A new benchmark

A new benchmark

This week’s Amateur Photographer proclaims the new Sigma 85mm f/1.4 as setting a new benchmark for mirrorless lenses – though as they also say that it’s slightly better than the existing Sigma Art lens, I think that means that there’s just a new benchmark for full frame portrait lenses.



I’d already read the EPZ review, and compared the performance graphs with the Sony f/1.8 lens I’ve owned for nearly three years, as well as with the old Art lens and the ‘cheapo’ Samyang 85/1.4, which is pretty directly comparable with the Sigma in many ways, though a couple of years older, and very much a budget lens, until you use one. Resolution is lower than the other 85mm lenses listed here, but it is definitely not a poor lens by any stretch of the imagination, and it is beautifully and solidly made.

My conclusion is that the Sony f/1.8 is not only smaller and lighter, but nearly as good: for carrying about, it’s just a better lens than any of the competition, and outstanding value for money. I’m not sure that Sony’s marketing people really approve of it, given how much it undercuts the G-Master f/1.4 in price and weight. The Zeiss Batis costs more, and the inbuilt IS is only really necessary for first-generation Alpha 7 bodies.



If you detect some inner doubt – well, maybe you’re right. I’d actually like to own all of them. And I want to offer you some thoughts that are more around the affordable and APS-C sensors.



So I went out with a Nikon D7000 with a 50mm f/1.8 lens and my Alpha with a Samyang 85. The comparison is between the results that the Nikon gives at f/1.8 (top) and at f/5.6 (next down), because that’s the typical maximum aperture of a kit zoom lens. If you want an out-of-focus background, effortlessly, you need the fixed focal length lens.

If it’s become an addiction, then you WILL want to move to full frame, where the equivalent lens is around 85mm. The upper shot of the lock gate is from the Nikon at full aperture, the next shot from the Samyang at f/1.8. The picture at the end of the blog is the Samyang at f/1.4 – if that 2/3 stop difference in differential focus matters to you, you’ll be wanting an f/1.4…