Canon 135L and Sigma 85

If your purpose of using the Sigma 1.4 is to only use it between f/1.6 & f/3.5, I'd just hold onto the Canon 85mm 1.8 and don't buy the Sigma 85mm 1.4. I have the Sigma and love it, AF even works fast enough for indoor sports, but if I didn't find myself using the lens at f/1.4 enough, I wouldn't hesitate to trade it for a Canon 1.8 and pocket the cash difference.

As for the 135L...I only have a 7D, so I find 85mm on it to be great for multiple things, so for your 5D, I'd keep the 135L unless you don't use it.

gocolts wrote in post #15433101
If your purpose of using the Sigma 1.4 is to only use it between f/1.6 & f/3.5, I'd just hold onto the Canon 85mm 1.8 and don't buy the Sigma 85mm 1.4.

+1

Sigma isn't going to be any difference compared to the Canon 85 1.8 from f2.0 up. Besides the difference between a f1.6 shot vs a f2.0 one is minimum unless you are measubating...

Not worth it imho, might as well buy a second Canon 85 1.8

I use my sigma almost exclusively at f1.4, just sayin'!

I agree! Why spend the extra cash if you are usually going to shoot it at basically the range you already have?

I never used the Sigma, so I don't know if it is that much better than the Canon f/1.8 at the same apertures - but I doubt it.

Now if if you can justify the money to spend for just occasionally use it at f/1.4, then by all means get it. Even not ever using it, I know the Sigma is better there.

wow is the sigma really delivering the same IQ as the 135L? the posts in this thread make me assume that, which surprises me alot, because the 135L is considered on exactly the same level as the 85L II by mosts posts i've read so far.

Thorrulz wrote in post #15433089
I have a young son that is showing an interest in photography. I would rather see him using the Canon 85 than cut him loose by himself with the $900 Sigma lens.

Ahh... So I gather this is a case of justifying a fun purchase, which I fully endorse! I'd try the Sigma and see what you think. I've had it for a couple weeks now and am fairly well blown away by the thing. I've had a couple 85 1.8s as well, and I personally feel that the Sigma is worth the premium, assuming that extra stop (f/2 is where I consider the Canon 85 really starting) is something you'd find useful.

I'm using both of them, sigma indoors and canon outdoors. Both are 90% of the time used wide open, to me sigma is good enough in f/1.4-1.6.

Own both..keep the 85 1.8 and buy 135L. Trust me on this one.

Moments Media wrote in post #15435318
Own both..keep the 85 1.8 and buy 135L. Trust me on this one.

As I understand it, the OP already owns both those lenses, and is just trying to decide if they should pick up the Sigma 1.4 in addition to them.

Nightdiver13 wrote in post #15435348
As I understand it, the OP already owns both those lenses, and is just trying to decide if they should pick up the Sigma 1.4 in addition to them.

Sorry I misunderstood. The Canon 85 1.8 is a stellar lens...I wouldn't trade it in for anything but an 85L.

Nightdiver13 wrote in post #15433734
Ahh... So I gather this is a case of justifying a fun purchase, which I fully endorse! I'd try the Sigma and see what you think. I've had it for a couple weeks now and am fairly well blown away by the thing. I've had a couple 85 1.8s as well, and I personally feel that the Sigma is worth the premium, assuming that extra stop (f/2 is where I consider the Canon 85 really starting) is something you'd find useful.

I never thought of it like this, I concur. Plus if you don't like the Sigma, you could sell it.

Nightdiver13 wrote in post #15433734
Ahh... So I gather this is a case of justifying a fun purchase, which I fully endorse! I'd try the Sigma and see what you think. I've had it for a couple weeks now and am fairly well blown away by the thing. I've had a couple 85 1.8s as well, and I personally feel that the Sigma is worth the premium, assuming that extra stop (f/2 is where I consider the Canon 85 really starting) is something you'd find useful.

I really like the colors and the looks of the specular highlights that the Sigma 85 f/1.4 produces. If the Sigma 50 wouldn't suffer from focusing issues I would have ranked it up there with the 135L in how it performed on my 7D.

The Canon 85 f/1.8 will stay as well as the 135L. I can still use them when I shoot sports as needed due to their insane ability to track fast moving action. The Sigma I was looking at because I was hoping to have compareable quality in colors and isolation like the 135L.

And I was curious as to how many had owned and still owned both lens.

I owned the 135L for about a year and kick myself every time I think about it for ever getting rid of it. At the time, my logic was I needed to get an L zoom and dump the prime. I guess I thought I needed the versatility that a zoom could potentially provide. And I love my 24-105L. But I really, really, really wish I would have never sold the 135L. It's THAT good. I used it primarily on crop bodies. Now I'm full frame and wonder what the 135 would have been like... Its an incredible portrait lens with bokeh to die for. So smooth and creamy. I've never had any experience with the Sigma 1.4 though.

i own both, and love both. i also have the 70-200 F2.8 IS and feel like i'll be bringing the 135L to shoots when i need to travel light (ex- e-session) over the 70-200. the siggy 85 is always in my bag.

The 135 is quite a different lens from 85mm. I have both the 85mm f/1.2 and 135mm f/2. On full frame the 85mm is wide enough for body shots but the 135mm is most good for pictures of the torso and above. If you need to keep one, I'd sell the 135mm since I use my 85mm a lot more.