Buying a new lens for your mirrorless or DSLR camera can be a daunting task. As well as considering compatibility, budget, and size, you need to decide whether the focal range suits your needs. While our camera lens buying guide can set you on the right path with focal length, aperture range, and other key features, you might still need help decoding precisely what all those letters on a Sigma lens actually mean.
Our Lens Decoder series aims to do just that — here's the Sigma edition.
Sigma Lens Lines
Art — Sigma's premium lineup, delivering exceptional optical quality and streamlined designs. Art lenses are generally fast-aperture primes, though the range also includes high-quality zooms.
Contemporary (C) — Excellent value for money, aimed at beginners and enthusiasts. Contemporary lenses tend to be more compact and portable than their Art counterparts.
Sports (S) — Sigma's top-tier zoom lenses, featuring professional-grade optical and build quality, often with fast constant apertures throughout the zoom range.
EX — Sigma's legacy high-end designation, no longer used on current releases.
Sigma Lens Formats
DG — Designed for full-frame DSLR cameras.
DC — Designed for APS-C format DSLR cameras.
DN — Sigma's dedicated mirrorless lens designation.
DG DN — Full-frame mirrorless lenses — the designation used on Sigma's current mirrorless releases.
Sigma AF & Stabilisation
HSM — Hyper Sonic Motor. Delivers fast, quiet autofocus via a ring-type ultrasonic motor.
OS — Optical Stabiliser. Reduces the impact of camera shake for sharper handheld images.
Sigma Optical Technology Explained
ASP — Aspherical lens elements, which reduce distortion and aberrations.
SLD — Special Low Dispersion glass. Improves chromatic aberration handling.
ELD — Extraordinary Low Dispersion glass. A step up from SLD, offering superior aberration control.
FLD — F Low Dispersion glass. Sigma's highest-performing low-dispersion glass, offering extremely high light transmission and the best chromatic aberration correction in the Sigma range.
APO — Apochromatic. These lenses use a combination of optical elements and designs to deliver superior chromatic aberration correction across the focal range.
RF — Rear Focus. The rear lens group moves during focusing, resulting in faster autofocus and a non-rotating front element — useful when using polarising filters.
IF — Internal Focus. Only internal elements move during focusing, so the lens maintains a consistent physical length throughout use.
TSC — Thermally Stable Composite. A high-strength composite material used in the lens barrel that is rugged and durable while remaining lighter than all-metal construction.
Shop Sigma Lenses at Ted's
Ready to make your next lens purchase? Browse our full range of Sigma lenses at Ted's Cameras, or visit us in-store for personalised advice from our expert team.