Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art MTF figures by LensRentals

Sigma 135mm F1.8
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LensRentals’ Roger Cicala lab-tested Sigma’s latest hot lens, the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art MTF.

Mr Cicala writes:

[…] the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 has a really nice MTF curve, better than the Canon 135mm f/2 L. It’s as good at f/1.8 as the Zeiss or Rokinon are at f/2, and it autofocuses, which they don’t. Whether you want it or not is going to depend on a lot of other factors, but the MTF curves are promising. And we learned, to my sadness, that father time catches up with everything, including my favorite Canon 135mm f/2.0 which is showing it’s age a bit when compared to these newcomers.

Read the article at LensRentals.

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art: at: B&H Photo | Amazon | Adorama | Park Cameras (UK).

Sigma 14mm f/1.8 ART lens sample photos

Sigma 14mm
The new Sigma 14mm f/1.8

Sigma 14mm f/1.8 at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.8 to f/16
  • Three FLD Elements, Four SLD Elements
  • Four Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • TSC Material, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

DPReview posted a set of 38 sample photo shot with a pre-production Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art lens. A Canon EOS 5Ds R was used for the test shots.

The new Sigma lenses are not yet available for the general public. However, you can get notified when pre-orders can be placed.

Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM is the new DxOMark reference benchmark, beats Zeiss lenses

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM
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Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

At a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to 16
  • Two Low Dispersion Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • TSC Material, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

DxOMark analysed the Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM lens, and the lens got DxOMark best score ever, whooping 50.

In the conclusion DxOMark writes:

With its Art series, Sigma has done much to improve its standing as a high-end lens maker. Until only recently, Canon and Nikon were on safe ground with their high-speed primes, but makers such as Sigma and Tamron (and Zeiss) are beginning to make inroads. While all the full-frame Art series lenses are excellent performers optically, the latest model in the range is also its best. It also happens to be the most expensive to date, but the $1,199 asking price seems reasonable. That it outperforms the Zeiss Milvus and outrageously expensive Otus equivalents probably says enough for most people — and that’s even before discussing the merits of autofocus versus manual on high-speed lenses like this. Read the review at DxOMark.

Not bad for a lens that sells at $1,199. Kudos Sigma, keep on the good work!

Sigma 85mm

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review (LensRentals)

Sigma 85mm F/1.4
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Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

At a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to 16
  • Two Low Dispersion Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • TSC Material, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

LensRentals reviewed the new Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens, a lens many people was waiting for.

About build quality:

One of the biggest changes Sigma has had in the last few years comes in the build quality of their lenses. Before the Art series and rebranding, Sigma was plagued with stories of back focusing, and inconsistent build quality. However, in the last few years, Sigma has risen to be one of the most respected and beloved third-party lens options. And that stellar attention to detail and build holds true with the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art.

Conclusion:

[…] is the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art Series great? Yes…without question. If you’re looking for an 85mm lens, the Sigma should be an obvious choice. While it doesn’t give us that extra 1/3rd of a stop that you get with the Canon at f/1.2, it does out focus, and outperform it on every other level.

The review comes with many sample pic, and more information about the lens.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM
[via LensRentals]

Sigma 12-24mm f/4 ART Review (D. Abbott)

Sigma 12-24mm F/4 Art Deal DG HSM
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Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

At a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to 22
  • FLD and Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • TSC Material, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Dust- and Splash-Proof Construction
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Photographer and reviewer Dustin Abbott posted his final review of the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art lens.

From the conclusion:

Overall the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSM ART is a very competent lens. It has few major flaws. Chromatic aberrations are well controlled, distortion is low, and vignette, while clearly present at f/4, isn’t quite as bad as some of the recent releases from other major companies.  It does a very credible job when shooting the night sky, though having a relatively small maximum aperture puts it at a bit of disadvantage […]

It falls a little short of a true 24mm, but that isn’t unusual, and I would argue that the true 12mm on the wide end is ultimately more important. […] One thing to note, […] is that the 12-24 ART is optimized for f/4-5.6 performance (at least on the wide end of the focal range) and I actually saw a trend where the image quality tended to be a bit worse rather than better as the lens was stopped down.

You can go for the written review, or watch the two videos below to learn about the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art.

 

Below: Image quality examination:

 

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART Review

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM
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The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

At a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to 16
  • Two Low Dispersion Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • TSC Material, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Photographer and reviewer Dustin Abbott concluded his exhaustive review of the new Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART lens. The new Sigma 85mm gets a lot of attention and talk, and Dustin Abbott’s real-world review highlights what makes this lens so interesting.

While not being without flaws, having a “fairly strong amount of chromatic aberration“, the overall impression of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM is very good. From the conclusion:

[…] the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 ART is pretty fabulous.  It is impressively sharp at all apertures, has the lowest vignette I’ve yet seen from an 85mm lens, and has fantastic light transmission.  The lens is beautifully built, has an exceptional nice manual focus ring, and focuses extremely quickly and quietly.  It is also the best focusing ART series lens that I’ve used, with much more consistent, reliable results (though focus accuracy drops when using outer focus points).  The bokeh is quite smooth, the transition and fall off from the lens is good, and images look great.  It is a great performer in the studio, and should be a serious consideration for portrait shooters.

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM sells for $1,199, a more than fair price for the optical performance this lens delivers. Dustin’s review comes with many sample pics and discusses all aspects the lens.

A closer look to the bokeh quality of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM: