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The Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art hasn’t been on the market long, but it has already begun to make some serious waves. Lenstip and DxO have rated it the sharpest 85mm lens ever created, beating out even the legendary 85mm F1.4 Zeiss Otus, which isn’t something that we take lightly. We were lucky enough to get our hands on the lens back in mid-November and we were very impressed to say the least, so much so that it took top honors for the ‘Best Prime Lens of 2016’ as chosen by our staff.
It has, without a doubt, been a pretty big topic of discussion not only amongst our staff members, but also amongst portrait photographers around the world. With that said we just had to get our hands on it to see how it really performs and to see how it holds up next to some very stiff competition at 85mm. The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM is a very formidable competitor and arguably the best modern 85mm F1.4 on the market (behind the manual focus Zeiss Otus, of course). With that in mind, the question is; can the Sigma hold its own? Our review will answer that question and more.
APS-C
With an equivalent focal length of 136mm and an equivalent aperture of F2.2, this lens can be usefully used on an APS-C camera. Even with its slightly longer focal length, it does still fit into the focal range that’s often used by portrait photographers and the fast aperture does allow for it to be used in low-light situations as well. However, its size, weight and price makes it worth considering 85mm F1.8 lenses instead.
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art headline features
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- F1.4 maximum aperture
- 85mm max fixed focal range
- 2 FLD glass elements (low-distortion glass with fluorite-like performance)
- 1 Aspherical SLD element
- Canon EF, Nikon (FX) and Sigma SA Bayonet mounts
Specifications Compared
| Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM | Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art | |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $ 1800.00 | $ 1199.00 |
| Lens Type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal Length | 85mm | 85mm |
| Filter Thread | 77mm | 86mm |
| Image Stabilization | No | No |
| Lens Mount | Sony FE | Canon EF, Nikon (FX), Sigma SA Bayonet |
| Aperture Ring | Yes (w/ d-click feature) | No |
| Maximum Aperture | F1.4 | F1.4 |
| Minimum Aperture | F16 | F16 |
| Minimum Focus | 0.80 m (31.5?) | 0.85 m (33.46?) |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11 | 9 |
| Elements | 11 | 14 |
| Groups | 8 | 12 |
| Special Elements/Coatings | 1 ‘Extreme Aspherical’ element, 3 ED elements and ‘Nano AR’ coating | 2 FLD glass elements and 1 Aspherical SLD element |
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Motor Type | Ring-type Supersonic Wave | Ring-type Hypersonic |
| Full Time Manual | Yes | Yes |
| Focus Method | Internal | Internal |
| Distance Scale | No | Yes |
| DoF Scale | No | Yes |
| Full Weather Sealing | Yes | No (dust and splash proof) |
| Weight | 820g (1.81 lb) | 1131g (2.49 lb) |
| Dimensions | 108 mm (4.23?) x 90mm (3.52?) | 126mm (5.0″) x 95mm (3.7″) |
| Hood | Yes ( ALC-SH142) | Yes |
As you can see the lenses are fairly different in terms of build and design. The Sony 85mm has a manual aperture ring that can not only function on its own, but the aperture can also be adjusted with the camera by switching the ring to ‘A’. This ring also features a special de-click feature for smooth, silent aperture changes while shooting video. The Sigma 85mm lacks the weather sealing that the Sony has and there’s also a fairly substantial difference in size and weight as the Sony 85mm is a fair bit smaller and lighter. The price point is one area of the where the Sigma really prevails over the Sony, on paper, at least.
Specifications are fun to look at, but the real question is how do these lenses perform? Read on, to find out.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)