Pros & Cons
-
- Bright f/1.4 aperture.
- Razor sharp optics.
- No distortion.
- Dust and moisture protection.
- Available for multiple systems.
-
- Omits image stabilization.
- Visible vignette at f/1.4 and f/2.
- Big and heavy.
Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Specs
| Dimensions | 5.2 by 4.6 inches |
| Full-Frame Equivalent (Wide) | 105 |
| Mount | Canon EF |
| Mount | Nikon F |
| Mount | Sigma SA |
| Mount | Sony E |
| Optical Stabilization | None |
| Weight | 3.6 |
It's hard not to think of the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DGH HSM Art ($1,599) as a speciality lens, specifically one for portraiture. It's a big, pricey, chunky piece of glass, but one with a short telephoto focal length that's ideal for framing up headshots. To date, only Nikon system owners have been able to take advantage of a lens like this, in the form of the AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/1.4E ED. The Sigma 105mm brings the same look to Canon owners, and offers a more affordable 105mm f/1.4 design for Nikonians, earning our Editors' Choice in the process.
Short and Squat
The 105mm F1.4 ($1,595.80 at Amazon) isn't a small lens by any means—it's big enough to merit its own tripod collar, though it can be removed if you prefer. It measures 5.2 by 4.6 inches (HD), requires big 105mm lens filters, and tips the scales at 3.2 pounds. It adds enough weight to the front of your camera that taking advantage of the tripod collar is highly recommended when working from a support system.
If you prefer to work handheld, you can remove the tripod collar and replace it with the included beauty ring. The overall build is sturdy—both the lens barrel and tripod collar are metal, and Sigma states the lens is sealed to protect it from dust and splashes.
The front element is big, as is the included lens hood. It attaches around the front element using a thumbscrew to keep it tight, and can be mounted in the reverse orientation for storage and transport. Standard front and rear caps, as well as a soft carrying case, are included.
Sigma sells the lens in Canon EF, Nikon F, Leica/Panasonic/Sigma L, Sigma SA, and Sony E mounts. You can use the lens with Canon RF or Nikon Z mirrorless systems with the appropriate adapter. We also expect Sigma to bring an L-mount adapter to market before too long—the full-frame mirrorless system is a collaboration between Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma, and models should come to market later this year.
The lens doesn't have any sort of stabilization system, though it will take advantage of in-body image stabilization (IBIS) when paired with a camera that has the feature; I paired it with the stabilized Nikon Z 7 for field testing. I had no problem getting blur-free shots at 1/60-second handheld speeds with the pairing, though I'd recommend shorter speeds when working with a camera without IBIS—I'd feel safe making handheld 1/125-second exposures with the 105mm F1.4.
The only toggle switch is the AF/MF control on the left side of the barrel. The only other control is the manual focus ring. It turns comfortably and adjusts focus mechanically, making the 105mm a good fit for video productions that utilize manual focus control. The ring is covered in textured rubber and is comfortable to turn even when wearing gloves.
The lens focuses as close as 3.3 feet (1 meter). It's not a macro, but the angle of view will still let you get pretty tight on subjects. At its closest focus distance, the 105mm F1.4 offers 1:8.3 life-size macro reproduction.
Background blur is easy to get with most f/1.4 lenses, but it's even blurrier when working with a longer focal length. Sigma has nicknamed the 105mm F1.4 the Bokeh Master, and it's an apt nickname. Assuming you're not photographing a distant scene, you'll enjoy shallow depth of field with the 105mm even when stopped down. Its nine-blade, rounded diaphragm ensures smooth backgrounds. While the quality of bokeh is dependent on a multitude of variables and can be extremely subjective, the 105mm F1.4 is definitely a lens for photographers who prefer cleaner backgrounds.
Out of focus highlights do take on an oblong shape as you move toward the center of the frame, which is something portrait photographers should keep in mind. There are lenses out there that provide perfectly round, feathered highlights right up to the edge of the frame, but they tend to be specialized designs that utilize internal apodization filters to get there. The downside to this type of filter is light-gathering capability—a lens like the Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS draws the prettiest backgrounds you'll ever see, but has a two-stop disadvantage in light gathering, acting more like an f/5.6 lens than an f/2.8 one for the purposes of exposure calculation.
Razor Sharp and Very Bright
Let's be fair—even on the budget end of the spectrum, most modern short telephoto prime lenses deliver results with strong sharpness. Sigma's take on the design is no exception. I tested it with the 45.7MP Nikon D850 and Imatest software to see just how sharp the lens is.
At f/1.4, the combination delivers excellent results. It scores 4,403 lines on a center-weighted evaluation, which is more than enough detail to make big prints and crop aggressively as needed. Edge resolution does lag behind the average, but the periphery still shows a very good 3,784 lines. I had no qualms about framing a portrait subject toward the edge of the frame while using the widest aperture.
Similar Products
Our Current Picks for The Best Canon EF SLR Lenses for 2021
See How We Test Digital Cameras
Resolution ticks up slightly at f/2 (4,521 lines), but there's no real improvement at the edges here. At f/2.8 the average resolution remains strong (4,646 lines) and the periphery of the frame improves a bit as well (3,957 lines). Results are nearly identical at f/4.
If you're thinking about using the lens for a landscape shot, be happy to know that it is at its absolute sharpest at f/5.6. The average resolution ticks up to an outstanding 4,820 lines, and even the periphery of the frame shows 4,330 lines. This is the f-stop you'll want to use if you do decide to take a landscape shot and are aiming for edge-to-edge clarity in the resulting photo.
Diffraction starts to cut into resolution at f/8 (4,624 lines), but you should still feel fine using the setting when needed. The same is true at f/11, where resolution is about the same as at f/1.4 (4,364 lines). The minimum f/16 setting is best avoided, as light scatters through the small iris, cutting into resolution. The 105mm F1.4 shows 3,584 lines when set to f/16.
Don't worry about distortion—the Sigma 105mm controls it just as well as a good macro lens, showing a purely academic 0.1 percent. There is a visible vignette, which may be desirable for some portrait work, and can be lessened using in-camera corrections or post-processing software for photographers who don't like the look.
The D850 supports vignette compensation—Nikon calls it Peripheral Illumination Correction—for third-party lenses. I haven't been able to test the lens with a Canon or Sony camera, but the most recent Sigma lenses we've tested in both mounts, the 60-600mm Sports for Canon and the 70mm Macro for Sony, have supported in-camera vignette correction when shooting in JPG format.
I left the D850 to its default Normal correction setting; it also offers Low, High, and Off options. (Nikon is the only manufacturer to offer this level of in-camera adjustment for JPG correction.) At f/1.4 it shows a modest, but visible, -2.2EV drop in corner illumination. It is negligible at narrower f-stops.
The vignette effect is more pronounced when correction is disabled, or if you are shooting in Raw format. We see a stronger -3.4EV drop at the corners at f/1.4 and a more modest, but visible, -1.8EV at f/2. At narrower f-stops the vignette effect is negligible.
A World-Class Portrait Lens
When it comes to lenses there are crowd-pleasers and there are specialized tools. And while it's perfectly possible to use the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art to capture landscapes, abstract fine art images, and anything in between, its first and best purpose is for portraiture. Its focal length grants enough working distance between you and your subject to minimize odd distortions—like you get when shoving a wide-angle lens into someone's face—but isn't so long that you can't easily communicate with and instruct your subject.
And if that's what you're shopping for, the 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is a fine choice, especially if you like the focal length, which is a little bit longer than 85mm and shorter than 135mm, two other very popular focal lengths for portraiture.
A 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom may be a more practical, versatile tool, but it won't get you the same level of control over depth of field. And the reason you're shopping for an f/1.4 prime in the first place is the ability to blur out the background and focus in on your subject's eyes.
The Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art earns our Editors' Choice, with as enthusiastic a recommendation as the Nikkor 105mm F1.4E. If you use a different camera system and have been lusting over Nikkor for the past couple of years, or are simply turned off by its $2,200 asking price, the Sigma 105mm hits all of the same notes, and does so for $600 less.
Best Lens Picks
- The Best Fujifilm Lenses for 2020
- The Best Leica M Lenses for 2020
- The Best Micro Four Thirds Lenses for 2020
- The Best Pentax SLR Lenses for 2020
- More Lens Reviews
- More from Sigma