(FT2) The first little Sigma lens rumor :)
Image on top: The current very nice Sigma 30mm f/1.430mm f/1.4 lens for Four Thirds mount.
As I told you a couple of times I still have no Sigma related trusted source. But for the first time a new source sent me a couple of info about the future Sigma products! As usual don’t get too excited about rumors coming from new sources. I hope some other source can confirm or dent the rumor as soon as possible 
According to the Sigma source: “Sigma guys are sending to our factories some micro 4/3s prototypes, (they have an actual “sigma” character logo = prototype) reworks of current 4/3rs. There are some issues with new panasonic autofocus compatibility but they do work fine on the olympus ep3. No release date (we just have seen the prototypes, i think release depends on sigma)“.
The source also sent me more info I first want to check before to post here. Thanks for any help you sources can give to me 
If Sigma is really going to rework some of the current Four Thirds lenses than this is definitely good new. Some of those lenss are really amazing. I made you a list of all current 4/3 lenses (Click on lens name to see current auctions on eBay):
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8
Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6
Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6
Sigma 24mm f/1.8
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma 50mm f/1.4
Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3
Sigma 55-500mm f/4-5.6
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
Sigma 105mm f/2.8
Sigma 135-400mm f/4-5.6
Sigma 150mm f/2.8
Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6
Just a reminder: A couple of months ago our friends from DSLRmagazine interviewed MR. Kazuto Yamaki from Sigma. There is a part concerning the future Micro Four Thirds lens development (google translation!):
1) “The lenses will have a completely new design.”
2) “We have the challenge that some of these lenses should be optimized for taking videos. That requires a special internal mechanism. Therefore it is more difficult to achieve extreme focus, brightness and high correction. For video applications may be interesting to have change of focal power, and therefore not only optics but mechanics should be different.
At this point, we think there should be two different sets of lenses, one optimized for video and one optimized for stills.”
Reminder -> Rumors classification explained (FT= FourThirds):
FT1=1-20% chance the rumor is correct
FT2=21-40% chance the rumor is correct
FT3=41-60% chance the rumor is correct
FT4=61-80% chance the rumor is correct
FT5=81-99% chance the rumor is correct
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Recent comments
Comment from Disraeli: Since they just seem like the same old A...
Comment from Sören: Give me a Tele-Macro Sigma :)...
Comment from phattE: 0,95? Pfff, make it f/0,33 for those rea...
Comment from mclarenf3: I agree. I used both the 50/1.4 and two ...
Narretz
9 months ago |Wow, I didn’t know Sigma had made so many lenses for 43s. Strange it takes them so long to make some m43 lenses. But I guess they were understandably skeptical if m43 would stand its ground. 50mm 1.4 sounds good!
Beomagi
9 months ago |Not at all – Sigma makes lenses that work under PDAF. Developing lenses and electronics for another system and AF type probably takes time.
Also, why would they use the exact lens? the extra sensor area those lenses cover will only hinder m43. They’ll be looking at not onlny making the lenses shorter to benefit from the shorter register distance, but also less material.
Nico Foto
9 months ago |The sensor size is the same right (43 vs m43)? Unless you mean adapting existing sigma designs for aps-c, in which case i agree, thats a lame thing to do…
MikeS
9 months ago |The sensor size is the same, but the flange distance is not, which makes for a huge difference in lens design. Besides, the Sigma lenses for 4/3 were already the APS-C versions with a different mount.
Tobias W.
9 months ago |We have both the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 as well as the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 at home for Four Thirds. The lenses are not bad, well built with more features than other FT lenses (distance scale, mechanical focusing versus focus by wire). But essentially, the lenses are the same lenses sold for Nikon/Canon with just the mount being adapted to FT. I hope Sigma is actually designing new lenses for MFT rather than just changing the lens mount on existing lenses.
bean5y
9 months ago |If you are reading this Sigma, I’d like to add to the wish-list:
- A wide-angle prime <12mm to compete with Olympus 12mm but for less $$
- A fast macro
- A fast standard 21mm, nice and compact, not necessarily a pancake so we can have <1.7.
If that standard were like a chrome Leica Summilux-M (and came in black too for those who like shooting stealth), It'd be a dream come true.
Also need a more direct manual focus compared to the focus by wire feel. Olympus got it right with the snapshot focus on the 12mm, but if they just made the focus by wire feel more mechanical, that would be fine and less costly.
Maybe do what Olympus did with OM lenses. Have a F/2.8 for the amateurs and a premium F/2 for the pros.
nick
9 months ago |What is less $$ for the 12mm f2? it is cheap already. you want $700 instead?
Joel
9 months ago |I just hope the Sigma lenses aren’t HUGE.. I worry Sigma will make the same lens for u4/3 and NEX, so we get a larger than required lens (actually I am pretty confident that is what they will do)…
Ross
9 months ago |The Olympus 12mm lens is mechanical MF, as quoted from the specs, “its quick-clutch manual focus ring”, to me sounds like it’s not focus by wire but a mechanical linkage.
Leendert
9 months ago |A m43 version of Sigma 105mm f/2.8 and Sigma 135-400mm f/4-5.6 (but wit IQ like the Sony 70-400mm, better resolution then Panasonic 100-300mm) please !
emde
9 months ago |None of the existing Sigma 43 lenses would be VERY interesting. Mostly due to size and weight. Exeptions might be 105 Macro and some tele zooms. But if I look at the matching simulation at http://www.four-thirds.org/en/special/matching.html it still does not look too convincing…
littorio
9 months ago |Yeah, 105mm macro is really what many people need (dancing smile here).
But not the universal lens that comes in three versions (for m43, NX NEX) like it was in the past. We need a lens designed specially for m43 since it allows for making it SMALLER!
And lighter, obviously…
Ross
9 months ago |It could be good if designed to be small enough for micro 4/3s & also have a mount for the rumoured, smaller sensor Nikon mirrorless camera to come. That way, there might be a greater market for the same main lens design.
Kenneth
9 months ago |I would like a 100mm telelens with 1.8. No zoom.
M43Photo
9 months ago |High end Sigma lenses often have large front elements and generally large lens groups. This is fine with PDAF focus, but does not work well with CDAF. So I can see that they need a major rework to be feasible for Micro Four Thirds.
They probably must redo their design philosophy to make m4/3 lenses. Otherwise, they become similar to the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2 4/3 lens on Micro Four Thirds cameras: Large, heavy, slow focus, noisy focus.
http://m43photo.blogspot.com/2010/01/olympus-zuiko-digital-50mm-12-macro.html
napalm
9 months ago |sigma has to come up with something more interesting than their 4/3 lenses. with 4/3 it was lacking with primes, especially for portraits. but m4/3 already have some pretty good lenses, especially primes. and if the “fast” X zooms from Pany are really good then they have to make something good and cheap.
but more lenses will always be good to m4/3 as a system.
io
9 months ago |“but more lenses will always be good to m4/3 as a system.”
+1
MP Burke
9 months ago |The Sigma 70mm f2.8 macro could be useful on m43, but that lens is over 500g in weight. I would have thought that third party lens makers would be aiming to make some lenses specifically designed for use with mirrorless cameras, covering the APS-C image circle. Macros at 70mm or 100mm focal length, for instance, would be of interest to both m43 and NEX users. It will be disappointing if all they do is try to adapt lenses made for 24x36mm format slrs.
For longer primes or zooms, I think manufacturers ought to be implementing in-lens image stabilsation, which will be relevant to both Panasonic and NEX users.
Hauxon
9 months ago |I think there’s plenty of room for Sigma.
Currently we need:
9mm or 10mm prime, I’d like to see a fast one for at night. Imagine shooting stars/aurora with a 9mm f/1.4!
16mm or 17mm f/1.4 lens.
The Oly 12/2 and Leica 25/1.4 need cheaper alternatives.
We still need f/2.8 …or even f/2 zoom lenses.
I’d also like to see fast telephoto prime lenses. Superlightweight super tele’s 250/2.8, 300/4 …endless possibilities. And portability is very welcome feature for the nature photographer.
Ulli
9 months ago |some of my best work was done with a sigma ex 28mm f/1.8. not on a 43 sensor though.
PENfan
9 months ago |Sigma shouldn’t duplicate existed in m43 lenes.
If there is 25/1.4 there is no sense to issue 30/1.4. Unless 30/1.4 will be much cheaper.
In m43 are primes:
- cheap but very good manual fisheye (Samyang)
- fishaye with AF (Panasonic)
- expensive 12 f/2
- cheaper 14 f/2.5
- cheap but not very good 17 f/2.8
- good and not expensive 20 f/1.7
- expensive and very good 25 f/1.4
- not expensive and very good 45 f/1.8
- expensive macro 45 f/2.8
But there is no:
- UWA wider than 12mm (not zoom)
- brighter 17mm with better quality
- short macro cheaper than Panasonic/Leica 45mm f/2.8
- longer macro (example 100mm)
- longer then 45mm portrait lens
- long brignt tele prime (example 200mm)
- tilt/shift lenses
In m43 there is no zooms:
- bright standard zoom (12-35mm. 14-54mm, 12-60mm) cheaper than Panasonic 12-35 f/2
- bright UWA zoom (there are dark 9-18 f/4-5.6, 7-14 f/4)
- bright portrait zoom cheaper than Panasonic 35-100 f/2 (example f/2.8)
- equivalent very good Zuiko 50-200 f/2.8-3.5 from ‘normal’ 4/3
Martin
9 months ago |- equivalent very good Zuiko 50-200 f/2.8-3.5 from
Yes please! f/2.8-4 would be enough if they are able to make it smaller than the 4/3 Zuiko; and they should be if they leave the distortion uncorrected..
Gravi
9 months ago |Not sure if they are going to be really small!
I guess they might follow the strategy they have for their current lenses: one lense with different mounts. The 50mm f1.4 for Canon, Olympus, Nikon etc are essentially all the same. It is even a fullframe lens.
So if Sigma decides to develop CDAF lenses for mirrorless systems, it might be that each lens will be coming in mounts for m43, sony NEX, Samsung. That means they design for APS-C, and adapt the mount for m43.
So: let’s just wait and see about the size of the lenses!
Luke
9 months ago |55-500mm please
BS Artiste
9 months ago |I could be wrong, but I think that should be a 55-200mm and not 55-500mm.
Michael Meissner
9 months ago |Sigma has had 55-200mm and 50-500mm lenses for Olympus in the past. I had the 55-200mm lens, and it was ok IF and only IF, you had a camera with IS, and you had enough light to shoot at f/8 in aperture priority mode. Otherwise it was rather soft at the telephoto end. Given Panasonic already has a 45-200mm (that people complain about it being soft at 200mm), I don’t think we need to duplicate that lens. I think the 55-200mm may have been the first Sigma 4/3rds lens that Sigma abandoned when they redesigned it for the other bodies, not providing a 4/3rds mount for the new lens.
The 50-500mm lens was for most people a lens that they only used with a heavy tripod, though I have read reports now and then with people handholding it (at 4.1 pounds or 1.9kg, it tends to develop upper arm strength).
Sigma did say they were going to design new lenses for m43rds and NEX, but so far, we haven’t seen any.
Jimson
9 months ago |I got some great BIF shots with a bigma and E-3 / E-620 on a Bushhawk shoulder stock. It was heavy, but not at all unmanageable. I’m bummed I didn’t buy one before they went out of production. Not an extraordinarily high-performing lens, but there’s not much out there to replace it. I don’t see much need for one in a m4/3 mount though…
Leendert
9 months ago |Thats to big, something like 200-400mm is better.
Or a 400mm F5.6 prime
Andy
9 months ago |I’d like an improved 30mm 1.4 in e-mount.
Hojk
9 months ago |7-500 F2 please!
Martin
9 months ago |F2? WTF?? F1.4, pancake edition!
Dummy00001
9 months ago |and obviously it shouldn’t extend when zooming/focusing.
mclarenf3
9 months ago |Nah, that’s pretty slow. We NEED a f/0.95 version which is sharp wide open. All the other lenses are just not good enough quality for my amazing photos. It’s really a shame.
phattE
9 months ago |0,95? Pfff, make it f/0,33 for those really dark places..
http://www.westlicht-auction.com/files/7130328167a1741d0b112b4e6244e4783bbc.jpg
chris
9 months ago |A 1000mm/f0.95 with AF how bout that huh
jules
9 months ago |And I want it cheap, widely available in stores and with OIS!
otherwise, bye bye m43!
hlbt
9 months ago |It’s great to hear that Sigma is designing new lenses for m43. It’s unusual of them to design lenses for a specific mount, so the linked interview shows great commitment from Sigma.
It’s a courageous move, as both Olympus and Panasonic can design lenses in-house. This is in stark contrast to Sony, who (unfortunately) proved with the NEX kit lenses that they really can’t do much without Konica Minolta.
I didn’t know that the Sigma Four Thirds lenses were still current in the States — over here in Japan, they’re all discontinued except for just one.
Mar
9 months ago |Who needs Sigma lenses?
They were crappy on the 4/3rds and they will probably be crappy on m43 if they don’t make native versions.
While some Sigma lenses are pretty good and great in APS-C and FF land, Olympus made much better lenses for 43rds making most Sigma lenses obsolete (smaller sensor didn’t help Sigma either).
The only lens I can think of that’s remotely good for 43rds is 30mm 1.4
150mm macro was plagued by poor AF performance and stupid Sigma didn’t make their 120-300 2.8 or other few longer telephotos except for consumer grade 50-500mm and ridiculously big and expensive 300-800mm in FT mount.
Dummy00001
9 months ago |> Who needs Sigma lenses?
Anybody who values choice.
Yeah, Sigmas on 43 were pretty bad. But there were there and many people took great many great photographs using them.
And after we get the “crappy” lenses, I’m pretty sure that we all would love to complain how m43′s version of 1.4/30 sucks compared to PL25 but alas the latter doesn’t fit the budget and, look, the images from 1.4/30 also look OK.
mclarenf3
9 months ago |I agree. I used both the 50/1.4 and two copies of the 30/1.4 and all three lenses were very good. Silent focus, reasonably fast, and also sharp wide open. I had no complaints with them, and the price they started at made it all the more value for my money.
Choices are always a good thing. Sigma entering the u4/3 arena will only add more choices to a maturing system.
amalric
9 months ago |People complain about everything, they see the tree but not the forest.
As in the case of Samyang this is terrific news for the SYSTEM. If Sigma do m4/3 this will soon become the most important system of the decade. Then you can choose whatever suits your mood.
My own caveat is that I would rather have lenses that are not FW corrected, which is what Leica does.
Nelson
9 months ago |I think they would probably design lens that can easily mount on NEX and M43, since they are the largest in sharemarket atm, and they both use contrast AF, so the size would be pretty much APSC size I am afraid.
They could probably make one for Nikon Mirrorless too, but with 2.7X crop most of their lens are medium to telephoto lol
Anonymous
9 months ago |> So if Sigma decides to develop CDAF lenses
> for mirrorless systems, it might be that
> each lens will be coming in mounts for m43,
> sony NEX, Samsung. That means they design
> for APS-C, and adapt the mount for m43.
or they could develop them for m43 and upcoming nikon mirrorless and forget about aps-c…
Sören
9 months ago |Give me a Tele-Macro Sigma
Disraeli
9 months ago |Since they just seem like the same old APS lenses with a micro four thirds mount. What is so special about this?