Review on Sigma 85Mm Lens Canon 321954 by Jennifer Franks

Note: This lens has a T-STOP of 1.7 (for any filmmaker or photographer who cares). So the backlight is pretty good. Not ideal at about half a stop, but it's far from bad. At first I thought this is crazy, why would I spend $1200 on a lens just to photograph my cat? But then I got the lens and I have to say it is by far the BEST cat lens out there. I would say though that I would like some weather protection or at least some drool protection! I started taking photos of my cat and damn I was hooked! My cat has never looked so good (and he knew it!) but seriously, this lens is a beast. I had no problems using it on my D500. Once I got the lens in focus (which literally took about 10-15 minutes) it was sharp (you can use it with a Sigma USB dock which isn't included, but just so you know). Focusing is quick and accurate. The bokeh is beautiful and creamy. The lens isn't that heavy (but then again I'm used to holding 7lb lenses in my hands). The build quality is fantastic and the huge focus ring is a joy for photos and videos. The lens hood feels great and the case that comes with the lens is pretty decent too. The only issue I have with the lens is the lens cap but really nothing to complain about, I just hate the way you put it on and take it off. This is a great lens and if I had the choice to buy this lens or anything else I would definitely buy this again. I will say that in comparison to this and my Sigma 150-600 sport lens. I definitely feel like I should be a lot taller with this lens. It definitely looks like a lens meant for use in the studio or just on a good day. Sigma has stated that this lens (along with many other ART lenses) is NOT intended for use in harsh weather conditions and is definitely not intended to be. be outside for a long time in heavy rain. When using this lens outdoors without protection and in harsh weather. Keep in mind that the lens may not be able to withstand that. Update 6/2/17: Having used this lens for the last few months I have to say I'm still in love and it's really good value for money. However, I want to take a minute and talk about some of the things that some people have been struggling with. So, first things first. It's still a relatively cheap lens. Of course it's not $100, it's $500. But it's not 200 f2. You won't spend more than $5,000 on this lens. Even some Nikon and Canon 70-200 f/2.8s require calibration and cost around the $2,000 mark. They're not always perfect either. There are definitely some of these lenses that aren't perfect, it's just the way it's made. They don't have the time or resources to make sure every one of those lenses that fail is absolutely perfect, and they can't. Whatever body they use and test may be completely different from what you use and may make NO difference. Using the Sigma Optimization Pro software is literally one of the most useful things and I would say almost essential when you have a Sigma lens. . You need to buy a Sigma USB dock (I got mine for free when I got the 150-600 sport lens, but I think it's $60). Sigma makes it very easy to set the focus on the lens. I've attached an image showing my lens and settings (obviously this is only for this specific lens). But correcting back and front focus is SO easy, it only takes 10-15 minutes and that's it. It will be perfect. However, there are real cases where the lenses have gone too far to be corrected. If you cycle the ENTIRE range from -20 to +20 and nothing helps. In that case I would send the lens back. However, some people say they sent some lenses back, which is most likely not a problem with the lens but a problem with that person and he doesn't know how to fix it himself. They probably expect it to come out of the box, which isn't the case with most lenses (under $3,000 at least). If you have an issue with this lens and can't fine-tune the focus (assuming you have a capable body, if not, you probably shouldn't be shooting with this lens.), there's no problem with the lens. . You have a problem. The only thing I would like to address is that this lens (should be obvious anyway) does NOT have any kind of VR/IS. I know people who bought this lens and for some reason thought it had some kind of image stabilization. It is not. If you prefer to shoot with long exposures and rely on VR/IS to make your photos crisp. You'll only be disappointed here because it doesn't exist, so all you get is blurry photos. Also note that this is similar to other Sigma lenses, meaning it tends to hunt a bit. There are so many, you should know that. There are many videos and reviews on the net that talk about it. Even in good light and optimal conditions, this lens hunts more than lenses from other manufacturers.