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There was a wave of delight when both Sigma and Tamron announced they were going to launch autofocus lenses for Canon RF‘s APS-C mounts. With their official involvement, it is said that the newer Sigma lenses could be truly helpful in improving the autofocus performance of the lenses. While we are unsure how it will all play out for now, there are new reports that Sigma is looking to revive a beloved Canon lens in the near future. So yes, a Sigma 200mm f1.8 lens is possible. What is it about? Find out more here.
According to L-mount Rumors, Sigma is developing a new 200mm f1.8 full-frame lens for Sony E and Leica L mounts. This lens is similar to Canon 200mm f1.8 EF, which was launched about 40 years ago and became famously known as Eye of Sauron. This Lord of the Rings reference was due to the lens’ massive front element and immense sharpness. According to Canon Museum, the lens was the brightest lens at that time, constructed using 12 elements in 10 groups. It also had a maximum magnification of 0.09s, a close focusing distance of 2.5m, a 48mm filter diameter, and 3000g of weight.
The new Sigma 200mm f1.8 is said to be a part of the Sports series, but no details of its specifications have been released yet. However, the article states that a patent for a similar lens was announced five years ago. L-Rumors is yet to get more confirmation from other sources about the report, which they will get to in a bit.
However, there are several reasons why a new version of the lens could be exciting for users:
- Bokeh: The 200mm f1.8 offered beautiful bokeh, so the new Sigma lens is expected to offer a similar shallow depth of field but with extreme sharpness. However, while they do so, we hope the lens also has character and that the image quality is not as sterile as we have seen in some Sigma lenses.
- Compact: Sigma is not known for making compact lenses; however, the belief is that the new 200mm will be lighter and smaller than the original version.
- Wildlife and sports: In addition, the lens will also give a better advantage to sports and wildlife photographers, especially those who shoot in low-light areas. an f1.8 aperture is a great start, and if one stops down to f2.8, they still get more noise than using a telephoto lens.
- Portraits: This lens could be perfect for portrait photographers, as it can also give you the needed depth of field and softness required.
At the moment, Sony has one 135mm f1.8 GM lens, and Sigma offers a 105mm f2.8 Macro. So, considering the focal range, the 200mm f1.8 could be a welcome addition for users with specific needs. We can’t comment about the quality, as we arent even sure what the make up of this lens be like. What we do hope is that with the price they will charge, Sigma will be able to provide great autofocus, built quality, and firmware updates. Furthermore, optical image stabilization could further help photographers shoot handheld, especially if the lens weighs a lot. Until then, watch this space for more.
