The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM is a new short telephoto prime lens for full-frame DSLR cameras. The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM is comprised of 14 elements in 12 groups and features a rounded 9 blade diaphragm which creates an attractive blur to the out of focus areas of the image.

"Bought this lens 3 days ago now. I have been waiting for this lens since I tried the 35mm 1.4 ART. My expectation was very high and the few first shots on my nikon DF did not disappoint me !

Sigma has now well established the division of its lenses into Sport, Contemporary and Art. The Art range is aimed at the top end of the market, with lenses created to be masterful examples of the lens makers' art.

Perhaps no other Sigma Art series lens was more highly anticipated than the 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens. And fortunately, Sigma delivered a great product. This is a beautifully designed lens that delivers very impressive, near-best-in-class image quality, at a very reasonable price.

Sigma's 85mm Art lens offers excellent value without cutting corners on image quality.

Excellent bright f/1.4 maximum aperture; Sharp performance; heavy on the details; Durable construction; Quiet autofocus

Heavy; Larger 86mm filter thread size

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 offers some exceptional performance for the money. Coming in at just under $1200, it's the least expensive 85mm F1.4 option on the market (Tamron makes another 85mm, but that's an F1.8).

Portraiture; low light event shooting; street photography and architecture photography

Harsh lighting conditions when shot at F1.4

There are no complaints to be made about the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art from an optical perspective-it's an impeccable performer, capturing images with loads of detail, even when shot wide open at f/1.4 It's the big f-stop that will draw photographers to the lens.

Extremely sharp; Bright f/1.4 aperture; No distortion; Even illumination; Available for multiple systems

Big and heavy; Omits image stabilization; Focus may require adjustment

Ever since Zeiss announced their Otus lens lineup, a race of catching up is on by the other vendors. The game started with the 50mm class and it moved on to 85mm lenses. This time we'll have a look at the latest contender here - the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 HSM DG Art.

Towards the back end of last year, we were inundated by a flurry of new releases from lens manufacturers. This included Sigma, who presented three full-frame optics for us to get excited about.

June 8, 2017 by Andrew Alexander Sigma's line of Art lenses was produced to offer "unparalleled image quality," and it's been our experience to date in other lab reviews that Sigma delivers on this statement.