Lens Reviews

Sigma has long been a leader in the third-party lens market, producing an astounding array of glass that’s compatible with major DSLR systems from Nikon and Canon (plus their own camera line) as well mirrorless and other camera manufacturers. While the collection of lenses has been staggering, it’s not always been easy to figure out if a Sigma lens is a high-end professional product or a consumer-level piece of optics from name and price alone.

At first glance, the Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN seems to be a run-of-the-mill, reasonably fast normal lens designed to cover the full frame format. In fact, its 45mm focal length is closer to normal than the classic 50mm, as determined by the diagonal of 24 x 36mm frame, which measures 43.26mm.

In the trifecta of portrait lenses—85mm, 105mm, and 135mm—the 85mm focal length is the gateway. It’s short enough for tight shooting spaces, while producing a real portrait look, yet versatile enough for use in other genres, including photojournalism, where a nifty 50 comes up a bit short. Enter Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens ($1,199) that’s fast enough for reportage and long enough for portraiture.

The Sigma APO 150-50mm lens is a moderately fast, super-telephoto zoom designed to work with both APS-C and full-frame DSLR cameras. It offers quite useful close focusing (7.2 ft) and two modes of what they deem "optical stabilization" (OS.) Weighing in at 67.4 oz you always know its there, but then again this is one impressive piece of...

Although Sigma released their first lens with a built-in Optical Stabilizer (OS) system in the spring of 2004, the company employed this technology in only one pro-grade lens, the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6. That has changed with the introduction of a more compact/affordable (digital-only) 18-200mm OS zoom. Sigma will not comment about future plans, but a reliable source indicates that...

Because most consumers demand very compact, lightweight equipment, the majority of lenses are designed with a relatively small aperture: f/4 to f/5.6, for example. That makes sense because the same focal length with a wide aperture would be larger, heavier, and more expensive due to the oversized optical elements and barrel. Even so, many photo enthusiasts really appreciate an...

Technical Specifications

Lens Construction: 18 Elements in 14 Groups
Angle of View: 27.9 ° - 9.5 °
Number of Diaphragm Blades: 9 Blades
Minimum Aperture: F22
Minimum Focusing Distance: 100cm / 39.4 inches
Maximum Magnification:...