Sigma seems to be changing its entire identity with its new releases. The company has announced a new visual identity, a metal body camera, and two telephoto lenses. From the rebranding exercise to the new devices, it appears that Sigma may follow in Leica’s footsteps. While this is not the first time a Japanese company has tried to achieve this feat, the way Sigma portrays itself seems off. Here’s why.
Sigma is Not the First to Use an Alll Aluminum Body
A quick look at the company’s press releases shows how Sigma is saying they are the first in history to have a unibody aluminum design. However, if you take a quick look at the website, you will see how Leica achieved this feat back in 2014 with the Leica T series. As we noted in the first impression, the Leica T was supposed to be for photographers who want simplicity. They did it again with the Leica T2 as well. This sounds very similar to the branding that Sigma is going for with their new BF camera. Honestly, they could have just said that it was inspired by the Leica, and there is no harm in that. But calling yourself “first” when it is not the case is sad. Here is a look at the specs:
- L-mount
- 24MP Back-illuminated CMOS full-frame sensor
- 230GB internal memory
- Haptic technology
- 3.15 type, approx. 2.1M dots screen
- 6K and L-Log recording
- Hybrid autofocus system
- 13 color modes
Sigma hasn’t revealed much, nor has the price of this camera. However, considering how badly the fp failed for photography, it makes us wonder whether this camera will do the same. To remind our readers what we said: “The Sigma FP is proof to me again that Sigma should really step out of the camera-making industry and instead focus on the high-quality lenses that they make.” Perhaps Sigma will prove us wrong this time.
New Telephoto Lenses
Sigma has introduced two new telephoto lenses: the Sigma 16-300mm f3.5-6.7 DC OS and the 300-600mm f4 DG. Here is a look at what each lens is capable of.
The 16-300mm
- Features an 18.8x zoom ratio at 16mm, “the world’s largest” for an APS-C format mirrorless lens
- 20 elements in 14 groups (1 FLD, 4 SLD, 4 aspherical elements)
- 9 round bladed diaphragm
- High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) for fast autofocus
- Minimum focusing distance: 17cm at wide and 105cm at tele
- Maximum magnification ratio: 1:2 at 70mm
- Dust- and splash-resistant
- 67mm filter size
- 73.8mm x 121.4mm size, 615g weight
- L-Mount version for now
The 300-600mm
- 28 elements in 21 groups (6 FLD, 1 SLD)
- 13 round bladed diaphragm
- Minimum focusing distance: 280cm at wide and 450cm at tele
- 1:6 magnification ratio at 470mm
- Optical stabilization of 5.5 stops
- 40.5mm filter size
- 167.0mm x 467.9mm in size, 3,985g weight
- Thermal insulation paint for reducing heat absorption
- Dust- and splash-resistant
- Includes a drop-in filter holder
Knowing Sigma, the quality of the lenses will not be compromised. However, the autofocus is the real deal killer here. So, if both lenses have managed to fix that, along with their size on a smaller mirrorless camera, then we may have something more to look forward to. However, if not, we know so many Sigma loyalties will continue to go after its clinical image quality.
Either way, as Sigma tries to reinvent itself, the real test will be how much it can improve its technology. Because if the camera and the lens have the same performance as its predessors, then we just have a rehashed device with a fresh coat of paint. And there is no point in spending thousands of dollars on an existing camera or lens.