Sigma Announces 28-45mm DG DN Art Lens, World's-First f/1.8 Zoom Lens for Full-Frame Cameras
06/03/2024Sigma just announced the 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art Lens, the world's-first f/1.8 zoom for full-frame cameras. This groundbreaking new lens acts as a full-frame spiritual successor to Sigma's wildly popular 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens for APS-C SLRs. Like its iconic predecessor, the 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN offers the flexibility of a zoom with the speed of a prime.
Moving everything that was great about the 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM up to full-frame coverage should prove a blessing for photographers and filmmakers—both in terms of imaging capabilities and convenience. Now, instead of carrying 28mm, 35mm, and 50mm f/1.8 primes, you only have to bring this new lens along. Granted, it's larger than any one of those single primes, but as a single lens it travels more easily and is still very suitable for handheld use.
Beyond the uniqueness of the speed and zoom range, the new lens reportedly delivers sharpness and rendering comparable to that of prime lenses. Aspherical and low dispersion elements contribute to high sharpness and accurate color rendering and also promote better focus breathing performance.
The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 11.8” throughout the zoom range and, at the 45mm position, offers a 1:4 maximum magnification ratio for close-up work. Coupling the bright f/1.8 design and 11-blade diaphragm, this 28-45mm f/1.8 is a standout choice for shallow depth of field shooting and selective focusing, especially when working with nearby subjects.
In terms of handling and actually working with the lens, internal zoom and internal focusing designs are used to maintain the overall lens length and balance while shooting, making this a perfect candidate for video shooters using a gimbal setup or for one-man productions on a mirrorless platform. This non-moving design also adds to overall dust and splash resistance for working in inclement weather conditions. Another physical touch that’s been optimized for video needs is the manual aperture ring, which can be locked in place to prevent accidental switching and can also be de-clicked for smooth and silent iris transitions.
For autofocus, a High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) is used, which achieves fast, quiet, and smooth focusing performance that, again, is also beneficial to solo shooters working handheld or atop a gimbal. And for L Mount users, the manual focus ring can be set for linear and non-linear focusing depending on the range one needs to cover during a shoot.
The 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art is striving for similar greatness as the legendary 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens, albeit with updated optics, faster focusing, and greater coverage to suit the new era of full-frame mirrorless and cine cameras. This lens should prove to be a go-to option for solo filmmakers, vloggers, and other creatives, thanks to its emphasis on features that benefit the video process, while also appealing to photographers looking for a solid single lens for travel and other everyday subjects. It’s a unique option, thanks to its speed, that’s equally sensible in terms of zoom coverage.
For more information about the new zoom lens, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product page for the Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
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