoom, two ART primes, and a Contemporary zoom
by 1 Comment
It seems that the rumors around new Sigma lenses were true. At least partially though – because they didn’t launch two new lenses, but four of them. Sigma 14mm f/1.8 and 135mm F/1.8 Art prime lenses are accompanied by two zooms: 100-400mm f/5-6.3 and 24-70mm F2.8. Considering that it’s a Sigma Art lens that got the highest DxO Mark rating ever, you might want to consider buying one of the new Art lenses if you’re looking to add these primes or zooms to your gear bag.
