Sigma Art Lens Headlines Surprising EISA Photographic Awards

By James DeRuvo (doddleNEWS)

Back when I sold cameras in college, I used to always point my customers to Sigma lenses because they offered tremendous value for the money. They were clear and sharp, and focused fairly fast. That was 20 years ago, though, and they’ve gotten a heck of a lot better, and their Art Lenses are really getting attention, not only from filmmakers and photographers, but also the European Imaging and Sound Association which called it the best DSLR Lens in Europe. Considering that Leica lives in that part of the world, that’s saying something!

“Sigma’s 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art is a fast telephoto zoom optimised for DSLRs with APS-C image sensors. This latest addition to Sigma’s acclaimed Art series covers three popular focal lengths in one (85mm, 105mm and 135mm equivalent), which makes it a very useful addition to any photographer’s arsenal.

“The optical design delivers excellent image quality, and the ultrasonic HSM motor provides silent and accurate autofocus. Thanks to the maximum aperture of F1.8, the lens allows creative use of shallow depth of field. Its high build quality and excellent handling are what we have come to expect from Sigma’s Art series.” - EISA Awards For Best DSLR Lens (Press Release)

The award went to the Sigma 50-100 F 1.8 DC HSM Art Lens, which is chiefly designed for APS-C sensored DSLRs and enjoys a constant f 1.8 speed rating all along the entire focal length. EISA says that this ability to have shallow depth of field along the entire zoom range gives photographers creative use of shallow depth of field and was a chief reason to give the Sigma 50-100 the 2016 EISA Award.

“EISA is known for its rigorous testing process, and to win its Best European DSLR Zoom Lens of the year award is an exciting feat for us. Sigma’s aim is to always push the boundaries of what photographic equipment can achieve, and the 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art Lens is a perfect example of that ambition.” - Mark Amir-Hamzeh, President of Sigma Corporation of America

Building on the lessons learned with the previous 18-35mm f1.8 size, the 50-100 f 1.8 is essentially three prime lenses in one, covering 85mm, 105mm and 135mm focal lengths. Built with three FLD low dispersion glass elements and a high refractive index, the Sigma lens can minimize aberrations, and with a redesigned Hyper Sonic motor, the autofocusing is quick and quiet.

For those looking to get a cinematic look on a telephoto budget, the Sigma Art Lenses are a good, and now award winning value.

Other awards this year went as follows:

1. Best Professional DSLR Lens - Canon EF35mm F1.4L II USM
2. Best DSLR Camera - Canon EOS 80D. Which is honestly ironic considering the beef with photographers is that the 80D offered no better video image improvement.
3. Best Prosumer DSLR - Nikon D500 - which leapfrogs over Canon in the prosumer market thanks to the ability to shoot in 4K video. But at $6500 it’s not cheap.
4. Best Professional DSLR - Canon EOS 1D-X Mark II
5. Best Professional Compact Lens - Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM
6. Best All Around Photo and Video Camera - Sony α7S II. No surprise there.

For mobile filmmaking, EISA gave the Best Smartphone camera to the Samsung Galaxy S7 / S7 EDGE. I’ve been hearing that the S7 has the best camera on the market, and this just supports that opinion. We may see “shot on iPhone” billboards all over the city, but that’s just marketing.

EISA says that the S7/S7 EDGE camera has a brighter f1.7 lens which makes it’s a better option, especially since it can also shoot still images in RAW and video in 4K. It also comes with a pro mode that offers manual settings. But that f1.7 lens offers shooters with a nice shallow depth of field, that even the every day shutter bug can take advantage of.

The HTC Vive won best Virtual Reality Headset, which is yet another blow to Oculus. The Vive has a much better resolution, uses 32 sensors for better immersive interaction, and a 1600 x1200 pixels at a 90Hz refresh rate. With the HTC, EISA said that the future of virtual reality had arrived. Ouch.

And in what is a surprising award for Best Action Camcorder, the EISA award went to the Olympus TG-Tracker, which judge said can track its subject in 4K from its 204 degree angle of view. It has a pull out LCD menu offers WiFi and HDMI options, and is ruggedly built for the action photographer who’s doing their own stunts. It’s really an incredibly compact camcorder. But the big thing is that the TG-Tracker can record in stereo sound, whereas the competition’s sound quality is generally awful and accepted as such.

For more information on the award winners, visit EISA.EU.