Cons:
- Largest lens in the class
- New price point high for Sigma ART Prime lens
- Autofocus consistency drops when using outer points
- Seems to skew auto white balance cooler than other lenses
- Less color saturation and microcontrast than Zeiss Milvus 135mm
Gear Used:Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (5D4): B&H Photo | Amazon.com | Amazon Canada Canon EOS 6D DSLR Camera (Body Only)Purchase the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 ART: B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon.ca | Simon’s Canada (use code GIOTTOS MV8250 for a free Giottos monopod with purchase)Adobe Lightroom CC Software for Mac and Windows (Boxed Version)Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year SubscriptionAlien Skin Exposure X2 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
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Что такое Sigma 135mm f / 1.8 DG HSM Art?
С момента создания своей линейки высококачественных объективов Art к концу 2012 года Sigma прошла путь от силы к силе. Объектив 35 мм f / 1.4 DG HSM Art, с которого началась вся серия, с тех пор объединен еще четырьмя фокусными расстояниями – 20 мм, 24 мм, 50 мм и 85 мм – для создания впечатляющего набора простых чисел f / 1.4.
В следующем шаге фирма расширяется и дольше с немного более медленным дизайном f / 1.8, и здесь мы рассмотрим Sigma 135mm f / 1.8 DG HSM Art – чудовище объектива с огромным ценником в 1399 фунтов стерлингов.
Возможно, это удивительно, но это первый новый 135-мм объектив с автофокусировкой для зеркальных фотокамер, который мы видели довольно давно. В то время как предложения Canon, Nikon и Sony превосходны, они выглядят немного длинновато, а совершенно новый Milvus 135mm f / 2, анонсированный Zeiss на Photokina в прошлом году, предназначен только для ручной фокусировки.
Таким образом, у Sigma есть возможность показать нам, насколько хорошим может быть быстрый 135-миллиметровый объектив с автофокусировкой с помощью современной бескомпромиссной оптической конструкции. И мальчик это доставляет.
Похожие: Лучшие камеры
Sigma 135mm f / 1.8 DG HSM Art – Особенности
Sigma делает несколько очень смелых заявлений относительно этой новой оптики, заявляя, что она не только достаточно резкая для использования с 50-мегапиксельными сенсорами, она также минимизирует осевую хроматическую аберрацию. С этой целью 13-элементная конструкция из 10 групп включает два стеклянных элемента со сверхнизкой дисперсией (SLD) и два стеклянных элемента со слабой дисперсией F (FD). Цель состоит в том, чтобы получить супер-четкие, чистые изображения даже при f / 1.8.
Автофокусировка приводится в движение ультразвуковым двигателем ультразвукового типа, также доступна постоянная ручная фокусировка. Механизм плавающей фокусировки используется для поддержания высокого качества изображения во всем диапазоне расстояний фокусировки от бесконечности до минимума 87,5 см. В этот момент объектив дает максимальное увеличение 0,2x, что соответствует площади объекта 12 x 18 см с полнокадровыми камерами.
Sigma установила диафрагменный механизм с девятью закругленными лопастями, который удерживает апертуру почти круглой до минимально возможного значения, которое является f / 16. Пользователи Nikon получат выгоду от встроенной электромагнитной диафрагмы, которой пользователи Canon наслаждались годами, что, по словам Сигмы, должно обеспечить более стабильную экспозицию во время непрерывной съемки.
Объектив доступен в креплениях Canon, Nikon и Sigma, но его также можно использовать на камерах Sony E-mount через конвертер Sigma MC-11 за 200 фунтов стерлингов, со всеми функциями, которые легко поддерживаются, включая автофокус и настройку электронной диафрагмы.
Bokeh
This is a key area of measurement for this lens, as while neither the Canon or Nikon 135mm f/2 lenses cannot compete in absolute sharpness, they are both capable of beautiful, artful rendering (particularly the Canon 135L). Can Sigma manage to equal the rendering of these lenses? How does it compare to the 85 ART from Sigma? Find out in the video episode here:
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Sigma 85mm vs 135mm ART | Part 2: Bokeh and Rendering
Without question this is my favorite Sigma lens yet for producing incredible bokeh. Whether shooting Christmas lights or isolating leaves in the woods, the lens excels at producing soft, creamy bokeh. Here’s a look at the shape of the nine bladed aperture iris as you stop the lens down.
Out in the real world I found the bokeh produced from the lens was nice and creamy. Examining the bokeh highlights reveals a much smoother, less busy bokeh circle than those produced by the 85 ART. The nature of the narrower angle of view of a 135mm lens means that backgrounds were softer even when the subject occupied the same amount of the frame while using the 85mm f/1.4 ART…even with its aperture advantage. Furthermore, the slightly larger maximum aperture of the Sigma lens meant that it produced a more diffused background even when compared to the Milvus 135mm at similar apertures. It’s definitely a special lens for making bokeh, and is, in my opinion, the most optically complete yet of Sigma’s lenses due to the great combination of sharpness and quality rendering.
Sigma’s choice to go with a slightly larger maximum aperture of f/1.8 allows this lens to be perhaps the best lens short of a 200mm f/2 lens for creating subject isolation for outdoor portraits, and should become a favorite of many environmental portrait shooters. I also noted that while the 85 ART can get a little “busy” in the transition zone right after the plane of focus, the 135 ART stays much smoother.
Here are few “bokehicious examples” from the lens.
What is the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art?
Since the inception of its premium Art range of lenses towards the end of 2012, Sigma has gone from strength to strength. The 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens that kicked the whole series off has since been joined by four more focal lengths – 20mm, 24mm, 50mm and 85mm – to fill out an impressive set of f/1.4 primes.
For its next move, the firm is going wider and longer with slightly slower f/1.8 designs, and here we’re looking at the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – a beast of a lens with a hefty £1399 price tag.
Perhaps surprisingly, this is the first new autofocus 135mm prime lens for DSLR cameras that we’ve seen for quite some time. While Canon, Nikon and Sony’s offerings are all superb, they’re looking a bit long in the tooth, and the brand-new Milvus 135mm f/2 announced by Zeiss at Photokina last year is manual focus only.
So Sigma has the opportunity to show us just how good a fast autofocus 135mm prime can be with an up-to-the-minute, no-compromise optical design. And boy does it deliver.
Summary
Overall I was really very impressed with the Sigma 135mm 1.8 DG HSM Art lens. It is a superbly built piece of gear that was incredibly fast, easy to carry, handle, and use.
The only thing I needed to get used to was the fact that it was a prime lens and not a zoom, unlike my favorite 70-200mm telephoto lens. This meant I had to move around to get shots at different angles and different focal lengths, but I don’t consider that a con. Instead, I feel that shooting with a prime lens makes you more careful and thoughtful about your compositions since you have to physically move around to get a diverse range of shots.
The Sigma 135mm lens is definitely something to look into if you are in the market for a good quality telephoto lens.
Summary
Review Date
2017-06-19
Reviewed Item
Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art Lens
Author Rating
5
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Features
Sigma is making some very bold claims for this new optic, saying that not only is it suitably sharp for use with 50-megapixel sensors, it also minimises axial chromatic aberration. To this end the 13-element, 10-group design includes two super-low dispersion (SLD) glass elements and two ‘F’ low dispersion (FLD) glass elements. The aim is to give super-sharp, clean images, even at f/1.8.
Autofocus is driven by an ultrasonic-type hypersonic motor, with full-time manual focus override also available. A floating focus mechanism is employed to maintain high image quality across the full focus distance range, from infinity to a minimum of 87.5cm. At this point the lens gives a maximum magnification of 0.2x, which equates to a subject area of 12 x 18cm with full-frame cameras.
Sigma has installed a diaphragm mechanism with nine rounded blades that keeps the aperture near-circular down to the smallest setting on offer, which is f/16. Nikon users will benefit from a built-in electromagnetic diaphragm of the type Canon users have enjoyed for years, which Sigma says should give more stable exposure during continuous shooting.
The lens is available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts, but it can also be used on Sony E-mount cameras via the £200 Sigma MC-11 mount converter, with all functions seamlessly maintained – including autofocus and electronic aperture setting.
Technical Specifications
As per Sigma’s website, the Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art is a medium range telephoto prime lens designed for modern high-megapixel DSLRs. A new large Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) delivers ample torque to the focusing group for outstanding speed, ensuring exceptionally stable performance even at lower speeds. This state-of-the-art prime lens touts a dust and splash proof mount for guaranteed performance in any condition and its large 1.8 aperture allows for more creative control over imagery.
The Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art Lens attached to my Canon 1V film camera.
My telephoto lens of choice is my Canon EF 70-200L lens. It’s heavy and bulky but gives me some of the best picture quality in its class. Compared to that lens, the 135mm felt lightweight and comfortable to carry around all day. Being a fixed lens, there are no moving parts, unlike the zoom ring on the 70-200mm. While this meant that I had to move around to get shots at various distances, it was not an inconvenience. I just used pretended to have a zoom lens by moving my feet!
The lens looks very sharp and clean. The smooth matte black finish of the lens gives it a certain visual appeal. The build quality is very clean and it feels like a solid piece of glass. The lens is a little heavy (at about 2.56 pounds or 1.2 kg) but if you are used to walking around with other telephoto lenses, it’s not any different compared to using those.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Image Quality
So now for the burning question: exactly what does £1399 buy you in terms of optical quality? If you’ve read any of our recent reviews of Sigma lenses, the answer won’t surprise you one iota. You get an absolutely stunning lens with superb sharpness and very few optical aberrations or flaws to speak of.
Sony Alpha 7 II with MC-11, 1/1250sec at f/1.8, ISO 800
Indeed, when I reviewed the Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 recently, I remarked that few lenses would be able to match it. But the Sigma comes astonishingly close, despite its stop-and-a-half faster aperture.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 1/250sec at f/1.8, ISO 100
It resolves an impressive amount of detail wide open, while blurring away beautifully out-of-focus elements both in front of, and behind the plane of focus. Chromatic aberration is exceptionally low, if not entirely absent; distortion is negligible, and vignetting is kept to very acceptable levels. If you can’t get lovely pictures with this lens, it probably isn’t Sigma’s fault.
Canon EOS 5DS R, 1/2500sec at f/1.8, ISO 2000
However, this is a lens that will tax your photographic technique to the limit. Depth of field at f/1.8 is vanishingly slim, so the slightest movement of either the photographer or subject after focusing will be plainly visibly when viewing your images on-screen.
Canon EOS 5DS R, 1/200sec at f/2.5, ISO 200
What’s more, I found that with its concentrated weight, the Sigma 135mm is surprisingly difficult to keep steady hand-held; in general, I needed shutter speeds around 1/500sec to be reliably free from blur, and only a stop or so slower when using the Sony Alpha 7 II with its in-body stabilisation. This contrasts with the Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8, which consistently gave me sharp hand-held shots at much slower shutter speeds due to its lighter weight and optical stabilisation.
Resolution
Tested on the 42.4-megapixel Sony Alpha 7R II, the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 achieves astonishing results in our Applied Imaging MTF tests. In the centre of the frame it’s sharper wide open than most lenses achieve at their best apertures. Not surprisingly, the corners aren’t quite as stunning at f/1.8, but stop down to f/5.6 and they catch up with the centre. This is one of the most impressive sets of MTF measurements we’ve seen to date.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Shading
The 135mm gives impressively low vignetting for a fast prime, aided no doubt by its large front elements. Even at f/1.8 we see little over a stop of fall-off in illumination at the frame corners, with a gradual profile that isn’t unattractive. Stop down to f/2.8 and vignetting is practically eliminated.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art corner shading at f/1.8 Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art corner shading at f/2.8
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Curvilinear Distortion
Distortion is exceptionally low. In our chart tests we can measure just a hint of pincushion-type curvature of lines towards the edges of the frame. Examination of real-world images shows this to be of no concern whatsoever, but if you’re super-picky it can easily be corrected in software. Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art = 0.5% TV SMIA
Conclusions
The Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art is very sharp, focuses quickly, is built tough, and gathers a heck of a lot of light at f/1.8—which, combined with the long focal length, nets shots with extremely blurred backgrounds. It’s not without some downsides—there’s no optical stabilization, it’s heavy, and it’s definitely priced on the high side. But even with a few marks against it, the images it delivers make it a clear Editors’ Choice.
It’s also a much more modern option than Canon’s EF 135mm f/2L USM, which first went on sale in 1996, and Nikon’s AF DC-Nikkor 135mm f/2D, a unique lens with a control system to adjust the look of bokeh, but one that’s been around since the Bush administration—the first Bush administration. With lenses, old doesn’t mean bad, but Nikon owners will have to live with a screw-drive focus system in the company’s only current 135mm prime. If you shoot with a Nikon and don’t mind going a little wider, the AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E ED is also a fantastic lens, but at $2,200 it’s a pricier proposition than the Sigma.
Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art
4.5
Editors’ Choice
See It
$1,199.99 at Amazon
MSRP $1,399.00
Pros
- Razor sharp.
- Wide aperture.
- No distortion.
- Minimal falloff.
- Dust- and splash-proof design.
- Focus limiter switch.
- Available for Canon, Nikon, and Sigma systems.
View More
Cons
- Quite heavy.
- Expensive.
- Omits optical stabilization.
- May require focus adjustment.
View More
The Bottom Line
The Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art is a lens that portrait photographers will adore: It blurs backgrounds with aplomb and is one of the sharpest we’ve ever tested.
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Сигма 135мм f / 1.8 DG HSM Art – Автофокус
В Sigma используется механизм фокусировки, который перемещает более мелкие элементы к задней части объектива, и это дает впечатляюще быструю и решительную автофокусировку на Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, которую я использовал для тестирования.
Для близких расстояний фокусировки, возможно, до 4 или 5 метров, я обнаружил, что автофокусировка была довольно точной; однако на больших расстояниях он становился все менее надежным. Такое поведение довольно часто встречается в зеркалках и становится все более заметным при увеличении разрешающей способности сенсоров. В результате вам почти наверняка потребуется настроить микрорегулировку автофокуса, чтобы получить постоянно точную автофокусировку.
Для этой цели 135 мм совместим с USB-док-станцией Sigma, что также позволяет обновлять прошивку объектива в будущем, если это окажется необходимым. Между тем, чтобы добиться точной ручной фокусировки на зеркальной камере, вам нужно использовать увеличенное изображение в реальном времени – забудьте о попытке использовать видоискатель.
Я также проверил объектив на Sony Alpha 7 II с использованием конвертера MC-11 и обнаружил, что хотя автофокус заметно замедляется, он все еще весьма терпим. Но огромным преимуществом является то, что гибридная система автофокусировки на камере дает неизменно точные результаты, независимо от того, на каком расстоянии фокусировки и где в кадре вы устанавливаете точку фокусировки.
В отличие от оптического искателя зеркальной фотокамеры, вы также получите точное представление о фокусе и глубине резкости, независимо от того, какую диафрагму вы используете – большую или маленькую. Переключитесь в режим ручной фокусировки, и вы обнаружите, что поворот кольца фокусировки автоматически включит увеличенный вид помощи при ручной фокусировке.
Autofocus
The Sigma 135mm has an electronic hypersonic motor. This makes the autofocus very fast and smooth. I found that the lens locked focus easily and did not hunt while focusing. The AF motor was also relatively quiet and smooth as compared to other telephoto lenses like the Canon 85mm f/1.2L II USM that is really slow while hunting for focus in the AF mode.
While hiking my two boys decided they would lead the pack. I really wanted to capture this independent streak and both images are shot less than 2 seconds apart. The Sigma 135mm had no problems tracking focus as they moved up the trail. Both images were shot at ISO 200, f/2.0 and both have the subjects tack sharp and in focus in spite of the movement.
Sharpness of the Sigma 135mm F1.8 Art Lens
The legendary quality of having the dreamiest bokeh is very true with this lens. It is super sharp even when shooting absolutely wide open. I typically shoot very wide opened with all my Canon L-lenses which fits my style of photography. The aperture of f/2.0 is my personal sweet spot – the one that I really trust to give me a shallow depth of field and dreamy bokeh (blurry background). This lens did not disappoint at my favorite f-stop.
But even at f/1.8 (the widest aperture on the Sigma 135mm), the lens was tack sharp with very shallow depth of field. Once it was stopped down to f/16, there was some softness on the edges of the frame but it’s not very prominent. With a lens of this quality, the best aperture would be between f/1.8 to f/4 (in my opinion) to get the best of the shallow depth of field and bokeh that we all love.
Shot at ISO 200, f/1.8 – wide open – look at that dreamy bokeh.
ISO 200 at f/2.0
ISO 200 at f/9 – more of the entire scene is clear and visible – with a wider (deeper) depth of field here.
Second Copy Observations
I had a number of people who felt like my copy of the 135 ART used for this review wasn’t performing up to the potential of the lens. I spoke to Sigma about that, and they sent me a second (retail) copy to compare. I ran a series of head to head comparisons with the best lens in the class (the Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2), and this video details my findings:
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Sigma ART vs Milvus 135: Resolution Challenge Round 2 | 4K
I recommend that you watch the video to get the full story, but in short I found that the second copy was in fact sharper than the previous copy of the lens I tested. The Milvus was still superior at short distances, and minutely better at infinity, but at medium distances the Sigma was actually a bit sharper. Very, very impressive.
Дизайн
Для начала сравним основные конструктивные параметры.
| Параметры | Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM |
| Год выхода на рынок | 1993 | 2015 |
| Диапазон диафрагм | 1.4 — 22 | 1.8 — 22 |
| Количество лепестков диафрагмы | 8 | 7 |
| Минимальное расстояние фокусировки | 0.45 | 0.35 |
| Формат | Full Frame, APS-C | Full Frame, APS-C |
| Угол обзора по диагонали | 47 гр. | 47 гр. |
| Байонет | Canon EF металлический без влагозащиты | Canon EF металлический без влагозащиты |
| Крепление бленды | на корпус | На корпус |
| Диаметр резьбы фильтров | 58 мм | 49 мм |
| Наличие шкалы дистанции | да | нет |
| Оптическая схема |
7 стекол в 6 группах |
6 стекол в 5 группах |
| Привод автофокуса | Ультразвуковой микро | Шаговый |
| Тип фокусировки | Внешняя | Внешняя |
| Привод ручной фокусировки | Механический | Электромеханический |
| Ручная фокусировка в режиме AF (Full Time Manual) | да | только при нажатой кнопке спуска затвора |
| Стабилизация | нет | нет |
| Диаметр/длина | 74/50 мм | 69/39 мм |
| Масса | 290 г | 159 г |
Оптика обоих объективов действительно без изысков. Ни асферических линз, ни ультрадисперсной оптики. Странно было бы увидеть их здесь при такой цене. У обоих объективов первая линза прилично утоплена в корпус, а точнее в выдвижной хобот. И это защищает ее от случайных повреждений, а также создает эффект естественной бленды, частично защищая от паразитных бликов. Задние линзы слишком близко расположены к краю и требуют аккуратного обращения с объективом при открытой задней крышке.
Несмотря на незначительные различия в оптических схемах, 50/1.4 USM на момент публикации стоит почти втрое дороже, чем 50/1.8 STM. Да, более массивные линзы светосильного 1.4 существенно дороже в производстве и, кроме того, обусловливают почти вдвое бОльшую массу 50/1.4. Но даже при этом он весит всего в районе 300 граммов. 50/1.4 на сантиметр длиннее своего STM-напарника и на 5 мм больше в диаметре, что связано с приподнятым над корпусом кольцом фокусировки.
Оба объектива имеют пластиковый корпус и металлический байонет без уплотнителя влагозащиты. Этой роскоши (я про кольцо влагозащиты) достойны лишь объективы L -серии. Отсутствие влагозащиты ограничит вас возможностью съемки только в благоприятных погодных условиях, либо заставит предпринимать дополнительные действия по защите в непогоду. У обоих объективов внешняя фокусировка. Линзоблок на хоботе выдвигается из корпуса примерно на 1,5 см при фокусировке на минимальную дистанцию фокусировки. Оба объектива имеют байонетное крепление бленды на корпусе, а не резьбовое на хоботе, как у совсем бюджетных моделей. Поэтому при использовании бленды выдвижной хобот защищается блендой и это, на мой взгляд достаточно надежная конструкция. Сам хобот при выключении камеры может автоматически задвигаться в корпус, а может и нет. За это отвечает камера. Например, EOS 5D Mark IV делает это, а EOS 6D нет. Поэтому, если вы без бленды, а ваша камера не умеет заботиться о безопасности хобота, позаботьтесь об этом сами.
Оба объектива имеют внешнюю схему фокусировки, при которой передний блок линз выезжает из корпуса в так называемом хоботе при фокусировке на МДФ. Хобот при движении из корпуса работает как поршень создавая внутри разряжение и затягивая таким образом внутрь воздух. Вместе с воздухом внутрь попадают и содержащаяся в нем пылинки и со временем накапливаются внутри объектива. Поэтому если вы намерены использовать такой объектив активно и на протяжении долгих лет, будьте готовы к его чистке, сопряженной со вскрытием в специализированной мастерской
Будьте также внимательны при покупке б/у объектива, обращая внимание на залежи пыли на стеклах внутри
| Фокусировка и стабилизация | Резкость | АберрацииИскажения | Виньетирование | Боке | Примеры фото | Итоги
Conclusion
While the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 ART may not win any awards for being Sigma’s sharpest, brightest, or cheapest lens, I do think that in many ways it is Sigma’s most complete prime lens. Unlike some of the ART series, I didn’t find it clinical but instead appreciated the quality rendering from the lens. It does tend to skew white balances a little cool, and it doesn’t deliver the most deeply saturated colors out of the box, but the images process well. I have seen several excellent 135mm lenses for Canon/Nikon mounts in the past two years, including the Samyang/Rokinon 135mm f/2 and the outstanding Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2, but both of these options are manual focus only. The Sigma 135 ART is the first 135mm lens to bring the excellence of modern lens design coupled with useful autofocus. The fact that they managed to push the envelope a bit with maximum aperture is icing on the cake. While a 135mm lens is often less versatile than an 85mm lens, it also has greater potential for producing beautifully unique imagery. This lens just jumped to the top of a lot of photographer’s wish list, and I see no reason for it to be bumped from there.
Should I buy the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art?
With its hefty size and even heftier price tag, the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art is a specialist optic that’s mainly aimed at portrait and wedding photographers looking for something extra to make their images stand out from the crowd. With its wonderful sharpness and dreamy background blur, it provides a look that few other lenses can match.
But stunning as it is, the problem facing Sigma is that the closest rivals from Sony, Canon and Nikon are all rather cheaper, while still being some of the most highly regarded lenses in their respective ranges. The Canon and Nikon f/2 optics are a fair bit slimmer and lighter too, which makes them more practical to carry around during a prolonged shoot.
Despite this, Sigma has to be applauded for bringing such a spectacularly fine lens to market.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Features
Sigma is making some very bold claims for this new optic, saying that not only is it suitably sharp for use with 50-megapixel sensors, it also minimises axial chromatic aberration. To this end the 13-element, 10-group design includes two super-low dispersion (SLD) glass elements and two ‘F’ low dispersion (FLD) glass elements. The aim is to give super-sharp, clean images, even at f/1.8.
Autofocus is driven by an ultrasonic-type hypersonic motor, with full-time manual focus override also available. A floating focus mechanism is employed to maintain high image quality across the full focus distance range, from infinity to a minimum of 87.5cm. At this point the lens gives a maximum magnification of 0.2x, which equates to a subject area of 12 x 18cm with full-frame cameras.
Sigma has installed a diaphragm mechanism with nine rounded blades that keeps the aperture near-circular down to the smallest setting on offer, which is f/16. Nikon users will benefit from a built-in electromagnetic diaphragm of the type Canon users have enjoyed for years, which Sigma says should give more stable exposure during continuous shooting.
The lens is available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts, but it can also be used on Sony E-mount cameras via the £200 Sigma MC-11 mount converter, with all functions seamlessly maintained – including autofocus and electronic aperture setting.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Autofocus
Sigma has employed a focusing mechanism that moves the smaller elements towards the rear of the lens, and this gives impressively fast and decisive autofocus on the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV I used for testing.
For close focus distances, of up to 4 or 5 metres perhaps, I found the AF was pretty accurate; at longer distances it became increasingly less reliable, however. This kind of behaviour is pretty common with SLRs and becomes ever more visible as sensor resolutions increase. As a result, you’ll almost certainly need to configure autofocus micro-adjustment to get consistently pin-sharp autofocus.
For this purpose the 135mm is compatible with Sigma’s USB dock, which also allows the lens’ firmware to be updated in future if this turns out to be necessary. Meanwhile, to achieve accurate manual focus on a DSLR you’ll need to use magnified live view – forget about trying to use the viewfinder.
I also tested the lens on a Sony Alpha 7 II using the MC-11 converter and discovered that while the autofocus slows down noticeably, it’s still quite tolerable. But the huge advantage is that the camera’s on-sensor hybrid AF system gives consistently accurate results, no matter what the focus distance and wherever in the frame you place the focus point.
Unlike with the optical finder of a DSLR, you’ll also achieve an accurate representation of focus and depth of field, no matter what aperture you’re using – large or small. Switch to manual focus mode and you’ll find that turning the focus ring will automatically engage the magnified MF Assist view.
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Build and Handling
The first thing you’ll notice on unboxing the 135mm is its size; at 91.4mm in diameter and 114.9mm in length, it’s a hefty piece of kit that weighs 1130g. As most of the glass is concentrated towards the front of the lens, it actually feels heavier in-hand than you might expect.
It’s definitely best suited for use on larger cameras such as the Canon EOS 5D series; on more modestly sized bodies such as the Sony Alpha 7 II, for example, it becomes very front-heavy. I certainly began to notice its weight after carrying it around for a few hours – it isn’t something you’d want to lug around on the off-chance of finding a suitable subject.
Build quality is exactly as we’ve come to expect from Sigma’s premium line, which means it’s very good indeed. Ahead of a metal section immediately adjacent to the camera body, the barrel is predominantly made of high-quality plastics. The large manual focus ring rotates extremely smoothly without any hint of backlash, with a small window on the top of the barrel indicating the current focus distance.
A rubber seal to stop dust or water getting into the camera encircles the lens mount, while the front and rear glass surfaces are treated to a water- and oil-repellent coating.
At the front of the lens you’ll find a non-rotating thread for attaching 82mm filters. It’s surrounded by a bayonet mount for the deep cylindrical hood, which can be reversed over the barrel when not in use.
On the side there’s a pair of switches, one to change between auto and manual focus, and another that can be used to limit the focus distance range to 1.5m to infinity, or 0.875m to 1.5m. This can be handy for reducing hunting in some situations.
As is usual from Sigma, the lens is rounded off by a few neat design touches: a white inlay in the focus mode switch gives a quick visual confirmation of when it’s set to autofocus, while a ridged grip around the non-rotating section of the barrel affords a secure hold.
Continues below…
Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art – Autofocus
Sigma has employed a focusing mechanism that moves the smaller elements towards the rear of the lens, and this gives impressively fast and decisive autofocus on the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV I used for testing.
For close focus distances, of up to 4 or 5 metres perhaps, I found the AF was pretty accurate; at longer distances it became increasingly less reliable, however. This kind of behaviour is pretty common with SLRs and becomes ever more visible as sensor resolutions increase. As a result, you’ll almost certainly need to configure autofocus micro-adjustment to get consistently pin-sharp autofocus.
For this purpose the 135mm is compatible with Sigma’s USB dock, which also allows the lens’ firmware to be updated in future if this turns out to be necessary. Meanwhile, to achieve accurate manual focus on a DSLR you’ll need to use magnified live view – forget about trying to use the viewfinder.
I also tested the lens on a Sony Alpha 7 II using the MC-11 converter and discovered that while the autofocus slows down noticeably, it’s still quite tolerable. But the huge advantage is that the camera’s on-sensor hybrid AF system gives consistently accurate results, no matter what the focus distance and wherever in the frame you place the focus point.
Unlike with the optical finder of a DSLR, you’ll also achieve an accurate representation of focus and depth of field, no matter what aperture you’re using – large or small. Switch to manual focus mode and you’ll find that turning the focus ring will automatically engage the magnified MF Assist view.