For more than six decades, the SIGMA brand has revolutionized the way we photograph and film the world. The Japan-based brand organizes its interchangeable lenses into specific product lines: the Art, Sport, and Contemporary lenses, as well as its Cine series and I series. Each line has a specific user and functionality in mind, but how do you know which SIGMA lens series is right for you?
Here’s a breakdown of SIGMA’s myriad lens options, including which types of creators are best suited for each line, and what the nomenclature (such as DG vs. DC) really means.
Art, Sport, Contemporary Lines
In 2012, SIGMA made a major change in its lens offerings under the SIGMA Global Vision. The result: a complete reinvention of the brand’s product lines. It was also a step toward helping photographers more easily determine the lens that works best for them.
As part of this evolution, the brand introduced three highly tailored lens lines: Art, Sports, and Contemporary. Each line carries SIGMA’s proven stamp of quality, but they’re tailored to help creators capture content in the way best suited for them.
Art Line
The Art line prioritizes image excellence with stellar optical performance above all else. The Art line lenses are largely fast-aperture primes and fast constant aperture zoom lenses. For this, think the new SIGMA 14mm F1.4 DG DN[j1] (perfect for astrophotographers and landscape photographers), the SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG DN(ideal for portraits, food, and details), and the SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM (great for fashion, photojournalism, close-ups, landscapes, and more).
Sports Line
The Sports line is, as it sounds, built for action. It’s a collection of super telephoto and telephoto zoom lenses and primes that are crafted to withstand the conditions — think rugged builds with weatherproofing — and high customization. Top lenses in this lineup, designed for sport, adventure, and wildlife photographers, include the versatile SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS and the SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM.
Contemporary Line
The SIGMA Contemporary line is designed for those who want high performance but portability and convenience, such as travelers, everyday photographers, family photos, landscape shots, and the like. This mix of standard zooms, telephoto zooms, and high-magnification zooms include the new SIGMA 17mm F/4 DG DN, the SIGMA 18-50mm F/2.8 DC DN, and the versatile SIGMA 150-600m F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM.
SIGMA Mount Conversion Service
To guarantee creators have ultimate flexibility with their kits, SIGMA also offers a conversion service. For example, if you purchase the lens in a Canon EF mount and decide you want to switch to Nikon, you can switch it to the Nikon F mount. This service from SIGMA is currently available for Art, Sports, and Contemporary lenses.
SIGMA Lens Acronyms
With dozens of Art, Sports, and Contemporary offerings, you have a lens for virtually every situation. Although, one thing that’s historically puzzling about these lenses is what the pairings of letters within the names mean.
Before we dive into the acronyms, it’s important to understand the two types of sensor sizes in digital cameras. There’s the full-frame sensor, which replicates the 35mm size of a traditional film camera. Then there’s a crop sensor (APS-C). It is smaller than 35mm and therefore slightly crops the photo, providing a closer-up field of view.
Now, let’s decode the acronyms used for SIGMA lens names:
- DG: Full frame lens (but can be used on a crop sensor camera)
- DC: Crop sensor lens (typically cannot be used on a full frame camera in full-frame mode; but many systems offer an automatic or manual APS-cropping setting)
- DN: This is a lens designed specifically, and exclusively, for mirrorless cameras
To put this into context, let’s look at a few examples:
- The 23mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens is a crop sensor lens made specifically for a variety of crop sensor mirrorless systems.
- On the other hand, the 50mm F/1.4 DG DN Art lens is designed for full-frame mirrorless camera systems.
Here’s a relatively easy way to keep tabs on what’s what:
- If you see a lens with DG DN in the name, you know that’s specific to mirrorless systems. These are available in Sony E-Mount and L-Mount cameras from SIGMA, Leica, and Panasonic.
- DC DN marks a crop sensor design that’s exclusive to mirrorless systems. This includes Sony E-Mount, Fujifilm X-Mount, Nikon Z-Mount, Canon EF-M, Micro Four Thirds, and L Mount offerings.
- If you see DG HSM (short for Hyper Sonic Motor), that means it’s a DSLR design.
Cine Lenses
In 2016, SIGMA added another line to its roster of lens categories: the Cine lenses. These video-centered lenses build upon the brand’s proven optical formulas, while introducing entirely new innovations to help creators capture unique content.
The cutting-edge, high-performance cine lenses were designed to bolster creative freedom. The cinema lenses meet today’s filmmaking demands: high definition, cost effectiveness, durability, and a high-quality finish with top materials. In addition to their power and precision — think movie-level quality — the Cine lenses are lightweight and compact. They’re ideal for long days on set or run-and-gun filmmakers.
These lenses are similar to the DG HSM Art lenses. They incorporate the brand’s decades of research and design, but offer completely new housings and machine design, specifically for cinematography.
There are several categories within the Cine lens line. This includes:
- FF Zoom Line: These lenses provide stunning optical performance for shooting in 6K or 8K resolution; they’re also compatible with image sensors that are larger than Super 35. This includes the SIGMA 24mm T/2.2 FF.
- High Speed Zoom Line: These lenses, also ideal for 6K and 8K shooting, offer a constant T2 aperture throughout recording (more on the “T” meaning below). Lenses include the SIGMA 18-35mm T2 and the SIGMA 50-100mm T2.
- FF High Speed Prime Line: As the name alludes, these fast primes, available in T1.5 and T2, are ideal for 6K and 8K. Lenses include the SIGMA 14mm T2 FF and the SIGMA 20mm T1.5 FF.
- FF Classic Prime Line: This line offers high-resolution shooting with a mix of low contrast and artistic flare/ghosting in the image. This includes lenses like the SIGMA 50mm T2.5FF and the SIGMA 105mm T2.5FF.
One thing you’ll notice in the Cine lens line is that, instead of a F-stop, these lenses use a T-stop. With Cine lenses, the numerical value of the T stop is based on the light transmission. The F stop is based off a mathematical formula of the focal length over the opening of the aperture. That’s why it’s an F stop versus T stop — it’s a slight but important difference.
I Series Lenses
In December 2020, SIGMA also announced a new subset of the Contemporary line of lenses: the I series. These lenses are prime, metal, and compact. They deliver the top-notch results creators love from the Contemporary line. But they do so with a bit of style and flair—including a chic metal exterior.
The I Series of lenses is built to have a modern vintage look. That means photographers and videographers will not only capture great images; they’ll look cool doing so. The lenses have full-stepping motors for quick autofocus in both still and video, clickable aperture rings, and metallic magnetic lens cap. It offers ultimate portability that won’t add much weight to your pack or kit. Other offerings in the I series lineup include the SIGMA 20mm F/2 DG DN, the SIGMA 45mm F/2.8 DG DN, and the SIGMA 90mm F/2.8 DG DN.
Conclusion
The world of content creation is ever changing, whether it’s a new social media outlet, a fresh streaming service, or physical media like print. Innovative offerings, like the multitude of SIGMA lenses, will help creators meet the industry’s revolving needs while simultaneously pushing themselves to think and create differently. And, while you explore your own creativity, know SIGMA — which has over 75 lenses across its lines and counting — is evolving its product lines to help you stand out and create the best content possible.
