The aesthetically pleasing
background blur that’s created wide
open at f/1.4 is illustrated in this
portrait of a stationmaster Sony A7 III,
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art, 1/1250sec at f/1.4, ISO 100heaviest 85mm lenses
we’ve tested, Sigma’s latest
example is far more compact and
discards a vast amount of weight.
To be precise, the E-mount
version works out 30mm shorter
in length and 500g lighter than
Sigma’s previous version. This is
a phenomenal weight saving for
a lens that promises improved
image quality.
Where the Sigma 85mm F1.4
DG HSM Art was made up of 14
elements in 12 groups, this lens
features an entirely new optical
design encompassing 15
elements in 11 groups. Within
this construction are ve special
low-dispersion (SLD) glass
elements, one aspherical
element at the rear of the lens
group and four high refractive
index glass elements to minimise
chromatic aberration, are and
ghosting. By making the most of
in-camera aberration correction,
Sigma has been able to
concentrate on the correction
of aberrations that are only
eliminated by the lens’ optics,characteristics to the 85mm
F1.4 DG HSM Art. The older lens
added more than a kilogram to
the weight of the camera, and
this often upset the balance to
the point it made setups feel very
front heavy. This is no longer the
case with the newer version. It
balances superbly on full-frame
mirrorless cameras like the Sony
Alpha 7 III I tested it with and lets
you shoot single-handedly with no
discomfort. Having the option to
shoot without always supporting
the lens beneath the barrel will
appeal to portrait and wedding
photographers, who often nd
themselves offering direction with
their left hand. Better than this
is the way the lens lets you walk
around and shoot without feeling
as if you’re weighed down.
Build quality meets the high
standard that we associate
with Sigma’s Art lenses. The
construction of the barrel is
a blend of precision-engineered
metal and thermally stable
composite (TSC), with its
rubberised focus ring offering
excellent precision and uidity
when focusing manually. The
transition between choosing
whether the aperture ring clicks
or doesn’t click from the ick of
a switch is seamless. You canwhich combined with reducing the
size of the focus element, has
allowed it to be made smaller.
Furthermore, with an emphasis
given to the elimination of axial
chromatic aberration, Sigma says
users can expect sharp images
with no colour fringing, even when
the lens is wide open at f/1.4.
Complementing the lens
construction is a diaphragm
with 11 curved blades to give
a circular aperture for attractive
bokeh. As for autofocus, the
stepping motor it uses is
intended to keep AF operation
fast and silent. It’s designed
to work well with both phase-
detection and contrast-detection
autofocus, and fully supports
different manufacturers’ face, eye
and animal detection modes.
Elsewhere, the lens features
a durable brass mount and is
compatible with Sigma’s USB
dock UD-11 that’s sold separately
for L-mount only. It has a
minimum focus distance of 85cm
and you’re presented with all the
accessories you’d expect in the
box, including a bowl-shaped lens
hood, padded case and caps.Build quality
Touching on the way the lens
Spa Valley Railway in Kent Sony A7 III, Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art, 1/4000sec at f/1.4, ISO 400 handles, it has entirely different