Re: Pre-order: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art ($1,199)
I was intrigued with the excellent video reviews of the Sigma and just wanted to see for myself how well it performed, despite being a very happy owner of the 85mm GM...so I took a punt :-)
I have owned the 85mm GM for 3 years now and the Sigma about a week (I'm not currently intending on selling either one).
This is just my own personal unbiased quick take (not a test with supporting images like Fred's) from my both well centred copies....YMMV with your own copy.
Price, size and weight is a win for Sigma, however the Sigma is now just a 1/8" shorter once the the hood is attached in forward position (both attach to the lens reversed for travel)...The Sigma is notably shorter without Sigma's (longer than Sony's) hood attached. The Sigma's front element is set back further within the lens than the GM's...hopefully it is more resistant to flare (for those that don't like carrying hoods attached).
Handling - I personally prefer the balance of the lighter Sigma, however the gap between the grip and lens attached on A7R4 is narrower on the Sigma...If you have large hands/chubby fingers you might find the back of your fingers rubbing on the sharpish edge of the lens after prolonged carrying about...I would say try the Sigma before you buy via FM links if in doubt.
The 85mm GM has a very noisy AF motor in comparison to the much quieter Sigma...The GM might be a problem for those who shoot videos!
As Fred's earlier comment - "It's slightly under-corrected for SA wide open which I find a more pleasant look for portraits. There is also with less cat-eye shaped specular highlights towards the edges. "...Totally agree, the GM has notably rounder bokeh balls in the corners.
OOF rendering - I do very slightly prefer the GM's...However I think part of the smallish differences that we are seeing between the two are more to do with the lower contrast of the GM when it's shot WO...bump the contrast of the GM in post processing and the rendering differences become less far apart IMHO (likewise reverse contrast of the Sigma to get closer to the GM).
I see some of the differences between these two lenses as being not so dissimilar as in comparison between the 135mm GM and the Sigma 135mm...I very slightly prefer the softer Sigma's rendering WO but prefer the GM's sharper, contrastier, lighter lens.
Resolution at f1.4 (WO)
Centre - Both are excellent
Mid-Frame - Winner Sigma
Corners - Winner Sigma
Distortion - Winner Sony GM....The Sigma suffers really badly here with pronounced pincushioning (it needs a raw lens profile, otherwise you need to manually correct)....jpegs can be fixed in camera via settings if you so wish.
CA - Winner Sigma, it does a much better job of handling WO images....This goes away on stopping down the GM or can be mostly fixed in post.
AF Speed and Tracking - Winner Sigma (and for low light it appears to lock on target slightly better).
Weight (Acaia callibrated scales) - No Caps/Hood/Filters....Sony GM 818.5g Sigma 623.8g (A difference of 194.7g)
Vignetting, Coma and Flare I have not tested for.
The heavier GM Is well suited for taking family and friend's portraits with it's softer rendering, although I would now personally choose the lighter Sigma for walkabout/travel over the GM (As for example shooting a chromed Harley D on a sunny day the CA is much better contolled WO).
Hope that helps...These are just my own personal observations, go with or stick with whatever suits you best :-)
Cheers Barry
Sep 06, 2020 at 06:53 AM
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