Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens Announced, Price $1,349 !
Sigma has unveiled its latest lens, the 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art, designed for E-mount and L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. This groundbreaking lens boasts a constant F1.8 aperture throughout its wide-to-standard focal range, a first for this category. You can now pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama.
Sigma boldly claims that the lens’s image quality rivals that of prime lenses and even surpasses its own 24mm F1.4 and 50mm F1.4 Art lenses. To achieve this, the lens incorporates three aspherical and five SLD elements, along with an 11-bladed aperture. The optical design prioritizes excellent performance at wide apertures and minimizes longitudinal chromatic aberration.
However, the fast aperture comes at the cost of size and weight, with the lens measuring 151mm long, 88mm in diameter, and weighing 960g. Despite this, Sigma has also targeted video users by incorporating an HLA motor for fast autofocus, minimized focus breathing, and an internal zoom design for gimbal compatibility.
Other notable features include a lockable aperture ring, a click/de-click switch, two customizable buttons, a close focusing distance of 30cm, a maximum magnification of 1:4, and dust and splash resistance.
The Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art lens is set to release on June 20 at a suggested retail price of $1349, including a case and lens hood.
Press release:
Introducing the SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art, the First Full-Frame F1.8 Zoom Lens for Mirrorless Camera Systems
Ronkonkoma, NY – June 3, 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 the SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art lens. This is the world’s first zoom lens with a constant F1.8 aperture for full-frame mirrorless camera systems. Available for Sony E-mount and L-Mount, this new wide-to-standard zoom spans several popular focal lengths from 28mm to 45mm, with image quality comparable to prime lenses.
The SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art was developed as a full-frame successor to the SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art (for APS-C DSLR cameras), which in 2013 became the first lens in the world to achieve F1.8 throughout the entire zoom range.
While offering the convenience of a zoom, this new lens does not compromise on optical performance. By effectively arranging 3 aspherical lens elements and 5 SLD glass elements, this lens suppresses various aberrations and achieves performance comparable to single focal length lenses, even surpassing the SIGMA 24mm F1.4 DG DN | Art and SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art, which have an established reputation for their optical quality.
In particular, the 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art focuses on suppressing axial chromatic aberration, which is often noticeable in large-aperture lenses, to achieve images with minimal coloration on both the focus plane and bokeh, and to demonstrate high optical performance from open aperture. The minimum focusing distance is 30cm (11.8 inches) throughout the entire range, and the maximum magnification ratio of 1:4 is achieved at the 45mm focal length.
Featuring internal zoom and HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) autofocus, and an optical design that minimizes focus breathing, the SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art is well-suited for video work, including gimbal setups, thanks to its balanced design. The click/de-click switch and lockable aperture ring are designed to suit a variety of personal capture preferences, and the dust- and splash-resistant design also makes it suitable for shooting stills and video out in the elements.
The SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN | Art lens will be available for $1,349 through authorized retailers in the US in late June 2024.
