Review Sigma 85 mm/1.4 EX DG HSM (C APS-C)
Sigma 85 mm review
Sigma is one of the few providers of a fast 85 mm lens, and in 2010, it put on the market the Sigma 85 mm lens. If you put this lens on a Canon camera with an image sensor of the APS-C format, it will give you a focal length equivalent of 136 mm. This is what makes the 85 mm lens the successor of the classic 135 mm telephoto lens. The Sigma 85 mm 1.4 is, due to the speed and the focal length, a good addition to the widely used kit lens of 18-55 mm. For the test of this lens on a full frame camera, see Sigma 85 mm 1.4 EX DG HSM FF.
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Sigma 85 mm 1.4 EX DG HSM
Test camera: Canon 7D APS-C For test mode: see FAQ Suitable for: Full frame and APS-C Smallest focal distance: 85 cm Optical construction: 11/8 Waterproof: yes Filter size: 77 mm Dimensions: 86 x 87 mm excluding lens hood Weight: 775 gram including lens hood Recommended retail price per 03-03-2011: Nl € 1.079 including lens hood |
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Construction and autofocus |
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The lens is made of a high quality type of plastic, and the fitting is of metal. For the finish of the housing, a new type of finish has been used. Sigma calls this “NR Coating” (New & Robust). It seems that the finish that is used now is less susceptible to damage. It all feels solid, the focus ring turns smoothly without play and the filter does not rotate along. The lens is supplied including a large lens hood. The autofocus is of the HSM type. Focusing is not too fast with a Canon 7D; from 15 meters to 1.5 meters in 0.40 seconds. Focusing is nearly silent and at low light, the camera rarely hunts. |
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Vignetting |
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Vignetting, expressed in stops, is very low at all apertures. In practice, you will not have to take this into account. This is one of the advantages if you use a lens designed for full frame on an APS-C camera. |
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Distortion |
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The distortion is extremely low, namely -0.1%, This will never be visible or disruptive. |
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Flare |
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You see a some flare and ghosting at backlight and aperture f/5.0. In practice, you will have to watch strong light sources. |
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Resolution |
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The resolution, expressed in lines/sensor height, already shows a very good value at the center at f/2.8, and the top is very high at f/5.6. The edges draw quickly and reach a very good value at f/2.8. All in all, a sharp lens. |
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Practice, playing with depth of field, f/1.4 |
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The kit lenses and the standard zoom lenses are generally not very fast, making it impossible to play with the depth of field. Due to the combination of speed and focal length, the depth of field can be limited with the Sigma 85 mm 1.4 so that all attention is drawn by the subject. The blurred fore and background look nicely “woolly”. |
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Chromatic aberration |
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Chromatic aberration is very low at all apertures. |
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More Sigma 85 mm/1.4 DG HSM reviews: |
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Conclusion
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Sigma 85 mm 1.4 EX DG HSM
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See our overview of all tested enses to compare the performance of this lens with other lenses. |
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Pros
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Cons
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The Sigma 85 mm 1.4 EX DG HSM is designed for a full frame camera, but this test shows that it also is a high performance lens on an APS-C camera. The resolution is high and both vignetting and the distortion are low. The lens is quite sensitive to backlight though. The finish is of a high level and the asking price of the fast Sigma 85 mm is very real.
