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Sigma (upcoming) 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM

Yves Roumazeilles — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:08:16 +0000

It’s hard to be sure of the details on this new lens from Sigma, since they announced that there is a delay (it will not be available this month – in March 2013). The only useful thing I would like to point to the significant items in the spec list:

Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM

Dust-proof and splash-proof construction
High image quality close to fixed focal length lens
Focus limiter button (to speed AF up)

Sigma also disclosed that they want this lens to be the first in a long (and new) line of “sports-oriented” lenses (read: lens line of big focal lengths, and possibly relatively inexpensive… for long lenses).

So, we will have to wait until we can see if these features are accompanied with excellent optical quality (or not) for this Sigma new 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM lens.

Sigma SD1: Back to mental stability

Yves Roumazeilles — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:07:40 +0000

After trying to sell their SD1 Digital SLR camera at the unreasonable price of $9,700 or 7,000€ or £6,199.99 (inc VAT), Sigma finally decided that customers are not completely wackos about the camera and just announced a much more normal price of $3300 (with a minimum advertised street price of $2200/2500€).

It may seem still too high, but it is in direct relation with the reality of the market for a rather exceptional digital sensor.

The only difference is that Sigma re-brands the camera as SD1 Merrill (adding the name of the inventor of the Foveon sensor included in the camera).

Sigma SD1 Merill

Marquetry Sigma SD1: The swan song?

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:07:12 +0000

When your product does not meet its market, if you are marketing manager, you need ideas. That is the reason why, at Sigma, people are looking for original ideas. And the marketing department just thought about marquetry. Or about wood to elegantly (?) wrap the most expensive photo camera of the Sigma range.

If we look at the photos illustrating this post, you’ll notice two things:

This is not really a light and discreet upgrade; Some will deny it the adjective of elegant…
This is not perfectly done: You can see quite well that it was only an after-thought.

Good luck to Sigma for the SD1, but this version including only 10 samples, they can count on some collection maniacs to buy them, can’t they?

Sigma SD1 gets a review

Yves Roumazeilles — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 11:05:25 +0000

You may have been surprised by the startospheric prices of the Sigma SD1, but at least there is one serious study testing it on the Internet : DPReview Sigma SD1 preview.

SD1: Sigma wants to fail

Yves Roumazeilles — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:51:25 +0000

There is no other possible explanation to today’s announcement by Sigma Corp. The published two critical bits of information about the Sigma SD1:

Its availability date: early June
Its MSRP price: $9,700 or 7,000€ or £6,199.99 (inc VAT)

Sigma SD1

Even thinking that the SD1 is competing with medium format photo cameras, the 46 MP DSLR will be out of reach for nearly everybody. This is about the same price as for the Pentax 645D, but without the aura of the Pentax, without the extremely comfortable feel of a real medium format photo camera like the 645D.

And remember that the 46 Mega-pixels are actually 3 layers of color 15 MP Foveon-stacked, which still have to demonstrate that they are perfectly on par with a more usual Bayer sensor organization. Not that one is inherently better than the other, but when you are the challenger, you’d better bring some more arguments to the benchmark to topple the already existing top competitor.

Some differences that may make the difference:

	Sigma SD1	Pentax 645D
Sensor	46MP Foveon	40MP @ 12/14 bits
Exposure control	77-segment, 3 modes & manual	77-segment, 7 modes & manual
ISO	100-6400	100-1600
AF	11-twin cross	11-zone (incl. 9-cross)
Flash	Manual Pop-up Built-in flash, GN 11 (17mm lens angle covered) Hot shoe (contact X synchronization at 1/180 sec. or less, with dedicated flash linking contact)	Hot shoe, X-sync socket, sync-speed: 1/125 sec., P-TTL, high-speed-sync, wireless-sync with Pentax dedicated external flash
Viewfinder	98%	98%
LCD	3″ LCD with 460,000 dots	3″ LCD with 921,000 dots
Body	Splash-proof	All-weather (70 seals)
Weight	700g (24.7 oz.)	1400g (49.4 oz.)

Once I exploded on this announcement, I must admit that there is a ~~good~~ better explanation than a death wish. Sigma is facing a very difficult battle. Probably, they know that they can no longer compete with Nikon, Canon, Pentax or Sony on the usual DSLR market as they tried before. So, the only way to sell the Sigma SD1 is to push for higher prices (and higher margins) trying to make the best of their existing technology. But the Foveon technology did not prove that it was so advanced it could justify most of what Sigma is trying to sell it for. We’ll see…

Sigma and the Japan earthquake

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:20:49 +0000

Sigma is one photo company which did not tell us much about the damages from the March 11 earthquake. Apparently (according to talks with people who where actually working in the plant at quake time), their Fukushima Yamagun/Aizu factory is mostly undamaged (and nearly 100 km from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant).

It is unclear what the precise impacts are going to be. According to very short comments from the Sigma France team, it seems that the logistics and supply issues are going to be the most significant to handle.

No comment at all about the Sigma SD1 but the camera does not seem to be more in trouble than since its official launch.

30mm Sigma for Sony NEX

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:58:53 +0000

Confirming their participation in the race for more E-mount lenses for the Sony NEX family of cameras, Sigma presented a prototype of the upcoming 30mm f/2.8 E.

Sigma: price for the f/2.8 lenses

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:41:09 +0000

Sigma revealed the official prices for the high-end lenses presented yesterday:

120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM: $4700
Macro 150mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM: $1600

New tele-zoom at Sigma

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:52:51 +0000

The Sigma APO 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM will allow Sigma to offer second generation image stabilization (with the ability to reach 4 EV improvements) on a wide aperture tele-zoom lens (f/2.8). Now, this is usually the realm of the very best lenses (the f/2.8 aperture at 300mm is normally associated in our mind with exceptional quality prime lenses – See Canon, Nikon or Sony).

One SLD and two FLD glass elements, to reduce chromatic aberrations. The Super Multi-Layer Coating treatment to reduce unwanted reflexions and lens flare. 9 rounded blade diaphragm. AF driven by an HSM motor. Sigma did not leave any available technology out. They seem to be intent on making an excellent lens.

The result will have to be checked and compared with the ~~undisclosed~~ 3200€ price. Sigma is capable of the best or the less than best depending on the balance chosen by the Marketing Department. But it seems already going in the right direction.

Three new Sigma lenses

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:21:40 +0000

Sigma announces the launch of three new lenses in its EX series (high-end and pro lenses).

Sigma 12-24mm f/4-5.6 EX DG HSM II is a new improved version of its widest zoom lens
Sigma Macro 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM is both stabilized and Macro 1:1
Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC APO OS HSM is designed to replace the usual 70-200mm f/2.8 on an APS-C digital sensor

Sigma 12-24mm f/4-5.6 EX DG HSM II

Sigma Macro 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM

Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC APO OS HSM