Sigma Corporation Announces World’s First Protective Lens Made of Clear Glass Ceramic

[Canon Rumors]

<p class="newsLink"><em>New scratch- and shock-resistant material provides protection for investment</em></p>
<p><strong>RONKONKOMA, NY — December 16, 2015</strong> – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens and camera manufacturer, today announced the new Sigma Water Repellent (WR) Ceramic Protector, a lens filter that features new Clear Glass Ceramic material and provides enhanced protective qualities. Pricing and availability is not yet available.</p>
<p>This shock- and scratch-resistant Clear Glass Ceramic was developed specifically for Sigma in partnership with a glass manufacturer. Made with a special heat treatment that evenly precipitates microcrystalline spinel throughout the materials, the Clear Glass Ceramic is 10 times stronger than a conventional protective filter and three times the strength of a chemically strengthened filter. The lens protector also contains WR coating, which repels water, dust and oil, and allows fingerprints to be easily removed. This enhanced protection helps to preserve the lens and ensure long-term, top-notch image quality.</p>
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<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_g3J-YpwzHw" width="728" height="409" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>“The Sigma WR Ceramic Protector is the latest example of Sigma’s dedication to innovative and first-to-market photography equipment,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The new Clear Glass Ceramic protector is the first of its kind and the strongest material used in the industry. It will enable photographers to safeguard their lenses, while maintaining the impressive sharpness offered by high-quality glass, like our Global Vision line of lenses.”

Key features of the Ceramic Protector include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Scratch-resistant</strong> – Sigma’s Clear Glass Ceramic offers a Vickers hardness number of 700HV. The strength of the Clear Glass Ceramic is much stronger than chemically strengthen glass and is; 10 times stronger than conventional filters</li>
<li><strong>Thinner and lighter</strong> – This new protector is up to 50 percent thinner and is up to 30% lighter than previous Sigma filters</li>
<li><strong>High transmittance</strong> – Sigma’s Clear Glass Ceramic offers very high transmittance, making it ideal for use as optical glass</li>
<li><strong>Water- and oil-repellent coating</strong> – The water repellent coating reflects only 0.24 percent of visible light, thereby minimizing flare and ghosting. Its ability to repel both water and oil is also excellent, with water drops bouncing right off, and fingerprints easily to remove</li>
</ul>
<p>This filter is offered in the most popular filter thread sizes, and is compatible with all Sigma lenses and other lenses that accept front filter threads that are 67mm-105mm diameters. Compatible lenses in Sigma’s Art line include: 35mm F1.4 DG HSM, 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM, 24-35mm F2 DG HSM, 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM, 50mm F1.4 DG HSM, 24mm F1.4 DG HSM, 19mm F2.8 DN, 30mm F2.8 DN and 60mm F2.8 DN. Compatible lenses in the Sports line include the 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM and 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM. Compatible lenses in the Contemporary line include the 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC OS HSM, 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM and the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM. As with all of Sigma’s lenses, the filter is checked with Sigma’s own Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) measuring system, “A1,” in the company’s factory in Japan.</p>

 

[AE-1Burnham]

That is a convincing video!,-but still doesn't seem to address the threaded/metal part of the filter which seems to cause more problems. If anything, the ease of breaking out the filter glass has helped remove warped filters (for me.

I still wish Canon had purchased Sigma -- maybe we see many more of these little innovations from Sigma Corp. of America.

 

[lankadragon]

Canon purchase of Sigma would be a bad move for consumers in terms of keeping prices low. More competition is a good thing

 

[AcutancePhotography]

I look forward to reading tests of this new technology.

I hope it works out well. It will benefit many of us.

 

[NancyP]

Am I the only one who thought "auto glass!"?
I admit it would be nice to have auto window glass that thieves couldn't smash.

 

[GmwDarkroom]

Am I the only one who thought "auto glass!"?
I admit it would be nice to have auto window glass that thieves couldn't smash.

I had that thought too, but they don't detail what happens when it does smash -- which would be likely in a car crash. You wouldn't want to replace laminated or tempered glass with something that shatters into ceramic shards. The other thing to think of is that while it's nice to have thieves thwarted, it also means that rescue crews and you will be thwarted too.

 

[infared]

VERY slick video. I enjoyed that!
I think that Roger Cicala over at Lens Rental should stack twenty of these new ceramic filters on a Sigma 50mm Art and show us what he gets!!!
Reference:
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters

 

[9VIII]

So... Gorilla Glass on your Lens?

Honestly I'm surprised this hasn't been done long ago. I bought a few of Hoya HD filters, but if I can put Sigma filters on my Sigma lenses all the better.
And of course it's a great business decision because everyone knows filters are useless things that just suck money out of your pockets, except this time they might actually be somewhat functional too.

I've been using my 40mm Pancake "capless" with just a filter on the front, and it's kind of nice. If these Sigma filters are really scratch resistant I might go capless on a few other lenses.

 

[chromophore]

What distinguishes ceramic from glass in this particular application are two things: the presence of oxides of aluminum, and a semi- or microcrystalline structure.

This means that it is not Gorilla glass. It is not chemically strengthened glass. It is not tempered or annealed in a way that is typical for silicate glass.

Hardness in this application pertains to scratch resistance of the substrate (notably NOT the coating or coatings), and resistance to shattering from impact. It doesn't mean that the material won't scratch nor break under any circumstances. If it's thin enough, you could take it out of the filter ring and bend it until it breaks. Of course, you wouldn't do that deliberately.

The issues that I am concerned with, however, are not so much hardness, but: (1) high and uniform transmission across the entire visible spectrum (and to an extent, into the UV and IR wavelengths for photographers interested in imaging in those spectra); (2) resistance to bending stress or deformation of the filter ring; (3) ease of cleanliness and maintenance. Hardness is up there too, but after a point, greater hardness--especially if at the cost of other criteria--does not confer higher status or overall performance.

 

[9VIII]

Thanks for the clarification. It's nice to see Sigma on the cutting edge of more than just MTF charts.

 

[infared]

Thanks for the clarification. It's nice to see Sigma on the cutting edge of more than just MTF charts.

Yes...it shows a renewed approach to how they do everything, now. The company has definitely restructured itself.
I look forward to even more offerings. I purchased the 20mm Art two weeks back and I am just wowed. Great lens....um...but I can't put a filter on it though. LOL!