Sigma has announced two new full-frame lenses for L-Mount and Sony E-mount cameras. The company says its Sigma 15mm DG DN Diagonal Fisheye | Art is the world’s first full-frame F1.4 diagonal fisheye lens. The Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lens is a full-frame, ultra-telephoto prime lens.
Sigma 15mm DG DN Diagonal Fisheye lens
The Sigma 15mm DG DN fisheye lens is a diagonal fisheye lens with a 180-degree angle of view. A diagonal fisheye lens gives you an image that fills the frame but with distortion at the edges. This is different from a circular fisheye lens which gives vignetting where the image is contained within a circle. The design of the lens’s front element means that you can’t use screw-in filters. However, there is a rear filter holder at the lens mount for sheet-type filters.
F1.4 aperture
The Sigma 15mm DG DN fisheye lens has a fast maximum aperture of F1.4 with an 11-bladed round iris. This will give a great low-light performance, though you won’t be able to get a shallow depth of field with such a wide-angle lens. The lens also has a manual ring to adjust the aperture with the option to turn the click stops off. This means you can smoothly change exposure which is essential for video.
Optical construction
Looking inside, the Sigma 15mm DG DN fisheye lens is constructed with 21 elements in 15 groups. These include 4 FLD (‘F’ Low Dispersion), 3 SLD (special low dispersion), and 2 aspherical lens elements. Sigma says it has also corrected sagittal coma flare and other aberrations. As a result, the lens can precisely reproduce bright points of light across the whole frame even at F1.4. This makes it ideal for astrophotography. In addition, the lens is designed to minimize flare and ghosting.
Autofocus
The Sigma 15mm DG DN fisheye lens uses a linear motor HLA (High-response Linear Actuator). Sigma says that this delivers fast, quiet, and highly accurate autofocus. There’s also a manual focus lock switch. The minimum focusing distance is 15.2 inches (38.5cm).
Construction
In total, the Sigma 15mm DG DN fisheye lens weighs 48 ounces (1360g) and comes with a tripod foot. It measures 6.2 inches (157.9mm) in length and 4.1 inches (104mm) in diameter. The lens also has a dust and splash-resistant construction to ensure a high level of weather resistance. In addition, the front element of the lens features a water and oil-repellent coating.
Sigma 500mm DG DN OS ultra-telephoto prime lens
The Sigma 500mm DG DN OS ultra-telephoto prime lens has a maximum aperture of F5.6. Although it’s not very fast, the restricted aperture does mean that Sigma has been able to keep the lens compact. It only weighs 48.3 ounces (1270g) which is relatively light for an ultra-telephoto prime lens. In addition, the 500mm lens is 9.2 inches (234.6mm) long and 4.2 inches (107.6mm) in diameter.
Optical construction
The Sigma 500mm DG DN OS lens is constructed with 20 elements in 14 groups. These include 3 FLD and 2 SLD lens elements. In addition, the lens utilizes exclusive low-dispersion convex elements at the front of the lens. Sigma says that this delivers a high aberration correction capability and also helps make the lens compact.
Autofocus
As with the 15mm lens, the Sigma 500mm DG DN OS lens’s autofocus uses a linear motor HLA (High-response Linear Actuator). Sigma says that this enables fast and accurate autofocus. This is especially important with ultra-telephoto lenses, where extremely precise focusing is required. The minimum focusing distance is 126 inches (320cm).
Optical stabilization
The 500mm DG DN OS lens features Sigma’s latest OS2 optical stabilization algorithm. This delivers an image stabilization effect of up to 5.0 stops. The lens also has two OS modes. Mode 1 is suitable for general shooting. However, Mode 2 is designed for panning shots of motorsports and other sports. Sigma says that this mode enables effective image stabilization even when the camera is moved vertically or diagonally.
Other features
The Sigma 500mm DG DN OS lens has a manual aperture lens with a switch to remove the click stops. As a Sports line lens, it is also dust and splash-resistant, and the front element has a water and oil-repellent coating. In addition, the 500mm lens has a filter size of 95mm and comes with a lens hood.
What we think
The new 15mm fisheye and 500mm ultra-telephoto lenses from Sigma are at opposite ends of the scale for focal length. The 15mm lens is ideal for a wide range of applications including landscapes and architecture. It will also give a distinctive look to music videos and other more art-driven videos. However, the 500mm lens is more suited to wildlife and sports videography. With its compact size and image stabilization you could even use the lens handheld. Both lenses promise excellent image quality and build quality. The only downside is the premium price.
Availability
The retail price of the Sigma 15mm DG DN Diagonal Fisheye | Art is $1,999 while the 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports is $2,999. Sigma says that both lenses will be available from mid-March 2024.
