Sigma Announces Pricing and Availability for Feb 2011 Lenses

Sigma Corporation shares pricing, availability for three weather-resistant lenses

Manufacturer also announces plans to upgrade two other lenses, one camera

RONKONKOMA, NY, Feb. 8, 2011 – Sigma Corporation of America (www.sigmaphoto.com), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, has announced the pricing and availability for three lenses that incorporate the company’s new, weather-resistant design.

The Sigma APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM and APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM were first introduced at Photokina in September 2010. Those lenses will be available for purchase in late February and the end of March for the U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $4,700 and $1,600, respectively. In April, they will be joined by a weather-resistant update to another old favorite, the 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 II DG HSM, for the U.S. MSRP of $1,400. All lenses will be released in Nikon and Canon mounts first, and will be available in Sigma, Pentax and Sony mounts shortly thereafter.

“We’ve updated these popular lenses with our latest technology and design, while maintaining their compact size,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The 120-300mm and the 150mm are now optically stabilized (OS), and all three lenses contain our new, weather-resistant design, which will offer protection from water and dust. These are fantastic upgrades to already-great lenses.”

In addition to sharing the pricing and availability of these three lenses, Sigma Corporation has also revealed plans for its DP2x, APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM, and MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM. The DP2x is a successor to the DP2 that will now include Analog Front End (AFE) and high speed auto focus, and the new 50-150mm will replace its predecessor and offer Sigma’s proprietary OS technology. The new Macro 105mm is an upgrade that includes the company’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) and OS technologies, as well as the new, weather-resistant design. Pricing and availability for these products have not yet been announced.

In the meantime, Sigma is sharing more details about the three new, weather-resistant lenses that will be available in the coming months:

· Sigma’s new 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 II DG HSM is an update to the 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASP HSM, which has been a photographer favorite since it was first introduced in 2002. Revisions to the lens include the weather-resistant design, as well as the inclusion of one Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass element and four of the company’s new “F” Low Dispersion FLD glass elements to compensate for color aberration and provide high imagequality. FLD glass is the highest level, low dispersion glass available with extremely high light transmission and performance equal to fluorite glass. The new 12-24mm contains three glass mold elements and one hybrid aspherical lens for advanced performance and compact and lightweight construction. It also features Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, and a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) to ensure quiet and high-speed autofocus, while allowing full-time manual focus override. Its minimum focusing distance is 11 inches throughout the entire zoom range; its maximum magnification ratio is 1:6.4. This lens will be available at the end of April for the U.S. MSRP of $1,400.

· The APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is the successor to the APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG HSM that was introduced in July 2005. This telephoto lens’ new features include weather-resistant design and OS technology, and the inclusion of two FLD glass elements, along with one SLD glass element. This lens also contains Super Multi-Layer Coating, HSM, and a design that incorporates an inner focusing and inner zooming system to ensure sharp images throughout the entire zoom range. Improved optical performance provides excellent correction of sagittal coma flare, and ensures ultra-high resolution, comparable to a fixed focal length lens. When it becomes available in late February, the new 120-300mm lens’ U.S. MSRP will be $4,700.

· The APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM is a large aperture medium telephoto macro lens. As the successor to the APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG HSM, which was first introduced in October 2004, the new version now includes the OS technology and a weather-resistant design that is for convenient outdoor use. A floating focusing system in the 150mm moves two different lens groups in the optical path to different positions. This system compensates for astigmatic aberration and spherical aberration, and provides extremely high optical performance from infinity to 1:1 Macro. The lens also contains three SLD glass elements for correction of all aberrations, Super Multi-Layer Coating, and HSM. It will become available at the end of March for the U.S. MSRP of $1,600. To locate an authorized Sigma dealer near you, visit http://www.sigmaphoto.com/where-to-buy-sigma. To use Sigma’s Lens Finder Tool to find the best lens to suit your needs, visit http://www.sigmaphoto.com/sigma-lens-finder. For information about Sigma Corporation of America, visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

About Sigma Corporation

For nearly 50 years, Sigma Corporation’s expertise and innovation has driven the company’s core philosophy of “knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination,”with anemphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology at moderate prices. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 50 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America.