When I encounter the starry sky of a lifetime,
this is a reliable lens to capture the scene in its best condition.

We live in a tremendously large world. This is especially apparent at night.
The moon and stars shine in the night sky, but the distance to the moon is only a second or so at the speed of light, and some light from the stars takes tens, hundreds or even thousands of years to reach us. On the other hand, from the nearby countryside and city lights, one can sense the warmth of life and culture of human beings, who were miraculously born in the universe. These are all connected events, and I love such scenes.

Today’s cameras can capture the smallest glimmer of light at night and capture more than what can be seen with the naked eye. They record my experience of being in the scene in a richer form than the naked eye can.

The 14mm angle of view enables us to capture the combination of seasonal constellations and terrestrial landscapes. The Milky Way and terrestrial landscape in summer also fits well. The 14mm angle of view is a reliable choice for capturing both the universe in the night sky and the panoramic view of the planet Earth at the same time.

SIGMA 14mm F1.4 DG DN | Art, SONY α7R V, ISO 1600, F1.4, 22s

It is necessary to hold the shutter open for 10 to 20 seconds to capture the faint light of the night. Stars are constantly moving in relation to the ground, and it is not possible to extend the exposure time if we are to capture them as dots. Therefore, a bright lens is required, and this lens, the brightest 14mm lens available, lets in a lot of light with its F1.4 maxium aperture.

By using a bright lens, it is possible to take pictures with relatively low noise and colors in dark areas.

The brightness of the lens is also useful for hand-held night photography in places where a tripod cannot be used.

The brightness of F1.4 is not only advantageous for image quality. When shooting starry skies, the electronic viewfinder allows the photographer to see many stars and the landscape, making it easier to compose the shot quickly. Even if you have to stop down the aperture when shooting, it is nice to have a bright maximum aperture.

* The images without photograph data have been created with lenses
other than SIGMA 14mm F1.4 DG DN | Art

When we look up at the night sky, we see stars of various brightnesses shining in different colors.
Blue stars are relatively hot, and red stars are cooler. Representative red stars are Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion and Antares in the constellation of Scorpius, which are in the final stages of their lives.

In order to express their brightness and color in photographs, soft filters are often used to blur the light of the stars. Without soft filters, the stars would all appear as small dots, and it would be difficult to show the individuality of each star.

There is a slit in the back of this lens for a sheet-type soft filter.
The soft filter can be stored in the lens cap when not used, which is very convenient.

Night dew can form on the lens and cause the lens to lose focus during shooting, resulting in failure.

To prevent this, I attach a lens heater to the lens and the SIGMA 14mm F1.4 DG DN | Art has an ingenious shape for this purpose. The lens is also equipped with a focus lock mechanism to prevent unintentional shifting of the focus position after focusing on a star.
These considerations reduce mistakes and shorten the time required for preparation and confirmation.

In the dark, with fingers numb from the cold, and under such conditions, there are times when I am on the edge of my ability to respond to an unexpected shutter chance, but this lens will help me in many situations in the future.

When I encounter the starry sky of a lifetime, I want to be fully prepared to capture the scene in its best condition.

This lens will be an indispensable and reliable one.
It is a new tool that has never existed in the world and will bring you a new experience. I can only express my gratitude to the people who have created such a lens.