SIGMA IN THE NEWS
Read what the experts have to say about lenses from
the world’s leading independent lens manufacturer
ELECTRONIC
Flash Series
FOR CREATIVE TTL PHOTOGRAPHY
A range of dedicated flashguns
that light the way to superb
indoor and outdoor photography.
SIGMA EF-610 DG ST
A fully automatic flashgun which
includes an auto-zoom bounce,
swivel head and a powerful
Guide Number of 61.
SIGMA EF-610 DG SUPER
An equally powerful yet versatile
flashgun with advanced features
including wireless and high speed
flash, exposure control, strobe
flash and modelling flash.
SIGMA EM-140 DG MACRO FLASH
A dual tube macro flash perfect
for shadowless, fine detail
photography. Flash tubes can be
fired together or separately for
different lighting effects.
All three flashguns are compatible
with the latest TTL systems from
popular SLR manufacturers.
For further information, visit your nearest
Sigma stockist or contact us at Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd.
13 Little Mundells, Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 1EW
Tel: 01707 329 999 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sigma-imaging-uk.com photography
is our world
The Sigma Corporation, Japan is the
world’s largest independent lens
manufacturer. Since it was founded
by Michihiro Yamaki in 1961 the
corporation has constantly been at
the forefront of lens technology.
Here in the UK, the photo press soon
realised that the name Sigma was
synonymous with build quality and
optical excellence. They embraced
the output from the new company
and put the lenses through rigorous
testing both on the workbench and
in the field. Time and time again
they were amazed at the results and
produced reviews that reflected this.
It is the complete dedication to design
and quality control that sets Sigma
apart from other manufacturers. This
is proven by the string of complementary test reports and rave reviews
appearing in the photo press on a
regular basis culminating in many well
deserved awards for excellence.
New generation
lenses for a new
generation of
cameras
In the following pages we reproduce a
selection of quotes taken directly from
the UK photo press, published both in
magazines and on the web.
19mm f/2.8 EX DN
Mirrorless interchangeable lens
cameras are a new generation of
camera system, utilising the very
latest mechanical technology.
Sigma’s new DN lenses are designed
exclusively for mirrorless cameras
and benefit from new technology
such as a linear AF motor, ensuring
near silent autofocussing, and
superior telecentric optical design.
COVER IMAGE
BY DAVE WALL
What Digital Camera
'An Olympus PEN Mini was used for these tests
and produced some excellent MTF results that
approached the 0.5 cycles-per-pixel maximum
figure. For this reason and despite a gradual
decline from f/11, Sigma’s 19mm prime has been
awarded maximum marks for its MTF performance. Real world pictures were virtually free of
chromatic aberration. Overall this is an exceptional lens that should satisfy all users who want
a very affordable, modest wide angle prime.
30mm f/2.8 EX DN
What Digital Camera
'The Sigma 30mm DN-format prime is a very
strong performer indeed. Fortunately, automatic
focusing is both very quick and very quiet: in fact
it is virtually silent. It has a brisk and reliable AF
system that records bitingly sharp images. It is
also very well priced, which is an added bonus.'
10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM
4.5mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM
Practical Photography
‘The lens itself feels solid and well made, and the
autofocus is fast and quiet. Results are good, with
high levels of sharpness at the centre of the
frame. A well made specialist optic that’s unique
in the market place and hard to fault.’
PhotoPlus
‘Fit one of these to your camera and you get an
instant wow-factor just looking through
the viewfinder. Autofocus comes courtesy
of Sigma’s fast and near silent HSM system,
which worked flawlessly in our tests.
As well as creating a fisheye effect, this
lens is also great for use with computer
s t i t c h i n g s o f t w a re , s o yo u c a n
transform images into navigable
virtual reality scenes. And to the
best of our knowledge, if you
want a circular fisheye for your
smaller-sensor camera, this is the
only one of the market.’
8mm f/3.5 EX DG
Ephotozine
‘...when using software to create
panoramics or for those involved
in scientific measurement of angles,
where the output from this lens is
quantifiable, this lens is an excellent
tool.’
Professional Photographer
‘This lens is built and finished to a very
high standard. The optical performance is
extraordinary considering the lens delivers
circular images.’
Practical Photography
‘Lenses this short often suffer from flare in the
lens elements but we found no such problems with
this one, even shooting directly into bright light.’
Digital SLR User
‘The Sigma 8mm is an excellent fisheye lens. It makes a
tempting choice compared to more expensive own brand options.’
Freelance Photographer
‘This is a lens almost without competition and justifies the EX DG branding.’
FISH EYE
LENSES
Digital Photographer
‘There’s clearly a lot of glass and metal crammed
into a small volume, but it does feel very wellmade as a result. The focusing is fast and quiet too.
It will focus right down to 13.5cm which is an
advantage where you want to produce striking
perspectives and distorted relationships between
nearby objects and their backgrounds. Optically,
the performance is very good.’
PhotoPlus
‘For a non-zoom lens, this is a chunky piece
of kit, which is explained not only by the
huge lump of optical glass at the front
that creates the fisheye effect, but also
by its fast f/2.8 maximum aperture.’
IMAGE BY
ROB FRANKLIN
15mm f/2.8 EX DG
Amateur Photographer
‘Optically the Sigma 15mm f/2.8
tested a nose ahead of the Canon.’
Outdoor Photography
‘With an impressively close
minimum focusing distance
of 15cm, this lens allows you to
fill the frame with certain subjects.
It is also a real ‘go anywhere’ lens. Its
compact dimensions and tough build
mean that you will be confident it will
stand up to the rigours of shooting in
the wilderness...’
Professional Photographer
‘Overall resolution is excellent. The level
of colour saturation and contrast are
excellent, whilst chromatic aberration
is minimal.’
Digital SLR User
‘I was reluctant indeed to hand it back
and have no hesitation in wholeheartedly
recommending it.’
FAST
PRIME
LENSES
30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
Ephotozine
‘Sigma need to be congratulated on this one!’ ‘The
picture quality alone, will pay dividends for those of you
who purchase this lens. Me? I don’t really want to
send it back!’
Professional Image Maker
‘Gathering another three stops over a typical widerange zoom lens is a significant benefit. If you need a
really wide aperture to preserve the atmosphere of a
ceremony or to shoot without being detected, this is
about the only lens in town.’
35mm f/1.4 DG HSM
IMAGE BY
ENDHALS
IMAGE BY LEA TIPPETT
20mm f/1.8 EX DG
24mm f/1.8 EX DG
Amateur Photographer
‘The colour is accurate... the lens holds shadow and
highlight detail very well. VERDICT: I am very pleased
with the results from the SIGMA 20mm f/1.8 - so
much so that I really, really want one.’
Amateur Photographer
‘The 24mm f/1.8 offers visually outstanding sharpness
from corner to corner, especially around the f/8 mark.
Vignetting too is undetectable, even when wide open.
Colour and contrast are faithfully recorded, with plenty
of detail in the highlights and shadow areas...this is a
popular focal length and should satisfy many users.
Digital photographers will love the useful 36mm
comparative focal length. A top-flight optic.’
Practical Photography
‘Even though it’s clearly aimed at digital SLR users, this
lens is a welcome addition to the arsenal of lenses
available to film users due to its low light capabilities.’
Digital Camera Buyer
’The unique selling point of this particular lens is its
fast maximum aperture of f/1.8.’
WINNER OF: THE EISA LENS AWARD 2001-2002
28mm f/1.8 EX DG
Amateur Photographer
‘This is a fast and quiet lens in operation, with the extra
stop giving a bright, clear viewfinder image for picking
out those details, particularly in low light...the vignetting aspect of the lens, even wide open, is astonishing. If
you like prime lenses and appreciate the quality,
the 28mm f/1.8 is a lens that is seriously
worth considering. The near-human-eye
viewpoint for the digital SLR user is
another bonus that should ensure
the optic's success.’
British Journal of Photography
‘Optical distortion is amazing and
shows low barrel distortion for
this angle of view.’
WINNER OF:
THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER
LENS OF THE YEAR 2008
Photography Blog
A fast, well-built prime lens that delivers superb results.
Essential!
Ephotozine
Sigma appear to have everything right with this new lens. It
delivers excellent optical quality, at a tempting price point
that is quite a bit cheaper than the competition from the
likes of Canon, Nikon & Sony.
50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
Practical Photography
‘One of the only effective 50mm primes on the market
and a great price too – there’s nothing like it.’
WINNER OF: THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER
LENS OF THE YEAR 2010
British Journal of Photography
‘This lens is the first major redesign of its genre for half
a century, and it looks like no other 50mm f/1.4 ever
made. At f/1.4 the centre of the image is not only
focused perfectly at any distance, it’s critically sharp,
resembling the best results at f/8 from high-end zooms.
At full aperture it’s better than any other previous lens
I’ve used.
85mm f/1.4
EX DG HSM
Professional
Image Maker
‘The engineering is the
high standard we have
come to expect from
Sigma. A nice touch is the
provision of a deeper lens
hood extension for users
with APS-C size chips.
What Digital Camera
‘...this is a very nice lens that offers a bright
viewfinder and excellent image quality.’
Ephotozine
‘Sigma have created a real gem... an excellent value lens,
more than capable of producing superb results.’
IMAGE BY
DAVE KAI-PIPER
50mm f/2.8 EX DG
70mm f/2.8 EX DG
British Journal of Photography
‘...In the case of Sigma, Canon and Konica Minolta
mounts, there is an unusually small minimum aperture
of f/45 (f/32 for Nikon and Pentax). This can provide
beautiful effects with some shots and Sigma is to be
applauded for providing this option. Both lenses
produced excellent results, with fine detail and smooth
tone gradation over a range of magnifications.’
Practical Photography
If you are thinking of investing in a macro lens for
general-purpose use, this would certainly be a good
choice.’
Photography Monthly
‘Although it’s designed for use on full frame cameras,
it’s equally at home on models with an APS-C sized
sensor.’
Professional Photographer
‘At larger apertures the in-focus parts of the picture
are so sharp you need gloves to handle them, while the
out of focus parts are soft and smooth. In fact, the
Sigma continues to impress even wide open at f/2.8,
where it performs superbly as a portrait lens.’
Amateur Photographer
‘The most noticeable feature is its excellent, virtually
perfect drawing – that is, the absence of curvilinear
distortion. Combined with low spherical aberration, it
means there is good definition at full aperture with
high resolution across the frame.’
Digital Photographer
‘But now for the winner… the Sigma excels in our
view, as it is a true macro lens in every sense of the
word. We love its brilliant magnification, really enabling
you to pick up great texture and contrast in the
smallest of subjects. If you’re after
a decent macro performer,
then this is a must for
anyone looking to get
closer than close.’
What Digital Camera
‘Image quality from the lens is great. It’s as sharp as a
knife, with excellent contrast and resolution. Sigma’s
optics rarely fail to impress...’
WINNER OF: EISA & TIPA LENS AWARDS 2007-2008
British Journal of Photography
‘At this price, and with such a high level of performance, the 70mm Macro, which is available in Nikon,
Canon, Sony, Pentax and Sigma mounts, is little short of
remarkable.’
Photography Monthly
‘With razor sharp, wide-open images, this is possibly
the best of Sigma’s highly rated macro lenses.
105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Digital Camera
‘… not only is it one of the sharpest lenses on test, its
consistency across the frame is just as impressive. Even
when used at the widest aperture, it matches the midaperture performance of its rivals. The Sigma optic
does a remarkable job to offer similar performance,
recording high detail throughout its aperture
range and keeping aberrations at bay, as well as
providing the benefits of optical stabilisation and a
near silent autofocus system!’
WINNER OF: THE AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER FIXED
FOCAL LENGTH LENS OF THE YEAR AWARD 2013
N Photo
‘Launched last year, the optically stabilised Sigma
105mm is a wishlist come true for macro
photographers. The HSM autofocus is practically
silent, very fast and extremely accurate. Manual
focusing is wonderfully smooth and precise too.
Image quality is what matters most…the Sigma
wins with class-leading sharpness at small
apertures, ideal for macro shooting.’
150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
IMAGE BY
ROSS HODDINOTT
IMAGE BY
GECKOPHOTO
Amateur Photographer
‘Manual focusing is responsive and quick to use, especially
in combination with the AF. This is handy for close
portraits, as it gives really pleasant defocused backgrounds.
Once placed on a steady tripod, however, this lens really
excels, with the fast, quiet operation and precise focus ring
allowing you to achieve stunning results.’
MACRO
LENSES
Outdoor Photography
‘Although I’ve not had the lens
long, it clearly retains the qualities of its
predecessor. Simply, this is a sharp lens. At its fast
maximum aperture of f/2.8, it performs superbly
across the image frame, and this improves further
when stopped down by a few stops. The lens records
fine detail sharply, while delivering lovely, attractive
bokeh that is virtually free of fringing. It’s fast maximum
aperture, combined with its focal length, provides a
beautifully shallow depth of field, allowing you to easily
isolate your subject from its surroundings.’
180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Amateur Photographer
‘Optically, this lens is excellent, resolving a lot of detail
with a high level of contrast. For those serious about
their macro images, the Sigma APO 180mm f/2.8 EX
DG OS HSM is a great lens, especially as it has the dual
purpose of being a mid-range telephoto.’
NPhoto
‘Image quality is superb, backed up by great autofocus
speed and stabilisation. A true dual-purpose lens that’s
equally adept as a telephoto and as a macro optic.
Packed with fancy features and giving really sharp
images, there’s a lot to love about this lens.’
Digital Photo
‘…it’s optical quality is outstanding, the handling is
refined, and the build is very solid, so if you’re looking
for a long focal length macro lens you’ll
struggle to find a better one than this.’
TELEPHOTO
LENSES
300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM
800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM
Digital SLR User
‘Being part of Sigma’s EX range, the lens is designed to
withstand the rigours of professional use, and the build
quality is certainly very impressive. The focus ring is
one of the best I have used...’
Practical Photography
‘The hypersonic motor focusing is great – really
smooth, fast and quiet... If you need top level
performance and long focal length then this is the
lens for you.’
Photography Monthly
‘Excellent flat-line performance is what we would
expect from a prime lens and this 300mm is no
disappointment. A serious contender up against its
marque rivals.’
PhotoPlus
‘With an HSM autofocus system, focusing proved
extremely quiet and almost as fast as the Canon
500mm in our tests, and the lens features the same
full-time manual override capability. Another neat
inclusion is a drop-in filter holder at the rear of the
lens for fitting specialist filters. This is useful
because the diameter of the front elements of
super-telephoto lenses are far too large for frontmounting filters to be practical. Optical performance is extremely good all round...’
PhotoPlus
‘It looks and feels beautifully made and is fantastically
fast and quiet when focusing. My pictures really proved
the advantage of the super fast f/2.8 maximum
aperture.’
500mm f/4.5 EX DG HSM
Ephotozine
‘Overall this lens performs extremely well and
produces some excellent shots…if you have a genuine
need for this type of lens, you won’t be disappointed.’
Outdoor Photography
‘First impressions of the lens were good: it has a
compact solid feel, it’s well designed, nice to hold,
sturdily constructed, and yet fairly lightweight. The lens
features a Hypersonic Motor (HSM) and I can confirm
that it worked as described – it was very fast and very
quiet. Colour rendition, contrast and sharpness were
all excellent. When you consider it’s around £2,000
cheaper than similar ‘named’ models it is a serious
contender.’
IMAGE BY
JEREMY RUNDLE
WIDE ANGLE
ZOOM LENSES
IMAGE OF
GRAND HOTEL EXCELSIOR, MALTA
BY JOE SMITH
8-16mm
f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM
What Digital Camera
‘Sharpness at the 8mm setting is excellent right across
the aperture range.’
WINNER OF: PLUS X LENS OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010
Practical Photography
‘...despite being so wide, distortion is minimal. This
lens is really about fun and taking advantage of the
24cm minimum focusing distance to get in close to
subjects for extreme effects.’
Master Photo Digital
‘For room interiors, you simply can not include all four
walls unless your lens covers more than 90 0 horizontally. This Sigma covers slightly over 100 0 which makes
it one of the best working tools for interior and
architectural photography.’
British Journal of Photography
‘ ‘Sigma once again creates a design that exceeds all the
ambitions of every camera maker. It ranks alongside
Thomas Sutton’s 220 0 wide angle lens of 1859, or the
Zeiss Hologon 15mm f/8 for Leica, of 1972.’
10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Photoworld
‘The geometry of the lens is very good across the full
range from 10 – 20mm.
The HSM focusing is wonderful and seems to give
much finer settings with wide-angle lenses than screw
focus. The lens itself is superbly built…’
What Digital Camera
‘About a year ago, when Sigma’s variable aperture (f/45.6) 10-20mm zoom was tested, a doubt was
expressed about whether the then-forthcoming f/3.5
lens would be much better optically. The answer is a
definite yes: the latest version has stunning resolution
and performs brilliantly in real-world use. In short, this
is an absolute gem that deserves a place on every
photographers wish-list.’
The Photographer
‘The build quality of this lens is quite superb...the
extreme wide-angles of this 10-20mm zoom produce
breathtaking effects which will certainly inspire and
extend your photographic creativity.’
Amateur Photographer
‘First impressions are always important when testing
lenses… as the images came up on screen the sense
was of excellent resolution/contrast – the detail
glittered.’
10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM
12-24mm f/4-5.6 II DG HSM
Ephotozine
‘This lens is sharp! At 20mm, resolution tests showed
it matched, and at one point even slightly out
performed the venerable Canon 17-40mm L. The
performance is excellent and the size and weight is
little more than a standard.
With the wide field of view that this lens gives the
digital SLR owners that require panoramic style angles,
this lens is an answer to their prayers.’
Master Photography
‘Combined with the solid, silky-smooth feel of the
whole lens it does give the impression of quality. …this
is a professional tool for commercial, architectural,
landscape, creative and social applications. Overall, I
would rate this as an indispensable lens for full frame
systems if you don’t already own anything wider than
16mm. At around £800 inc VAT it is very affordable and
has to get a five-star recommendation.’
WINNER OF: THE TIPA LENS AWARD 2006
Digital Photo
‘If you’re looking for a good value wide-angle lens, this
one is hard to fault. The Sigma 10-20mm offers a
superb combination of focal length, quality and affordability – the very things that are worthy of a Gold
Award.’
Digital Photo
‘We really put the 12-24mm through its paces. Looking
at the image sharpness we found it performed
brilliantly, maintaining sharp edges through the
aperture range – even out to the edges of the frame.
Flawless construction and great performance make it a
beauty to use. All in all, this is a real corker of a lens!’
17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM
Ephotozine
‘Focusing is powered by a silent HSM type motor,
which focuses smoothly and quickly in good conditions. The specification for the price is very good
indeed… the build quality is good, the optical
stabiliser works quite well and the lens is capable of
excellent results…’
17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC OS HSM
What Digital Camera
‘MFT testing reveals this to be a very impressive lens
with very little chromatic aberration seen. Overall it
is hard to believe that this lens is for real: it has
stunning resolution, optical stabilisation, a morethan-four-times zoom range and can be purchased for
not much over £300. Fantastic.’
British Journal of Photography
‘At macro distances…contrast at dark to light object
edges is at a high level; sharpness is excellent and fine
details are well resolved with colours near to neutral.
Zooming from the wide to tele end of the lens is smoothly
and firmly accomplished, focal length selection is finely
adjusted and holds position without slacking.’
WINNER OF:
EISA LENS OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010-2011 and
TIPA BEST ENTRY LEVEL LENS 2010
Freelance Photographer
‘At 17mm, the Sigma is as sharp as more expensive
marque offerings. What it does still offer is amazing
close focusing down to a magnification of 1:2.7, with
a 47mm distance between the lens and subject.’
PhotoPlus
‘Performance for chromatic aberrations, vignetting,
ghosting and flare are all impressive. The lens is very
sharp, even at maximum apertures, and extremely
sharp with just a single-stop
reduction in aperture.’
STANDARD
ZOOM LENSES
24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM
Practical Photography
‘…you’re getting a high performance lens that reduces
distortion, flare and aberration that could ruin a great
shot.’
British Journal of Photography
‘The Sigma seems comparable to the current Canon
wide open… and sharper centrally than the Nikkor.
Colour transmission, contrast and the look of the
image are hard to fault.’
Master Photo Digital
‘It’s strikingly sharp centrally and has good even coverage at 70mm. If you want an ultrasonic focusing 2470mm f/2.8 at around half the price of your own brand,
this is your only option.’
WINNER OF:
EISA LENS OF THE YEAR AWARD 2009-2010
IMAGE BY
DAVE KAI-PIPER
HYPERZOOM
LENSES
18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 II DC OS HSM
PhotoPlus
'Another addition to the Mark II lens is the FLD
(Flourite Low Dispersion) element, which has very
high light transmission and exceptionally low dispersion, designed to match the performance of the
fluorite glass found in some of Canon’s top-spec L
series lenses. Distortions are all well controlled and
shapness remains good, even when combining the
longest telephoto zoom setting with the largest
available apertures.'
N Photo
‘The recently launched version of this lens is smaller
and lighter than its predecessor. The Sigma has the
sharpest performance of any lens in the group at its
maximum zoom stretch.’
Digital SLR
‘Along with its 18-250mm bigger brother, it delivered a
decent close-up result and kept barrel distortion
under tighter control at the 18mm setting than both
the Tamrons.’
Digital Camera
‘All too often it seems that edition ‘II’ lenses represent
minor tweaks to the original but this is a completely
new lens. Shorter, lighter and has a smaller 62mm filter
thread.
18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM
Digital SLR
‘There can be little doubt that when assessing the
shots, this Sigma delivers the best performance. This is
a well-specified and compact lens that feels well
balanced and handles nicely on the camera.’
Ephotozine
‘Superzoom lenses are often full of compromises, but
in this 18-250mm lens from Sigma, the compromises
are few and far between. If you're after a convenient
all-in-one lens for travel, then the sharpness delivered
by this lens certainly makes it worthy of serious
consideration, especially when compared to
manufacturer’s own superzoom offerings. It's lighter,
more compact, cheaper,
offers more reach and
performs about as well,
if not better in
some areas.’
IMAGE BY
ROGER REYNOLDS Hon. FRPS
Digital Camera
‘Handling and build
quality feel refined,
solid and robust, and
there’s no hint of zoom
creep. An extra bonus
of this lens, compared
with its bigger
predecessor, is that it
offers particular close
focusing down to 35cm.’
TELEPHOTO
ZOOM LENSES
IMAGE BY
JOE McNEILAGE
70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG MACRO
70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG MACRO
70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS
Digital Photo
‘Impressive results that are close to those of the APO
version. There’s a good level of sharpness throughout.
This is a well-built lens and great value for the price.’
Digital Camera Shopper
‘The auto focus mechanism itself is impressively quick
in normal operation. Impressive sharpness throughout
the zoom range and speedy autofocus make this a very
attractive lens at the price.’
Photoworld
‘I have never had sharper pictures from any telephoto
in this range, even at the long end it delivers fine detail
wide open. The stabilisation is superb, and the optical
quality as seen from my Alpha 900 is better than my
Sony 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G SSM...’
Ephotozine
‘One of the features of this lens is the ‘Macro’ mode,
which allows photography to a ratio of 1:2. Not true
Macro, but a useful feature just the same.’ ‘For someone who is on a tight budget, this lens, having been
upgraded to DG (digitally optimised) status, seems to
have closed the gap slightly on its more expensive
sister.’
PhotoPlus
‘The Sigma 70-300mm DG is the second cheapest lens
in the group but still boasts a couple of nice design
features. For example, you get a macro facility, which
comes complete with a switch on the barrel, so you
can lock out the short end of the focusing range for
general use, making for faster, more efficient autofocus
in tricky conditions.’
What Digital Camera
‘At 300mm, the central control is as good as that of the
Nikon and Olympus models.’
Digital Photographer
The Sigma delivers handling and image quality beyond
what you’d expect at this price.’
F2 Magazine
‘First, let me say this lens is one of the best
70-300mm‘s I’ve used, a match for the Nikon 70300mm or the Sony 70-300mm G.’
Digital SLR Photography
Build quality is very good. Autofocus is responsive in
all lighting conditions. SLD (Special Low Dispersion)
elements means that resolution is higher than average.’
Practical Photography
‘...it is the cheapest full-frame stabilised lens by around
£100. If you need a lightweight performer with the
reassurance of stabilisation system, then this lens
offers unbeatable value.’
Practical Photography
‘With a better build quality and great results it proves
itself to be a formidable lens and therefore earns our
Best Buy award.’
NPhoto
The Sigma 70-300mm produced the best results in the
test across the board for sharpness, colour fringing and
distortion.’
FAST TELEPHOTO
ZOOM LENSES
50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM
What Digital Camera
‘…this is a very capable and feature-packed lens that is
bound to appeal to a lot of APS-C DSLR owners.’ ‘Both
focussing and zooming are fully internal with no disturbance of the manual focussing ring and without any
extension or rotation of the lens barrel.’ ‘The padded
carrying case is a welcome inclusion that provides
excellent protection and a home for the lens hood if it
is detached from the zoom.’
PhotoPlus
It is an APO lens so it‘s made from SLD glass elements
– six to be precise – in order to achieve excellent
image quality and reduce signs of chromatic aberration.
The lens is very quick to focus, and produces some
excellent quality images. The four-stop stabiliser is
great for handheld shooting.’
70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Amateur Photographer
‘Matching the Canon for specification, Sigma offer a
constant f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens at a lower price.
Zooming is smooth across the span. This is a first class
modern lens that is easy for the action and sports
photographer to use.’
Digital Photography Review
‘It tends to be very sharp in the center of the frame
even wide open… giving truly excellent results across
the frame by F5.6 - F8. Of particular note is the almost
complete lack of chromatic aberration, which presumably is due to the use of the latest 'FLD' glass in the
lens's construction. The resultant absence of color
fringing is important as it means the images look
extremely clean right across the frame, and this has a
strong positive impact on the overall perceived image
quality. Sigma has clearly been working hard in the
lens's stabilization and focusing systems, and we found
that both performed extremely well.’
IMAGE BY NEIL BATES
Ephotozine
‘At f/2.8 the resolution in the centre is already very
good… Here the sharpness across the frame is
excellent. Sigma's optical stabiliser is certainly capable
and is about as effective as the system found in marque
lenses. This adds to the feeling of good value this lens
provides, especially as it's around £400 cheaper than
the marque competition.’
50-500mm f/5-6.3 EX DG OS HSM
Digital Photographer
‘In terms of specifications, the Sigma 50-500mm must
surely be the ultimate telephoto zoom. The 10x zoom
range is impressive enough, but the Optical Stabiliser
completes the package. The Sigma 50-500mm does an
awful lot for the money - well worth the investment.’
Digital Photo
‘For the price you expect the build quality to be firstclass and the good news is, it is! The zoom and focus
rings offer plenty of grip; the zoom extended smoothly
to its maximum 500mm range and can be locked at
50mm to prevent zoom creep. Image quality tests
revealed sound levels of sharpness at 500mm.’
Digital Camera Essentials
‘The optical stabiliser has made a big difference, cutting
camera shake and making it far easier to compose
accurately at full zoom while handholding the lens. The
10x zoom offers a wide range of compositional choice.
You can crop in tightly on details, and the shallow DOF
at long zoom settings gives pleasing effects. For a giant
lens, the Sigma has a remarkably ‘wide’ minimum focal
length of 50mm, making it very versatile.’
Professional Image Maker
‘By many standards, this is a spectacular lens with one
of the largest (if not THE largest) zoom ranges around
in DSLR photography.’
120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM
British Journal of Photography
‘I was not disappointed, nor surprised to find the
120-400mm turning in a result marginally improving
the high marks obtained for one of the finest Nikon
zooms ever produced.’
Digital Camera
‘Handheld results are vastly improved by Sigma’s OS
technology, which lived up to its claims of a four-stop
advantage in our tests, enabling consistently
shake-free shots at slow shutter speeds. Sharpness
and contrast were extremely good throughout the
zoom range, matching or exceeding the overall
image quality of some lenses on test that cost
about twice the price.
PhotoPlus
‘Optical quality proved excellent throughout the
zoom range in our tests, with minimal distortion
or aberrations. For the price, Sigma has come up
with an absolute cracker with this lens.’
Digital SLR Photography
‘...its performance and image quality impressed me
to the degree that I decided to buy one. In particular,
its close-focusing ability and OS technology suits my
needs perfectly.
150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Ephotozine
‘In terms of features versus value for money, this
lens has to be the telephoto bargain of the
century to date. With both a sonic focusing
system and an optical stabilisation system,
coupled with a good optical performance and
reasonably compact dimensions, I can see this
optic finding a lot of suitors.’
Photography Monthly
'The lens’ AF system uses Sigma’s Hypersonic
Motor (HSM). This gives quick and silent operation comparable to what you’d expect from a
Canon USM or Nikon SWM lens.’
Outdoor Photography
‘The OS, Sigma’s Optical Stabilisation seems just as
effective as the Canon’s, and I managed to get
sharp shots at around 100sec handheld, amazing
for a 500mm. The optical quality is astounding in
this price bracket.’
300-800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM
Outdoor Photography
‘Zoom-wise, this lens has no real competitor and so is
in a class of its own.' 'The AF was fast, silent and
accurate. The results of this session were stunnng - I
couldn't have been happier. Since viewing the
results...this lens has gone virtually everywhere with
me. Would I buy one? Yes.’
The Photographer
‘From time to time landmark products redefine our
photography. These products may be new cameras or
the latest imaging software, but sometimes they are
the most important items which produce our images:
the lenses. A big advantage of this lens is that you are
able to adjust the zoom to the precise focal length
required to frame your subject… Imagine being on
safari and finding that the 500mm lens you have on the
camera is not tight enough… you might need, say,
726mm to fill the frame. With this Sigma zoom, you’ve
got every possible focal length from 300mm to 800mm
in a single lens – and all at the same f/5.6 aperture.’
Ephotozine
‘The optical qualities of the lens make it worth
carrying the weight along with you. It is sharp throughout the range, has excellent contrast and good neutral
colour rendition. With a constant aperture of f/5.6
throughout the focal lengths and excellent performance wide open there is very little to criticise…once
it is in a situation where it is comfortable, there is not
a lot that can touch it. With converters, it can match
the focal lengths achieved by Digiscoping with an
enormous leap in quality. I’ve used it on 4,6,10 and
12mp cameras and all the results are stunning.’
IMAGE BY PAUL REYNOLDS
TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENSES
120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM
Digital Photographer
'The zoom range and constant f2.8 max aperture is
unique and it has a four-stop optical image stabiliser.
Build quality is exceptionally good though the front half
of the barrel is made of engineering plastic. Nevertheless, the rest is made of aluminium alloy and feels very
durable. Sigma’s HSM is both near silent and fast in
operation.'
PhotoPlus
‘What it does give you is the holy grail of long
telephoto reach combined with a fast maximum
aperture of f/2.8. Other finery includes a four-stop
optical stabiliser with dual modes, ring type ultrasonic
autofocus and very sturdy build quality,’
N Photo
A unique blend of telephoto zoom range and fast
maximum aperture makes this very versatile.’ ‘Image
quality is excellent for a zoom lens, with very good
sharpness and contrast.’ ‘It’s a weighty beast but very
versatile thanks to its extended telephoto zoom
range.’
British Journal of Photography
‘Sigma is not so much a cost-competitive brand as one
that delivers innovative products and professional
performance at a very affordable price. Overall, the
300-800mm zoom works brilliantly and captures some
very eye-catching images. At £5,000 it isn’t cheap, but
it is a lot less costly than some of its potential rivals.
More importantly, it is a very versatile and
superbly built lens that, for the right
users, will surely justify every
penny of its price.’
Digital Photographer
‘The optical qualities of the lens make it worth
carrying the weight along with you. It is sharp throughout the range, has excellent contrast and good neutral
colour rendition. With a constant aperture of f/5.6
throughout the focal lengths and excellent performance wide open, there is very little to criticise.
Distortion is almost immeasurable with figures of less
than a half of one percent at both ends of the zoom.’
RPS Journal
‘The ability to continuously vary the focal length of
such a long lens was very useful, since it was possible
to fill the frame with a single bike at various distances
from the track. Autofocus was fast enough to follow
moving bikes, which seems particularly impressive
when you consider the volume of glass in the lens. The
large zoom and focus rings were easy to find, and
continuous manual focusing was useful on occasions
when the camera lost autofocus and needed a manual
tweak to get it back.’
Photography Monthly
‘This lens is in a class of its own – no other zoom lens
on the market approaches its pulling power. There is
very little drop-off in resolution between the shorter
and longer ends of the zoom and the difference
between centre and edge is minimal.’
Freelance Photographer
‘It’s a flexible and uncommon bit of hardware that, if
you’ve given the right assignments, will pay for itself.
Rather than hiring, owning one gives you the chance to
take some astounding images – cityscapes to wildlife,
covert ‘spy’ shots, sports – the range of applications for
this lens is huge. More impressive is that the AF is fast;
the zoom control is light and precise, with no creep.
You simply cannot fault
the results this lens
gives.’
DIGITAL SLR
SYSTEM
SD15
Outdoor Photography
‘I opened the smart black
box containing the SD15
with anticipation and thinking,
‘yes, there is definitely something
a bit special here’. This is a
handsome, no nonsense
looking camera and it’s well
put together. The grip is deep
and extremely comfortable, while
build quality, fit and finish are
all first class.’
Black and White Photography
‘In practice, I have found that the Foveon
does indeed provide exceptional per
pixel sharpness and colour accuracy that
really helps give images a depth that is unique in the
digital arena. I can honestly say that the SD15 is the
most intuitively straightforward camera I have used in
a long time.
Digital Camera
‘If you haven’t seen what the Foveon sensor can do,
you’ll be amazed at the clarity of the fine detail it
produces. Each pixel is razor sharp.
Digital Camera Essentials
‘Sigma’s ace-in-the-hand is a triple-layered 14megapixel Foveon CMOS sensor. Many shots displayed
a painterly look that can be attractive, given the
correct subject.’
DIGITAL
COMPACTS
DP1 MERRILL
Ephotozine
The Sigma DP1 Merrill has an excellent lens and sensor
and is capable of producing stunning images with
excellent colour and outstanding levels of detail.
Photography Blog
The images that it produces thanks to the combination
of the 19mm fixed lens and the intriguing Foveon X3 sensor
are simply outstanding.
SD1 MERRILL
Ephotozine
The Sigma SD1 is capable of taking some gorgeous
photos with excellent detail at the pixel level.
If you shoot RAW then the camera is capable of
creating some great looking photos which are
especially impressive for fine detail and textures. The
15.6/46 megapixel images can quite easily match the
images from Bayer sensor cameras such as the 24.3
megapixel APS-C Sony Alpha A77.
PhotographyBlog
‘Colour rendition is great on the Sigma SD1 Merrill.
Noise simply doesn't exist at ISO100. Pictures are
smooth, detailed where they need to be and three
dimensional in appearance.’
‘We were really excited to get hold of the Sigma SD1
Merrill, it's a lovely camera to hold and you can feel the
workmanship that's gone into it. Given the right lens,
we think that the SD1 Merrill would be able to pick
out every pore on a model's face and get the colours
and contours of the skin bang on.’
DP2 MERRILL
Ephotozine
The Foveon sensor is capable of resolving excellent - to
stunning - levels of detail far beyond what you would
usually expect from 15 megapixel images.
Photography Blog
The Sigma DP2 Merrill's image quality is outstanding.
Amateur Photographer
In good-contrast light, I have not seen such a high
standard of performance from a camera at this level,
and the DP2 outperforms many cameras above it too.
‘ If you haven’t seen what the
Foveon sensor can do, you’ll be
amazed at the clarity...’ DIGITAL CAMERA
SIGMA IN THE NEWS
Read what the experts have to say about lenses from
the world’s leading independent lens manufacturer
ELECTRONIC
Flash Series
FOR CREATIVE TTL PHOTOGRAPHY
A range of dedicated flashguns
that light the way to superb
indoor and outdoor photography.
SIGMA EF-610 DG ST
A fully automatic flashgun which
includes an auto-zoom bounce,
swivel head and a powerful
Guide Number of 61.
SIGMA EF-610 DG SUPER
An equally powerful yet versatile
flashgun with advanced features
including wireless and high speed
flash, exposure control, strobe
flash and modelling flash.
SIGMA EM-140 DG MACRO FLASH
A dual tube macro flash perfect
for shadowless, fine detail
photography. Flash tubes can be
fired together or separately for
different lighting effects.
All three flashguns are compatible
with the latest TTL systems from
popular SLR manufacturers.
For further information, visit your nearest
Sigma stockist or contact us at Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd.
13 Little Mundells, Welwyn Garden City, Herts. AL7 1EW
Tel: 01707 329 999 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sigma-imaging-uk.com photography
is our world