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We went to Hell and back to see what the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC can do

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Lake Kuttara is a lake in the caldera of a volcano in Shikotsu-Tōya National Park on the island of Hokkaido in Japan.

Photo: Dale Baskin

Sometimes, you have to go to Hell and back to get the story, and I did just that with the Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC Contemporary lens. Specifically, I went to Noboribetsu Jigokudani (Hell Valley) in Shikotsu-Tōya National Park on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, a geothermally active volcanic area where sulfur-scented steam clouds seep from the ground.

The Sigma 15mm F1.4 DC Contemporary is a fast, wide lens designed specifically for APS-C cameras. Since we had the RF mount version, I shot it on the Canon EOS R7, resulting in a 24mm full-frame equivalent field of view on Canon's APS-C format.

In addition to taking the lens to Hokkaido, I also shot it around Tokyo and Yokohama, sometimes in very rainy conditions. It's worth noting that I had this lens (and the R7) around my neck in the rain for a couple of hours straight at one point, almost dripping with water, and neither missed a beat, suggesting the weather sealing on both is pretty effective.

"Sometimes, you have to go to Hell and back to get the story"

While the X-mount and E-mount versions of this lens include an aperture ring, the RF-mount version has a control ring. It's clicked, but I've never found a generic control ring to be a great substitute for a clicked aperture ring, particularly since it's very easy to rotate inadvertently. It also offers the flexibility to assign different settings to the ring. From that perspective, it's neither a pro nor a con, but something to be aware of if you're considering the Canon version.

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Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

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Amazing architecture images from the Sony World Photography Awards 2026

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Architecture is a bit of an underrated photo competition category but it is one that can simultaneously capture design, engineering and human experience. Here, we pick our 2026 Sony World Photography Awards’ Professional finalist and shortlist standouts that manage to say so much with a single image.

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Category: Photography, Consumer Tech, Technology

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Aprilia's new crossover scooter: Part adventure, part sports bike

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There aren’t a lot of motorcycle manufacturers that do sportbikes like Aprilia. In recent years, the Italian bikemaker has expanded into other segments, most notably the adventure motorcycle category with the Tuareg 660. Now, its new crossover scooter looks like it carries a bit of both those styles.

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Category: Motorcycles, Transport

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Our "Night Lights" photo challenge is now open for submissions

Digital Photography Review news -

I found this ceremonial gate and pavilion of lanterns in Chinatown in Yokohama, Japan. It's one of my favorite places to shoot at night in Yokohama, thanks to all the illuminated signs and decorations. It's particularly fun in the rain when the lights reflect off the wet pavement.

Photo: Dale Baskin

Our March Editors' photo challenge theme is "Night Lights."

This month, we want to see your most brilliant photos of artificial lights that light up the night. There's a myriad of possibilities, ranging from city lights and fireworks to carnivals and neon signs. The creative possibilities are endless. Our favorites will be featured in an article on the DPReview homepage.

Photos can be submitted between Sunday, March 15, and Saturday, March 21 (GMT). The challenge is open to photos captured at any time.

Important: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. We need to be able to share the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!

Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration as soon as the challenge opens.

Submit your "Night Lights" photos to our March photo challenge

World's first collapsible hard cooler snaps to size in a split second

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The humble hard-sided cooler continues to evolve into a more versatile, functional piece of every-weekend outdoor gear. Following up on last year's ice-salvaging rotomolded rollers, Coleman steps in a new direction it qualifies as a world first. The company's new Snap 'N Go series comprises nicely squared cooler boxes that stack and store neatly when full and even more neatly after instantly folding down to a fraction their size. These insulated briefcases promise to be the most space-efficient hard-sided coolers money can buy.

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Category: Gear, Outdoors

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Don't let Sigma's premium 35mm overshadow this refreshed classic

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Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art | F5.6 | 1/400 sec | IS0 80
Photo: Richard Butler

As the numerals suggest, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II is the company's second-generation 35mm F1.4 for mirrorless cameras. It's also a successor to the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art: the lens that launched the 'Art' series as part of Sigma's Global Vision rebrand, all the way back in 2012.

At a time when a lot of manufacturers have been focusing on attention-grabbing, often neck-aching and typically wallet-worrying F1.2 lenses, it's refreshing to see an updated 35mm F1.4.

2025 saw Sigma significantly rework its 35mm F1.2, shaving 30% off the weight and a similar amount off its volume, making it a much more practical lens. Now it's done something similar to its (slightly) more modest 35mm F1.4.

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The new 35mm F1.4 is 18% lighter than its predecessor (530g / 18.7oz in L-mount form) and both shorter and narrower, helping to reduce the volume by around 20%, too. This size and weight reduction leaves it 30% smaller and 30% lighter than the F1.2, and costing around 30% less. The 1/3EV difference between the two lenses should mean around a 20% reduction in peak light gathering capability.

F1.2 lenses can be excellent: I thoroughly enjoyed using Nikon's 35mm F1.2 when it was launched last year, and I really like the idea that Sigma's version is smaller and lighter, but I've been traveling this last week and have to say that I really appreciate the further size and weight reduction that comes with the move back to F1.4.

It's easy to look at the numbers in isolation and think "225g grams difference, that's something like the weight of four chocolate bars, how could that matter?," but if you have to fit it in your luggage and have it compete for space in a bag you're constantly carrying, the difference makes itself apparent.

The coatings appear to do a good job of maintaining contrast and limiting ghosting

I tried to shoot a selection of images so that you can judge properties such as sharpness, fall-off and bokeh for yourself. To my eye the bokeh looks very, very slightly bright-edged, resulting in a slightly busy appearance in some circumstances, but with a somewhat swirly character that I suspect some people will really like.

I also found the lens to be somewhat prone to flare if used without its (supplied) hood. This just seems to be the result of the large front element catching the light: the coatings appear to do a good job of maintaining contrast and limiting ghosting, even when flare creeps in.

Overall, I rather like the F1.4. 35mm is probably the focal length where, personally, I'd be most tempted to spend the extra to get an F1.2, but carrying the F1.4 around this week has made me appreciate having the option of getting most of the light in something a fair bit lighter.

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG II Art sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

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Thank you to Panasonic for the loan on of a Panasonic Lumix S1RII to capture this gallery. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with the manufacturer's distortion correction applied but no correction of vignetting. There is extremely minor pincushion distortion before the correction is applied: we do not consider it to be an essential part of the lens design, if you prefer not to use it or your preferred software does not support lens corrections.

EyeDAR tech could give self-driving cars expanded radar perception

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Many cultures explore the idea of a figurative third eye that enhances perception. For autonomous vehicles, the concept is quite literal: radar, working alongside cameras and LiDAR. These systems are typically onboard the vehicle, actively gathering data on its surroundings as it moves. Now, researchers at Rice University, led by Kun Woo Cho, have developed an off-vehicle radar system, EyeDAR, which they say can significantly enhance vehicles' sensing accuracy by communicating critical traffic data to onboard systems.

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Category: Automotive, Transport

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Space capsule camper unfurls into edgy base camp in mere seconds

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Skydream Caravans aims to build next-generation travel trailers that integrate cutting-edge advances from China's new energy, automotive and smart home sectors into world-leading RV manufacturing systems from Europe, the US and Australia. Its debut caravan is about to drop down like something of a terrestrial spacecraft, featuring an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) worthy of a high-level autonomous car, a gorgeous layout with power-fold patio and al fresco breakfast bar, and one-touch setup. It's truly a five-star hotel room built to tow behind an SUV.

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Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

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Breakthrough in blocking killer 'spike' growth that destroys lithium batteries

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Researchers have uncovered the mechanical properties of the nanoscale "thorns" that develop inside lithium-ion batteries, which can cause them to short circuit and die – or worse, such as spontaneously catch on fire. These thorns, known as dendrites, have been difficult to study and understand – until now.

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Category: Energy, Technology

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