AGENDA NEWS
CONTEMPORARY FUTURE VISION FOR SIGMA Japanese lens maker Sigma continues its mission to bring a more affordable and compact range of AF lenses to Sony and Panasonic mirrorless camera owners, with the launch of the 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary zoom. Built to fit full-frame L-Mount and E-mount cameras, it costs £749/$899, yet still includes five FLD and four aspherical lens elements. These reduce lateral and vertical chromatic aberrations that can lower image quality of ultra- wide lens designs. Both the focus and zoom actions are handled inside the lens, so the centre of gravity stays relatively constant – ideal on a gimbal. The compact optic weighs 450g/0.99lb and is 100.6mm/4in long, making it perfect for travelling. Bokeh is smooth, thanks to nine rounded diaphragm blades, and Sigma says there are innovations inside the lens barrel to counter ghosting and lens flare caused by internal reflections. A Super Multi- Layer Coating delivers punchy and high-contrast results – even in backlit conditions. Optical construction features 16 elements in 11 groups. The lens comes with a high-quality, petal- shaped lens hood and the filter thread is 72mm. This wide-angle zoom is built to pair perfectly with Sigma’s 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary zoom, as well as the seven primes from the series. sigma-imaging-uk.com
Sony’s Super 35 siblings A trio of wide-angle lenses to fit Sony’s APS-C sensor cameras is big news for
users of the more compact Alpha system, which has not seen a glut of new glass in recent times. The fresh releases are the E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G power zoom and two primes, a 15mm f/1.4 G and 11mm f/1.8. The £749/$750 10-20mm zoom is claimed to be the world’s smallest and lightest ultra wide-angle constant f/4 power zoom lens for APS-C/Super 35 cameras, weighing just 178g/0.39lb. The lens uses internal zoom and focus mechanisms, so it does not change in length when zooming or focusing. Three aspherical elements suppress field curvature and astigmatism. And the optical path includes two ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements to subdue chromatic aberration. An ED aspherical element further contributes to high resolution, right to the image edge. A new electronic power zoom system offers adjustable zoom speed, ideal for shooting video. Controls include a focus ring, zoom ring and zoom lever, plus customisable focus hold button and focus mode switch. There’s also a 62mm filter thread. The £749/$750 15mm f/1.4 G lens offers a 35mm full-frame equivalent of a 22.5mm lens. It features one ED and one Super ED glass element. The ultra-wide 11mm f/1.8 lens gives a 35mm full-frame equivalent view of a 16.5mm lens, yet is designed for extremely
WIDE BOYS The new wide-angle Sony lenses are compact and light, ideal on a handheld gimbal
impressive resolution, smooth bokeh and rapid autofocus. This £499/$550 prime has three aspherical and three ED glass elements, in order to compensate for distortion, deliver corner-to-corner sharpness and suppress chromatic aberration and colour fringing. With a minimum focusing distance of 12cm/4.7in and maximum magnification of 0.2x, it can get really close to subjects. It weighs 181g/0.4lb and is only 57.5mm/2.26in long. Two advanced linear motors provide fast and quiet AF. Sony claims its latest lens technology greatly reduces focus breathing and angle-of-view changes for stable movies. Linear Response MF ensures the focus ring responds directly when focusing manually. There is a focus hold button and focus mode switch, which can be customised. All three are resistant to dust and moisture. sony.com
12
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook