*UPDATED MARCH 2012* I have added some new info throughout this post I did 9 months ago (just look for the * symbol) and a paragraph or two at the end telling of my experiences with this lens over them 9 months.
Since doing the last tests and review (which you can view
here) I decided to give the Sigma another chance and try a different copy. True it is not quite as sharp as the Canon 1.2, nearly but not quite, the Sigma does not have 1.2 which would have been nice but 1.4 would be fine for most low light situations and for this price you cannot complain. I won't be directly comparing results between the Sigma and the Canon in this review since I did that in the last one, this is more to see what this new copy of the Sigma can produce and how it handles.
The thing I loved this time round is the focus speed which is very fast, I would say about twice as fast as the Canon 1.2. the focus on this copy is very accurate even in low light. The lens is nice and weighty and looks good on the camera, it looks like a nice Nikon lens to be honest. The manual focus ring is still too stiff for my liking and can be a pain to use (*after spending a few months with it I have got used to it and actually quite like the bit of tension, it's easy to precisely focus without over shooting the focus*) but with auto focus this decent I might not need to revert to it nearly as often. Most importantly images that it produces are really really nice. I am very impressed with this lens after spending a bit more time with it.
I did a test by putting a few images taken with the Canon 85 1.2 and the Sigma 85 1.4, I processed them as I usually process my images (white balance and contrast adjustments) and put them into a slideshow, I got a few people (including myself) just to watch these images loop around in the slideshow and the results were very interesting. They could not tell any difference in the images, this is after about ten minutes staring at them. When I looked at them closely I also could not see any difference, now that is amazing considering the Sigma is £1000 cheaper. Now I really was going to go for the Canon 85 1.2 but after spending more time with the Sigma I have changed my mind. I would like the Canon purely because of its image quality, good looks and the 1.2 but if I (and a good few others, who are also quality freaks) cannot tell the difference in the images between the Canon and the Sigma, the Sigma has much better autofocus, it is a bit lighter and costs around £1000 less then Its a no brainer in my opinion. I actually now think that overall the Sigma is the better lens (for me anyway), that was not easy to say. I actually liked the Sigma so much that today I purchased one and have been shooting with it all day. and with £1000 extra still in the bank to spend on another lens, maybe the Canon 135 f2. In the end the quality of the images I deliver to clients is the most important thing and you can't go wrong with either the Sigma or the Canon.
Update after spending 9 months with the lens and using it in a Professional Wedding Shoot:
*Since writing this review I have used this lens in a lot of different situations. The most testing situation for any lens is Professional Wedding Photography, this is when you discover whether a lens should be in your kit or not. I have to say that this lens alongside my Carl Zeiss wide angles (which you can read about
here) were fantastic. The Sigma's autofocus was quick and accurate, not missing a beat the whole day. It was my go to lens for any type of portrait work where I had space to step back a little (in tight situations I reverted to my 50mm f1.4 Canon), it was my main lens for the ceremony, bride portraits, dinner, speeches, first dance and the rest of the evening to be honest. I really didn't actually expect to use the 85mm focal length as much as I did, it was almost glued to the camera from the ceremony onwards and every shot was sharp regardless of f-stop used. I mostly shot it between f1.4 and f2 and the bokeh (out of focus areas) were amazing. I did use it on manual focus a bit and like I said above the little extra tension in the focus ring actually made precise focusing easier, there was no over shooting the desired focus point like I sometimes do with my Canon 50mm f1.4 resulting in me have to turn it back and forth till I find perfect focus. This was a surprise as I originally thought the slightly stiff focus ring would be a negative thing, just goes to show that you never really now until you try a piece of equipment in a real life situation.
I can now highly recommend this Sigma 85mm f1.4 lens after putting it through some gruelling use and it not only lives up to expectations but often surpasses them and constantly surprises me with the results. The Canon 85mm f1.2 II is still the most desired portrait lens for Canon users but I for sure will not be buying it as this Sigma is all i'll need in this range for a long time to come, it has much quicker autofocus, almost identical bokeh and sharpness and and at £1000 cheaper it is an absolute bargain.
Here are some images with the Sigma from the wedding and some. Hopefully if I post a good amount of wedding shots with the lens you will get a good idea of its performance in all the different lighting situations. Below the wedding images I will also post a few portraits I have taken over the last few months with the lens.
Most above shots weretaken between f1.4 and f2.8
PORTRAITS
All portrait shots between f1.4 and f2
Sigma Un-boxing images (not important but good presentation can be a nice bonus and shows the care the company take with there lenses)
Nice case you get, better than the soft Canon L lens cases, not that I will use it but it's great for storage.
Nice bit of glass there.
Overall the presentation of the lens is nicer than any Canon L, not that this is too important, just a nice addition.
View all my favourite shots and slideshow video from the whole wedding day
here
Read my review on the other lenses I used on the wedding shoot
here and
here (The Carl Zeiss Distagon 35mm f2 and 28mm f2 ZE)
Read the original Sigma and 85mm f1.4 and Canon 85mm f1.2 II review
here
I hope that this review helps someone who is considering purchasing the Sigma 85mm f1.4. I know everyone is different and shoots different but in my experiences this is a great lens that I don't think you will be disappointed with. If you have the money and have your heart set on the Canon 85mm f1.2 II then you can't go wrong with that either if you can live with the slower autofocus.
Places to follow me online:
