Verdict: The fast aperture and 9 rounded diaphragm blades produce beautiful bokeh, making this a great portrait lens, it also has a Hyper Sonic Motor that provides near-silent autofocusing. It is very weighty at 1131g but it does feel very high quality.
Sigma’s Art line offers some of the finest image quality available on the optics market.
The 85mm features a fast maximum aperture of f/1.4, working in perfect harmony with its 9 rounded diaphragm blades to produce beautiful bokeh in the out-of-focus areas.
The lens boasts 14 elements in 12 groups, including two FLD coated elements to reduce ghosting and flare. The Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) provides near-silent autofocusing and, thanks to having 1.3x the torque of its previous lenses, this is achieved in a lightning-fast time. Results are extremely sharp, with virtually no noticeable chromatic aberration and only very light vignetting at wider apertures.
Weighing a hefty 1131g makes this the heaviest optic in test, though the bulky build feels exceptionally premium thanks to very high-quality components. The front element’s diameter is a whopping 86mm too, which may deter regular filter users, although for portrait shooters this shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent.
Pros
Great for portraits
f/1.4 aperture
Fast autofocus
Cons
Heavy
Large
Price
Want to see more lenses? We've rounded up 10 of the best wide-aperture lenses for under £1000.
Spec
Max aperture: f/1.4
Min aperture: f/16
Elements/groups: 14/12
Min focusing distance: 85cm
DxL: 95x126mm
Weight: 1131g
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Kirk Schwarz is a tech-addicted photographer with over a decade's experience; Kirk’s used to putting new gear through extreme field testing. He's previously written for Practical Photography.