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.