Latest news with #SigmaArt
CNET
05-07-2025
- CNET
This Incredible Lens Let Me Take Amazing Star Photos
CNET's key takeaways Sigma's Art 14mm f1.8 DG HSM is a fast, wide-angle lens that can take amazing photos of the night sky. It's fairly heavy at 1,120 grams (2.5 pounds) but compact for what it is. The f1.8 aperture lets you take unique wide-angle photos with a shallow depth of field. Taking photos of the sky at night is one of the most challenging types of photography. There's not a lot of light available (obviously, it's night), and to get truly epic images, you want a really wide-angle lens. Fast lenses aren't hard to find, and neither are wide-angle lenses, but fast wide-angle lenses are far rarer. Rare, and often really expensive. The Sigma ART 14mm f1.8 DG HSM isn't cheap by any stretch, but it's reasonable considering how fast and wide it is. I traveled for years with a predecessor of this lens, the Art 12-24mm f4 DG HSM. That lens was amazing for many things, including the interiors of submarines and other tight spaces. While f4 isn't slow, it's not particularly fast either. I was able to get some cool photos of the Milky Way and star-filled skies, but none I really loved. On a recent trip to Death Valley National Park in the campervan I built, I rented the 14mm f1.8 and oh my. My experience with the Art 14mm f1.8 DG HSM You can see a million miles tonight, but you can't get very far. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET One of the big challenges with astrophotography is that you don't have the luxury of time like you do in other low-light situations. The Earth is spinning, after all, so if you want pinpoints of starlight, you need to limit your shutter speed. For a wide-angle lens like my old Art 12-24mm f4, 30 seconds was pushing it. The 500 Rule says 41 seconds was the max for this lens, but I found that to be too long. Worse, most lenses can look soft when wide open (at f4 in that case), especially at the edges of the frame. So you often want to step down a few steps, which means your shutter time has to be even longer to get the same amount of light. Which is to say, it's a fine balance and one that I never quite perfected with the Art 12-24mm f4. Visually, the Art 14mm f1.8 looks similar to my 12-24mm f4. It's a pretty big lens, nearly as big as the f4, and weighs a beefy 1,120 grams. On top is a distance scale with a depth of field indicator. It's not often you need to worry about depth of field with such a wide-angle lens. The autofocus isn't great, but for astrophotography, the camera is on a tripod, and there's a big manual focus ring to help make smooth adjustments. While the front element bulges outward, there are at least wings to avoid some disasters. You'll want to be careful, though. A motorized star tracker can help you get great images of stars with lesser lenses, but because they move with the sky, you can't also get Earth and anything on it in the photo. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET As I mentioned above, I traveled for years with the f4 and let me tell you, you're always going to notice its weight. In your bag, on the camera, switching lenses -- it's a drag. It basically doubles the weight of any camera it's attached to. So, as good as the 14mm f1.8 is, that's one of my main reasons I'd hesitate adding it to my kit. I also don't do as many photo tours as I used to, so I don't have as much need for such a specialized lens. Plus, all prime lenses are less flexible than a good zoom lens, which is fine, as each has its uses. Even so, a 14mm lens has a very distinctive look and it's not as well suited for as many situations as, say, a 35mm or 50mm lens might be. If you're not familiar with ultrawide lenses like this, everything looks sort of like you shot it with a GoPro. Way better quality than a GoPro, but that's the aesthetic. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just something to consider. It's also not weatherproofed at all. The specs Intended sensor size: Full frame Field of view: 114.2 degrees Minimum focusing distance: 10.6 inches Dimensions: 5 inches tall, 3.8 inches in diameter (at front lens) Weight: 1,120g/2.5lbs Mount: Canon EF, Leica L-Mount, Nikon F, Sigma SA, Sony E The 14mm f1.8 is a heavy lens, but not quite as large as it seems. Here it's mounted to my Canon R6. Note that the EF-to-RF adapter in between increases the apparent size. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Best July Prime Day Deals 2025 CNET's team of shopping experts have explored thousands of deals on everything from TVs and outdoor furniture to phone accessories and everyday essentials so you can shop the best Prime Day deals in one place. See Now CNET's buying advice As much as I love this lens and am blown away by its performance, I'll be the first to admit it's not for everyone. On one hand, there are only a handful of fast, wide lenses like the 14mm f1.8 and none that I know of that are as fast, as wide and cost what the Sigma does. On the other hand, $1,599 is a lot of money for a lens that most people won't regularly use. However, if you know you will use it often, it's great! I wish I had the space (and money) to add it to my kit. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET The Sigma Art 14mm F1.8 DG HSM is available for all full-frame lens mounts, including Canon EF, Leica L-Mount, Nikon F, Sony E and Sigma's own SA. While the lens is still available new as of this writing, it seems Sigma is discontinuing it for some mounts, including Canon and Nikon. Fortunately, it's been available for a few years, so there are some used options on KEH and MPB. If you go that route, check out our guide for buying used camera gear. If you're headed somewhere with dark skies, you can also do what I did and rent it for a week from Lens Rentals. In addition to covering cameras and display tech, Geoff does photo essays about cool museums and other stuff, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles and epic 10,000-mile road trips. Also, check out Budget Travel for Dummies, his travel book and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sigma revives fastest-ever APS-C zoom for (most) mirrorless systems
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Sigma has announced the 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art, a super-fast standard zoom for APS-C. It will be available in L, E, X and RF mounts. The 17-40mm gives a 26-60mm equivalent field of view on most APS-C cameras (27-64mm on Canon R-series cameras). Its constant F1.8 aperture enables low-light photography and greater flexibility in terms of depth of field. It allows whole-image light capture closely comparable to an F2.8 lens on full-frame. Buy now: Buy RF mount at Adorama Buy E mount at B&H Photo Buy E mount at B&H Photo The lens is a spiritual successor to the company's groundbreaking 2013 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens for DSLRs, but extends a little wider and a little longer, further expanding its usability. That original lens was a significant addition to the then-current APS-C systems, but many DSLRs struggled to focus it consistently, especially when using off-center AF points. We've experienced no such challenges using the on-sensor focusing of mirrorless cameras with the new lens. The 17-40mm features an internal zoom design, making it easier to offer a dust and moisture-resistant design, and uses linear motors to deliver fast focus. It's slightly shorter, slightly narrowed and, at 535g (oz) for the L-mount version, around 34% lighter than its DSLR predecessor. While the 18-35mm wasn't the easiest lens to autofocus for stills, it became a popular choice as a manual focus lens for video shooters, as it offered an aperture value that usually requires prime lenses, without the need to swap lenses. The new 17-40mm offers an even more versatile range and ends up being better balanced for mirrorless mounts, since you don't need an adapter. There's a small degree of focus breathing at the wide end of the zoom and it's even less apparent at the long end. The 17-40mm becomes the company's first DC lens for mirrorless to feature a dedicated aperture ring: something we'd love to see extended the existing range of DC primes. The new lens has a switch to de-click the aperture ring and another that locks the lens in or out of the 'A' position that passes control of the aperture across to the camera body. The Canon RF version features a customizable control ring around the lens instead of an aperture ring, keeping its behavior in line with Canon's own lenses, presumably as part of the RF system specifications. This doesn't have f-stop markings, end stops, the lock or de-click switches, meaning it can function as something other than an aperture ring. The Fujifilm X-mount version doesn't have an AF/MF switch, as this is controlled from the body. Instead, the switch changes the function of the lens buttons between AF On and AF Lock. The other difference between versions for different mounts is that the L-mount version can be switched between linear and speed-sensitive focus ring response. As with Sigma's 18-55mm F2.8 DC zoom, there's no version of the lens for Nikon's Z mount, which we can only assume comes down to Nikon restricting which lenses it will issue a license for, given Sigma has been given the green light to produce several of its other APS-C lenses for the system. The 17-40mm lens will be availble from mid-July. In the US the 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art will sell for a recommended price of $919, excluding sales tax. In the UK the recommended price is £779 including VAT. Buy now: Buy RF mount at Adorama Buy E mount at B&H Photo Buy E mount at B&H Photo We've had a chance to shoot with both the Fujifilm X-mount and Sony E-mount versions of the 17-40mm F1.8 and have put together a sample gallery from both systems. Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it. Sample gallery This widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Press release: Ronkonkoma, NY, June 17, 2025 – Sigma Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of Sigma Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan), is pleased to introduce the 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art, the first Art lens for APS-C format since 2016, and the very first made exclusively for crop sensor mirrorless cameras. This remarkable new lens is the direct successor to the groundbreaking 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art for DSLR cameras, offering the user a wider angle of view as well as more versatility at the telephoto end. With an updated optical design, it delivers the image quality and brightness of a prime lens, along with the versatility of a zoom. This fast, flexible lens is also designed with video shooting in mind, featuring an inner zoom, high- speed and silent linear autofocus, and minimal focus breathing, as well as a dust and splash-resistant structure for use in virtually any environment. Significantly lighter than its predecessor, the 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art lens weighs only 535g (18.9 oz.) and is stacked with features that will appeal to photographers, filmmakers and content creators alike, no matter what camera system it is paired with. The Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art lens will be available in mid-July at authorized Sigma dealers for Sony E- mount, L-Mount, Fujifilm X Mount, and Canon RF Mount for a retail price of $919 USD. Standard zoom lens with a large aperture and rendering capability comparable to a prime lens Highly portable and versatile for any situation Functions to support video production The Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art builds upon the groundbreaking innovations of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art, which earned high acclaim as the world's first F1.8 zoom lens in the photography and video industry. Thirteen years after its debut, this next-generation lens achieves not only superior optical performance but also a wider focal length of 17-40mm while reducing its weight by over 30%. This dramatically enhances the versatility of a large aperture standard zoom lens. In addition to the fast and quiet autofocus driven by the HLA (High-response Linear Actuator), the lens incorporates an inner zoom mechanism and minimal focus breathing, ensuring outstanding performance for both still photography and video production. Sigma, the pioneer that stunned the world with the first-ever F1.8 zoom lens, has once again revolutionized the history of large aperture zoom lenses. The Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art has the convenience of a zoom with a constant aperture of F1.8 throughout the zoom range. Taking advantage of a large aperture comparable to a prime lens, the lens is suitable for low- light environments such as indoor and night scenes, as well as for expression using large bokeh. The optical design, realized through the latest design and processing technologies, including the use of high- precision aspherical lenses, achieves excellent optical performance. By emphasizing the correction of axial chromatic aberration and sagittal coma flare, the lens achieves high resolution even at the wide-open F1.8 aperture, rendering textures and fine details with stunning clarity. The range of the Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art has been expanded from its predecessor the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art, covering 25.5-60mm in 35mm format*. From wide-angle tabletop photography to portraits that fully utilize the telephoto angle of view, users can take full advantage of the expressive power of the large F1.8 aperture while freely framing their shots without the need to change lenses. Using advanced simulation technology and Sigma's Super Multi-Layer Coating, flare and ghosting have been largely eliminated, ensuring that the lens renders rich, high-contrast results in all conditions. Employing an inner zoom mechanism, the overall length of the lens remains constant when the focal length or focus distance changes. This means the lens is easy to use and highly stable when shooting hand-held, on a tripod or gimbal, and even more resistant to dust and water contamination. The Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art is over 30% lighter and has a filter diameter of 67mm, which is one size smaller than its predecessor the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art. Despite being a large aperture zoom lens, it is surprisingly portable. The expressive power of F1.8 can be used with a compact APS-C system, making it ideal for travel and everyday photography, as well as video production, where mobility is key. In addition to a dust- and splash-resistant structure, the frontmost surface of the lens has a water- and oil- repellent coating applied, so that the lens can be used safely even in harsh outdoor environments. Equipped with two AFL buttons*3, two that can be assigned any function from the camera menu. By placing them on the side and top, users can easily operate the buttons in either landscape or portrait positioning. The adoption of HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) enables quiet, high-speed, high-precision autofocus. The smooth, stable autofocus is perfect not only for still photography, but also for single-operator shooting with a gimbal or vlogging. The focus breathing is suppressed, minimizing changes in the angle of view caused by focus shift and enabling smooth, natural-looking focus pulls when recording video. Equipped with an aperture ring*4 for intuitive control of the aperture. When shooting video, users can turn off the click switch for smooth, quiet aperture control. It also has an aperture ring lock switch*5 to prevent accidental changes to the aperture during shooting. * Approximately 27.2-64mm for the Canon RF Mount version.*2 The product is designed to be dust- and splash-resistant but is not waterproof. When using the lens near water, etc., take care not to allow large amounts of water to splash on it. If water gets inside the lens, it may cause a major malfunction and render the lens unrepairable.*3 Functions can be assigned on supported cameras only. Available functions may vary depending on the camera used. The FUJIFILM X Mount version has an AF function button that can be used to select AF lock/AF operation via lens switch.*4 The Canon RF Mount version has a control ring instead of an aperture ring. It does not have an aperture ring click switch or lock switch.*5 If you turn it on in position A, the aperture ring will be locked in position A. If you turn it on in a position other than A, it will be locked in the range from open to minimum aperture, and it will not be possible to turn it to position A. Principal specifications Zoom lens APS-C / DX 17–40 mm No Canon RF-S, Fujifilm X, L-Mount, Sony E F1.8 F16 Yes 11 17 11 4 SLD elements, 4 aspherical Yes Linear Motor Internal No No 535 g (1.18 lb) 73 mm (2.87″) 116 mm (4.57″) Yes Rotary (internal) No No 67 mm Yes LH728-02
