


The main reason why the project (which they call Global Vision) is happening, according to Sigma, is because “more and more photographers face frustrations in lens selection, as the range of products available is enormous and the differences are not always clearly defined.” So they chose not only to drastically change the design language and quality (in all senses of the word and for the better), but also place each individual lens into a specific category. Not so long ago Sigma has started completely reworking its lineup. We start off by looking at different lens categories (which Sigma calls “product lines”). Sigma Lens Category and Class Abbreviationsġ) Sigma Lens Category and Class Abbreviations.The top answer covers the decoding of the letters very well. (also branded as: Pro-Optic Rokinon Bower).Descriptions by Lens FeaturesIf you know what feature you're looking for in a lens (cropped-frame designation ultrasonic motor, low-dispersion elements, image stabilization, etc.), and want to know what each of the brands call that feature, the following answers are organized by lens feature.

Such lenses tend to follow the most stringent quality guidelines, and often come with a price premium.Off-Brand LensesMost off-brand lens manufacturers make lenses that fit many types of bodies, including Canon, Nikon, etc. Descriptions by Lens Make Brand LensesAll major camera manufacturers offer their own line of lenses. The historical answer has been broken up into individual answers per lens brand, with links to each of the lens brand answers below. When looking at a lens name, there are a lot acronyms describing its features (often specific to the manufacturer).Examples, Nikon:Nikon AF-S DX 16-85mm VR f/3.5-5.6G IF-EDNikon AF-I 600mm f/4D IF-EDNikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-EDExamples, Canon:Canon EF 85mm f1.2L USM Mark IICanon 70-300mm f/4.5-f/5.6 DO ISExamples, Sigma:Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX APO DG HSM MacroSigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSMSigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC APO HSM IIHow do I decipher these lens codes from different manufacturers? Note: Because of the community-wiki nature of this question, this accepted answer became really long, and difficult to edit and keep current as lens designations evolved.
