Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Coming Tomorrow, But only for E, L Mounts

Sigma shocked the industry back when it launched its now-ubiquitous Art series of lenses with the 35mm f/1.4. The sharpness to price ratio at the time was unmatched. But a lot of design improvement has happened in eight years. Sigma has radically improved autofocus speed, improved optical design, developed new coatings and lens element materials, and improved build quality to the point where the old 35mm lens looks like a poor cousin of, say the 40mm f/1.4 Art of just two years ago.

So it is exciting that Sigma will tomorrow release the latest version of its 35mm Art lens – now in a mirrorless flange distance design. Images and specifications leaked yesterday (by Nokishita) confirming a few details.

The lens will come out only in E mount and L mount, which is as expected, but mildly disappointing given hints from executives that other mounts are being considered (and an absence of wide-aperture primes in many of the OEM manufacturers lineups).

A picture directly comparing the size to the older EF mount version (via SonyAlphaRumors.com) shows that it seems to be just about the same size as the older E mount version, which was essentially the EF version with an MC-11 adapter tucked inside. This will almost certainly prove offensive in the eyes of Sony E mount forum dwellers.

It will have 11 rounded aperture blades, helping maintain bragging rights for highest bokeh quality.