Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Review

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Performance

Central sharpness is excellent from f/1.8 all the way through to f/8 and is still very good at f/11 and f/16. The edges mimic this almost perfectly, with excellent figures from f/1.8 and f/8 and again a very good performance at f/11 and f/16. The results are incredibly close centre and edge and give the image an all over crispness. The choice to limit the smallest aperture to f/16 may well be a good one as it ensures that quality is maintained throughout the range of settings.

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is almost non-existent both centre and edge and really there is no need for any further reduction in software. There are no signs of colour fringing, images looking totally clean in this respect.

Pincushion distortion measure +0.47%, again really needing no further correction. It is unlikely that this would be noticed in most subject matter, even architecture.

The lens has little tendency to flare, so can be used towards the light and in extreme lighting situations with confidence.

Bokeh is the quality of the out of focus areas in an image. A 135mm lens will lend itself to having nicely defocused backgrounds, especially useful for portraits. This, plus the lens design and 9 bladed diaphragm all combine to make the most beautiful, smooth gradation.

Value For Money

The Sigma AF 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art lens is priced at £1399, to be fair not a small amount of money.

There are a number of 135mm lenses that are alternatives, such as the Canon EF 135mm f/2 L USM (£860), Zeiss Milvus 135mm f/2 T* APO Sonnar (£1899), Nikon 135mm f/2 D AF DC (£1149), Samyang 135mm f/2 ED UMC (£449) and Sony 135mm f/1.8 Sonnar T* (A-mount, £1129).

Thus it would seem that the price tag can be justified for a lens with such an excellent performance.

For more options have a look at the Top 19 Best Sigma lenses, and Top 27 Best Portrait Lenses.

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