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Sigma Corporation

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Sigma Corporation (株式会社シグマ, Kabushiki-gaisha Shiguma^?) is a Japanese company founded in 1961, manufacturing cameras, lenses, flashes and other photographic accessories. All Sigma products are produced in the company's own Aizu factory in Bandai, Fukushima, Japan. Although Sigma produces several camera models, the company is best known for producing lenses and other accessories that are compatible with the cameras produced by other companies. Sigma produces products to work with cameras from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Konica Minolta, Sony and Olympus, as well as for their own cameras. Sigma lenses are usually less expensive than the equivalent offering from the manufacturer of the camera body in question, so are therefore often sold bundled with a camera body as a less expensive alternative to the manufacturer's body and lens kit. Sigma's digital SLRs, the SD9, SD10 and SD14, are unusual in their use of the Foveon X3 image sensor. All use the SA lens mount. The forthcoming DP-1, a high-end P&S camera, is also using the Foveon X3 image sensor, which gives it a much larger sensor than most other P&S cameraes.

1 Cameras
2 Lenses
3 See also
4 External links

Cameras

Sigma has made a number of film SLR cameras, including the SA-300, SA-7, and SA-9. They presently are making a DSLR, the Sigma SD14, the successor to the Sigma SD9 and Sigma SD10, all of which use the Foveon X3 sensor. All Sigma SLR and DSLR cameras use the Sigma SA mount, which is mechanically similar to the Pentax K mount and electrically an adaptation of the Canon EF lens mount lens control system. Sigma has announced a high-end compact digital camera, the Sigma DP1, using the same 14 MP Foveon X3 image sensor as the Sigma SD14 DSLR.

Lenses

Sigma makes a variety of lenses, though each lens may not be available in all popular lens mounts. Even if it is available in a certain mount, it may not have all features even if listed (eg. HSM)

Designations

Aspherical
APO - Apochromatic lens element(s)
OS - In lens "Optical Stabilization", analogous to Nikon VR or Canon IS
HSM - "HyperSonic Motor", in-lens ultrasonic motor, analogous to Nikon AF-S or Canon USM, etc
EX - "Excellence", professional series.
DG - Coatings optimized for Digital SLRs, still usable on 35mm or full frame
DC - Lenses for DSLRs featuring APS-C size sensors only
DF - "Dual Focus", lens features clutch to disengage focus ring when in AF mode
HF - "Helical Focusing", front element of lens does not rotate (for when using circular polarizing filters)