Sigma 85mm f/1
The 85milimet focal length is known for its ultimate portrait utility and indescribable compression, but is it the prime lens you need in your tool kit? Sigma has delivered exceptional & durable lenses in the past, compatible with top-tier camera bodies, và their lachạy thử contender gives meaning to their ‘Art’ series lineup. We had the privilege of receiving one of the first two production units of the new Sigma 85milimet f/1.4 Art to demo in real world applications – let’s see how it fares in all things portraiture.
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For those that don’t want to lớn jump inkhổng lồ the nitty gritty details, here is a TLDR version of our review:
prosAuto-Focus – With a new AF motor, this lens is the star-performer of the Art lineup và is engineered khổng lồ be unparalleled khổng lồ its predecessor, & rivals top-of-the-line competitors.ConsWeight & Size – This is definitely a huge factor to pose against its opponents, and in more ways than one. The overall weight & kích thước of the Sigma 85 Art proved to lớn be a hindrance/ cumbersome aspect of the lens. What sold me beyond it’s bulk? Its outstanding image chất lượng và performance on all fronts.Not weather resistant, but weather sealed – The lachồng of weather resistance might also push people lớn purchase the name brvà competitors, but bởi vì keep in mind that it is in fact weather sealed.Design
There is a certain finesse to this specific Art lens that you don’t find in the others, và maybe it’s the size speaking here, but the 85 Art is truly in a class of its own. Weighing in at 39.9 oz, Sigma’s new release is heavier than both its predecessor, the Sigma 85milimet f/1.4 EX DG HSM, and the Canon 85mm f/1.2L. With 14 glass elements contained within this beast, its weight is no surprise, however, this may deter folks from purchasing it considering the Canon equivalent is more compact và weighs in around a not-entirely-significant 3.74 oz. less.
What will really shochồng upon first-touch is its girth. An 86mm filter size is no joke and its focus ring is quite large, but it still maintains the buttery flow that Sigma has so brilliantly designed inkhổng lồ their Art series.
Now, if aesthetics are your thing, know that this lens is bulky once on a camera toàn thân and adds an extra bit of weight that you usually don’t expect from primes, especially the Sigma Art collection. At 85mm for a full frame, to lớn get it to lớn be as bright as 1.4 means it has large glass elements, & likely a lot of them, and thus heft and added weight. So here, the choice of making it f/1.4 has led to the engineering issue which requires it to be a more heavy-mix lens.
Auto-focus
Easily the most asked question we received prior lớn testing this lens was whether or not consumers could expect tack sharp imagery & speedy AF. And the short answer khổng lồ that is, most definitely.
accuracyUsing back-button AF with cross-type AF points on a Canon 5D Mark III, we put it through its paces. Out of all shots fired, the Sigma 85 Art only missed 30% (70/250) of the shots taken, and some due to unexpected movement of the subject. That is extremely proficient, especially considering that the Canon 85L, when put in the exact same scenarios, missed 40% (100/250) of shots, so chew on that.
The focus consistency is similar khổng lồ the previous Art lenses, but perhaps a bit improved. The missed focus moments aren’t as apparent as seen in the 50mm và 35milimet Art lenses, meaning that the 85mm barely misses the mark & then regains focus upon the next cliông xã while it’s Art siblings take a bit more time khổng lồ compose themselves.
REGARDING AF: NOTE FROM PYENobody can refute the value và image quality that Sigma is offering in their new Art and Sports series lenses. However, I think it’s important khổng lồ note that over time I have sầu experienced significant Auto-Focus drifting in Art series lenses. Far more than I would notice in Canon và Nikon Professional lenses.
Over time, Sigma Art lenses simply don’t maintain their consistency in AF and my hit rates would drop dramatically compared khổng lồ when the lens was br& new. In my experience, Sigma Art Lenses require more AF micro adjustments via the USB doông xã, as well as more factory servicing to maintain focus consistency than that of a Canon or Nikon professional series lens. That being said, we have word directly from Sigma that they will do a calibration for miễn phí is the lens is under warranty, should this occur.
These lenses still offer a fantastic value in image unique for their price, but it is going to lớn be important khổng lồ see how the new Sigma 85mm Art holds up in durability & consistency over time.
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speedThe new AF motor in the Sigma 85 Art was evident when compared to lớn its predecessor the 85 EX DG HSM f/1.4. The 85 Art locks focus faster each và every time, leaving the older Sigma in the dust both in tốc độ and in accuracy. It is faster than the Canon 85L, only faltering in low-light, but just barely, which makes for a compelling selling point for the Sigma brvà.
Image Quality và Performance
Compression takes on a whole new meaning when photographing with an 85milimet focal length, sending the background inlớn a hazy blur with incredibly beautiful focus fall off. The Sigma 85milimet Art does not disappoint when it comes to lớn compression qualities making it the perfect portrait lens for any professional.
The above sầu images are SOOC JPEGs và you can see that there is also a bit of a color difference between the Canon & Sigma images. You’ll notice that Sigma produces more of a contrasted image with darker shadows và truer skintones, while the Canon appears to lớn have sầu more of a faded color look, even though both images were shot at f/1.4. Skimming through the juxtaposed images in the article you will see a similar characteristic among the images.
While the Canon 85L wasn’t designed for peak sharpness, it has an almost ethereal fade from sharpness khổng lồ blur. The “bokeh balls” vì chưng have more of an ovular characteristic khổng lồ them compared khổng lồ Canon’s circular appearance. Both have sầu a soft transition due lớn their wide apertures and the difference is negligible.
chromatic aberrationMany know of the unfortunate CA/bleeding issues plaguing the Canon 85L, but how does it fare in comparison to the Sigma 85 Art? We’ve sầu seen in the past that the Art lineup has a bit of a CA problem, casting a purple streak on the edges when placing a subject in front of a highlighted background. Can you guess which of these was taken on a Canon 85L?
If you guessed the image on the right, you are indeed correct, và it’s surprising isn’t it? Given Sigma’s history in this department, we were pleasantly surprised with this discovery.
low-light capabilitiesThe Canon 85L definitely has issues of its own when it comes to lớn low-light performance even though one of its original selling points upon release was that it could produce superb images in low-light conditions with no problem. When pit against each other, the Sigma definitely took more time trying khổng lồ lock focus on the subject in low light. Both lenses gave trouble when placed in dimly lit path with a subject against a dark background.
Three out of five shots fired in this scene with the Sigma 85 Art were out of focus, while the Canon 85L only missed focus once. This is definitely something to note regarding Sigma’s low-light traông chồng record with their Art series as a whole, but not enough lớn deter a consumer considering its opponents suffer the same issues, just lớn a slightly lesser extent.
price
The Sigma 85milimet Art is available for your pre-ordering pleasure for $1,199, which is definitely on the higher end of the Art series line but justifiably so considering the optical performance of this lens. Dropping in only $800 cheaper than the Canon, this is definitely a tough sell for most consumers considering the traông xã record of the Sigma Art lens lineup being consistently more inexpensive across the board of 24mm, 35milimet, and 50mm name-brand equivalents.
Competitors
The Sigma 85milimet Art is up against several lenses in it’s same class, considered alternatives. Although Canon doesn’t have sầu an identical f/1.4 equivalent, there are still options that it can be weighed against:
Final Verdict
who should purchase the new Sigma 85 Art?Serious portrait photographers need this focal length in their tool kit because it is just a portrait essential. It definitely isn’t a recreational lens lớn have on hand at all times, as it is highly specified and catered to perform in the realm of portraiture.
As far as weddings are concerned, it is definitely an igiảm giá focal length to lớn have for bridal và couples portraits, but consider the limiting circumstances that weddings are burdened with (small rooms, tight và confined spaces, etc.) before purchasing any 85milimet. A 50mm should definitely have a place in your kit before leaping khổng lồ the 85, at least, that’s what we recommover.
It would almost be criminal not to purchase the new Sigma 85mm Art if you are a Canon user. Compared khổng lồ the 85L the huge leap in price doesn’t quite justify the name br& because although giving you a wider aperture at f/1.2, its affected by the same issues as Sigma Art lenses: chromatic aberration, inconsistent AF issues, & low-light performance problems.
Nikon users should likely consider sticking khổng lồ the Nikon 85, specifically due lớn the price difference being not nearly as significant as the Canon-Sigma difference, & the bulky nature of the Sigma. Either way, this is definitely a great addition khổng lồ a portrait photographer’s arsenal, giving you the resilience and accuracy needed for consistently dynamic imagery.
