Sigma 85mm f1.4 vs Canon 85L

bobbyz wrote in post #15915095
I had 135L and sold it when I got sigma 85mm f1.4. Sigma is as good at f1.4 as 135L was at f2.

I have the 135L, I don't know if I can ever let go of that lens

smooth3000 wrote in post #15915200
I have the 135L, I don't know if I can ever let go of that lens

135 is just like another lens. For some reason it gets a cult status. Maybe it is coz it is the cheapest lens which performs so good. But once you used other good glass it is just one of the so many lenses IMHO.

bobbyz wrote in post #15915394
135 is just like another lens. For some reason it gets a cult status. Maybe it is coz it is the cheapest lens which performs so good. But once you used other good glass it is just one of the so many lenses IMHO.

Maybe it's because it still a $1000 + lens that virtually no other lens matches for within such a manageable weight.

My 50mm don't come close. And I've tried both the Sigma and Canon (1.2) 85mm ... they don't do what that lens does. Nor does it do for me what my 85mm does.

Now that I've tried it and so many others, I can understand the cult status.

I don't hold a cult view toward it ... but I can understand where it gets the status from.

...

bobbyz wrote in post #15915100
Agree.

Although very nice photos posted above by 85L, wish there were side by side shots with sigma f1.4 and then see how many could tell them apart.

I photographed a model this week, who just happened to have an Canon 85mm 1/2 with him ... One regret, is that I didn't do comparison shots with my Sigma 85mm 1/4 in the same locations. I used my 135mm L and his Canon 85mm 1/2 L ... But ........ I can add this ... I've shot my Sigma enough and looked at enough photos, that it's evident there is a tiny gap between my Sigma photos and the Canon 85mm 1.2 shots I just got. It puts the 85mm 1/2 on my wishlist for the f/1.2 aspect. The Canon did not strike me as that much nicer than what my Sigma 85mm or Canon 135mm provide.

I know it's an old thread but one thing re TDP comparisons is that I found at least some of them to not be reliable.

Here is a comparison of the same lens. The top samples are 100% crops from TDP. The bottom samples are 100% crops taken with my lens. All four samples were taken using the same aperture. The left side samples are at one focal length. The right side samples are a different focal length.

You can that TDP, for whatever reason, shows this lens to be much worse at the FL shown on the right side, while my own lens shows only a relatively small difference, with the exact same parameters.

To me this shows that at least one example shown on TDP is wrong. Why that is, I don't know. It could be a defective lens, a bad copy, a problem with the test, a focus issue, etc. All I can say with 100% certainty is that based on TDP I wouldn't buy the lens. After testing it myself I did buy it.

Don't want to beat a dead horse here, but I think I'm going to ditch my 85L II for this lens.

Beat a dead horse? This thread is almost two years old! I think it has been dead.

I know I know don't kill me too. Just having a tough time deciding between the two right now.

If you can afford to keep the 85L, it is amazing.

(But) If you don't need the light gathering or the blur, the 85mm f/1.8 is an excellent lens. Fast AF, sharp, accurate - It is what I picked (for now).

I would prefer a 1.4, but don't want to pay Sigma's price - kind of waiting for an "Art" lens.

I upgrade from the 1.8 and I think I'm going to wait on the 85 Art too. I just want something that focus quicker and gives me 85L quality.
And I don't want to jump and get the Sigma 85 and two months later they release the Art, I will feel stupid then.

Who know when the 85mm Art will be released.... just buy what you need now and enjoy it.

jimewall wrote in post #17631680
If you can afford to keep the 85L, it is amazing.

(But) If you don't need the light gathering or the blur, the 85mm f/1.8 is an excellent lens. Fast AF, sharp, accurate - It is what I picked (for now).

I would prefer a 1.4, but don't want to pay Sigma's price - kind of waiting for an "Art" lens.

I think I remember rumors that the 85A is the next Art to be released, but who knows when that will be.

I will say my 50A focuses dead on, though I haven't had it long.

LonelyBoy wrote in post #17631917
I think I remember rumors that the 85A is the next Art to be released, but who knows when that will be.

I will say my 50A focuses dead on, though I haven't had it long.

Not that big of a problem, I can use my f/1.8 until I'm ready to bite on something else. Plus I have the Sigma 50 (nonArt) and the 135L incase I don't think the 85 can do what I want..

+1 for the Sigma 85 Art. Come on Sigma!

ogerisg321 wrote in post #17631711
I upgrade from the 1.8 and I think I'm going to wait on the 85 Art too. I just want something that focus quicker and gives me 85L quality.
And I don't want to jump and get the Sigma 85 and two months later they release the Art, I will feel stupid then.

Heya,

You have the 85L II, so there's really no point in getting the Sigma (current) right now. Shoot the 85L II at F1.4 and it will be ridiculously sharp. It just won't focus super fast.

I too would just wait for the ART if 85mm is your bread & butter focal length and you want speed of AF and quality of high end optics. The ART will no doubt be that hybrid mutant baby between quality & speed of AF, clocking in at F1.4 and it will perform very good, if the 24, 35 and 50 ART's are any indication, wide open.

I'm waiting too.

Selling an 85L is easy.
Selling an 85 F1.4 Sigma (non-ART), at a fair price, is not.

Very best,