2024: A Year in Sigma Lenses

Sigma blitzed the lens space in 2024, sending six brand new lenses for Sony E-mount and L-mount to market in addition to six Canon RF-mount versions of their most popular APS-C lenses. But it wasn’t just about flooding the zone—the company innovated as well, bringing unorthodox zoom ranges, unprecedented speed, and unexpected focal length to its 2024 output. With five entries in its high-end Art series, one in its dedicated Sports series, and the six Canon RF lenses in its Contemporary line, 2024 saw Sigma solidifying its position as a first-rate manufacturer of third-party lenses.

Sigma opened the long 2024 with the February release of two polar-opposite primes, the 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Art and the 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports lenses. Straddling opposite ends of the focal-length spectrum, with the 15mm being a uniquely fast diagonal fisheye and the 500mm being an ideal handheld super-telephoto option for wildlife and sports, the dual release was a strong opening for the company.

The 15mm f/1.4 Art lens is Sigma’s only diagonal fisheye and was designed specifically for astrophotographers. Besides its expansive 180° angle of view, the lens’s bright, f/1.4 optical construction incorporates elements that temper aberrations and distortions (including star-destroying sagittal coma flare) and optimize the reproduction of bright points of light. It also has several practical features benefiting astrophotographers, such as a lens heater retainer, a removable tripod collar, a manual focus lock switch, and a rear filter holder.

The 500mm f/5.6 Sports lens, on the other hand, caught the eye of some writers here as Sigma’s standout lens of the year. Super-telephoto lenses are rare from third-party manufacturers - let alone functional, reliable, and approachable ones - and Sigma’s impressive design yielded a handholdable lens that includes an advanced optical construction, image stabilization, quick AF, and a robust build. Adding to its profile is the fact that Sony lacks their own 500mm lens, giving it a unique place in the E-mount lineup with the potential to fill holes in a handful of systems. 

Sigma followed up with the release of the 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art lens, joining the 35mm f/1.2 as the fastest in the Art line while shaving some of its sibling’s length and weight. Its 13-blade diaphragm makes it a true bokeh monster, and while Sigma’s 50mm f/1.4 still has a 2.5 oz weight advantage, if you’re up to balance an extra couple of ounces, the f/1.2 makes a strong case for certain shooting applications, like nighttime work and portraiture. Among other new design elements, the 50mm f/1.2 also sports a dual HLA-driven (High-response Linear Actuator) floating focus mechanism that manages quick, quiet, and accurate AF performance, and contributes to the smaller overall design. It’s a simple, elegant lens with impressive speed that excels for portraiture, landscapes, and more. 

Pivoting from the primes, Sigma’s next lens release was a second generation of its flagship standard zoom, the 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II Art lens. Redesigned to achieve greater sharpness throughout the zoom range and improved clarity and consistency throughout the aperture range, the lens also improves its close focusing distance to 6.7” with a 1:2.7 maximum magnification ratio. Smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the lens also gained an HLA motor for a 3x improvement in autofocus speeds. 

Not content with merely bolstering its flagship, Sigma released two more unique zoom lenses at the beginning and end of the summer, the 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN Art lens and the 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens, respectively. A world first, the 28-45mm f/1.8 lens is the only full-frame zoom lens with an f/1.8 aperture throughout the entire zoom range, eliminating the need for two or more fast primes in popular focal lengths. Internal zoom and internal focusing designs are used to maintain the overall lens length and balance while shooting, and its updated optics, faster focusing, shallow depth of field, and greater coverage make it a go-to option for solo filmmakers, vloggers, travelers, and everyday shooters.

The last of its brand-new lens releases, the 28-105mm f/2.8 lens takes a popular, all-in-one kit format and speeds things up. Its wide-to-telephoto zoom range, which includes the popular 85mm portrait focal length, keeps its bright maximum aperture from end-to-end, making it especially appealing to event and wedding photographers. Its versatility also makes it a great single-lens, all-around option for travel and everyday carry. Like its other 2024 siblings, this new zoom lens features Sigma’s latest HLA autofocus technology, superior optical design, and customizable buttons, all in a compact and durable lens body.

And for Canon RF shooters, Sigma used the year to fill in the remaining gaps in its compact and convenient Contemporary line. First out was the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN portable standard zoom, followed by another zoom, the wide-angle 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN. The company closed out its year by dropping four primes: 16mm f/1.4 DC DN, 23mm f/1.4 DC DN, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN.

What are your favorite Sigma lenses from this past year? Are there other innovations you wish to see in 2025? Let us know in the Comments!