There’s a new player in the game when it comes to f2.8 telephoto lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras. SIGMA has just announced a brand-new SIGMA 70-200mm f2.8 DG DN OS Lens made exclusively for Sony E-mount and Leica L-mount systems. The popularity of this particular focal length, combined with a spectacular f2.8 aperture, is sure to make this lens a staple in the kits of many different photographers.
Key Features of the SIGMA 70-200mm f2.8 Lens
- 70-200mm focal length
- Maximum aperture of f2.8
- Weighs 47 ounces
- Fast, accurate autofocus
- 7.5 stops image stabilization at 70mm, 5.5 stops at 200mm
- Inner zoom doesn’t change barrel length when recomposing
- First SIGMA DN zoom lens with an aperture ring
- Compact tripod collar and foot
- Very minimal focus breathing
- 20 lens elements in 15 groups
What’s New About the SIGMA 70-200mm f2.8 Lens?
Excellent Combination of Focal Length and Aperture
The new 70-200mm f2.8 lens from SIGMA is going to excel in a wide range of situations. Whether you shoot weddings, wildlife, sports, or even photojournalism, the 70-200mm range is incredibly popular. When paired with the maximum aperture of f2.8, not only do you get incredible bokeh, but also a whole extra stop of light when compared to the popular f4 versions of the 70-200mm focal range. In many scenarios, that extra stop of light means less noise, a cleaner image, and better bokeh to help your subject stand out. This is a focal length that just about every kind of photographer should have in their bag.
Incredible Image Stabilization
There are 7.5 stops of image stabilization at the wider end and 5.5 stops of image stabilization on the telephoto end. As nice as it is to use a tripod or monopod, you may not always have those tools at your disposal for every shoot. For times when run-and-gun shooting makes more sense, the incredible image stabilization has your back to ensure sharp images. Image stabilization is even more important on a telephoto lens like the 70-200mm because the more you zoom, the easier it is to notice a lack of sharpness in your images.
Minimal Focus Breathing
No matter what focal length you shoot, the new 70-200mm F2.8 from SIGMA features minimal focus breathing, making it an excellent choice for videographers. The very slight change in the center of gravity helps shoot in many different scenarios — even with a gimbal. Overall, in addition to the stunning photography of this lens, you can also expect to capture excellent video as well.
Fast, Accurate Autofocus
This new lens features a Dual DLA-driven floating focus, which equates to an autofocus that is both fast and accurate. The way the dual focus system is constructed helps to reduce the amount of movement in each focus group to about half of what you’d see in a traditional single group focus system. This means that you have extremely responsive autofocus. This is crucial for photographers shooting weddings, sports, and wildlife where subjects can move quickly and, oftentimes, photographers only get a split second to nail the shot.
Lightweight Form Factor
While the 70-200mm f2.8 is heavier than its f4 counterpart, it is still very lightweight for an f2.8 telephoto lens. The Sony E-mount version comes in at 47.1 ounces, and the Leica L-mount weighs in at 47.4 ounces. Both versions of the lens are 3.6 inches in diameter and 8.1 inches in length. The lens accepts 77mm front filters, which is a very common filter diameter among high-end lenses.
Who Should Try This Lens?
Just about any creator can find an excellent use for this lens, though it really shines for wedding, portrait, sports, wildlife, and photojournalism photographers.
- The extended reach of this telephoto lens enables portrait photographers to capture close-up images of their subjects, oftentimes zooming in to reduce background clutter to create compelling images.
- For wildlife photographers, the 200mm focal length allows you to get a closer look at animals that are further away.
- When it comes to photojournalism, the wide range of focal length offered by this lens provides great versatility to quickly switch between 70mm and 200mm — all without changing the size of the barrel.
Finally, all of these photographers will benefit from the maximum aperture of f2.8, which not only allows more light into the lens for cleaner images, but also offers excellent bokeh when paired with the telephoto focal length.
Minimal focus breathing makes this a great choice for just about any kind of videographer. The f2.8 aperture means you can shoot even darker situations without experiencing as much noise as you would on a f4 lens. Plus, the barrel doesn’t grow or shrink when zooming in or out. This means you don’t need to rebalance your gimbal to change focal lengths. You can quickly and easily capture a wide range of scenes with a turn of the lens.
Comparable SIGMA Lenses
This new lens from SIGMA is the third lens in the Sports lineup for full frame mirrorless Sony E-Mount and Leica L-Mount. It joins the likes of the 60-600mm f4.5-6.3 and 150-600mm f5-6.3. The new 70-200 f2.8 offers a much wider maximum aperture and is far more compact than these two lenses — at the expense of focal range.
Additionally, this lens completes SIGMA’s “Holy Trinity” of lenses for full-frame mirrorless. It joins the Sigma 14-24mm f2.8 and the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8. Combining these three lenses will cover all focal lengths between 14mm-200mm at a maximum aperture of f2.8.
Conclusion
SIGMA has yet again released a high quality lens for Sony E-Mount and Leica L-Mount. This is a lens that should excite just about any creator shooting on a full-frame mirrorless system. As per usual, SIGMA has left no stone unturned and no detail was spared on the brand new 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS Lens.
