Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Announced September 19, 2016
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is a remarkably sharp prime lens that offers near-best-in-class image quality for portraiture at a competitive price. While it delivers exceptional optical performance and robust build quality, the lens is notably large, heavy, and lacks image stabilization.
Weighted from 27 reviewer scores
Pros
- Outstanding sharpness and high resolution even at f/1.4
- Sublime, smooth bokeh performance
- Robust and high-quality build construction
- Fast and quiet autofocus operation
- Excellent value compared to native brand alternatives
Cons
- Significant physical size and heavy weight
- Requires expensive and uncommon 86mm filters
- Inconsistent autofocus accuracy in some conditions
- Presence of chromatic aberrations and vignetting at wide apertures
- Lack of built-in image stabilization
- Launch price $1,199 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 85mm f/1.4
- Mount & coverage Canon EF, Nikon F, Sigma SA Full-Frame
- Stabilization None
- Close focus 85 cm (0.12x)
- Filter thread 86mm
- Autofocus motor Ring-type ultrasonic
- Weight & size 1130g (2 lb 7.9 oz) · 94.7 x 126.2 mm (3.73 x 4.97 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 27 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- DPReview 93/100
All in all this lens is one of the best portrait lenses we've seen to date and at a bargain price for the performance.
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The new Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art finally brings Sigma’s 85mm prime up to the performance one can expect from a modern lens designed with 36+ MP sensors in mind: It offers the best performing FF/FX-corners and the softest Bokeh of any 85mm lens I know.
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The EOS 5Ds R is usually a tough test bed for most lenses but the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 HSM DG Art is actually capable of exploiting most of the potential of the 50mp sensor.
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After testing this lens extensively and putting it through its paces to shoot portraiture, a wedding and street scene images, I’m left utterly bowled over by its performance.
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Perhaps no other Sigma Art series lens was more highly anticipated than the 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens. And fortunately, Sigma delivered a great product. This is a beautifully designed lens that delivers impressive, near-best-in-class image quality, at a reasonable price.
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The reality is that the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 ART is a lot of lens for the opening price of $1199 USD, and, while it may not be the absolute knockout that some thought it might be, it is still a pretty special lens.
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The Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art is a bit of a masterpiece of a lens. It's ridiculously sharp, being one of the sharpest I've tested [...] everything else about its optics are fantastically well done, and its build quality is extremely solid.
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Either way, this is definitely a great addition to a portrait photographer’s arsenal, giving you the resilience and accuracy needed for consistently dynamic imagery.
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This is one of the nicer lenses in the Sigma Art prime series. Definitely a lens I want to use some more, despite the big size and weight.
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As MTF tests go, though, this is just another ho-hum spectacular triumph for the Sigma Art series. From an MTF standpoint, it’s better than any other 85 except the Otus, and it makes a very respectable showing against that fine lens.
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The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens is a high class, highly competent design that performs confidently and efficiently.
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Even so, we can whole-heartedly recommend the new Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM as a brilliant short telephoto prime lens that delivers superb results.
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As a full-frame compatible portrait lens for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, this Sigma is a heavyweight contender in every way.
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The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is a big prime lens with a bright f/1.4 design, a focal length perfect for portraiture, and exceptional image quality.
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The fact that it outshines the Carl Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4 in sharpness (see the Lenstip.com test), yet has a modern, fast autofocus and costs a quarter of the price, is quite a treat.
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If you’re a 35/85 shooter, I wouldn’t hesitate one second in recommending that you add the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art to your arsenal.
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[T]he Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is an exceptionally high quality lens. It's all that we would expect from an Art series lens, the great image quality, build quality, value, and so on.
- ExpertPhotography 87/100
[T]he Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is excellent for professional photographers specializing in both indoor and outdoor portrait photography.
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The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art lens is outstanding value that provides incredible image quality at a good price. While I would prefer it to be a bit small and lighter, there’s no denying that the bottom line for image makers is image quality and the Sigma delivers that.
- Darren Miles 46/50
The final word: Sigma continues to disrupt the photography industry with market-leading optics at value prices with their Global Vision line of Art lenses, and so it goes with the 85 Art.
- Photo Feaver 35/50
I would recommend this lens, but I would actually recommend other lenses higher than this just because of they've got the added benefit of being smaller, being lighter, or even having image stabilization like the Canon 85mm f/1.4, which I actually recommend over this lens here.
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[E]ven if you aren't a Sony shooter, I would highly recommend checking out the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art and just see if it works with your camera mount because this lens is absolutely beautiful.
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I've been shooting glassware for many years and I've rarely if ever seen this degree of sharpness at 500% magnification.
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Yeah, so if you're a pro, if you really take your portrait seriously, and not only portrait, maybe your wedding photography or your event photography, group photography, anything you take those seriously, you should get this lens.
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This Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is actually probably my favorite lens of all time, and that's probably because I like to do portrait photography primarily and the 85mm is the perfect portrait lens.
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It’s versatile and beautiful, and from the moment you put this lens on your camera, you will never want to take it off.
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I enjoyed shooting with this lens so much; I can easily see myself using this all the time for portraiture. It's just beautiful, so yeah, in all likelihood I will end up owning one of these bad boys.
