SIGMA 85mm f/1.4 Dg HSM a £1000/$1200

Sigma’s new 85mm Art lens is a real whopper

asupersized 85mm optic, this Sigma is a bit like the Incredible Hulk of portrait lenses. At 95x126mm and 1130g, it’s by far the biggest and heaviest lens in the entire test group and, in fact, it’s only a couple of inches shorter and about 1.5x heavier than Canon’s 70-200mm f/4l IS USM telephoto zoom. In keeping with the large build and wide-diameter front elements, the filter attachment thread is similarly oversized, at 86mm.

High-tech attractions include a complex optical path that features 14 optical elements (more than in any other lens on test), ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, and both SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and high-refractive index glass. Uncommonly for a Sigma lens, everything’s wrapped up in a weatherresistant dust/splash-proof casing and, as with the 50mm Art lens that’s also on test, it’s compatible with Sigma’s USB Dock for applying firmware updates and customizing settings. Also like the Sigma 50mm lens, this one comes complete with a lens hood and padded soft case.

Performance

Autofocus is fast, extremely quiet and unerringly accurate. Sharpness away from the centre of the image frame is outstanding, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.4, although centre-sharpness at the widest aperture isn’t quite as spectacular as from Sigma’s smaller 50mm Art lens. There’s more good news in terms of colour fringing, which is negligible, and there’s practically zero distortion, with no barrelling noticeable in our test chart images. All in all, the new Sigma delivers superb performance, but it’s pricey to buy and rather cumbersome for an 85mm prime lens.