For almost a year now we are waiting for Sigma to announce the first m43 lenses. The image on top shows the first prototype lens that has been displayed on many shows. It’s a 30mm f/2.8 macro lens. But I really do hope there is more than that coming on January 10th when Sigma has scheduled a new press release (see Sigmaphoto.com / via Photorumors). Sigma managers revealed at Imrpessjpana that they want to launch m43 lenses soon. So this may be the right time to finally see those new lenses! In general we expect a new Olympus and Panasonic announcement in January too, this means for me that it will be a very busy month! Stay tuned!
Just a reminder. Sigma is part of the Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds coalition and already offers a nice amount of Four Thirds lenses:
[shoplink 18947 ebay]Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18948 ebay]Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18948 ebay]Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18949 ebay]Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18950 ebay]Sigma 24mm f/1.8[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18951 ebay]Sigma 30mm f/1.4[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18952 ebay]Sigma 50mm f/1.4[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18953 ebay]Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18955 ebay]Sigma 55-500mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18956 ebay]Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18957 ebay]Sigma 105mm f/2.8[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18958 ebay]Sigma 135-400mm f/4-5.6[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18959 ebay]Sigma 150mm f/2.8[/shoplink]
[shoplink 18960 ebay]Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6[/shoplink]
43 Responses
Assuming the IQ is good but not stellar (compared to 20/25/45), what would be the pricing sweet spot that would make it possible for this lens to compete? How about €150?
It’s a macro lens, though. At this time the only macro-capable MFT lens is the incredibly expensive Pana–Leica 45/2.8…
€150 sounds fair, given the Sony E 30/3.5 macro retails for €209. 🙂
My hope is that with the lens being faster than the current four thirds 35 3.5 that it will be priced about the same price point, which will make it an attractive alternative for those who don’t want to use the four thirds adapter or don’t have it.
You’ll have to touch the subject to shoot macro 🙂
That is a good thing! You can smell it and almost feel it. 🙂
Third party lens manufacturers are always good at making constant aperture zoom lenses, so I really hope Sigma will do something like that, and slap both Pana’s and Oly’s faces.
Since Panasonic fast zooms are going to cost around 1200 EUR, it would be nice if Sigma remade 18-50mm F2.8 for m4/3. A bit wider, I hope…
The lens appears somehow to be larger than the Samsung NX 2.0/30mm. And darker.
P.S. Oh, it’s macro. and 30mm macro at that. What could be the purpose of a such short macro?
Well, both Canon and Nikon used to have 50 or 55 mm macros back in the film days.
Nikon stills makes an sells a 60mm macro lens.
…and it cost a little fortune
I have one. It’s excellent, although I bought it used, new it’s still cheaper than the Pana/Leica 45mm f2.8.
absolutely, but for that amount of money i can buy almost 3 Olympus lenses, 35mm macro,70-300mm and the (with little more) 9-18mm (4/3 mount lenses)
What amount of money is that?
The Nikon 60mm f2.8D NEW is $464 at B&H! I got mine used for $300.
How do you manage to buy a 4/3 9-18mm for $519…
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=olympus+9-18mm&N=0&InitialSearch=yes
A 70-300mm for $399…
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/504906-REG/Olympus_261057_70_300mm_f_4_5_6_Zuiko_ED.html
And a 35mm f3.5 macro for $229…
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/405347-REG/Olympus_261053_Zuiko_Digital_35mm_f_3_5.html
And yet the total cost of them, $1147.00, all magically adds up to less than a Nikon 60mm f2.8D macro @ $464!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/66987-USA/Nikon_1987_AF_Micro_Nikkor_60mm_f_2_8D.html
You’re math skills are extraordinary!
Did you work for the Bush administration by any chance? 😛
sounds like he works for the current one, lol
I expect something similar to mZD 45mm F1.8 with image stabilization , a 50mm with F1.8 just nice or tele zoom lens with constant fast aperature .
Sigma have to come out something that impress MFT users .
well, maybe in U.S. u have those prices, but over here the story changes a little bit:
Olympus 35mm 3.5 macro – 220eu
Olympus 70-300mm 4-5.6 – 330eu
Nikon 60mm 2.8 AF-S (without stabilisation i think) – 533eu
Nikon 105 2.8 AF-S – 710eu
this is why i love Olympus 🙂
Don’t hold your breath for something impressive. Most likely it will be the same lens as the Sony E with a different mount, just like they did with regular 4/3.
Sigma is quickly becoming a sad company, it’s lenses are getting expensive and it’s bodies are ridiculous.
The only thing they have that is good is their sensor.
We already know this lens was not developed specifically for m43, there’s no need to speculate.
With every single major camera manufacturer as an active client, Sigma is a key OEM supplier for the industry. They’d most certainly remain in business when other major camera manufacturers may be forced to pull out of the business.
For me, the biggest mystery about Sigma is their QC (from the stories I hear anyways, not from first-hand experience).
While having third-part lenses is a great thing for the long-term success of any system, as long as Sigma designs them for NEX, and just slaps a m4/3 mount on it, they will never be anything special. Having a smaller sensor is only advantageous if it means that the lenses are smaller, too. Native lenses are, which is a big part of why I’ve stuck with the system. These Sigma lenses seem like a band-aid solution.
yeah, quality control is major issue with their lenses, but still better than Tamron lenses.
If Samsung also is an ILC player to consider, Samsung NX mount with 25.5 mm Flange Focal Distance, is the starting point for Sigma, when designing lenses for APS-C and MFT.
Add an adapting tube of 5.5 mm, and you’ll get the Sigma lens fitting the MTF mount. Add an adapting tube of 7.5 mm, and you’ll get the Sigma lens fitting the Sony NEX mount.
Any ILC APS-C lens adapted for SONY NEX mount would become 7.5 mm longer then for the Samsung NX mount. Maybe a fact that would cause the Sony users keep on growling over lenses for the NEX system?
I think Sigma is awaiting Canons entry into the ILC market, until they lock their own route for their ILC lens system. Sigmas current SA mount is a shameless blueprint of the Canon EOS mount, with the identical FFD=44.00 mm, and a near copy of the Canon signaling protocol.
I hope there is gonna be a 30mm f:1.4!
@Admin –
As far as I know Sigma discontinued their line of lenses for 4:3 a few years ago. These lenses are only available second hand.
I am waiting for “cheap” prime lenses, such as 2o or 30mm f:1,4-1.7!!!
anyway, its nice to get Sigma working for m4/3 mount.
Unfortunately, the list of Sigma lenses for FT is mostly a list of lenses which used to be available. Only three of them are left in production as of today (see http://www.four-thirds.org):
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 24mm f/1.8 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma 50mm f/1.4
Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 55-500mm f/4-5.6 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 135-400mm f/4-5.6 DISCONTINUED
Sigma 150mm f/2.8
Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 DISCONTINUED
And at Photokina 2010 in Cologne, when there still were, I think, four of five lenses left, I was told that I shouldn’t expect any intensified Sigma investment in FT in the future, but that it would probably become even less.
“Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 DISCONTINUED”
Can’t help but to wonder how big must the sales be to outweigh the overhead cost of the production chain.
I suspect Sigma is a bit reluctant to do much, after making all those lenses for 4/3 and the system more or less just dissipating, as far as sales go.
Sigma hasn’t made a single lens specifically for 4/3. All their lenses for 4/3 were converted ones.
I’d buy the 50 1.4
I’m not sure why one wouldn’t buy a Sigma lens that was previously available for another system. Lenses for multiple systems is pretty much what they do. One of the most popular lenses for any system is the 10-20mm f4-5.6, made for Canon, Nikon, Pentax,, Sony, and FT. If a lens is good, and availablr for my system of choice, I’m willing to check it out.
A 10-20mm for M43 would be an intriguing landscaper lens, especially if the image circle was designed for DX. It might be a bit big, but it would give much better corner to corner sharpness than the Oly 9-18mm.
I used the sigma 30mm 1.4mm on an Olympus e-620 and it worked great despite being designed for APS-C.
>>why one wouldn’t buy a Sigma lens that was previously available for another system
Because more often than not, the range isn’t appropriate (see all the Sigma zooms starting at 18 mm made sense on FT) and/or the size isn’t optimized (see 24/1.4). Well… the size issue also comes from the fact that Sigma didn’t make a huge effort on that even for APS-C sensors — hopefully that’ll change since size is THE selling point of mirrorless systems.
By the way, just by curiosity, how does the 10-20 compare to the Zuiko 11-22 (that I have and love)?
The issue is that often the range is nice for x1.5 sensors, OK for x1.6 sensors but not-so-nice for x2 sensors (cf. Sigma zooms starting at 18 mm) and/or the size isn’t optimal (cf. the Sigma 24/1.4, makes sense for eq.35/1.4 but huge for eq.50/1.4).
Well… I believe the size issue is also because Sigma didn’t make a huge effort on that even for APS-C DSLRs — hopefully that’ll change (after all size is THE selling point of mirrorless systems).
P.S.:
By curiosity, how does the 10-20 compare to the Zuiko 11-22 (that I have and love)?
After Tamron announcement for E-mount cameras I suspect that sigma will show what they were working on this past year. Hopefully along with that they prepared lenses for m4/3 cameras(and not only the same lens with different mount like samyang).
Would love to see some healthy competition between different systems 🙂
I hope on Olympus MZD 50mm F2 macro soon. 😉
My guess for the next Sigma lenses
First I am glad Sigma has taken the risk to produce m4/3 lenses. It helps preserve the longevity of the system.
The following lenses are what I think Sigma will produce.
First lens – 70 mm macro, probably 2.8 minimum, maybe even f2 or better.
Reason, 1. Making a 30 mm macro would not be wise since a 45mm macro is already available and most times a larger lens to subject distance is extremely helpful with macro.
Reason 2. They already make a full frame 70 mm macro and they make a “new” 150 full frame macro. they must know these lenses sell and they command premium prices. While a m4/3 30 mm is close to a full frame 70, it is still a difference that is in the wrong direction, as previously mentioned.
Reason 3. The lens mounts for the optics for the 70 mm could be used with some changes to the optics to account for the closer flange to sensor distance. More importantly, the image stabilization used for the “new” 150 mm macro would be pretty close to the image stabilization a 70 mm micro 4/3 lens would need. Easier to cross utilize components, which reduces manufacturing cost.
Reason 4. There is no 70 mm lens currently available, and if the aperture is f2, this would fill in a hole in the current list of available primary lenses. (I really like a small telephoto of this size. It makes an excellent close-up portrait lens).
Second Lens – is not a lens but it is a convert which allows a full frame lens from canon (or nikno) to be mounted on a m4/3 body that integrates all the electronics and which provides a 2 fstop improvement to any full frame lens mounted onto a m4/3 body. The original focal length / angel view of the lens would be preserved.
Reason. People pay thousands of dollars more for a lens that has even less than 2 extra f stops. Every canon owner and every Nikon owner would by a m4/3 body just to uses their lenses with this extra light gathering capacity with their own lenses.
Lower on the list, are some telephoto lenses, These take less reengineering to fit apc optics to map onto the m4/3 sensor, telephoto light paths to the sensor are more direct.
3. Their 150 –500 mm 5.6 6.3 lens for aps sensor, could be a bit faster in m4/3 format and with its silent focus, could be a real asset to nature photographers with video.
I do not see them making any wide angle lens, yet. Nor would I think they would make any new faster zooms. I’d like to see them, but I think they know that these type of lenses are going to be offered first by Panasonic or Olympus. I’d like to be wrong about this.
At this point, I personally won’t buy anything slower than f2.8. I would prefer f2 or faster on my future lens purchases.
If the price is right, and the focal length is what I need, I could be enticed to buy a 2.8 lens, but I really am itching for f2 or faster.
I used the sigma 30mm 1.4mm on an Olympus e-620 and it worked great despite being designed for APS-C. http://www.northfaceoutlet.co