Sigma’s Unusual New Photo Contest Is All About the Beauty of f/1.2
Sigma has been on an f/1.2 kick of late, releasing great lenses like the excellent Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG Art II and 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art. The company is celebrating its f/1.2 excellence with a new Power of F1.2 Photo Contest.
The Power of F1.2 Photo Contest runs from now until February 17, 2026, and photographers are invited to enter their images shot using Sigma f/1.2 lenses at f/1.2. This means photographers must have used either the two new Sigma f/1.2 primes mentioned above, the latter of which was honored in the 2024 PetaPixel Awards, or the original 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art released back in 2019. At the time, it was Sigma’s first-ever f/1.2 lens. The entry submissions must also be shot at f/1.2, as the contest is really about that ultra-fast aperture and the interesting creative opportunities it offers.
Sigma understands that many photographers don’t have a Sigma f/1.2 lens of their own, so the company has partnered with authorized dealers to offer limited rentals of its 35mm and 50mm f/1.2 primes. A list of participating dealers is available on Sigma’s website.
Sigma will award the first-place contest winner $3,000 in Sigma credit, in addition to having their winning piece featured at an upcoming Sigma pop-up event. $3,000 in Sigma credit could go a long way toward helping a photographer expand and upgrade their kit.
Second- and third-place winners will receive $1,000 and $300 in Sigma credit, respectively.
“Entries will be judged subjectively based on the application of these lens’s optical characteristics, such as shallow depth of field, sharpness, and low-light performance, as well as composition and general creativity,” Sigma says. The company notes that entries must include embedded EXIF data and no generative AI is allowed, including editing tools. Photographers can enter up to five images per submission, but only one submission per person is permitted.
Complete competition rules and regulations are detailed on Sigma’s website, but the biggest one is that the Sigma Power of F1.2 Photo Contest is only open to U.S. residents 18 years of age or older. The competition will be judged by five Sigma ambassadors: Meg Loeks, Jack Fusco, Heather Larkin, Arthur Cyiza, and Lindsey Ruth.
Image credits: Sigma
