The Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art offers some incredible image quality for the price, with outstanding class leading sharpness, excellent subject isolation and bokeh performance. The F1.4 aperture makes it a fantastic choice for low-light events and portrait shooting. The lens does experience some purple and green fringing when it's shot wide open at F1.4 in harsh backlit conditions, but stopping it down to F2.5 eliminates it entirely. All in all this lens is one of the best portrait lenses we've seen to date and at a bargain price for the performance.

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

Harsh lighting conditions when shot at F1.4;

Sigma's Art series of prime lenses delivers extremely sharp photos, even when shot wide open, at prices less than first-party options. The 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($1,199) continues the trend, undercutting the Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G ($1,599) and the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L ($1,899) on price, without sacrificing any performance. It's an Editors' Choice, even though it omits image stabilization. If you value that feature over an f/1.4 design, don't count out the Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD ($749.00 at Amazon) , which is superb in its own right. Design The 85mm Art ($948.99 at Amazon) is a big, chunky lens. It measures 5.0 by 3.7 inches (HD), weighs 2.5 pounds, and supports 86mm front filters. It's finished in black, with a polycarbonate barrel, and includes front and rear caps, a reversible lens hood, and a protective carrying case. It's much larger than the Tamron 85mm f/1.8 (3.6 by 3.3 inches, 1.5 pounds), but captures 50 percent more light and images with a shallower depth of field when...

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is a big prime lens with a bright f/1.4 design, a focal length perfect for portraiture, and exceptional image quality.

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

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art ($1,199) is a built-for-mirrorless lens, and one that offers full-frame coverage, a bright aperture for dim light and blurred backgrounds, and a relatively light, compact build. Add an aperture control ring, dust and splash protection, and support for the popular E-mount and growing L-mount systems, and you have a lens that's sure to please a lot of photographers—especially portrait specialists. That's enough to earn the lens our Editors' Choice award.First-Rate Fit and Finish The 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is as well made a lens as you'll find today. The barrel is a mix of metal and polycarbonate, and includes internal seals to prevent dust and moisture from getting inside—it pairs perfectly with full-frame mirrorless cameras, most of which include similar protection. Sigma sells the lens in two versions, one for L-mount cameras from Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma, and the E-mount version for Sony cameras we received for review. Apart from the mount, the two ...

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art sports fantastic optics, a wide, bright aperture, and a classic focal length for portraiture—it's the lens to get if you don't want to spend on high-end Sony G Master or Leica glass.

Razor-sharp optics; Dust and splash protection; Full-frame coverage; Quick, quiet autofocus; Aperture control ring; Available for E- and L-mount camera systems

Some F1.8 alternatives options available for less; Focus breathing a downer for video