Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon F (321955)

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Im a long time 85L user, and was hesitant to lose the quarter stop of light and incredible bokeh. However, the 85L shortcomings were becoming more of a problem for me. The chromatic aberration is really bad wide open, and the focusing speed is lacking. I am a portrait photographer, and with young kids (who cant sit still) the 85L sat in my bag while I used the trusty 70-200 f2.8L. Having own and love the 35 ART, I was very exited to try the new 85 ART. I have to say, my first shoot did not disapoint. Wide open was incredible, and focus was dead on with my Canon 5D MKIII. Focus speed was quick, and wide open shots had undetectable chromatic aberration. The contrast signature was similar to what I saw with my 35 ART--which is stunning. Im not a pixel peeper, just someone who wants their equipment to work, and the 85 ART did just that. Its not until I read all the reviews on the lens after purchase that solidified my choice. I no longer own the 85L and it will not be missed.

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Just a quick FYI: This lens has a T-STOP of 1.7 (For any cinematographers or photographers that care). So the light making it out the back is pretty good. Not perfect at about a half stop of exposure, but its by far not that bad. At first I thought, its crazy, why would I spend $1200 on a lens to just take pictures of my cat. But then I got the lens and Ive gotta say, this is by far the BEST cat picture taking lens available. I will say, though, I wish it had some weatherproofing or should I say, drool resisting at the very least! I started taking pictures of my cat though and boy, was I hooked! My cat never looked so good (And he knew it!)! On a more serious note, this lens is a beast. Ive had no issues using it whatsoever on my D500. Once I dialed in the focus on the lens (Which literally took me about 10 - 15 minutes), its been razor sharp (You can use this with the Sigma USB Dock, not included, but just so you know). Focusing has been fast and precise. Bokeh is glorious and creamy. The lens isnt that heavy (But then again Im used to hand holding 7lb lenses). The build quality is fantastic, and the giant focusing ring is a pleasure to use for photos and videos. The lens hood feels great, and the case the lens comes with is also pretty adequate. The only issue I have with the lens is the lens cap, but its really nothing to complain about I just hate how you put it on and take it off. Its a great lens and if I had the choice of buying this lens or something else, Id definitely pick this one up again. I will say that compared to this and my 150-600 Sport lens from Sigma. I definitely feel like I have to baby this lens considerably more. This definitely feels like a lens thats aimed for studio use or only to be taken out on nice days. Sigma has stated that this lens (Among many other ART lenses) is NOT meant to be out in harsh weather, and it is definitely not meant to be outdoors during pouring rain for an extended period of time. If you are going to use this lens outdoors unprotected and in harsh weather... Be warned that the lens might not be able to take it. Update from 6/2/17: After using this lens for the past few months, I gotta say Im still in love and its really good value for what you get. I want to take a minute though and go over some things that some people have had issues with. So, first things first. This is still a relatively cheap lens. Granted, its not $100, $500... But this isnt a 200 f2. Youre not spending over $5,000 on this lens. Even some 70 - 200 2.8s from Nikon and Canon need to be calibrated and theyre around the $2000 mark. They arent always perfect either. There are bound to be some of this lens that arent perfect, thats just how manufacturing goes. They dont have the time and resources to make sure every single one of these lenses that goes out are absolutely perfect, and nor can they. Whatever body they might use and test could be completely different from what youre using and might not make ANY difference. Using the Sigma Optimization Pro software is literally one of the most useful things and I would say almost required if you have a Sigma lens. You need to get the Sigma USB dock (I got mine for free when I got my 150 - 600 Sport lens but I believe its $60) Sigma makes it extremely easy for you to fine tune the focus on your lens. Ive attached a picture showing my lens, and what my adjustments are (Obviously, this is only for this one specific lens). But it is SO easy to fix back and front focusing, all you need to do is spend 10 - 15 minutes, and thats it. Itll be perfect. There are actual cases though of lenses that ARE too far gone to be fixed. If you go the ENTIRE range from -20 and +20 and nothing helps... Then in that case, I would send the lens back. However, some people are saying they sent back multiple lenses more than likely isnt a lens problem, its a problem with that person and not knowing how to fix this on their own. They likely expect it to just be perfect straight out of the box, which isnt how most lenses work (At least, under the $3000 range). If you have a problem with this lens and youre not fine tuning the focus (Assuming of course that you have a body that is able, if you dont then you probably shouldnt be shooting with this lens.), there isnt a lens problem there... Theres a you problem. The only other thing I want to bring up is that this lens (It should be obvious anyway) does NOT have any sort of VR/IS of any sort. I know people who got this lens and for some reason was under the impression it had some sort of image stabilization. It does not. If you tend to shoot at slow shutter speeds and rely on VR/IS to make your photos sharp... Youll only be disappointed here because that doesnt exist so all youre going to get are blurry photos. Also note that this is similar to other Sigma lenses, which means it does tend to hunt quite a bit. Thats just how a lot of them are, its something you should be aware of. Theres plenty of videos and reviews online that talk about this. Even in well lit, optimal condition this lens will tend to hunt more than first party lenses.

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I would give this lens 5 stars but calibrating it was a pain in the butt (even with the docking system) and its still off by maybe an inch. It has to be calibrated or the focus will be off. Still it has focal issues in AF mode. I will say even after all of that its an amazing lens. The images are crystal clear, and the background is a creamy blur. Its a heavy beast of a lens, weighs more than my camera and the glass is huge. It feels like high quality and takes high quality photos. You have to stand pretty far away with the 85mm, my next purchase might be the 35mm Sigma Art.

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The lens is amazing. The tradeoff of it being a heavy monster it makes up for in sharp photos and creamy bokeh. Im not noticing any focusing issues some reviews have stated although I still plan on purchasing the Sigma lens dock just in case. Focusing is a tad bit slower than some of my other lenses but not really an issue. I cant wait to do a shoot with this lens. If you are on the fence, just buy it, you wont be disappointed.

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Fabulous lens. As a working photographer I can endorse it without hesitation- this product has already paid for itself many times over. I do mainly street style and portraiture, but this lens can be the true workhorse of your kit if you need it to be. I often have to sit outside for long periods of time in snow, rain, you name it, and this lens has performed admirably in all of them without a hitch-- and it is UNQUESTIONABLY superior the Canon 85mm in every regard, particularly the speed of the autofocus. The only possible downside I could imagine is that it is quite heavy, but barring that this lens is a quality piece of glass in every regard.

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Love the lens. I have owned the Canon 85 1.2L and this lens is sharper and easier to focus. I have the Sigma dock but was not needed on the 5dsr and 1DX mk2. I will also say that I recently bought the Tamron 85 1.8 and will be selling it. I feel the sigma is noticeably sharper wide open justifying the additional cost.

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decided to pick this one up after purchasing the 35mm Art. Picture quality from the lens is great. nice and sharp, focuses well (I dont track moving objects with this lens), and the bokeh is good. As many other reviews stated, the lens is heavy. I did not weigh it, as the specs can be looked up. when carrying the camera with the lens, the weight is noticeable. I feel like I am carrying around my canon 100-400 f5.6. In the end, it is a great lens. If you are looking at for an 86mm, I think this is one to at least consider.

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An absolutely amazing lens, quite possibly the best lens Ive ever used. Yes, its big, but the image quality starting at f/1.4 is sharp and stellar. Autofocus is quick and zippy and has been nearly perfect on my Canon 6D. Color, contrast, and bokeh are all pleasing. Sigma really hit it out of the park with this one.

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All I can say is wow. This is by far the sharpest lens I’ve ever owned. I immediately noticed that day one. The auto-focus has be spot on and hasn’t given me any issues. Even with the aperture wide open at 1.4 its still sharp! And the bokeh.. OMG the bokeh!! Silky smooth. The lens has a bit of weight to it but it didn’t bother me. I can see however why this would bother some people. All in all do yourself a favor and purchase this lens! The visual quality is surperb.

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This is a good lens. Sadly, not quite great. When this lens hits the mark, the sharpness is simply amazing. However, it doesnt quite always hit the mark and that can be frustrating. High contrast shots (bright backgrounds on shadowed subjects) tend to confuse the auto-focus system. It doesnt tend to hunt, but solidly locks focus on something other than what you are trying to get in focus. If you buy this lens, buy the docking station. Trust me on this; youll need it. My model was back focusing badly when I first received it, The docking station and a little patience fixed that little issue. So, overall its a good lens. Again, clarity and sharpness are as good or better than any Canon lens Ive ever used. Consistency is an issue though.

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