News Sigma 35mm f1.2 ART DG II

[Quentinquirelino]

Sigma says a new 35mm f/1.2 II FE lens is coming in 2025 and it will be smaller and better! | sonyalpharumors

Sigma CEO Yamaki had a talk at the CP+ show. And there he teased the launch of a new updated version of the current 35mm f/1.2 FE lens. The new version will be: Released soon Be way more compact (similar design to the Sigma 50mm f/1.2) Be lighter Be optically superior despite the smaller size

www.sonyalpharumors.com

Anyone had something like that on his/her wishlist? I think an 85mm f1.2 art would be more interesting, because Canon and Nikon already have an 85mm f1.2, L- and E-Mount don't.

 

[dirk]

Wow, if Sigma achieves to make the 35/1.2 Mkii version smaller than the original one with better image quality at the same time, this would be impressive.

The original version seems to be already excellent according the reviews. I have the 35/1.4 DG DN Art and love the image quality. I was interested in the F1.2 version, but is was way too big for my taste.

I think F1.2 at 35 is more valuable than at 85mm. With WA it is more difficult to have a shallow DOF than with 85mm.

I would rather take a 135/2.0 or 2.8 than a 85/1.2. My Sigma 85/1.4 DG DN Art has enough shallow DOF for me.

• Panasonic - DC-S5M2
• 85mm F1.4 DG DN | Art 020
• 85.0 mm
• ƒ/1.4
• 1/100 sec
• Pattern
• Manual exposure
• ISO 3200

• Panasonic - DC-S5M2
• 35mm F1.4 DG DN | Art 021
• 35.0 mm
• ƒ/1.4
• 1/640 sec
• Pattern
• Manual exposure
• ISO 500

 

[RBecker]

The video on l-rumors from the press conference is in japanese, but you can switch on the automatic translation of the subtitles…

The new 1.2/35 should be comparable to the 1.2/50 and will be much better than the old one. That is quite a statement! There will be also more Art lenses this year. If you look into to product line, the 1.4/40, 1.4/105 and 1.8/135 are not listed anymore. From my dealer I got the info, that the 1.4/28 has only very limited stock at Sigma left and is also fading out.
So I expect some interesting announcements in the future…

 

[RBecker]

Sigma says a new 35mm f/1.2 II FE lens is coming in 2025 and it will be smaller and better! | sonyalpharumors

Sigma CEO Yamaki had a talk at the CP+ show. And there he teased the launch of a new updated version of the current 35mm f/1.2 FE lens. The new version will be: Released soon Be way more compact (similar design to the Sigma 50mm f/1.2) Be lighter Be optically superior despite the smaller size

www.sonyalpharumors.com

Anyone had something like that on his/her wishlist? I think an 85mm f1.2 art would be more interesting, because Canon and Nikon already have an 85mm f1.2, L- and E-Mount don't.

I think both focal lenses would be nice in 1.2 to offer the trinity of 1.2 lenses. But for me the main interest in 35 or 85 depends a lot on your style of photography. These lenses are used quite differently…
I bought the 1.2/50 to replace my older 1.4HSM. With 85mm I already use the actual 1.4/85DGDN, which gives me great results with no high demand to change. But maybe users of the old 85HSM tank would like an additional option for update.

 

[dirk]

There will be also more Art lenses this year. If you look into to product line, the 1.4/40, 1.4/105 and 1.8/135 are not listed anymore. From my dealer I got the info, that the 1.4/28 has only very limited stock at Sigma left and is also fading out.
So I expect some interesting announcements in the future…

That would be soooooo cool! As long as they are not too big/heavy....

 

[RuleOfThirds]

Today I was researching 24 options… I Even was contemplating selling my full frame primes and just get a Fuji body and XF18/1.4 again. Together with 35/1.4 and 90/2

 

[dirk]

Today I was researching 24 options… I Even was contemplating selling my full frame primes and just get a Fuji body and XF18/1.4 again. Together with 35/1.4 and 90/2

Don't do it. I have XT5, 18/1.4 and 33/1.4. They are very good, but not better or smaller than the Sigma i-series lenses. You achieve only the same DOF with bigger Fuji X lenses.

Additionally the XTrans sensor is not everyones taste. File size of XT is very big, AF not great, depending on the use case.

The XT5 body is nice and small. The Fuji 70-300 is relatively small and Sigma offers sone imteresting APSC lenses in Fuji mount.

I would recommend to wait and see what Sigma announces this year. Sigma has clearly one of the best lenses out there. Not only the Art series.

 

[GeorgeHudetz]

The video on l-rumors from the press conference is in japanese, but you can switch on the automatic translation of the subtitles…

The new 1.2/35 should be comparable to the 1.2/50 and will be much better than the old one. That is quite a statement! There will be also more Art lenses this year. If you look into to product line, the 1.4/40, 1.4/105 and 1.8/135 are not listed anymore. From my dealer I got the info, that the 1.4/28 has only very limited stock at Sigma left and is also fading out.
So I expect some interesting announcements in the future…

All good news, IMO. Happy to see Sigma filling out the high-end. And yes, I think there will be an uptake for the 35/1,2, particularly if it performs as well as the 50/1.2.

Yes, I too noticed that the older 135 can't be found new anymore. I'm glad I have my 28/1.4, and while it is heavy, the mechanical MF is SOOOO much more enjoyable to use than modern designs. But in the end AF & low weight will win the day, at least for most of us. But if I were a MF/prime aficionado, I'd probably be accumulating those older HSM primes.

 

[GeorgeHudetz]

Wow, if Sigma achieves to make the 35/1.2 Mkii version smaller than the original one with better image quality at the same time, this would be impressive.

The original version seems to be already excellent according the reviews. I have the 35/1.4 DG DN Art and love the image quality. I was interested in the F1.2 version, but is was way too big for my taste.

I think F1.2 at 35 is more valuable than at 85mm. With WA it is more difficult to have a shallow DOF than with 85mm.

I would rather take a 135/2.0 or 2.8 than a 85/1.2. My Sigma 85/1.4 DG DN Art has enough shallow DOF for me.

View attachment 8766


View attachment 8769

Beautiful shots!

I'd love a fast 135. It would be a luxury for me, but it would be amazing for shots like the above, and for close-in wildlife. And perhaps for a bonkers-high resolution astro pano, lol.

 

[dirk]

I watched the japanese video linked in the first posting. Not easy with the speed of the translation. I have a headache now

Kazuto Yamaki said that he is/was concerned with the future of the industry, because people use smartphones more and more and some people doubt that there will be the need for cameras and lenses in the future.

As I said in another posting, Sigma is family owned and for Kazuto Yamaki the future of his company and his employees is more important for him than for any kind of normal CEO, who would just move to another company, if it is getting difficult. That is a mixture of personality and japanese culture. A very positive thing.

It seems that there were discussions/thoughts about going public at Sigma. But he does not want to, because then only numbers are important and people get influence on the direction of the company, which might be not in line with the heritage of his father and the idea of Sigma.

Therefore he decided that Sigma stays a private company. These are very good news for all of us, in my view. The idea of the new logo etc is to underline the strategy to develop top notch products only. Like a second step after the introduction of Art, Sport and Contempory lines years ago, which was (in my view) the first step away from a "cheaper" zoom lens company.

Then he explains the history and purpose of the Sigma BF. Parts of that was already explained in the Petapixel interview.

After that he sais that Foveon will still take time, probably not in 2025, but he is still committed to it. The main reason for the delay is that they try to find a sensor structure, which they are able to mass produce. This is not possible with the old Quattro design. But they still make progress and cooperate with a japanese professor for it.

At the end he talks about the Art series. He sais that he is not allowed to say too much, otherwise the marketing department will be mad at him. But there will be several new Art lenses coming and the only one he can talk today of is tgis new 35/1.2 DG2 Art. Smaller & lighter than the previous version AND better in terms of image quality.

I love this man! I met him only twice, but he is really impressive. I wish there would be more CEOs like him. Not only in the photo industry.

We can be really happy that he founded with Leica and Panasonic the L-Mount alliance.

 

[RuleOfThirds]

Don't do it. I have XT5, 18/1.4 and 33/1.4. They are very good, but not better or smaller than the Sigma i-series lenses. You achieve only the same DOF with bigger Fuji X lenses.

Additionally the XTrans sensor is not everyones taste. File size of XT is very big, AF not great, depending on the use case.

The XT5 body is nice and small. The Fuji 70-300 is relatively small and Sigma offers sone imteresting APSC lenses in Fuji mount.

I would recommend to wait and see what Sigma announces this year. Sigma has clearly one of the best lenses out there. Not only the Art series.

Yeah, I know the downside of the XF18/1.4. Had that one, together with the 33/1.4 and 90/2 for quite some time (1,5 years) and those are quite heavy. But I was just looking 2nd hand, and then with a X-S10 or X-T3 body, not a 40mp body. Or X-H2s (26mp). Had a walk today and used just my 35, and I loved it (again). Maybe as much as the 28mm focal length

If this 35/1.2 is < 600g then I might consider it to replace my S 35/1.8. More speed, less DOF and the S35 can have a quite busy bokeh with aperture smaller then F2.0
The 1.4 is also an option.

 

[dirk]

If this 35/1.2 is < 600g

The Sigma 35/1.4 DG DN Art weights already 646g. I doubt that the F1.2 version will be lighter or smaller. If that would be the case (significantly), I would trade my F1.4 for it.

I really like my Sigma 35/1.4 although I am not a fan of this FR. That sais something. But it is a heavy beast compared to the i-series 35/2.0

 

[RuleOfThirds]

I just keep hoping it is too large for me then. Saves me a lot of money.

I do like the weight of the 24-105, 590gram. It balances well. So the 1.4 will be fine also. But they promise a much smaller and lighter version. So it might well be less then the 1.4. Maybe not <600g

One can hope

 

[AlanC]

It seems that there were discussions/thoughts about going public at Sigma. But he does not want to, because then only numbers are important and people get influence on the direction of the company, which might be not in line with the heritage of his father and the idea of Sigma.

Therefore he decided that Sigma stays a private company. These are very good news for all of us, in my view. The idea of the new logo etc is to underline the strategy to develop top notch products only. Like a second step after the introduction of Art, Sport and Contempory lines years ago, which was (in my view) the first step away from a "cheaper" zoom lens company.

Yes, this very good news. I really like the fact that Sigma aren't afraid to make products they know won't sell in huge numbers (such as the astro primes - 14/1.4 and 15/1.4 fisheye - or their cameras) but do so anyway because they see a section of the market that's not being served by other manufacturers. And the fact they're willing to innovate with new types of glass and new manufacturing techniques so we get lenses like the improbably small 500/5.6 or the beautifully constructed i-series. And their lenses are so good that I'll now always buy them in preference to any other brand.

 

[dirk]

But they promise a much smaller and lighter version.

He was referring to the current 35/1.2 Art, not to the current F1.4

The current F1.2 version weights 1.090g and is 88x136mm big. A huge difference to the F1.4

And their lenses are so good that I'll now always buy them in preference to any other brand.

Me too. I have almost all i-series lenses and a few Art lenses from Sigma. No matter what I buy, they are all optically very good or excellent. They are all Zeiss/Leica level.

Only the APS-C lenses are sometimes a little bit weaker, in case when Sigma tried to make them very small and light. But even these are good enough for my photos for sure.

I would not hesitate to buy new announced Sigma blindly without reviews after this experience with their new DG DN lens designs since 2018.