After using a 150-600mm Contemporary Sigma lens for most of my time as a wildlife photographer I thought it would be quite difficult to find something not only on performance wise for the price of the lens but the durability and all-around performance from image quality to the specs based on a lens which copes quite well in different conditions such as rain and dust which I have experienced while up in the Kalahari. This lens is a little heavier than the 150-600mm Contemporary however it is made from a… read more →
Firstly a caveat, I am not a techie or pixel peeper and I am not a bird photographer. So technically this is not a review, but rather my hands-on experience of the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 Sport lens. When I intend to buy gear I usually read two or three opinion pieces and then test the camera or lens to see if it will fit my shooting style. Some reviews are very technical and I sometimes wonder if shooting brick walls qualifies someone as a photographer. My passion is mostly sports… read more →
CANON EOS R5 | SIGMA FIELD TEST Text and photo’s by Sigma Ambassador Simon Du Plessis, Actionimage. I was invited by Canon South Africa to do a field review on their new Canon EOS R5 mirrorless body. This kept me quite busy, testing the R5 out in the field using various Canon RF and EF lenses, as well as my Sigma lenses, namely the 120-300 f2.8 Sport, 100-400 f5-6.3 Contemporary and my EX 150 f2.8 Macro. When I collected the R5 from Canon SA, there was concern that the AF… read more →
On Thursday 18th June 2020 at 15h00, SIGMA proudly launched the new 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary, Sigma’s first ultra telephoto lens designed exclusively for full-frame mirrorless cameras. In addition, SIGMA made the following announcements: Introduction of two new teleconverters designed exclusively for Sigma mirrorless lenses: – TC-1411 magnifies lens focal length by 1.4x. – TC-2011 magnifies lens focal length by 2x. Release of the Sigma USB Dock UD-11 for L-Mount and EF-M Mount mirrorless lenses. Availability of 16mm F1.4, 30mm F1.4 and 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lenses in L-Mount.… read more →
A journey through my equipment upgrade career Text and photo’s by Sigma Ambassador Simon Du Plessis, Actionimage. A question I am asked often, and I just know a lot of other professional and experienced photographers are asked quite often, is what lens or camera is best for any specific application. Over the past 35 years or so that I’ve been active in photography, starting out as a real beginner with very basic entry level kit and upgrading, building up my experience , learning from two mentors back in the 80’s… read more →
Introduction There is no lens manufacturer that has done a better job than Sigma at combining incredibly build quality with an affordable price tag. With their introduction of the Art Series in 2013, Sigma has gained many new fans including myself! The spectacular Sigma 35mm Art and the Sigma 85mm Art are the lenses that open peoples eyes to the incredible quality of the sigma range. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art is Sigma’s new standard zoom lens, and I was very excited to get my hands on… read more →
Overview The Sigma 12-24mm Art is a full-frame compatible, constant f/4 aperture, autofocus lens. The build and finish quality matches that of all the Art lenses in the Sigma line up. At 1150g and 112mm in length the lens really is a big lens. It certainly makes up for this bulk in looks. With its Fixed lens hood and curved bulb-like front element. The one downside to this curved front element is that conventional/traditional screw in filters doesn’t fit. This also means the lens cap slides over the front of… read more →
I always try to shoot natural light – in order to do this use the lens to its full potential by having it wide open. For me this is usually at F1.4. I only usually adjust ISO and Shutter Speed and keep the aperture at F1.4 to give images a sharp, yet creamy look. Even though the subjects are moving in these two images, I still strictly keep to F1.4. I trust in my lenses and my Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art lens never lets me down. For the throwing up… read more →
I recently used a set of Sigma FF High Speed Prime Lenses on a recent project for Bridgestone South Africa and Silver Bullet Films. The branded film follows the truly inspiring story featuring Lawrence Brittain, a South African rower who defied all the odds to take Silver at the Olympic Games Rio in 2016 after beating Cancer two years before that. These lenses helped me capture some beautiful images paired with the Arri Alexa Mini. The full video can be found here: Sigma has come such a long way and… read more →
Watches. Carpets. TV’s. Lenses. I’ve always loved collecting big things. There’s something wildy attractive about getting beautiful items in their oversized editions. It’s the first thing we notice about the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 Art lens which is the sheer size of it. It’s a beast. For the photographer, it feels like pure confidence holding it. It’s big, bold and brazen. The photo hasn’t even been taken yet, and the models are feeling like this shoot is about to get real. They may even feel slightly intimidated. I love it. We’re… read more →