Ronkonkoma, NY—Sigma Corporation of America announced the Sigma 18–35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens, touted as the “first zoom lens to achieve a maximum aperture f/1.8 throughout the entire zoom range.”
The 18–35mm is the latest addition to the company’s Art line of lenses, designed under Sigma’s new Global Vision. Categorized by use into one of three groups—Art, Contemporary and Sports—Global Vision lenses have a sleek design with the manufacturing year stamped on the barrel.
The wide aperture, standard zoom lens is created for DSLR cameras with APS-C-size sensors, which translates to an equivalent focal range of 27–52.5mm on a 35mm camera. With a minimum focusing distance of 11 inches and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.3, the 18–35mm is geared for landscape, portrait, still-life, studio, close-up and casual photography.
“Exceptionally fast apertures were previously unavailable in zoom lenses, so photographers turned to several prime lenses in a session to get bright images at various focal lengths. We’re incredibly excited to be the first manufacturer to bring the f/1.8 standard zoom to the market and to provide photographers with a new level of creativity and convenience, with the outstanding image quality at the core of the new Sigma Global Vision,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America.
Amir-Hamzeh added that because developing a large aperture, wide-angle zoom lens can prove to be technologically and optically challenging, often resulting in various distortions, aberrations and field curvature, Sigma has tapped into its long history as a lens pioneer to overcome those issues in this new generation lens.
“Our experience with the wide-angle designs of our 12–24mm f/4.5–5.6 II DG HSM and our 8–16mm f/4.5–5.6 DC HSM, and our research and development in our Aizu factory, have prepared us for this technological advancement,” Amir-Hamzeh said. “Our wide, glass-molded aspherical lens and the incorporation of special low-dispersion (SLD) glass have optimized power distribution of the optical elements and compensated for various aberrations, as well as curvature of field at the widest angle. We’re extremely proud of this achievement.”
In addition, super multilayer coatings were added to reduce flare and ghosting and provide sharp, high-contrast images, even in backlit conditions. The petal-type hood supplied with the lens is said to provide extra protection from flare and ghosting.
The new lens incorporates Sigma’s improved AF/MF switch and the use of Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) compound material, which has a high affinity to metal parts, performs well at extreme temperatures, and reduces the size and weight of the lens. Additionally, convenient handling is achieved with internal focusing and zooming, which prevents changes to the size of the lens; plus the front part of the lens does not rotate, so special filters like circular polarizers can be used.
Other features include: Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) to help ensure silent, high-speed autofocus; an optimized autofocus algorithm for smooth focusing and full-time manual focusing capability; and a nine-blade, rounded diaphragm to create a round bokeh at large-aperture settings.
The 18–35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens is compatible with Sigma’s USB dock, which will be available in the coming months to enable photographers to update their lenses’ firmware and adjust focus parameters from their computers. The lens will be available for Sigma, Nikon and Canon mounts. Pricing to be announced. sigmaphoto.com
