The Sigma 50-120mm f/2.8 Completes Its Ultra-Compact APS-C Trinity
Sigma has announced the 50-120mm f/2.8 DG OS Contemporary, the final piece of the company’s compact “holy trinity” of zooms for APS-C cameras.
The lens follows Sigma’s 10-18mm f/2.8 and 18-50mm f/2.8 Contemporary lenses to complete the trio of fast and light zooms. On APS-C sensors, the crop factor is about 1.5x, making this slightly different from the traditional long-end of a holy trinity of zooms with a 75-180mm versus the standard 70-200mm.
That said, it is significantly smaller and much lighter, which Sigma says makes it not only easier to wield in the field, but less imposing on new photographers who might not be prepared for the size that full-frame gear grows to.
Sigma says that despite its size and design for APS-C, it did not compromise on features, packing the lens with an optical stabilizer, its fast high-response linear actuator autofocus system, and excellent sharpness. It is also weather sealed.
Beyond that, Sigma goes so far as to say this lens — and this whole series of lenses — defies the conventional thinking around APS-C, which usually carries with it some stigma of “lesser” compared to full-frame options. Sigma instead says this lens has premium optical design that packs professional-grade performance into a compact form factor.
The Sigma 50-120mm f/2.8 is constructed of 18 elements arranged into 13 groups, with one FLD, 3 SLD, and four aspherical elements to help reduce aberrations. It features an aperture range of f/2.8 through f/22 via an 11-bladed aperture diaphragm.
The lens is very light, weighing just 390 grams (13.8 ounces). Of note, the Sony and Fujifilm mounts weigh 390 grams but the Canon RF mount option is slightly heavier at 410 grams. Sigma notes that a full-frame equivalent batch of three lenses would weigh around 2.9 kilograms, but this APS-C trio cuts that down to less than one kilogram.
While Sigma says it didn’t compromise on performance, it did eliminate buttons on the lens itself. Sigma says that by getting rid of physical buttons and switches like the focus mode switch, AFL button, zoom lock, and optical stabilizer switch, it was able to make a more compact overall lens with a minimalist interface.
The Sigma 50-120mm f/2.8 DG OS Contemporary will be available in October for $799 in Fujifilm X-mount, Sony E-mount, and Canon RF-mount.
Image creditsPhotographs by Erin Thomson for PetaPixel
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