Sigma 85mm F 18 G Art Vs Nikon 85mm 14g

This is going to be a Nikon 85 f.18G vs Sigma 85mm 1.4 ART comparison, but I wanted to give you guys the back story on this one.

Just Like Christmas

Since it's about Christmas I figured this would be a practiced analogy. You lot remember what information technology was similar when you were a kid, and yous asked Santa for that ONE matter-let'south say information technology was a bicycle. Yous waited what felt like years for this cycle, and once y'all finally got information technology, it was like a dream!! That'south kind of how I felt when Sigma appear their long anticipated 85mm 1.4 ART lens. SO many photographers dearest Sigma'southward ART line, and Then many had been badly wanting that 85mm Fine art lens that it was merely time until they finally listened. And they did! I pre-ordered the lens in the end of Oct. I found out that they weren't going to exist released until November and so I waited. And I waited. And I waited longer. I canceled my order because the buyers remorse started to set in. About a calendar week afterward, I pre-ordered the lens once more, just thinking that I really NEEDED that lens. Information technology was well-nigh mid-Nov by then and they STILL hadn't been sending them out. I was irritated. Information technology was like holding out for your Christmas cycle, only to observe out Christmas morning, that Santa wasn't coming until Valentine's mean solar day. That cycle went on for a while, and finally I had too much.

I kept doing research trying to notice ANYONE who had gotten a hold of the Sigma lens. You tin can find a few of the big names out there who had done youtube videos of their short 5 minutes they had with the lens at a Photo Evidence, but zip really breaking it downwards to show me that the Sigma was going to out-perform my Nikon that I already had (and for a lot less money, mind you). The more than I looked online with petty luck, the more anxious I was getting. I pre-ordered the lens AGAIN, and and so checked with LensRentals.com to see if by some crazy adventure they had it. I WAS IN LUCK.

I ordered the lens for a rental on a weekend that I had two engagement shoots. I knew I could get quite a bit of work out of the lens and was SO excited.

Bad New Bears

The more research I did on the Sigma lens, the more I read about how the lens HAD to be calibrated out of the box. The few personal reviews I did find told me that much. If you have any of the Sigma Fine art lenses, you may or may non have had issues with them front end/back focusing, but Sigma thought they would help u.s.a. all out and the released a cute fiddling dock that helps you re-calibrate your lens on your own. It takes time, and a piffling bit of experimenting if yous don't know what you're doing, but with some helpful Youtube videos, it can exist done!

The Sigma 85 Fine art arrived at my house, and I was SO dang excited. I cut through the "happiness starts on this finish" tape, and pulled the lens out of the pocketbook.

First impression: IT'S A BEAST!!!!! I didn't become a shot of it next to annihilation. I didn't even have a photograph of information technology. But information technology'due south HUGE. I conduct my 70-200 around pretty often, and I felt similar this thing was clunky and only odd. Especially for a prime lens.

So, first impression was not so good. My next step was to calibrate the lens to my photographic camera. I had been calibrating my Sigma 35 and 50 Art earlier that day so luckily I was already gear up! I worked my magic, and about an hour afterward I was set. I should add that in my Sigma Calibration Pro app, I had to set almost all 4 calibrations locations to anywhere from -8 to -17. On a scale from +20 to -xx, i didn't remember that was great. If you have no idea what i'yard talking near, then just bypass this paragraph. I'll merely add together, it wasn't consistenly off. It wasn't off -15 everywhere. It was frustrating, simply once I got it calibrated, information technology was LOADS better than information technology was out of the box.

This Is Where The Magic Happens

Practise you lot guys retrieve Cribs on MTV, like back before MTV was dumb and lame? HA!  I remember watching MTV cribs and they would ever say "this is where the magic happens…" whenever they showed off their bedchamber *gag*….This time past "magic", I mean taking photos…of people…..await…..this isn't getting any improve.

Similar I said before, I rented the Sigma on a weekend that I knew I would get a lot of apply out of information technology! I had 2 appointment sessions and I Dear using the 85 focal length, so I only fabricated a point to use that 1 more than non.

E Sesh 1

My outset date session with the Sigma went well! The couple was adorable, the lens focuses pretty rapidly because how freaking HUGE it is! It isn't quite as quick as my Nikon, but information technology's got a lot more glass to move around too. It's not very loud as it's focusing either, which is a plus for me. I didn't become the risk to shoot with both the Sigma and the Nikon during my first session, mostly because we were FREEZING and I was trying to be quick and then my helpmate didn't freeze completely. I used the Sigma 85 ART on my camera most the entire shoot and it performed pretty well.

Or and so I idea.

Once I got back domicile and put the images on my computer, I realized that the photos were sharp. Yes. I can say that the Sigma lives upward to the sharpness of the ART line. Just I wasn't getting very consequent focus on my images. Information technology was sharp, just I constitute that even later on my calibration, my focus was kind of hit or miss. At present this could be for a variety of different reasons, I'thou aware, but it was a flake concerning for me. During the shoot, I too didn't shoot very often at f1.iv.

Here'south one of the images I shot at f1.four.

That super dreamy depth of field, but it also made information technology so her pilus is in focus, but not her face. Then I remembered that I hardly shoot at 1.4 with the lenses I practice have. Hmmm…..So could I really warrant spending another $900 for a lens that I wouldn't exist using at it's full chapters…more on this later on.

This one was at f2. Still a SUPER creamy groundwork, simply nothing my Nikon couldn't do.

Another at f2….I did discover that the chromatic aberration was quite a flake ameliorate than I would have expected from some of my other lenses.

Then first impression shooting with the lens: it was quick. It seemed to focus fast enough, I didn't notice whatsoever crazy glitches. It was big, simply like I mentioned, I'm used to my 70-200, so that wasn't a deal breaker for me. 2nd impression: I was near SCARED to shoot it below 1.viii. That may but have been a bargain breaker.

E Sesh ii

This 2nd engagement session was a niggling meliorate planned on my function. What I didn't plan on was having crazy gale-strength winds to forbid us from shooting our desired location. Luckily, we were able to become into the trees a bit and the wind practically disappeared. That was great! We also had some crawly calorie-free creeping in through the trees, then I knew I HAD to use both my Sigma and Nikon to see the different between the ii.

Permit see some comparisons. I like games. I'll put two photos up, you guess which i is which lens.

That'due south a tough i, right?

So before I give away the goods….remember almost this. The Nikon 85mm f1.8G lens goes for $426 right now on Amazon. The Sigma 85mm f1.iv ART lens goes for $1200 on Amazon. Merely look at those 2 images and tell me which i is which. Now I know people are always suspicious so i'll mail a screen shot from Lightroom for your answer.

Just pardon my lightroom being funky with the info…Just did you guess right? Honestly, I didn't. I go on thinking my paradigm on the correct is the Sigma, but it'southward not. I was kind of floored when I started making the comparisons. I too savage more than in love with my Nikon 85 ane.8. It is such a quick picayune lens that actually become's the task done. I was impressed.

Hither's another good 1. Which is which? 🙂

 I did notice that the sigma shot just a touch warmer than my Nikon. I figured that would happen because my 35 and l which are both sigma also shoot warmer than my Nikon lenses. I like warm images. But did you gauge right with those ones?!

Ok…Wrap It Upwards Misty.

How can I say this nicely? The Sigma 85 Art fell brusk for me. I had predictable this lens for years. I WANTED to dear this affair. I wanted to spend all my money on information technology. I actually love my 35 and 50 and I just wanted this lens to be great. But it only wasn't great enough. My Nikon lens isn't a i.4. Honestly, I've rented the Nikon 1.iv and compared it to my 1.8 every bit well, and didn't get that one either. Nikon made a PHENOMENAL ane.8 lens that compares too well with the 1.four lens. Maybe it's the focal length. Who knows? But personally, I couldn't justify the extra money for a lens that did maybe only a picayune amend than my Nikon 1.8. So in that location you get. I sent back the Sigma ART. Information technology was deplorable, only information technology went back habitation to Lens Rentals.

And then I bought a new Nikon 105 f1.4. Oh man guys…..Just yous wait.

If I talked y'all into the Nikon 85 i.viii, you can find it on Amazon for a HECK of a deal Hither!!!

And if you yet want to splurge on the Sigma 85, y'all tin find that on Amazon here besides!!

Misty C Photography LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn ad fees past advertising and linking to amazon.com. This blog post contains affiliate links.

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Source: https://mistycphotography.com/nikon-85mm-f1-8g-vs-sigma-85mm-1-4-art-photographers/

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