A new champion has been crowned! Previously, the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens used to be the best portrait lens for your Sony camera. However, due to its 4-year-old technology, expensive price tag, and heavy body, traveling with such a lens is like carrying a little planet in your backpack, which is not ideal.
For those of us who like to travel light, the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens is definitely not the way to go. The next best lens for us is the Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens, which is fine, but it has a slower aperture. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the same quality as the GM lens.
The release of the new Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens changes everything. I don't know how Sigma did it, but they were able to manufacture an 85mm lens that is lighter and more compact while maintaining the same quality level as the GM lens, surpassing it at times, all for a price tag that is 800 USD cheaper than the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens.
I was so thrilled by the release that I decided to go out and grab one to test it out on my trip to Dubai, and I have decided to write a review for this amazing lens.
Without further ado, here's my complete review of the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens based on my experiences traveling with it, my personal thoughts, sample photos, and the reasons why I considered this to be the best portrait lens for travel.
- Quick Summary of Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
- What to Look For In A Travel Portrait Lens?
- What I Love Most About the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
- The Drawbacks of the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
- Sample Photos From the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
- The Verdict: The Best Travel Portrait Lens For Sony Cameras
- Further Reading for Photography
Quick Summary of Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
If you are short on time, here is a quick summary of the pros and cons of using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Lens as your all-around travel lens, and a link to check the recent price of the lens below.
- Compact & Lightweight
- Extremely Sharp
- Stunning Bokeh
- Pincushion & Vignetting
- Not the Cheapest
What to Look For In A Travel Portrait Lens?
Focal Length: Depending on the type of portraiture you are planning to do, the most important thing you should look out for when picking up a travel portrait lens is its focal length.
Do you want to capture your subject as well as the environment they are in? If so, you should definitely pick a wider focal length like 24-35mm. If you want to put more focus on your subject and would rather reduce the environmental distraction, an 85mm focal length is the way to go. If you want something in between, you can also go with a 50mm lens instead.
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Personally, I found the 85mm lens to produce the most pleasing results when shooting travel portraiture. The tight focal length of an 85mm lens allows me to zoom in on the subject while bringing the background closer, eliminating unnecessary distractions.
I highly recommend that you go with an 85mm lens if you are looking for a lens to shoot your loved ones while you travel. Trust me, they are going to love you for it. 😉
Fast Aperture: If you want to replicate the soft background effect (bokeh) that you often see in commercials and magazines, you are going to need a portrait lens with a fast aperture of F1.8 or less.
Cheaper portrait lenses often come with an aperture of f/1.8, which is great if you are on a budget. However, if you really want to go the extra mile, I highly recommend seeking out a lens with an aperture of f/1.4.
With F1.4 or F1.8 apertures, you will be able to blur out all the distractions in the background, creating clear subject separation that you can't quite replicate with other lenses.
Combine that with the tight focal length of 85mm, and you have one hell of a beast lens to use for travel portraits and street photography. If you are looking for a travel portrait lens, be sure to pick a lens with an aperture of F1.8 or lower.
Compactness: When considering most travel lenses, weight and compactness are among the most important factors. Many portrait lenses with an aperture of F1.8 are typically compact and lightweight, so their size shouldn't pose much of a problem.
On the other hand, if you are looking to pick up an F1.4 lens, which is often known in the lens world as a small bowling ball of lenses, then you are going to have to be a little pickier.
There are lenses that weigh more than a kilo in the 85mm F1.4 category, which is not ideal for traveling, especially if you want to carry the lens with you at all times.
All in all, if you are looking for a portrait lens for travel, find one that actually fits in your camera bags and one that you don't mind carrying in your backpack at all times.
Image Quality: Last but not least, the image quality of a portrait lens has to be great, especially when it comes to portraiture. The lens has to be sharp enough to retain the detail of your subject while producing a soft and smooth enough bokeh effect for better subject separation.
At the end of the day, it is all about striking the perfect balance among these 4 important factors when it comes to picking up a travel portrait lens. With these 4 factors in mind, you should have no trouble finding the right portrait lens for your next trip.
What I Love Most About the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
Compact and Lightweight
One of the best things about the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens and the sole reason why I decided to sell my Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens and get this one instead is the fact that Sigma somehow managed to reduce the size and weight of the bowling ball of the lens world that is the 85mm F1.4 lens into a body that is not much bigger than my old inferior Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens.
The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens weighs only 630 g (1.39 lb), which is almost 300 g lighter than the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens, weighing a whopping 820 g (1.8 lb). It is not as front-heavy, making it a great match with a smaller camera body like the Sony a7C, which I have.
I was able to carry this lens with my other heavyweight lenses like the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens when I travel, and I barely feel the difference from when I was carrying the Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens, which weighs about 371g (0.81 lb).
For those of you who are looking for the very best 85mm F1.4 lens that is lightweight and compact, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art lens is, hands down, the best lens you can get right now.
Extremely Sharp
Despite it being smaller and lighter than most 85mm F1.4 lenses, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens is likely one of the sharpest 85mm F1.4 lenses you can currently purchase.
It produces sharp images corner-to-corner, even surpassing the more expensive Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens, which still blows my mind to this day. The lens also produces great colors, as well as the Sony GM lens, but with a much punchier contrast, which I prefer.
Again, I don't know how Sigma was able to pack such high-quality glasses into such a small form factor, and if you are wondering whether you will be sacrificing image quality for a smaller form factor if you get this lens, well, you definitely have nothing to worry about.
Stunning Bokeh
One of the main reasons why anyone would want an 85mm F1.4 lens is to be able to separate a subject from busy backgrounds and achieve a bokeh effect. And let me tell you, when it comes to bokeh, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens is definitely the best in its class.
The bokeh effect that this Sigma lens produces, although not as circular around the edges as the Sony GM lens, can definitely hold its own. The bokeh effect is creamy, clean, well-rounded, and very natural-looking.
I found the bokeh not to be as creamy as the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens, but that is probably more due to the fact that the Sony GM lens is much softer all around, whereas the Sigma produces a much sharper edge-to-edge image.
All in all, if you are looking for a lens to take photos of people while traveling, you won't find anything better than the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens.
The Drawbacks of the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
Pincushion Distortion and Vignetting
Of course, with such a small form factor, Sigma had to sacrifice something to make the physics work for the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens, and what they did was to get rid of the built-in lens correction. This resulted in pincushion distortion and vignetting effects that distorted photos.
Fortunately, these can easily be corrected with an in-camera correction feature that comes equipped in most Sony cameras. With the settings turned on, it should eliminate all the undesirable pincushion distortion and vignetting effects from JPG photos and videos completely.
If you shoot RAW, you can correct these issues during post-processing in applications like Adobe Lightroom with a single click. Considering the size and weight it saves, I believe the insignificant optical flaws are definitely worth the sacrifice.
Not As Affordable
Although the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens is cheaper than its Sony GM counterpart by almost 800 USD, it is still considered quite expensive when compared to all the other alternative portrait lenses.
Cheaper lenses like the Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens or the budget-friendly Rokinon 85mm F1.4 lens are better options if the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN lens is out of your budget range.
But if you are looking for the best-in-class lens that produces excellent images, is lightweight and compact, I really think the Sigma lens is worth the premium you pay over these other budget lenses.
If you have the means to do so, I recommend you save up a little more and grab the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN lens, or get a used one. Trust me, you won't be disappointed by it.
Sample Photos From the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
A photo is worth a thousand words, so here are some of my favorite shots I took with the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens attached to my Sony a7C.
A sample photo shot using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens of a person standing among the columns at Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque in UAE. Shot at F1.4.
A sample photo shot using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens showcasing the bokeh effect of a woman sitting in a cafe in Dubai. Shot at F1.4.
A sample photo shot using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens of a person walking in a souq in Dubai. Shot at F1.4.
A sample photo shot using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens showcasing the bokeh effect of a woman in a souq in Dubai. Shot at F1.4.
A sample photo shot using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens of bokeh balls of city streetlights at night. Shot at F1.4.
The Verdict: The Best Travel Portrait Lens For Sony Cameras
All in all, if you are looking for the best travel portrait lens that is compact, lightweight, and produces the most pleasing bokeh effect, you won't find anything better than the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens, not even the more expensive and heavier lenses like the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens.
The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens is lighter, more compact, sharper, and faster focusing, and best of all, it is almost $800 cheaper than the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM lens. Don't waste your money on the Sony GM lens and get this Sigma lens instead.
If the Sigma is a bit out of your budget range, you can also go with the Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens, which is cheaper and lighter but has a slower aperture of F1.8. Alternatively, you can consider the Rokinon 85mm F1.4 lens, which comes with the same F1.4 aperture at almost half the price of the Sigma. However, it is not as sharp and doesn't focus as fast.
At the end of the day, it depends on what you need. If you want the very best portrait lens to buy for your Sony camera, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens is hands down the best lens you can get. I own this lens myself and I love it!
If you want to buy this lens and are wondering how much it is right now, be sure to check the latest price of the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens with the link below:
That is it for A Traveler's Review: Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens. Have we missed anything? Have you found the guide useful? Let us know in the comments below!
Want to take your photography game to the next level? Here are some resources to help you upgrade your work and photography gear:
Further Reading for Photography
Looking for more photography articles like this? Here are a collection of articles you might like:
- For a complete list of travel lenses to buy for Sony Full-Frame cameras, check out: The Best Travel Lenses For Sony Full-Frame Cameras.
- Looking for the very best travel full-frame camera to buy for your next trip? How about the Sony a7C, the smallest full-frame camera with an EVF in the world? Check out my review: A Traveler's Review: The Sony a7C Camera
- The king of travel lenses has arrived. The Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens is hands down the best travel all-purpose zoom lens I have ever owned. Here's why: A Traveler's Review: Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM II Lens.
- The new king of landscape/architecture lens is here. Here is A Traveler's Review of the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 Lens.
- For the best landscape/architecture travel lens, you just can't beat the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens. Here is A Traveler's Review of the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens.
- Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM II OSS lens is, hands down, the best telephoto lens to get for your Sony cameras but with an extremely high price tag. Here is a complete traveler's review of the lens: A Traveler's Review: Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM II OSS Lens.
- Looking for a lightweight and affordable landscape/architecture travel lens that is also extremely capable? Here is A Traveler's Review of the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN Lens.
- Looking for a compact and lightweight travel telephoto lens for wildlife and landscapes? You are going to love this lens. Here is A Traveler's Review of the Tamron 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 lens.
- Wondering which Sony mirrorless camera is right for you? The Best Sony Travel Cameras to Buy in 2024.
- For more photography resources like this, visit my Photography page.
10 Comments
I have just bought the Sigma to replace my Sony 85mm 1.8 based on this review. I have to say the weight difference is seriously noticeable to me - about 50% more really.
It's borderline the same weight as my Sony 16-35GM.
Worth considering for others who are tempted by it.
Hey Derren, Thank you for the comment.
Yes, you are right. The Sigma doubles the weight of the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 lens and you will likely feel the difference at first if you are not used to carrying heavy lenses but it took me only a few of days of carrying it around before I got used to it and I definitely appreciate the faster aperture and crispier pictures I took with the lens. :)
But you are right. For weight-watchers, I would still recommend the 85mm F1.8 lens but if you want the best of the best, the Sigma is hard to beat.
Thanks for taking the time to reply 🙏
Something I wasn't sure of - did you avoid taking the Sigma anywhere due to the weight or did you just get used to it in the end as you say?
So you certainly saw the image quality improvement yeah?
Physical size wise they don't seem much different - the wider glass is the most noticeable part.
Hi Darren,
Yes, I would often think about what I can should that day and take what I need. When hiking solo, I rarely ever take my 85mm. When visiting cities solo, I would only take out 85mm if I'll be going to places with lots of artificial lights like a walking street or a market.
When going out with friends during the day or night, I will often take the 85mm just in case. Nothing beats the 85mm when it comes to portraitures.
I would often do this with other lenses and camera gear as well to keep my weight low:
- I would leave my Tamron 70-300 telephoto if I'm going at night as the lens is not great in low light.
- I will always carry a tripod if I'm traveling solo but if I'm with people, I might leave my tripod and ask the people I was with to take a photo for me instead.
- Same goes for a laptop and ND filters.
etc.
At the moment, carrying around 3 lenses at a time while leaving one at the hotel when I am out exploring is the most optimal setup for me. I always carry 24-70mm F2.8 & 16-35mm F2.8 lenses while Tamron 70-300mm telephoto and Sigma 85mm F1.4 are switch in and out depending on what I can expect to shoot that day.
There are still other ways to optimize my day pack weight but this setup is what I am currently running with at the moment.
I hope this helps!
Oh and yes, I can definitely see the quality improvement. The subject is a bit sharper on the Sigma and much less color fringing than the Sony 85mm F1.8 lens. The Bokeh is also blurrier which is a look I prefer. :)
That's really helpful! Thanks for taking the time to explain your thought process on what to pack.
Out of curiosity, what do you pack for a solo hike?
I've started to become accustomed to the weight of the Sigma after using it for a few days. I think I'm going to keep it as I managed to get an Amazon warehouse deal with 25% off the retail price, too tempting...
I'm thinking my travel pack would be Sony 16-35GM and Tamron 70-180 but also bring along the Sigma 85mm.
Depending on the time of day/situation I'll switch things out accordingly.
I also own the 35mm GM so that's something to think about - it depends where I'm travelling, to be honest.
And sorry it took me a while to respond, the notifications didn't come through for these follow-ups.
No worries Darren! I'm always happy to share what my experience is like as a full-time travel content creator. There's always something to optimize when it comes to my travel photography workflow haha.
That's great with the 85mm F1.4. It really is one of the best portrait lenses out there and I really do enjoy using it whenever occasions arise.
Yup, that's a great combination for travel. I have a similar setup with the Sony 16-35mm F2.8 lens as my main driver (mounted on my camera 70+ % of the time), Tamron 70-300 which is very light, and the Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens and I bring 85mm F1.4 whenever I need it.
The setup is definitely heavier than yours at around 4.254 kg worth of camera gear (Sony a7C and 4 lenses) including a 1 kg tripod and you will likely get a better IQ from the Tamron 70-180 F2.8 as well as if you were to bring the Sony 35mm F1.4 GM lens.
You can certainly switch between the 35 and the 85 depending on what you want to shoot. I hope you enjoy your new setup here. It's always fun for me to see how people carry their photography gear. They are a great source of inspiration for me. Thanks for sharing. :)
Your photography really captures your experiences. Thanks.
Thank you!