Sony E-Mount shooters lens choices will soon get a bit brighter. On Tuesday, October 24, Sigma announced the development of a 16mm f/1.4 lens for Sony E-Mount. While the lens doesn’t have a launch date yet, the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 will likely be the first to achieve such a wide aperture in the 16mm focal length (equivalent to a 24mm on a full frame body) for Sony’s APS-C mirrorless cameras.
Sigma says the quality of the new prime lens will rival that from lenses designed for full-frame DSLRs because of a design using a “variety of high-tech optical elements.” The company says the lens will minimize optical aberrations along with offering high-resolution quality throughout the lens’ entire aperture range, from f/1.4 to f/16. The lens can also leverage in-camera digital correction for aberrations as well, the company says.
The lens uses a stepping motor designed for smoother autofocus, a particularly important feature when shooting video. The lens is designed with 16 elements in 13 groups.
“This is the world’s first interchangeable lens for mirrorless Sony E-mount cameras in the APS-C format to offer a 24mm focal length (35mm equivalent) and F1.4 brightness,” Sigma said in a statement. “This is the large-diameter wide-angle lens for which mirrorless camera users have been waiting.”
On the outside, the lens will be sealed to make the optics dust- and splash-resistant. Sigma says the lens is also designed to be compact, with a weight of about 14 ounces and a length of 3.6 inches.
The lens will be Sigma’s second in the contemporary high-end series with such a bright aperture after the company’s 30mm lens launched last year. The company says the series rivals their own Art series in quality. That same Art series also took “world’s first” honors for the 14mm f/1.8, but for Canon and Nikon mounts. A mount conversion service will also adapt the lens to different camera bodies, for an additional fee.
With the lens still under development, exact specifications could change before the release, and Sigma isn’t yet sharing a release date or price for the new lens. The price of the first lens in the series is $350, so if the company keeps up with that same pattern, the 16mm could sit at a very competitive price point, considering that large f/1.4 aperture.