RONKONKOMA, NY – April 12, 2017 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, is disrupting the cine lens game with its brand new lineup of cine lenses, which will be on display at the 2017 NAB Show (booth C11525), taking place in Las Vegas from April 24th through 27th. Handcrafted in Japan, made in Aizu, Sigma’s cine lenses, which were just announced in Q3 of 2016, have already been used in several projects ranging from commercial work, to indie films, to shorts designed specifically for OTT distribution on platforms like YouTube.
A sample of Abandon Visuals’ recent campaign for Lamborghini, captured using Sigma Cine Lenses
“We’ve been astounded by the images our customers have created using Sigma still photography lenses, and this trend has continued with the Sigma cine zoom lenses,” comments Sigma Corporation of America President Mark Amir-Hamzeh. “These artists’ stunning work never fails to impress us; we’re pleased to have the privilege to say their vision was captured through our lenses. And NAB is the perfect stage on which to connect with likeminded cinematographers with similar needs and their own unique vision.”
Images from Blur
Designed for the latest, high-resolution digital cinema cameras and already being used by a number of cinematographers, the brand new line of Sigma cine lenses will be on display at NAB 2017. The Sigma cine lens lineup at NAB 2017 includes the High Speed Super 35 Zoom Line: 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2; the FF Zoom Lens: 24-35mm T2.2; and the High Speed Prime line: 20mm T1.5, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5 and the 85mm T1.5. Sigma lenses are designed for industry-standard E, EF and PL mounts* (with the exception of the 24-35mm), ensuring compatibility with all major digital cinema cameras.
“blur”: The first short film shot with Sigma cine lenses
The first short film shot with Sigma’s brand new cinema lenses, “blur,” was shot using the Sigma 18-35mm T2 and the 50-100mm T2 zoom lenses. The exceptionally fast compact zoom lenses gave the “blur” production the versatility of a zoom with the optics of a prime lens, making the Sigma cine lenses ideal for the indie production with tight time and budget constraints. Director of Photography Yohei Tateishi explains, “Sigma cine lenses are a huge plus for indie filmmakers who need to shoot run-and-gun with limited access to lighting gear.”
In addition to the practicality of using a cine zoom lens, Sigma cine lenses are optimized to shoot 4K and higher, making them virtually “future-proof” as the industry evolves towards higher resolutions and larger sensors. Making the case for using just one or two Sigma cine zoom lenses in place of multiple prime lenses, Tateishi says, “The Sigma cine zoom lenses perform just as well as many prime lenses on the market today, and the high quality speaks for itself.”
Watch “blur,” a short film shot on Sigma cine lenses.
Noam Kroll: “Shadows On The Road”
For his 90-minute dramatic feature film, “Shadows On The Road,” LA-based filmmaker Noam Kroll employed the Sigma 18-35mm T2 and the 50-100mm T2 zoom cine lenses, exclusively. Shooting a feature film on a micro budget and tight shooting schedule, the Sigma cine zoom lenses offered the convenience of shooting in low light thanks to its ultra-fast T-stop of 2.0, combined with speed, efficiency and quality, for a highly competitive price.
“The optical quality of the Sigma cine zoom lenses was far superior to what I’ve experienced with other cine lenses,” Kroll states. “Typically, unless you’re using a prime, you can’t get that low of an exposure with a cine lens. To be able to get as low as T2 meant we had the best of both worlds; we could stay on zoom – which was necessary with such a small crew and so few resources, if we had to switch from one prime to another, it just wouldn’t have gotten done – without ever sacrificing image quality or functionality in low light situations. Not to mention the exceptional build quality, which really gave me the confidence that these lenses could take a bit of a beating and still function like new.”
Watch more of Noam Kroll’s content.
Abandon Visuals: Telling brand stories through immersive visuals
Abandon Visuals is a California-based full production house specializing in creating unique TV, film and commercial content for an impressive roster of clients that includes high quality brands including Red Bull, Red Digital and Monster Energy. With a commitment to progressive cinematography, the creative team believes in using the most advanced camera and lens technologies on the market. Their most recent projects include campaigns for Lamborghini and Red Digital Camera, and this meant using the Sigma 18-35mm T2 to capture stunning, action-packed shots with true cinematic quality.
“We’re seriously blown away by the image quality of the Sigma cine lenses. Their image quality is so impressive, we think they rival the most expensive cinema lenses on the market,” says Jonny Mass, co-founder of Abandon Visuals. “The sharpness of these lenses is off the charts. When capturing 8K content, it’s vital that we have lenses that are compatible with that resolution and these lenses fill that need. We’ve had nothing but positive experiences with them and we’re eager to continue creating beautiful content with them.”
He continues, “The Sigma 18-35mm T2 Cine Zoom hands down is the most versatile and beautiful lens that we’ve ever used. It is five prime lenses in one with a T stop of 2.0 – what more is there to say about it? We’re in love with this lens.”
Check out more of Abandon Visuals’ work.
Handcrafted in Japan, Made in Aizu
Compatible with the latest high-resolution, full-frame digital cinema cameras, the Sigma cine lenses combine 100% Sigma optics with a 100% new mechanical structure, offering an outstanding form factor with unbeatable optical performance that appeals to a wide range of cinematographers and videographers:
- • Appealing to feature film DPs, the Sigma cine line offers unparalleled quality and versatility with consistency throughout the line, especially with its primes. Boasting great IQ, Sigma Cine features a wide range of primes for full-frame camera systems with all lenses resolving up to 8K.
- • Priced to meet the independent filmmaker budget, the lightweight and compact form factor makes it a win for one-man crews and smaller budgets.
- • The attractively priced, diverse suite of lenses makes it easy for editorial and commercial boutiques to invest in the full range of Sigma cine lenses for a fraction of the cost of similar lens lines, without sacrificing quality, performance or versatility.
- • High-quality, compact design and value price tag make Sigma Cine a natural fit for corporate, education and house of worship productions.
See the full line of Sigma lenses on display at the 2017 NAB Show at booth C11525.
Sigma Cine Lens Pricing & Availability
The Sigma Cine High Speed Zoom 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 lenses began shipping in December 2016 for a retail price of $3999.00 USD. Pricing and availability for the remainder of the Sigma Cine Line will be revealed at NAB 2017.
About Sigma Corporation
Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, Sigma has been devoted the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning camera lenses, Cinema lenses, DSLR cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan.
In 2012, the company introduced the Sigma Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sport. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Sigma, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last. In 2016, Sigma entered into the world of Cinematography lens production. Embodying the core optical DNA that has defined the Sigma benchmark of excellence, the Cine lenses meet needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production.
Sigma continues its tradition of imaging excellence with the mirrorless sd Quattro, sd Quattro H and the compact dp Quattro camera line. Leveraging the ultra-high resolution Foveon sensor, the Sigma Quattro cameras are designed to produce the highest quality image with every shot.
For information about Sigma, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Blog.
Alex Molina
Hardworking, smart and upbeat can easily describe Alex. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Alex has been working in the communications industry since a very young age, giving him a wide range of experiences from broadcast to public relations. In 2012, Alex moved to Boston to take his education and career to the next level.
At Zazil, Alex works with account directors on client strategy and campaign development. He focuses on establishing and maintaining strong relationships with top media and key influencers to secure media coverage. In addition to leading accounts, Alex guides account executives and account coordinators with day-to-day tasks to ensure client success.
Alex has a B.A. in Advertising and Marketing from the University of Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico and a M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College.