SIGMA Corporation CEO Kazuto Yamaki introduced two new Full Frame mirrorless camera lenses today. The SIGMA 24mm F2 and 90mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary lenses now bring the total of “I series” lenses to six.
Mr. Yamaki has an affection for acronyms and initialism. For example, “fp” in SIGMA’s fp camera is short for “fortissimo pianissimo.” The latest model adds an “L” and fp L might stand for “film photo Love.”
The “I” in “I series” indicates “Instinctive Iconic Identity.” You might add “Incredible.”
“DG” means the lens covers Full Frame.
“DN” denotes mirrorless camera format.
“Contemporary” is one of three SIGMA lens product lines. SIGMA Contemporary lenses are high-performance, compact and lightweight—the kind of lenses you want to take everywhere. More “C” words here: Core concept compact craftsmanship.
Certainly. The SIGMA DG DN | Contemporary I series prime lenses are tiny. Two of them fit in the palm of your hand. Handling is solid and smooth thanks to full metal housings and barrels. Mr. Yamaki said, “The I series has a premium build with superb optics and fine mechanics. They are machined individually, manufactured and assembled with high precision and very tight tolerances at SIGMA’s Aizu factory in northern Japan. The human hand can tell the difference. The operational feel is superb. Much of this is the result of our experience with cine lenses where we gained the technology and craftsmanship.”
If it’s a compact and robust photo or cine lens you want, with outstanding image quality from center to corners, you can’t get much smaller, smoother or stylish. The SIGMA DG DN | Contemporary I series lenses come in L Mount for SIGMA, Leica and Panasonic Lumix or in E-mount for Sony cameras.
SIGMA optical and mechanical designers aimed to match the elegant styling of the SIGMA fp and fp L cameras.
The aperture barrel is calibrated with linear-spaced manual stops or you can set it to “A” for Auto Iris. Focus can be changed from silky-smooth manual to Autofocus with a tactile switch on the barrel.
Bokeh are smooth and painterly. SIGMA’s design team in Tokyo includes ghosting specialists. Their job is to suppress unwanted ghosts by advising the optical and mechanical designers. They analyze in advance with computer simulations. Actual prototypes are then tested in the field. If they find unpredicted ghosting, these ghost busters provide further advice. This process continues until everyone on the design team is satisfied.
Form follows function. These are the lenses you’ll put on a cine camera that goes on a gimbal, drone, rig, car mount, helmet, skateboard, ski or stabilizer. If that camera is a SIGMA fp L, you might flick the top switch from CINE to STILL for an evening at a museum gala.
See the SIGMA 24mm and 90mm launch: youtu.be/kunrB2WU7iQ?t=838
Today is also the 60th Anniversary of SIGMA Corporation. Kazuto Yamaki said “If you asked me who my mentor was, I will immediately give you the name of SIGMA’s founder, my father Michihiro Yamaki. His determination, philosophy, poise and conduct as a manager have had a monumental influence over me in many ways.”
