Sigma's Art series expanded into the mirrorless market earlier this year with new models of the 19mm and 30mm F2.8 DN series lenses. Whilst similar in focal length and aperture to the DP 1 and 2 Merrill bodies, these low cost optics are a different design, compatible with Sony's NEX and the Panasonic/Olympus Micro Four-Thirds format. A street price around £160 reflects the competitive nature of the mirrorless market, though with no direct comparison the Sigma lenses occupy gaps in the range offered by Olympus and Panasonic/Leica.

NEX users enjoy a 1.5x crop factor - we've reviewed the lenses on the popular Olympus OM-D body which features a 16Mp sensor, in-camera stabilisation and a 2x crop factor as with other Four-Thirds bodies.

The new DP3 Merrill hit the UK with impeccable timing, shown at Focus on Imaging just 5 years after the original DP1 made its debut. Since that ground-breaking original there have been 4 major versions (and several s/x revisions) of the Foveon-based large-sensor compact and now other manufacturers are eying up the segment. With a range of 3 Sigma can fight the competition on versatility by providing everything from wide to telephoto with 100% familiarity for the user. We look at the 50mm DP3 and see if the trend for impeccablke optics has been upset with a bold new focal length.

Sigma's new design language has made its debut in the form of the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM, and samples have made their way into the hands of customers and reviewers around the world. We've had a look at the new lens in Canon fit and gathered a quick round-up of critical reception around the world. A shiny new body and sleek design is only half the story...

When the DP1 was announced in 2006, it offered a classic wide format ideal for street photography and general purpose snapping with a bit of character; only the necessary F4 aperture limited the capabilities of the first true large-sensor pocket camera. When the Merrill range was announced, a small wait before the DP1 Merrill hit the market kept us hanging on for that classic wide angle again.

Now it's here, and with an F2.8 lens equivalent to 28mm, rather than the 24mm of the original DP1, it's still a usefully wide format with a nice additional bit of speed and DoF control.

The DP1's launch was categorised by it being defined as a fantastic lens with a unique sensor and compact, unusual body design thrown in. Now the Merrill's evolution and 15.4Mp x3 46Mp sensor are thrown into the mix, has Sigma improved upon the classic, or even created a whole new icon in their camera history?

APS-C and smaller formats are well catered for with wide rectilinear lenses - including Sigma's own 8-16mm. However, if you're upgrading to full frame, a record-breaking classic has been revised - the 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM II - and is ideally placed for Nikon D800, D600 and Canon 6D users. With a street price under £700, and SRP under £800, it's not only the worlds' widest rectilinear lens for full-frame SLRs¹, it's one of the most affordable.

Sigma's revised family of Macro lenses now sports Optical Stabilisation and a maximum aperture of F2.8 on all models over 100mm. Of these, the lightweight, compact 105mm Macro is an attractive option, particularly for a new generation of photographers returning to full-frame with the consumer-focused Nikon D600 body and Canon's latest entry, the 6D. Fast, full-frame 105mm lenses are appealing for portraiture as well, so the 1:1 repro, weather resistance and general compact dimensions position this not only as the cheapest of a trio, but for many, the most desireable. Richard Kilpatrick puts the new lens through its paces in Nikon fit.

The Sigma DP range pioneered the use of DSLR sensors in 'compact' bodies - no mirrors, viewfinders or mounts between the lens and the sensor. Evolving steadily through the DP2 and s/x variations, the DP has now moved up a gear - with the SD1's 46Mp sensor, it captures more image data than any compact camera on the market.

It's not just a new sensor, though. The DP Merrill range is a totally new camera, with new lenses and processing. It heralds a new era for Sigma's camera development; with a spatial resolution that competes without any footnotes, with revised software and user interface, there's little on paper to suggest that the DP Merrill needs the merits of the Foveon sensor to justify its existence.

As the first of the two DP Merrills to be released, the 30mm DP2M will be joined by a 19mm DP1M for a wider field of view soon.

Sigma's SD1 introduced a new body, and thus, a need for new accessories to the SD system. The first of these dedicated accessories has arrived, the PG-31 power grip, which provides a vertical grip, capacity for two BP-21 batteries, and an additional shutter release. The PG-31 is now shipping, so we've equipped our SD1 Merrill with one.

Sigma have chosen not to do things by halves with the new SD1; after 9 years of incremental improvements in the Foveon sensor they've dropped a 15.4 x3 (46Mp) DSLR into a market dominated by 12-18Mp Bayer CFA sensor based cameras. This allows the SD1 to do something no previous Foveon camera has managed - matching the sensors almost pixel-for-pixel, then adding the full effects of coincident RGB capture. Adding to the recipe, the body is like no Sigma DSLR before - and packs dual-processors into a slim magnesium-alloy chassis.

The price of admission to this technology is high, placing the SD1 at the very top of the DSLR market. However, there's nothing that it can be compared to technically. Have Sigma chosen a path which is just too unfamiliar for the camera buyer of 2011, or is the SD1 an unmatched imaging tool waiting to transform the way people think about digital photography...

One of the most popular focal lengths for amateur and professional alike is the 70-200 range, typified in the digital era by the fast F2.8 zoom. Big, usually internal zooming and focusing and a mainstay of sports, social and wildlife photographers it's an area of the market where competition is tight, all the manufacturers have an offering and the critical assessment - both through official published reviews and forum discussions - is harsh and unforgiving.

The previous HSM II model, which remains available, was always given critical acclaim with a nod to the pricing. Indeed, before the currency fluctuations pushed the price up, the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 HSM II could often be as little as a third or quarter of the price of the "manufacturer" options for a given platform; currently the street price of the HSM II is around £600. The 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM launched with an RRP of £1499, not far from Nikon and Canon's offerings, and the specification almost matched Nikon's acclaimed VR II lens. The street price is closer to £1100, so for around £4-500 more than the HSM II, what do you get?