Sigma has just announced two new very exciting lenses, a supertelephoto 500mm f/5.6 and an ultra-wide-angle 15mm f/1.4 diagonal fisheye. These two lenses will be available for L-mount and Sony E-mount. Let’s take a closer look at these lenses.
Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Diagonal Fisheye
The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Art is a premium, weather-sealed, fisheye lens with a very wide 180 degree field of view. According to Sigma, it is made with high sharpness in mind, with a complex 21-element, 15-group optical design. It’s also quite fast for a fisheye with an aperture of f/1.4.
The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 Art Fisheye also has a high-response linear actuator motor to move all that glass, and an 11-blade, rounded diaphragm.
For astrophotography, two unusual features stand out. The lens has a manual-focus lock switch that will prevent accidental focus adjustments in the cold depths of the night (and we all know how easy that is). There’s also a slot for an optional lens heater accessory, which prevents condensation on the lens element during long time-lapses at night.
On top of that, the lens has a rear filter holder to allow filters despite the bulbous front element, and the tripod collar is Arca-Swiss compatible. The MSRP of this premium fisheye lens is $1,999.
Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens
As you might have guessed, the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports lens really caught my attention, because I shoot with the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF lens. I’m a great fan of lightweight and sharp supertelephotos for wildlife photography, and this one looks very promising.
If Sigma’s past effort with the Sigma 500mm f/4 Sport is any indication, I’m expecting this lens to be similar in sharpness to the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF lens. Moreover, Sigma has said that they have used “multiple large-diameter, exclusive low-dispersion glass elements that are challenging to process” to minimize the size of this lens. As a result, they did not need to resort to Fresnel lens elements as used in Nikon’s 500mm f/5.6 lens.
The results speak for themselves: The lens weighs 1.37 kg (3.02 pounds) and is 23.5 cm (9.2 inches) long. That is ever so slightly lighter and smaller than the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF lens, which weighs 1.46 kg (3.22 pounds) and measures 23.7 cm (9.3 inches) long.
Getting all this in a package without PF lens elements is very promising. Although I personally have rarely encountered situations where the PF element interferes with bokeh or adds more flare to the image, it is still an occasional issue with the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF. To see Sigma release such a lightweight 500mm f/5.6 without a Fresnel element is rather exciting!
One thing to note is that the minimum focus distance of the Sigma 500mm f/5.6 is a little on the long side, with a 3.2 meter (10.5 feet) minimum focusing distance. By comparison, the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF has a 3.0 meter (9.8 feet) minimum focusing distance, and some other telephotos are even less. This can be an issue if your subject is especially small and close, like a hummingbird at a feeder or a dragonfly on a reed.
That said, for most wildlife photography, it’s not going to be an issue. Sony and L-mount wildlife photographers will likely be overjoyed with this lens, as this is the first compact 500mm lens for those systems, and it is certainly much lighter and more comfortable than the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 lens – and very likely to be sharper, too.
The price is quite good as well: it’s $2999, which is a little cheaper than the Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF lens, at $3536. Not bad, considering you’re getting a lens with almost the same size and weight without the phase fresnel element. Nice one, Sigma!
If you’re interested in either of these awesome-looking lenses, you can support Photography Life by preordering them with these links:
- Preoder 15mm f/1.4 Fisheye on B&H for Sony E mount
- Preorder 15mm f/1.4 Fisheye on B&H for Leica L-mount
- Preorder Sigma 500mm f/5.6 on B&H for Sony E-mount
- Preorder Sigma 500mm f/5.6 on B&H for Leica L-mount
They are estimated to ship March 15.
Press Release
Announcing the SIGMA 15mm F1.4 2 DIAGONAL FISHEYE | Art and SIGMA 500m| Sports Lenses
SIGMA Introduces Two New Full-Frame DG DN Prime Lenses – the World’s First F1.4 Diagonal Fisheye and a Rugged Lightweight Ultra-Tele
Ronkonkoma, NY – February 20, 2024 – SIGMA Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of SIGMA Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan) is pleased to announce two new full-frame prime lenses designed specifically for full-frame mirrorless camera systems, the SIGMA 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE | Art and SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lenses. Both lenses will be available for purchase in mid-March 2024, and both lenses are available in Sony E-Mount and L-Mount versions.
The SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports lens is a full-frame, ultra-telephoto prime lens exclusively for mirrorless cameras. With outstanding image quality in a remarkably compact and lightweight body, this lens is built for action capture including aviation, sports, and wildlife. The new lens combines fast HLA-driven AF, high-precision OS, and an optical design featuring low-dispersion glass elements, along with splash- and dust-proof construction. This lens is designed for the most demanding situations.
The SIGMA 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE | Art is the world’s first full-frame F1.4 diagonal fisheye lens*. With a 180° angle of view, this lens is designed to take in dramatic, sweeping scenes with the signature fisheye lens effect. Unlike conventional fisheyes, the 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE | Art is exceptionally sharp across its entire 180 degrees and offers an ultra-fast F1.4 aperture, making it perfect for a wide range of applications including astrophotography, landscapes, and architecture, as well as action sports such as skateboarding and BMX.
* As an interchangeable lens for full-frame cameras for consumer use. (as of February 2024)
The retail price of the SIGMA 15mm F1.4 DG DN DIAGONAL FISHEYE | Art is $1,999 and the retail price of SIGMA 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS | Sports is $2,999 through authorized SIGMA America dealers.
Both lenses are very interesting, but the Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Diagonal Fisheye is the most extraordinary one. A true first of a kind. Typically Sigma!
The premium price must mean that it is a very well made product. Looking forward to some sample images. Wonder if it will sell well at that price.
Nikon should open their mount for these exotics, for they won’t make them the coming decade…
That 500mm is terrific! I would gladly pay the 3.2k€ they’re asking for it in Portugal, if it was Nikon mount!
What a thing, I prefer the Nikon camera lineup, 100%, but Sony has Sigma and, to a poibt, Tamron making great, affordable glass
I would buy it also. It’s a superb price for such an optic. Maybe I’ll get a used A9 II…. :)
Nice for Sony. A7iv; 20-70; 70-300; 500/f5.6 (and a Samyang 135/f1.8). Covers a lot of bases in 3 (4) lenses. Presumably the A7iv has a more useful aps-c mode than the Z6ii to give a respectable 105-450 and a 750mm. And it rolls in much cheaper than a Z8.
To my mind, Nikon’s usp is its long lenses (I have a 300/f4D and 500/f5.6). If Sony can rival them, them, I can’t see that Nikon has a camera advantage at mid-prices now that’s it’s given up on aps-c (Z8 and Z9 are well above my budget).
Well, without teleconverter support its going to be a hard sell for E-Mount, I think. At least, it would prevent me from buying it. And switching to L-Mount would mean a bigger investment, than I currently care about. Its really a pity and shame on Sony!
After thousands of shots with my 500PF, I’ve never really thought a TC would be useful, especially due to the smaller aperture.
Wait until you get a Z8 – I barely ever used the TC with DSLRs, but the experience is a different thing with a Z8/Z9. Also, you use an APS-C camera right now, FF plus 1.4x TC will give a similar field of view…
I am using my 500mm PF with the 1,4x/1,7x TC on the X-H2s!
Wouldn’t have bought it without a TC!
I’ve been shooting a lot with the R7 and the 800/11 and even that seems to be too short sometimes. So I would definitely want to have a TC with the 500/5.6.
Of course, its not suited to shoot in the forest, but on a fine day in the meadows, f11 is not a problem for me.
PF: passing faze.
It’s possible!
I think it’s excellent news that Sigma, true to form (see below), deploys novel glasses instead of diffractive optics in this 500mm telephoto lens.
QUOTE SEIN, Sigma
The year was 1983. Finally, a glass manufacturer had succeeded in mass-producing special low-dispersion glass, allowing for its use in exchangeable lens designs. While the glass remained an expensive material, its stellar optical characteristics made it indispensable for the manufacture of high-performance ultra telephoto lenses.
SIGMA was involved in the development of this material since the early experimental stage, with efforts focused on establishing lens polishing technologies, as it was the polishing and handling, in particular, that proved most difficult…
While the hard work continued, the first lens to use special low-dispersion glass went on sale in 1984 – the SIGMA APO ZOOM 50-200mm F3.5-4.5.
SIGMA named this special low-dispersion glass “SLD (Super Low Dispersion)”, and the chromatic aberration was greatly improved by this glass, that is, the lens that became an apochromat was given the logo “APO”.
www.sigma-sein.com/en/oh…olenses_2/
Hey Jason,
I read this with some interest, thinking that the comparison to the Nikon 500mm PF might mean that the Sigma would be a Z mount, allowing the use of the Nikon Z TCs.
Oh well, maybe later. Thanks for giving us the info.
Z mount is closed to third party mfgs, and yes I know about the Tamron, but Nikon owns about 10 or 15% of Tamron stock hence collaboration.
Sony’s mount is open on the other hand, that is why there are so many more lenses for it. L mount is cooperation between Leica Camera, SIGMA, Panasonic, Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH and DJI. This lens is not coming to Z mount unless Nikon opens their specs which knowing Nikon since 1990’s will never happen.
Yes, Sony is ‘open’ and with that openness they do not allow third parties to use high frame rates (Sigma lenses are limited to 15fps) and they do not allow TCs – this Sigma works with TCs on L mount but Sony doesn’t allow that on E mount. With TCs this lens would be viable alternative to m4/3 as lightweight telephoto, but Sony won’t let us have that. So I’m keeping both for the moment.
X-mount is also an open mount! So where is the Fujifilm version??
Years ago Kazuto Yamaki told the whole world that Fujifilm would be the perfect partner for Sigma!
And now? He is just a hypocrite!
If you need more than 15 fps you should try filming in 4K 120 fps ;) And yes it is open mount. At least VERY MUCH MORE than Nikons.
Do you always feel the need to “defend” Nikon and if so do you own stock there ?
As of today, there are over a dozen third party manufacturers that sell lenses in Z mount, including Sigma and Cosina – are those also (partly) owned by Nikon?
No they are not. Did I write they were ?
And maybe I should have been clear, so let me clear it up now. Lens mount is VERY EASY to copy mechanically. Anyone with some machining experience can do it in their own shop. COMMUNICATION and AUTOFOCUS is very hard to copy since Nikon uses encryption in their Z protocol. This is a 500mm lens. Are you going to use it in manual focus mode for BIF, sports or anything else that moves with that shallow DOF ? Good luck, son ! If it’s a dead bird then fine. If not you’re going to need AF.
And NONE of those lenses you mentioned has AF. Viltrox is working on some lenses that will use reverse engineered Z mount electronic protocol, and as far as I know they are so far only ones that are having some luck, until Nikon updates firmware and renders your AF lens into a manual focus lens. You need to gather some 30 experience in working with camera electronics like I do in order to get into these sorts discussions I do not “love” any brand. I love FREEDOM of choice for consumers. Walled of gardens and encrypted protocols are there ONLY TO MAKE YOU AND ME PAY MORE. Grow up FFS !
> No they are not. Did I write they were ?
You implied. This is what you wrote: “Z mount is closed to third party mfgs, and yes I know about the Tamron, but Nikon owns about 10 or 15% of Tamron stock hence collaboration.” This can be easily interpreted as ‘Tamron is the only collaborator in Z mount lens development because they are partly owned by Nikon.’ If you have another interpretation for your text, please post it.
> And maybe I should have been clear, so let me clear it up now.
> Lens mount is VERY EASY to copy mechanically. Anyone with some
> machining experience can do it in their own shop.
> COMMUNICATION and AUTOFOCUS is very hard to copy
> since Nikon uses encryption in their Z protocol.
> This is a 500mm lens. Are you going to use it in manual focus mode
> for BIF, sports or anything else that moves with that shallow DOF ?
> Good luck, son ! If it’s a dead bird then fine.
> If not you’re going to need AF.
You claim to clear things up with the text above, yet all I see are more implications not supported by evidence.
The Sigma lenses available now in Z mount are all AF. What are you trying to say – that Sigma was able to decrypt the communication & AF protocols for these lenses but will be unable to do so for the 500mm?
Viltrox and Venus Optics both have AF lenses in Z mount. Have they also decrypted the Z mount protocol without permission from Nikon?
Even Cosina Voigtländer Z mount lenses, which are manual focus by design, implement the communication protocol. If you go to their main page for the Z mount (www.cosina.co.jp/voigt…n/z-mount/) you can read the following footnote: “*This product is developed and manufactured under a license agreement with Nikon Corporation.” That does not sound like reverse engineering / mechanical mount copying to me….
“You claim to clear things up with the text above, yet all I see are more implications not supported by evidence.”
Hence Hitchens’s epistemological razor:
“What can be asserted without evidence, can also be dismissed without evidence.”
— Christopher Hitchens
> And NONE of those lenses you mentioned has AF.
The FREEDOM to EXPOSE LIES:
Exhibit A. Sigma 56MM F1.4 DC DN | C in Z mount.
Announced at CP+ 2023.
Can be purchased from many retailers, including BH Photo Video.
www.sigmaphoto.com/56mm-f1-4-dc-dn-c
That “Quiet and fast stepping motor’ probably describes the manual focusing capabilities of the lens…
Exhibit B. DPReview post after the Sigma announcement at CP+ 2023.
www.dpreview.com/news/…on-z-mount
Quote from that article: “The announcement sees Sigma join Tamron, Viltrox, Yongnuo and TT Artisan in making autofocus lenses for the Z-mount [..].” So it was not just Viltrox that got “lucky” with AF for the Z mount…
By the way, DP Review posted a sample gallery from the Z mount of the Sigma 56MM in October 2023:
www.dpreview.com/artic…le-gallery
There was no mention that the AF stopped working…
Exhibit C. Venus Optics Laowa 10mm f/2.8 Zero-D FF.
The first AF lens made by Venus Optics will also come in Z mount.
www.venuslens.net/produ…ff-zero-d/
I could provide more specific examples of AF lenses in Z mount from other third party manufacturers such as TT Artisans, Sirui, and Viltrox (they released their first AF lens in Z mount, the 85mm F1.8, back in December 2020). The issue, however, is not just AF – you claimed that there is no basic communication protocol implementation in third party lenses either, which is clearly not true.
So from now on, I will automatically consider everything you write as misinformation, until proven otherwise.
TAMRON, Major shareholders:
www.tamron.com/globa…nd_04.html