Used Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens for Canon EOS

2013-12-02T19:00:00

Used this lens for the first time at Thanksgiving, in very low light, wide open. Even though I was still getting used to the lens, the images turned out stunning. Extremely clear and crisp where in focus, and nice bokeh. Focus acquisition is a little slower than for my 70-200/2.8, but I'd expect that for a f/1.4 lens

CHRIS G.

2013-10-21T21:00:00

I have just purchased this but I had demoed it before deciding to buy it. It is a very nice portrait lens and very fast at f1.4. I took some shots at f1.4, f2, etc. and was amazed at how sharp they were. It was also much less costly than Canon's 85mm lens.

FRANCES G.

2013-10-15T21:00:00

Works well on my full frame camera. Will make a great companian lens to the Sigma 35mm, 1.4.

Rick

2013-08-23T21:00:00

I really love this lens, I use it for kids portraits and it works great. Perfect focus, lovely bokeh.

Ale

2013-07-01T21:00:00

Very fast very Sharp lens great for portraits and weddings

smitty

2013-06-03T21:00:00

I bought this lens to replace a very old Nikon 85mm f/1.4D, which I was planning to keep as a backup. The Sigma is just ok. There is nothing awful about it, but the focus seems a little slower and slightly less accurate than the Nikon. I had hoped for faster focus than my old lens. The bokeh is also not nearly as pleasing as the Nikon (in my opinion).

ERIN D.

2013-03-18T21:00:00

Every day photography

BERNARD L.

2013-01-16T19:00:00

This lens is great for portraits, low light, and street photography. Balances well on my D7000. Very solid construction, very similar to the nikon. Takes great photos and from all the reviews I have read and watched this is a must buy when comparing to the nikon 85mm 1.4 when comparing not only the price but also the quality. So far this lens is becoming my favorite and has given me some fantastic photos. I would buy this again.

Jesse M.

2012-11-17T19:00:00

Just received this, I could never afford the Nikon equivalent - even though I tend to be a "Nikon Only" person. Great vale for money, great results so far and looking forward to may years of use. I think it's important to note that when you buy a prime like this, make sure you know before you buy what the uses and limitations are. I often see very negative reviews on lenses like this from people who were expecting the Hubble because they paid more bucks than a kit lens would cost. Be realistic and you can't go wrong.

DEREK J.

2012-09-07T21:00:00

Some told me about possible focusing issues with Sigma lens and some told me about a possible yellow color cast. Not on my copy! Maybe I lucked out? Or maybe Sigma is just an amazing lens? I shoot with a Canon 5D m2 and I LOVE this lens. I also bout the 50mm Sigma and love it, too. Joey Joiner Fort Worth, TX

JOEY J.

2012-09-03T21:00:00

I'll just copypasta an answer I gave about this lens already: [The Canon 85mm f/1.8 and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4] aren't even in the same ballpark. The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 is more equally compared to the Canon 85mm f/1.2 II. Great sharpness even wide open, beautiful bokeh, [and] great colors. In my opinion, the Canon 85mm f/1.2 II beats the Sigma in produced colors, is about even on bokeh with a SLIGHT upper-hand, and is actually worse in AF speed and sharpness until about f/2.8. However, if you're not shooting on a full-frame camera, the Canon 85mm f/1.8 is actually a very good option. Since a crop sensor hits the sweet spot of a lens, the Canon 85mm f/1.8 shines. It has faster autofocus than the other two and, thanks to the sweet spot effect, is almost on par in bokeh and beats them both in sharpness until f/2.5 or so. Summary: If it's a crop sensor OR you're looking for lightning-fast AF for sports or the like, Canon 85mm f/1.8 is a great choice. For full-frame users, the Canon 85mm f/1.8 is out-shined by the Sigma f/1.4 and Canon f/1.2 in every way except AF speed. For price compared to quality, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 is the real winner - being almost on par or better in every way as the Canon 85mm f/1.2 II, it becomes a question of if you're willing to pay double for an arguably small and limited marginal increase in quality.

STEPHEN J.

2012-07-01T21:00:00

After i got this lens,,,my 24-105 L lens is kick out from my 5D Mark ii. I feel sorry for my other L lenses as well. I never thought that I have a passion on portrait until that i get this lens. Loving it,,,

DayByDay

2012-06-17T21:00:00

buy it worth every cents

ROMEL P.

2012-06-17T21:00:00

Use this for indoor portraits and studio shooting

lesm

2012-06-17T21:00:00

Vast improvement over what I had for low light applications.

Racing N.

2012-04-15T21:00:00

I use this product for portraits. I have also used it at parties and receptions in low lit environments and it works well. I would recommend this lens without reservation.

LEWIS B.

2012-03-22T21:00:00

I picked this lens up after buying the Sigma 50 1.4. I can't believe it, but the 85 is even sharper then the 50! After years of choosing zooms over primes, these two Sigmas have turned me into a primaholic. I use this lens to take candid shots of friends and portraits on my full frame 1DsMKII, the combination of vignetting and sharpness in this prime wide open is amazing. Stop it down to f/2 and get your mind hole blown. It isn't the best at focusing in low light, so I use the focus assist on my 580exII, with flash output disabled to up my keeper count. I didn't give it 5 stars, because I assume the 85L is slightly better. You have to decide if 10% increase in quality is worth 50% price increase. I'm not a big fan of the cheap filters that come with the kit, but I use them as I find caps fall off in my bag and lenses end up scratched. I remove the protection filters, when I'm shooting anything important.

BASIL W.

2012-03-04T19:00:00

Truly an amazing lens. Fast and silent focus with amazing sharpness.

Mel81

2012-02-12T19:00:00

Fantastic lens that is sharp even wide open. Auto focus is quick and accurate in most situations (see below). Balances well on my D200 and delivers creamy bokeh. I mainly use it for portrait work however have shot some indoor basketball games with it and it holds it's own pretty well but not as fast as my Nikkor 70-300 AF-S. Would highly recommend this lens. 5 stars for portrait, event and general use minus 1 star for indoor sports shooting as it could be a bit faster.

Wolfgang666

2012-01-31T19:00:00

Loving this lens. So far I've used it for portraits & still lives at f/1.4. Love the short depth of field & sharp images.

dm

2012-01-30T19:00:00

Some might call it heavy, I call it well made. Lenses with good 77mm glass are not light. Very impressive low light performance as would be expected from an f/1.4 lens. I highly recommend getting an f/1.4 lens for anyone doing available/low light photography. People thinking an f/2.8 lens is fast just don't know what a really fast lens can do. Focus issues: I own engineer and machinists tools but have no degree of confidence that I can setup a focus chart test with the camera at exactly 45 degrees to the chart. DOF is so thin at f/1.4 I do not trust my "lab" tests where the angle to target must be extremely accurate. I used world tests and found focusing to be very good at f/1.4, my camera has micro adjustment capability but was not necessary to use it. This is my first Sigma lens, it will not be my last.

HUGH N.

2012-01-16T19:00:00

I have been searching for the best lens for indoor volleyball - hardest thing to shoot given low light and fast unpredictable action. I have a 70-200 f2.8 and this works well in some of the gyms but I have to push ISO to 3200 or even 6400. Most of my shots work well at 85mm when I am at the side of the court. If behind the court seating it is hard to get anything with any lens. So far - working great!

DAVID L.

2012-01-15T19:00:00

The 1.4 stop is really fast. It is now a joy to bring the camera to my kids basketball games.

FREDRICK H.

2011-12-11T19:00:00

Love this lens! Has great clarity and accuracy!

2dafarm

2011-11-27T19:00:00

The canon 1.2 might be better?? But I doubt it's $1000+ better.

oldtimingman

2011-11-13T19:00:00

I have owned two Sigma zoom lenses previously, the 10-20 and the 24-70 2.8 and was disappointed in both, replacing them with the Nikon 24-70 2.8 and Nikon 14-24 2.8. Those Sigma lenses just did not meet the sharpness and contrast I needed as a professional photographer. I read all the reviews I could find on 85mm 1.4 and 90+ percent all raved about it so I decided to go for it and it had been a long time since I was so excited a bout a lens, it is just beautiful. Solid construction and focuses quickly and accurately with great sharpness and contrast. The only thing I would change is the manual exposure lever/switch on the left side of the lens just where your thumb would rest as it too easily can be slid into manual focus and with the almost silent auto focus it is almost unnoticable. I would like some locking switch there. I may even put some tape over it. Other than that she is a beauty.

ERNEST M.

2011-11-13T19:00:00

This is my go-to lens for portraits using a DX body. It has great bokeh and is tack sharp. Wide open the depth of field is sliver thin- that can be great if you are careful. At f2.8 faces are sharp and backgrounds melt away.

LUCAS U.

2011-10-30T21:00:00

I bought this lens as a portrait and low light (bands particularly) and it has performed wonderfully. Great bokeh and fast sharp focus in low light. The 85mm focal length has been a bit of a problem in smaller rooms when I can't back-up more. Also had a slight focus proble with a low battery, but that might be blamed on the camera too.

ROBERT B.

2011-09-24T21:00:00

Excellent lens. Very sharp wide open with minimal CA and purple fringing. Great for portraits and candids.

ERIC K.

2011-09-23T21:00:00

I'm using the lens in the studio for portraits and achieving fantastic results.

Dennis E.