Sigma 85mm F1 4 EX DG HSM Review | 54 Data compared

The ⁠ePHOTOzine review of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM highlights this short telephoto prime lens as a highly capable and keenly priced portrait option. A major pro is its bright f/1.4 maximum aperture, which effectively isolates subjects using a shallow depth of field, while the Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) provides quick, quiet autofocus with full-time manual focus override. However, the review points out notable design omissions and performance drawbacks. A significant con is the complete lack of weather-sealed build quality or moisture resistance, and it lacks built-in vibration reduction or optical image stabilization. Additionally, the review notes that while the bright aperture creates beautiful bokeh, achieving critical focus wide-open at f/1.4 can be challenging.

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM lens offers high-value performance for portraiture, featuring excellent center sharpness, well-controlled lateral chromatic aberration, and pleasing bokeh at f/1.4, according to The-Digital-Picture.com. The lens, which features quiet HSM autofocus and robust construction, also boasts low distortion and high contrast, making it a strong competitor in its price class. However, the review highlights significant concerns regarding autofocus consistency, with the reviewer experiencing substantial front-focusing issues that required testing multiple units. Other notable drawbacks include visible longitudinal chromatic aberration, minor corner softness on full-frame cameras when shot wide open, a lack of weather sealing, and a low maximum magnification ratio.

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is an exceptional, high-value prime lens that delivers stellar performance, comfortably rivalling its much pricier Nikon counterpart. The reviewer highlights its incredible sharpness when shooting wide open at f/1.4, noting that it matches or slightly beats the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G in clarity. Its standout features include a fast, quiet, and highly accurate autofocus system, alongside an outstanding bokeh effect that effortlessly isolates subjects into a creamy, distraction-free background. Additionally, the lens handles direct light well by controlling flare effectively and maintaining high contrast. However, the lens does compromise on physical build quality to maintain its highly competitive price tag. The most prominent drawback is its cheap plastic casing, which lacks the premium feel and durability of more expensive lenses. The manual focus ring is another weak point, as it is poorly sized and lacks a manual autofocus override mechanism. Despite these structural limitations, the lens has proven resilient over a year of heavy use. Ultimately, the reviewer strongly concludes that paying nearly double for the Nikon equivalent is unjustifiable given the Sigma's superior...

The Cameralabs review highlights the Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM as a highly recommended short telephoto prime lens, recognized as the most affordable 85mm f/1.4 lens on the market featuring autofocus. Priced at approximately 860 EUR, it bridges the gap between budget f/1.8 options and premium proprietary glass, delivering optical sharpness and contrast that rivals first-party competitors like Nikon's version at just 60% of the cost. Key pros include its quiet and quick Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) autofocus system, excellent center sharpness even wide open at f/1.4, and a 9-blade rounded aperture that produces a beautifully smooth bokeh. Furthermore, it boasts solid build quality, handles flare well due to an 11-element design, utilizes standard 77mm filters, and includes practical accessories such as a padded case and an APS-C hood extender. However, the reviewer points out several technical cons and performance limitations. A major omission is the lack of optical image stabilization (IS), making the lens highly susceptible to visible camera shake in the viewfinder unless fast shutter speeds are used. The lens lacks any weather or environmental sealing and...

Here is a summary of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM lens review based on its performance with the 36-megapixel Nikon D800E full-frame camera: The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a solid, professional-grade lens built with high-grade plastic, a metal mount, and a robust finish. Highly regarded as an ideal lens for portrait photography, it delivers outstanding optical performance characterized by exceptionally high image resolution, which peaks across the center and edges at f/5.6 while maintaining sharp results even at the extreme corners. Distortion is virtually nonexistent, and vignetting is remarkably low, becoming a non-issue starting from f/2.0. Additionally, the lens controls flare and lateral chromatic aberration effectively, offering a beautifully smooth, "woolly" bokeh when shot wide open. Despite its premium image quality and highly attractive price-to-quality ratio, the lens does have a few drawbacks. The autofocus system, while virtually silent and reliable in low light, is not particularly fast or smooth. Optical limitations include longitudinal chromatic aberration (color bokeh), which presents as green and purple color fringing at wide apertures, though this completely disappears by f/2.8....

In his review of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM, Dustin Abbott highlights it as a high-value, intermediate prime lens that delivers beautiful, character-rich portraits at an attractive price point under $1,000. Optically, the lens balances exceptional sharpness with smooth, creamy bokeh drawing and strong flare resistance, proving highly capable for both studio work and shallow depth-of-field landscape photography. Its physical build features engineered plastics over a metal frame, moving away from older "crinkle finishes" to a cleaner design that includes a uniquely specialized lens hood extension for crop-sensor bodies. However, the lens is held back by notable performance and design drawbacks. Its autofocus system, powered by an HSM motor, is prone to "hunting" in Live View or backlit environments, exhibits minor calibration quirks, and lacks the precision consistency found in elite first-party alternatives. Additionally, it shows higher levels of chromatic aberration than more modern releases, features a poor minimum focus distance (yielding an unimpressive 0.11x maximum magnification), and lacks any weather sealing. Ultimately, Abbott notes that while it displays a few quirks, it remains an excellent, budget-friendly "bang...

The Sigma AF 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a professional-grade prime lens designed for full-frame cameras that offers an excellent, cost-effective alternative to expensive first-party equivalents. Its primary pros include an exceptional build quality featuring a smooth rubber coating over a durable metal body, a constant physical length during operation, and a non-rotating front element that allows for hassle-free polarizer use. Optically, it stands out for its high center sharpness even when wide open at f/1.4, alongside minimal lateral chromatic aberrations and negligible image distortion. Performance is further enhanced by a fast, virtually silent Hyper-Sonic Motor (HSM) autofocus system and a high-quality 9-blade circular aperture that produces beautifully smooth, creamy bokeh. Additionally, the lens package offers great value by including a petal-shaped lens hood along with a dedicated hood extension barrel for APS-C users to optimize light shading. YouTube · Conversely, the lens has several cons that focus on handling and specific optical limitations. It is a G-type lens, meaning it lacks a physical aperture ring and relies entirely on camera-body controls. For manual adjustments, the focus path is...

This review of the Sigma 85 mm/1.4 EX DG HSM lens evaluates its performance on an APS-C/DX format camera (specifically the Nikon D3200), where its focal length acts as a 128 mm equivalent ideal for portrait photography. Built with high-quality plastic and a solid metal mount, the lens features a New & Robust (NR) housing coating that resists damage. Testing reveals exceptional optical traits when utilizing the lens on a smaller sensor format, including non-disturbing vignette levels, nearly non-existent distortion at -0.1%, and well-controlled lateral chromatic aberration. Furthermore, it produces an impressively soft, woolly background bokeh at wide apertures, making it highly effective for shallow depth-of-field isolation. The review explicitly outlines several key pros and cons of the lens. On the positive side, its major pros include its superb optical qualities (extremely low distortion, lateral chromatic aberration, and vignetting), an excellent price-to-quality ratio, high center resolution that extends cleanly from corner to corner by f/4, and its beautiful, round bokeh display. Conversely, the lens exhibits a few distinct cons, most notably its HSM autofocus mechanism, which is criticized for not...

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a well-built, high-performing prime lens, featuring a 9-blade diaphragm for attractive bokeh and an effective HSM autofocus system. It offers excellent handling and reduced flare, though it is somewhat heavy at 725 grams and can feel front-heavy on smaller bodies. Optically, it performs best between f/5.6 and f/8, while shooting wide open at f/1.4 offers a very shallow depth of field with slightly reduced corner sharpness.