Sigma Art 85mm f/1.4 DG DN 85mm
Its optical design, featuring 5 SLD elements and 1 aspherical element, delivers exceptional sharpness and contrast even at f/1.4, while the 11-blade diaphragm renders smooth, circular bokeh. The weather-sealed, 630g build is notably compact for a full-frame 85mm f/1.4, making it a practical choice for extended handheld use. This lens is best for portrait photographers and event shooters on Sony E-mount who need uncompromising subject isolation and robust build quality.
Snapshot
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
- Q2 202650/100
Reviews are mixed: one buyer loves the lens for events, another returned it due to severe pincushion distortion when photographing artwork.
- Excellent for events and weddings, a top purchase.
- Significant pincushion distortion, especially for artwork.
- Lens quality varies; past Sigma 85mm users may find issues.
- Q4 2025100/100
Buyers praise the lens for exceptional sharpness, fast autofocus, and beautiful bokeh. It is a favorite for portraits, low light, and street photography, even for non-primary use.
- Sharp image quality and fast autofocus consistently praised.
- Beautiful bokeh and color rendering for portraits and low light.
- Highly versatile for street photography and outdoor use.
- One user considered selling but kept it despite infrequent use.
- Q2 202467/100
One buyer loves the lens for photography; two verified buyers praise sharpness and color but note lack of VR, with one still glad they purchased it.
- Great sharpness, color, and portrait use
- No VR is a wish, but wide aperture compensates
- Transforms photography experience
- Q3 2022100/100
Buyers in Q3 2022 praise this lens for its stunning image quality, compact size, fast autofocus, and excellent value. The hype is real.
- Excellent image quality, sharpness, and bokeh
- Compact and lightweight for a 1.4 aperture lens
- Fast and accurate autofocus
- Great value for the price, best bang for your buck
- Q2 202288/100
Buyers praised the lens for its sharpness, bokeh quality, compact size, and suitability for night sky and event photography.
- Exceptional sharpness and image clarity.
- Beautiful bokeh and smooth look.
- Autofocus a bit slow on some cameras.
- Compact and lightweight design.
- Q1 202284/100
Buyers praised excellent image quality, sharpness, and compact size. One user noted inconsistent focus hunting on a Leica SL2-s in low light.
- Image quality consistently described as beautiful, sharp, and crisp.
- Size and weight praised as compact and well-balanced for portability.
- Autofocus unreliable in low light on contrast-detect cameras, but fast on phase-detect.
- Build quality and included accessories like filters well received.
- Q4 2021100/100
Reviewers praised the lens for sharpness, fast autofocus, and portrait quality; minor issues include purple fringing and weight.
- Exceptional sharpness and image quality across multiple camera systems.
- Fast and accurate autofocus, great for portraits.
- Heavy and large build but solid; known from reviews.
- Some purple fringing in high-contrast edges noted.
- Q3 2021100/100
All reviews praise this lens as outstanding for portrait photography, with sharpness, fast autofocus, and customizable functions via the Sigma dock.
- Excels as a professional portrait lens with excellent image quality.
- Sharp and super fast autofocus performance.
- Customizable focus tuning and functions via Sigma dock appreciated.
- Perfect in every way with super fast shipping.
- Q2 202197/100
Buyers consistently praise exceptional sharpness, fast AF, and lighter build over rivals. Very high satisfaction with portrait and low-light performance.
- Exceptional sharpness wide open and stopped down across reviews.
- Fast, quiet autofocus and lighter weight than Sony 85 GM.
- Ideal for portraits, headshots, and low light with superb bokeh.
- Easy purchase and fast shipping praised by buyers.
- Q1 202196/100
Buyers in Q1 2021 praised the lens for superb image quality, sharpness, and beautiful bokeh, calling it one of the best mirrorless lenses. A few noted weight and lack of image stabilization as minor drawbacks.
- Exceptional image quality, sharpness, and bokeh for portraits.
- Solid build quality, sleek design, and included accessories.
- Heavier than expected but still manageable for practical use.
- No image stabilization; ordering issues for one reviewer.
- Q4 202097/100
Buyers in Q4 2020 praise sharpness, fast autofocus, compact size, and creamy bokeh. One notes minor distortion fixable in post.
- Sharpness wide open and excellent for portraits
- Fast and accurate autofocus, even adapters
- Compact and lightweight for an f/1.4 lens
- Minor distortion correctable in post-processing
- Q3 202093/100
Buyers praise this Sigma 85mm F1.4 as exceptionally sharp with fast autofocus, beautiful bokeh, and great value, though some note notable distortion that is easily corrected in post.
- Outstanding sharpness and image quality, often beating competitors even at wide apertures.
- Fast and accurate autofocus suitable for both photos and video in low light.
- Underline distortion visible but considered minor and correctable in editing software.
- Excellent value compared to Sony GM or Canon alternatives, with premium color science.
- Q4 201991/100
Buyers praise the lens for exceptional sharpness and build quality, but note its large size and demanding focus at wide apertures.
- Exceptional sharpness and image quality praised by multiple users.
- Robust build quality feels professional and sturdy.
- Lens is large and heavy; excellent quality but less portable.
- Very shallow depth of field makes precise focus challenging.
- Q2 201997/100
Buyers praised the image sharpness, build quality, and low-light performance. One noted it is heavy but still a favorite for portraits.
- Image sharpness and background blur are outstanding.
- Build quality is metal and feels durable.
- Fast aperture and light capture are excellent.
- Lens is heavy, which some users note.
- Q1 2019100/100
All six reviews are 5-star, praising the lens as extremely sharp, with beautiful bokeh and solid build. Some note it is heavy and lacks a dock.
- Lens is tack sharp and produces razor-sharp images, even wide open.
- Beautiful bokeh, described as dreamy and to die for.
- Excellent for most, but too sharp for some clients, requiring post work.
- Heavy weight and no included dock.
- Q4 2018100/100
Reviews are all positive, praising the lens for its sharpness, image quality, and value. Buyers are impressed and plan to buy more Sigma lenses.
- Exceptional sharpness and image quality
- Great value compared to more expensive brand alternatives
- Excellent for portrait photography with good bokeh
- Smooth purchasing and delivery experience
- Q3 2018100/100
All five reviewers praise this Sigma lens for superb image quality, sharpness, and beautiful bokeh, often comparing it favorably to Nikon equivalents.
- Superb image quality, sharpness, and clarity
- Beautiful bokeh and pleasing out-of-focus transitions
- Favorable comparison to Nikon 85mm f/1.4 and f/1.8
- Great for portraits and low-light photography without flash
- Q2 201896/100
Reviewers universally praise the lens for exceptional sharpness, fast focusing, and portrait value, noting weight and bulk as the primary drawbacks.
- Exceptional sharpness and image quality, often called the best portrait lens.
- Fast autofocus speed compared to Canon 85mm f/1.2, especially in low light.
- Excellent value for price; outperforms more expensive rivals.
- Lens is heavy and bulky, requiring a strong build to handle.
- Q1 201862/100
Buyers praised the lens's image quality and build, but a severe autofocus issue with outer focus points on Nikon D850 and slow AF on Canon were criticized.
- Great image quality, sharpness, and build; love the results.
- Autofocus fails on outer focus points of Nikon D850, not fixable by Sigma.
- Slow autofocus performance on Canon 1D X Mark II.
- Some find it heavy but well crafted; initial results beautiful.
- Q4 2017100/100
Reviewers are ecstatic, calling this the best lens for portraits and praising its bokeh, sharpness, and overall image quality despite its weight.
- Excellent bokeh and sharpness at f/1.4, especially for portraits.
- High build quality consistent with the Sigma Art line.
- Heavy but not a deal breaker for most users.
- Works well with Sony cameras via MC-11 adapter.
- Q3 2017100/100
Buyers praised the Sigma 85mm lens as flawless, sharp, and producing beautiful images, with no negatives reported.
- Lens described as absolutely beautiful, flawless, and produces fabulous images.
- Sharpness is excellent in every way, highly recommended with Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.
- Users feel love for the lens, confirming brand loyalty and quality expectations.
- No negative feedback; one reviewer mentioned no complaints whatsoever.
Based on 163 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Prime |
| Focal Length Min | 85 |
| Focal Length Max | 85 |
| Elements | 15 |
| Groups | 11 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 |
| ED Elements | 5 |
| Coating | Super Multi-Layer Coating |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/16 |
| Min Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Constant | Yes |
| Diaphragm Blades | 11 |
Build
| Mount | Sony E |
| Format | full-frame |
| Weather Sealed | Yes |
| Weight | 0.6 kg / 1.4 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 77 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | Autofocus |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 850 |
| Max Magnification | 1:8 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Sigma Art 85mm f/1.4 DG DN 85mm | Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 VXD | Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 | Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS | Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 85mm | 28-300mm | 17-28mm | 12-35mm | 18-135mm | 27mm |
| Max Aperture | f/16 | f/4 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/3.5 | f/1.2 |
| Mount | Sony E | Sony E | Nikon Z | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E | Sony E |
| Stabilization | false | true | false | true | true | false |
| Weather Sealed | true | true | true | true | false | true |
| Weight (g) | 630 | 590 | 450 | 306 | 326 | 560 |
| AF Type | Autofocus | VXD linear motor | Stepping Motor | Autofocus | Linear motor | STM |
| Lens Type | prime | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | prime |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigma Art 85mm f/1.4 DG DN 85mm | 53.9 | 42.9 | 62.8 | 47.5 | 89.6 | 40.6 | 33.6 | 96 | 36.8 |
| Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 VXD Compare | 98 | 78.2 | 65.1 | 85.8 | 96.7 | 66.3 | 97.7 | 55 | 82.4 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Compare | 86.9 | 87.3 | 75.2 | 85.8 | 88.2 | 84.2 | 68 | 69.1 | 36.8 |
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 Compare | 53.9 | 82.1 | 85.4 | 51 | 86.5 | 84.2 | 80.6 | 85.1 | 96.9 |
| Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Compare | 98 | 75.7 | 72.5 | 40.3 | 78.5 | 77.6 | 95.8 | 89.6 | 82.4 |
| Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 Compare | 86.9 | 98.5 | 67.4 | 38.5 | 82.2 | 98.6 | 33.6 | 89.6 | 36.8 |
