Lens News

If you thought the only excitement coming out of the WPPI show in Las Vegas this week was Sony’s new A7 III 24.2MP full-frame mirrorless camera, think again. There’s actually a lot more going on, including last night’s unveiling by Sigma of two interesting lenses designed for use with Sony E-Mount cameras.

The lens that immediately caught our eye is the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, a fast, short telephoto affectionately dubbed “The Bokeh Master.” With 17 elements in 12 groups, this lens boasts the longest focal length among the wide-aperture lenses in Sigma’s f/1.4 Art line.

The folks at Sigma say they designed the 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens to deliver maximum contrast and resolution, along with beautiful out-of-focus effects. Ideal for portraiture, this lens is also well suited to sports and nature photography because it features a rugged, splash-proof design. The lens is also said to deliver fast autofocus with full-time manual override.

Also new is the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG, the first macro lens in the company’s Global Vision Art line. To facilitate optimal results at all shooting distances, Sigma designed this lens with a floating, extending, two-group focusing mechanism that maximizes performance at close shooting distances and beyond.

The new Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Art utilizes a focus-by-wire system with a newly developed coreless motor for smooth performance and the precise focusing acquisition necessary for macro photography. Pricing and availability for this lens and the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art have yet to be finalized.

Also announced was the release of firmware Version 2.0, for Sigma lenses compatible with Canon cameras featuring Lens Aberration Correction that prevents image errors before capture. You can find the firmware update, and read more about the new lenses on Sigma’s website.