High school seniors pursuing photo-related careers vie for $5,000 cash prize, $1000 in products

Ronkonkoma, NY, Nov. 19, 2009 – Sigma Corporation of America (www.sigmaphoto.com), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the company’s first-ever scholarship contest.

The Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship will award a cash gift of $5,000 and $1,000 in Sigma products to one talented high school senior to advance his or her education and goals toward obtaining a career in a photo-related field. Students pursuing higher education in industries such as photography, photojournalism, graphic arts and design, visual arts and art history are eligible to apply.

Applicants are invited to visit the Sigma Corporation of America Web site for more details and to complete an application form, which includes a brief essay and the submission of up to five thematically-tied photographs. The entire package will be judged based on creativity of subject selection, overall technique and, most importantly, image quality. Students are not required to use Sigma equipment to shoot the photographs they submit.

“This scholarship illustrates Sigma’s five decades of technological advancement and innovation in the industry, and our family-owned company’s desire to empower and support up-and-coming photographers,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. “The scholarship winner will be selected based on his or her ability to deliver outstanding photographs with the superior caliber of image quality for which the Sigma brand has become known.”

Applications will be accepted from Nov. 19, 2009 to Feb. 15, 2010 and can be submitted via the Sigma Corporation of America Web site at http://www.sigmaphoto.com/scholarship/. Once the submission process closes, the public will be invited to vote online for the top three students of their choice from Feb. 16, 2010 to April 23, 2010. Sigma Corporation of America executives will select a winner from the top three public vote-getters and announce the scholarship recipient on May 3, 2010.

For information about the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship, eligibility, the application process, material submissions and a formal list of contest rules, visit http://www.sigmaphoto.com/scholarship/.

For information on Sigma Corporation of America and its lenses, cameras and flashes, visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

About Sigma Corporation of America
For more than 50 years, Sigma Corporation’s expertise and innovation has driven the company’s core philosophy of “knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination,” with an emphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology at moderate prices. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 40 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Canon, Minolta, Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe and North America. For more information, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com.