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Back in 1988,Canonintroduced the EF 200mm f/1.8L USM the worlds fastest 200mm telephoto lens.
Made for Canons EF-mount DSLR cameras, it was discontinued in 2004.
Sigma is rumored to be working on a new 200mm f/1.8 lens, although it wasn’t on show at CP+ 2025 like the 300-600mm F4 lens (pictured)
Nothing since then has come close to its unique combination of reach and speed.
Whatever the specifics, the lens if real would be unique among modern mirrorless glass.
No other optic offers the same pairing of prime telephoto reach and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture.
Sigma’s lens department regularly innovates – its 28-45mm lens (above) was the first F1.8 zoom lens for full-frame.
Who would a 200mm f/1.8 lens be good for?
Its also a flattering focal length forportrait photography, creating an attractive compression effect where the background appears larger.
Prime optics famously offer faster maximum apertures than zoom lenses.
This allows photographers to shoot at faster shutter speeds in low-light conditions.
It also comes with the promise of soft bokeh and background blur.
Both of those benefits will be maximized at an aperture of f/1.8.
As above, rumors suggest that the Sigma 200mm f/1.8 will be part of Sigmas Sports line.
Portrait photographers would naturally benefit, too.
The lens promises to isolate subjects sharply against wonderfully defocused backgrounds.
That makes it a pretty compelling, if inevitably pricey and physically weighty, proposition.
