122 students vie for online votes, $5,000 cash prize and $1,000 in Sigma products

Ronkonkoma, NY, March 8, 2010 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, announced today that the deadline for voting online for its first-ever scholarship contest has been extended to April 30.

Sigma has moved the deadline back by one week to give voters extra time to make their choice. Responding to user requests to make the voting process more user friendly, Sigma modified the Web site to make it easier for voters to make their selection by using a valid email address.

A total of 122 high school seniors, hailing from nearly every state including Hawaii and Alaska, are vying for $5,000 in cash and $1,000 in Sigma products. To view the submissions and cast your vote, visit the Sigma scholarship submissions page.

Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America, said he was impressed by the level of participation and enthusiasm shown by some participants to garner votes.

“It’s impressive to see that students are reaching out through their social networks to encourage friends to vote for them, and that some students are closing in on 1,000 votes already,” said Amir-Hamzeh. “I’m really thrilled with the caliber of photography that the students have submitted. This is an opportunity for a young, budding photographer to really shine and gain prestige, and many of the contestants are taking full advantage of it.”

Online voting by the public started Feb. 17 and will end April 30, narrowing the field to the top three student finalists. Sigma Corporation of America executives will select a winner from the top three public vote-getters and announce the scholarship recipient on May 10.

Sigma Corporation of America began accepting scholarship applications on Nov. 19, 2009. Applicants were required to submit up to five thematically tied photographs, along with a brief essay describing their creative process in capturing and selecting the images. Students chose a wide variety of themes such as natural beauty, personal growth, artistic expression, and love.

The Sigma scholarship contest was open to students pursuing higher education in industries such as photography, photojournalism, graphic arts and design, visual arts and art history.

For information about the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship 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 has been 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.