Sigma 85mm f/1.4 ART lens review with samples (Full-frame & APS-C)
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- Another new Sigma 'ART' lens - the hotly anticipated 85mm f/1.4. Is its sharpness really all that - and could its autofocus work properly?
Find it here (Amazon affiliate link) (Be sure to get the right lens for your camera system):
geni.us/sigma85mm14artef
All pictures shot by me on Canon 6D and EOS M3 cameras.
If you've found this or other videos I've made to be helpful, then support me on Patreon! / christopherfrost
Equipment I use to make my videos (Amazon affiliate links):
Canon EOS R5: geni.us/CanonEOSR5Body
Canon EF-RF Adaptor: geni.us/CanonEFtoRF
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 'Art': geni.us/Sigma50mm14Art
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM: geni.us/CanonRF35mm18Macro
Marumi Fit and Slim CPL Filter: geni.us/MarumiFitSlim77
AudioTechnica AT2020USB+ Microphone: geni.us/AT2020USBPlusMic
Rode Smartlav+ Microphone: geni.us/RodeSmartLavalierPlus
Rode SC3 adapter: geni.us/RodeSC3MicAdaptor
Zoom H1n Recorder: geni.us/ZoomH1nMiniRecorder
DJI Mini 2 Drone: geni.us/DJIMini2FlyMore
Music:
'Opportunity Walks', Kevin MacLeod (www.incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Jak na to + styl
I check your reviews anytime I'm looking at a lens. Thank you so much for all you do. Much appreciated
I've been shooting one of these magnificent creations for months now. I have yet to miss a shot. AF is blazing fast and always spot on with my a7r ii. It has the lowest vignetting of any 85mm I've ever used, very bright, and pristinely sharp from 1.4 upwards.
It's a gem of a lens.
I have bought this lens its very sharp, the results in RAW are stunning. wow !! thanks for the initial review.
My favorite lens by far, I use it on my 90D and RP, and it's performs exceptionally on both, no calibration needed. Mine is razor sharp at 1.4, and rarely shoot stopped down from that.
Can i use the lens of the canon 77d body?
@jhmishu6226 yes you can, as long as it's the EF mount
Wow, thanks Chris, just saw this lens on DXO today it tops their lens chart. Now I am watching you reviewing it, what a treat.
Mr.chris! I wait this lens and your review. Thank you! and Happy new year!
One of the best lenses' reviewers. Keep it up, Chris.
Great review! I've bought this lens recently to pair with my Nikon DSLRs. Although its AF performance isn't perfect, hit rate is far better than what you revealed. Anyway I'm more than happy with this lens and the image quality it offers considering its price.
I was longing for your review! It surely is a beast of a lens, in any field. Although the price is steep I do plan to get this lens for awesome portraiture.
I would like that Sigma would also bring us a new 17-50 f/2.8 with optical stabilization and the 70-200 f/2.8 optically stabilized. OS is crucial for video work on the go. About the autofocus let's not forget that is still backward engineered to work with Canon or Nikon cameras, but hopefully it's just software issues that might be overcome in the future!
Great review as always!
Thanks for your review. Your videos are always helpful.
Nice review as usual Chris, thanks !
Great review as always thanks for posting
thank you very much for this review. i have been waiting to hear about this lens review from you and then decide if i should buy this lens or not. thanks for making this review. i have made up my mind now :) i love your videos. i am watching your channel since 2014 and i love your channel.
you have the best photography channel on youtube about lenses :)
AF issue is mainly because A. Canon. B. old 6D body. Sigma art series never had a focusing issue on any recent nikon body.
This lens is tested in DXOMARK to be the NEW #1 of any lens, beating the former king Otus 85mm
never had a problem with 35mm art for 3 years. optically delicious, AF snap-on. I cant say much about new 85mm tho.
Owen Jiang did they test the samyang 1.2 85?
Owen Jiang that is a flawed argument. The 6d Af is amazingly accurate when using the center square. I also own the 20mm & 50mm Art lenses, they both focus well including on that archaic 6D. I tried many copies of the 24mm & 35mm Art lenses and never found one that focused reliably even with the USB dock. Sigmas are just a crapshoot, even first party companies have lemons, believe me I have firsthand experience with them too, Sigma just happens to be worse. But I do love my two art lenses and have had no issues with years (50mm) of use. Current or former owner of D3, D700, D800, 6D, 5Dmk3, and 5Dmk4.
I always take AF Accuracy for lenses with a grain of salt. The Camera body has a lot more to do with it than the lens. I'm pretty sure fewer shots would be missed with 1DXmk2 or a D5.
Daniel Jones Also never noted in this was whether a proper focus calibration was done. It's something I do religiously now that I have the automated version on my 70D from Magic Lantern. I thought my 18-35 had a focus problem until I did that and now it is almost always perfectly pin sharp. I then did it with my Canon 85mm f/1.8 and realized even that copy was off and this did wonders. It's so important to understand the value of such body/lens calibration.
Great review as always Chris, I love the sigma 85mm art I was slightly worried about the weight but you really do get used to. I've had no AF issues with this lens on my D810. Infact all my lenses are now sigma
cyberchickgeek did you calibrate it with the Sigma dock?
i like that you get it straight to the point :)
Wooow Finally thank you Christopher 😊😊
Nice images good review -thanks for your efforts.. Best wishes!
I just got this lens AND WOW! its absolutely fantastic !!
I used this lens on the Canon 6D Mark II. Although it is a bit of hit and miss with the AF when it got it right it was sharp with amazing bokeh. Now I changed to Sony A7 III with the MC-11 Sigma adapter and all I can say is I'm sooooo glad I did. It's sharp and beautiful 100% of the time. What a combination made in photographers' heaven! Shame it's so heavy...but hey!
Thanks for the review - and the one of the Samy XP. I decided to go for the XP for my Sony a6000 & a6300. I also own the Samy 1.4/35, FE 1.4/50 AF, 1.4/85 and 2.0/135 and love them all.
Hope you will do a review of the new 135mm Sigma Art lens in the future. This review like your others was very good. I have the Canon 85mm f1.2 already and am happy with it. But the 135 interests me as well as the soon to be released 14mm ART. Thanks again Christopher!
By the way excellent review
super presentation congratulations , keep it up
Hey Christopher! Do you know if this lens works well with R5C in video mode? I had issues with the tamrons of this world in the past so wonder if this one works OK. The 160-600 EF seems to work fine, I assume this one as well?
Hi Chris, I've recently bought Sigma Art 24 and there were serious AF problems - very similar to these in review (I need to return). I also work on 6D. Isn't it a wider problem with all Art lenses? Or maybe there's something wrong with 6D? By the way - great review - as always! :)
I miss some of your weird lenses reviews. I have a suggestion for you about vintage lenses, pentacon 29mm f/2.8 or even zeiss Jena 50mm 2.8
Thanks for the excellent review Chris. I always learn from and enjoy your videos
im gonna save for this lens, big time love my Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art (canon) no backfocus or AF issues
I was considering this lens over canon 85mm 1.4 but you just changed my mind.
Thank you so much.
This Sigma lens is meant to be sharper but the Canon's image stabilization is a big asset IMO
Interessting would be the side-by-side to the new samyang. But great Review, as always - love your channel!
Great video! Are you reviewing the Tamron 85mm F/1.8 VC as well?
Just Do it! :D
Everyone complaining about the autofocus lol yes the focus is horrible out of the box, this thing needs to be calibrated with the dock, it doesn't take no more than an hour to calibrate it perfectly, once calibrated this thing is brutal, can't beat this lens for the price and the sheer amount of quality, you can easily buy a new one for around $1050 now and the dock is 60 bucks so make it an even 11hundred, calibrate it your self and your done, if you can't calibrate a lens then go buy an original canon or nikon one and spend close to double. You guys hating to much 😑
I did not have a problem with the auto focus out of box
What dock are you talking about ?
Great review as always. Looks like it would make a great portrait lens. I have never seen a lens with such a big focus ring though. Maybe that is Sigma telling you that its auto focus sucks and you should stick to manual? haha. Seriously though, they should really fix those auto focus issues as that can be a deal breaker for some when looking for a lens with auto focus.
great review (as always). any chance you could review the samyang 24mm tilt-shift lens sometime?
I very rarely have issues with focus with this lens on my Nikon D750. When I do its usually my fault, Focus is fast and very accurate. This is a very sharp lens that renders beautifully, I have no buyers remorse with this lens
I went with the Tamron 85 1.8 and I must say I woulnd't wish for anything sharper wide open. My copy was front focusing, but this was easily solved with a simple AF fine tune.
You guys considering the Signa should definatly give the Tamron a look.
I have a Tamron 70-200 and it’s my most fav lens, so you saying the Tamron 85 1.8 may be better than the Sigma 85 1.4?
@DJaySplitSecond In several head to head comparisons, the sigma is just tenny tiny bit sharper. However, the tamron has better chromatic aberrations control and thus better contrast, has image stabilization, better build quality, more heavy duty weather sealing, softer bokeh, better minimum focusing distance. It also focuses more quickly and more accurately. All of that is combined in a smaller, lighter and much cheaper package. So you really can't go wrong with it.
Nice review. Please make a video comparing this lens with the new Sigma 135mm f1.8 , whenever it is available. Looking forward to see full body shots in landscape mode with this kind of special lenses.
Thanks Chris.!
It'll be a while until that video comes but I might compare the sharpness, yes
Dear Mr.Frost,
I was watched big part of Your great lens reviews during previous months.
I have one specific question for You. Does new offical firmwares for Canon DSLR cameras contain previous firmware versions as computer hardware or You must add step by step, firmware by firmware to settle detected errors and bugs ?! I have EOS 5D MkI and EOS ES 650D which still contain original factory softwares 1.00. Canon offers on main website more than 5 newer firmware versions for both models. Same questions applies for offical firmwares for Sigma Art lenses.
Thanks in advance for answer !! :-)
Best Regards !!
Sincerely,
Bronislav Radulović
journalist
Is there any 85mm 1.8 good and sharp lens for apsc cameras only?
Like sigma 18-35..
can u pls post some comparison portrait shots against canon 85 f1.2
Hey, great channels for lenses :made me get my sigma 17-50 2.8. But what about your bodys? 70D/6D /M3? Could be a good video idea!
Hi Christopher, thank you very much for your amazing channel. I would like to ask you for some advices, maybe a video on how to do manual focus appropriately. Cheers!
A few people have been asking that - maybe I will :-)
question, Chris: do you do lens calibration on your canon cameras for each lens you test to make sure it's not front or back focusing?
If there's an AF issue then I'll investigate. But if the AF is inconsistent, then it's not an issue with calibration.
Hello Christ, Could you please comparison video between this Sigma Art 85 1.4 and Canon RF 85 1.2 ??
Hi Christopher, could you please make a review for the 'new' Tamron 90 mm f2.8 macro? That'd be great!
I'm thinking about getting an 85mm lens should I go with the sigma or samyang???
Hey Chris, can you make a 6D review in 2017, like what do you think of a body that old, i'm planning to change from APS-C to FF in the next 5 months. and i can get a used 6D in my country for about 1070$ and below 20 000k shutter count. Thanks!
Hi Chris,
The DSLR Version of this lens has auto-focus issues when shooting through optical view finder as you said in the video.
Does this lens have the same issues with mirror-less cameras also (e.g. EOS-R, M6 mar ii using adaptor) ???
No. With mirrorless cameras it will be accurate
Great Video! I have been wanting to purchase this lens for a long time now..
I just am wondering if the focusing issue would still be the same if I use mirrorless camera?
I currently have Eos R and would the focusing problem similar to the DSLR shown on the video?
Thank you!
On Canon mirrorless all Sigma Art AF's are spot on, you don't miss a beat. I had 50 Art, when it was on the 6D I was missfocussing around 50% of shots, to the point I was ready to sell it for desperation; after switching to R6, I don't remember ever missing focus in thousands of stills. Mirrorless AF is simply perfect, also with old adapted lenses; I have no RF lenses, just adapted lenses, they work even better then they did on DSLR, there's no need to buy RF lenses, the only one I really envy is the 28-70 f2, the others are no better then DSLR alternatives, I then sold the 50 art and bought the 40 Art, which is equal or superior to the RF 50 f1.2 while costing a third of the price.
Love the review! Would you go for this or the canon 85mm f/1.4L? The L is around £500 more so not a huge difference in price.
Sigma, definitely; cheaper and sharper.
Hai chris. Which one the sharp one?? Sigma 85mm or Samyang 85mm??
For Wedding Cinematography Which one will be better..
6D Vs 80D...
Do I should Go for 6D cuz its Full frame...
Christopher-What disadvantages would you say if this is used on a Canon 70D?
Additionally, was it sharp right out the box? Did you have to calibrate it and if so any tips to make the process easier? Thanks!
Calibration is an issue about autofocus when used through the viewfinder. When shooting in liveview it should be fine. To get an idea of its performance on an APS-C camera, like your 70D, look at the APS-C test results :-)
please review the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8
Very good review, I believe on a Sony mirrorless system the focus would be very accurate!
any info on the bokeh ball quality and micro-contrast specifications?
Hi Chris: I had to send my Sigma "18-35mm F1.8 DC ART" for warranty because, you guessed it; autofocus problems. It was very poor, and undependable. The folks at Sigma U.S.A. in New York had it back in my hands in 11 days. I like the lens, its build quality as-well-as the terrific shots I can get. I'm pleased with Sigma service but if something happens again to the focus, I'll just use it manually. I've done some video with it and it seems well suited in spite of not having IS. I don't think Sigma lenses are over-priced, but I believe the Canon "L" series to be a bit dear for the quality. Anyway, that's my "thruppence."
Try shooting with this lens on a Sony @ Series with internal image stabilization in the camera and multiple focus points. IM sure it will improve your opinion of the lens.
Dustin Abbot had similar AF issues with 5D Mark IV, so it would seem it's not just the 6D some commentary has suggested.
yea alot of the SIGMA lenses unfortunately have problems with AF particularly canon mounts. My buddy had a 18-35 and had similar issues with AF.
Hi Christopher, always a pleasure to follow your lens reviews^^.
If you'll have the opportunity in the futur, could you review the Samyang 20mm f1.8? It would be very nice to have your opinion about it.
Ths in advance.
Wish you the best!
omg thats really impressive
Excellent review as always Chris. Really like you testing the AF performance. I spent a couple of thousand dollars on Sigma lenses. Regret it now and have been moving all my kit over to just Canon lenses. Will not make this mistake again..
no, it is horrible review
+xmeda kinda biased wasn't it.....evaluation wasn't thorough.
Biased? He bought the lens with his own money and made an honest review.. Guess both of you were just looking for someone to boost your low self confidence on your buying choices.
+Joe's Photo & Video Channel smiles....your assertion is laughable at the least but truly respect your position per your posting....!!
+Joe's Photo & Video Channel I don't think he did buy it, most of the gear he borrows, though he has bought some.
Great Review
Thank you man.
It would be nice to see review of tamron 85mm 1.8 vc...
It has heavy vignetting up to f/2.8 which is terrible. That's the reason why I did not buy it.
Your videos are always very good. Does this lens have Vibration Control or stabilization control?
Nope
Oh well, it’s a pretty high tag and no VR dam.
Christopher, what do you think of this lens vs the samyang XP 1.2? It's a debate that I've been going back and forth between. interested in your opinion, especially because DXOMARK hasn't tested the XP 85mm 1.2 yet
aftter actually watching the video, i'd say i have my answer. thanks for the review chris!
Christopher hello I would buy this purpose but at the moment it is too expensive what do you think of the old 85 mm 1.4 and what are the differences.thanks
Haven't tried the older version unfortunately. I hear it's nice but the autofocus accuracy is apparently even more of a problem
I have noticed that Sigma lenses do need to be calibrated, I use Reikan and that's always fixed any issues. Although my sigma lenses have in the past had focusing issues, after calibration they've never had a problem. Also on my Sony camera the Sigma lenses have never missed focus, although mirrorless cameras are more accurate (when they finally find focus :P).
Interesting, my copy of 85 1.4 ex focuses as well as it gets on 5d2, certainly better than my 50 1.4 ex and even some (older) canon lenses. I guess it's like lottery with these third party lenses :D
Anyways, thanks for yet another great review!
Which is sharper samyang xp 85mm or sigma Art 85mm
hello, thanks for the review. I just took 2 test pics on my newly 85mm art. I notice pretty heavy chromatic aberration on my subjects. I am using canon 5Div. first picture is a car. there is heavy purple casting on black trims. 2nd pic is a gold plated fan. the purple casting appeared right on the focus point. this is my first sigma lens so I bit disappoint
can you please review the new canon ef 70-300mm f/4-5.6 is ii usm
No issues with AF on my Nikons.
Df, D500 and D750
its the AF problems that Sigma have that keep from upgrading my Canon 50mm F1.4usm to the sigma 50 1.4 ART...or any sigma....i did think about the Tamron 45mmF1.8VC but i have the canon 35mm F2IS in i think the FL is just to close ....if only Tamron had made it 50 or 55mm.....i am guessing making a 35 and 45mm it will keep costs down with R&D and common components
please review the new Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM
Everyone how you think this lens and tamron 85.8vr lens? what is better than the other?
waited for this ;)
how about Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM?
is it compatible with canon 90D?
Can I use for canon 1500d?
That sharp at f1.4!!!
Own one, using it with D750. AF isn't great, in good light 20% about misfocused, but if light gets worse, than even 40-60% misfocused. Sharpness is superb, as dxomark stated, sharpest lens ever!
Sold 85mm 1.4G. This is better for me.
I'm torn choosing between this Sigma and the new Samyang XP. I mainly do manual focus, but am adamant about image quality. Are they neck to neck as far as IQ is concerned?
John Ros please do yourself a favor and consider the Tamron, it's phenomenal really
The Tamron 85 1.8? I don't really need image stabilization but I'll look into the reviews.
wow what a lense
hello there I plan to buy the sigma f/1.4 to mount on the body of the nikonn d810 what do you think? please give some thoughts, thanks
Sounds good to me. See my reviews to find out what I think of lenses
i have the 85 art and haven't found the auto focus to miss as much as you have. Mine nails roughly 90%+ . I have the older Sigma 85/1.4 which wasn't great with AF
Sadly it's a known issue on dslrs with older sigma lenses which tend to miss focus rather consistently. The issue is solved however when you move to mirrorless due to the nature of the systems.
I wonder if the AF inaccuracies are copy specific. I've not heard any other reviewer mention this. Thanks Chris!
i have heard of AF inconsistency with all models of Sigma ART lenses so i dont think this one will be any different ...the Dock often not help as its is random.. sometimes front sometime back focus...most of the time OK ..so you cannot adjust for it ....you can set the speed of AF with the dock...if set slower the more accurate it is ...maybe this lens is set to fast ..but the problem do seem lens dependent ...or some owners not looking close
Actually plenty of real reviewers mention this issue so it's a bit of a sigma thing now. However, not all reviewers are born equal and some will just skip important issues for the sake of headlines.
Why they make the filter size so big. All my filter is 82mm.
I have this lens and used for a wedding. Fantastic for group posed shots , the color is amazing out of the lens and the raw needs little adjustment in lightroom . Only thing Nikon 85mm 1.4G has over this lens is its a bit lighter and its full weather sealing. Optically i'd say the Sigma and Nikon there is no difference. Shock horror to the native lens fan boys. But seriously all your paying for in Nikon's version is the name and weather sealing , maybe AF is better but I never noticed missed shots at 1.4 on my Nikon D750. Perhaps your Canon 6D needs retiring foe the newer 5D.
All pics of Cardigan and surrounds... Do you live there? I know the place very well :)
Chris, how come you are not reviewing vintage Minolta lens that can be adapted to you Sony A7RII camera. I heard there are some hidden gems out there for amature and hobby photographers.
+Christopher Frost Photography I took a more critical look at my Sigma 50 and I see a bit of AF play (not as much as you showed though, no where near it, only of a few mm at around 10 feet, might not even notice if not for the tell-tale signs of longitudinal CA, I suspect that it is less because of the different body), but I don't think the Sigma is at fault here actually. At least, when testing some similar focal length Canon lenses at as close of an aperture as possible (e.g. 40mm pancake @f/2.8) I got similar results. I think I'm just running up against the limits of the focusing system for fine detail here and noticing it more because it's an f/1.4 lens and that we are scrutinizing it more heavily because it is a Sigma. After all, if it is really the fault of the lens, then how can we explain the perfectly good live view AF? Fault of the lens can be front or back focused, but those can be corrected with the dock (if changing with focal length) or the MFA in camera (all that is needed for most cases, flat shift with focus distance). This sort of random front or back focus points to the AF system accepting things as sharp that are not because it can't tell the difference (and these systems actually do have some extra challenges as they reach very wide apertures).
Finally tried out the dock, turns out I was on 1.00 firmware, current is 1.01, after updating while there are still occasionally slight misses it is crushing my Canon 40mm f/2.8, which is a lens that isn't known for any AF trouble.
How bad was the AF when stopped down? Just as bad or better?
J. Ohara the lens Focusses wide open so it cant improve, you just might not See it as everything seems in focus at f11. with a 5dsr or something though, zooming in, youll always spot inacurracy making high sharpness pretty point less then
Is this autofocus issue present in mirrorless full frame cameras through the evf?
On Canon mirrorless all Sigma Art AF's are spot on, you don't miss a beat. I had 50 Art, when it was on the 6D I was missfocussing around 50% of shots, to the point I was ready to sell it for desperation; after switching to R6, I don't remember ever missing focus in thousands of stills. Mirrorless AF is simply perfect, also with old adapted lenses; I have no RF lenses, just adapted lenses, they work even better then they did on DSLR, there's no need to buy RF lenses, the only one I really envy is the 28-70 f2, the others are no better then DSLR alternatives, I then sold the 50 art and bought the 40 Art, which is equal or superior to the RF 50 f1.2 while costing a third of the price.
@@ritrattoaziendale Great insight, thanks.
Uplifting lens c:
Image at 01:07 Why is the background so ugly on the left. What's happening? Looks like a mirage effect.
I think it was already mentioned, but the AF problem has probably something in common with the 6D you use. Having the older 85/1.4 ex dg I had the same AF precision as you and I thought I will get rid of it soon since it's piece of **** .. however, I updated on 5D4 and now it is one of the most used lens I have with 90% correctly focused images - using the one shot AF, continous doesn't work well in not moving subjects ... And I honestly believe, it will be even better on the Art ...
I don't think that's the issue. The centre focus point of the 6D is excellent - and the camera had no problem focusing accurately with a Canon 85mm f/1.2, Tamron 45mm f/1.8 or indeed most other lenses I've ever tested.
Ok, maybe the problem was that I wasn't using the center point much, but it is still very brave to call the 6D center point excellent ... Let's call it usable ... Sometime ...
@Martin Kusyn Sigma lenses were renowned for their AF issues, this reputation is slowly getting erased by the assistance in AF provided by the mirrorless systems. Aside from that, tamron were always better at reverse engineering the AF from canon and nikon.
Should test the lens on a higher end body with a more sophisticated auto focus system
Some ART lenses need to be corrected and calibrated with the Sigma USB dock. Very rarely there are also ART lenses with bad focus like my Sigma 35mm f1.4 A in the beginning. Only sending it back to Sigma will solve this issue.
Old cameras can be an issue, too.