The Sigma 135mm F1.4 DG Art delivers outstanding resolution and incredible background blurring power, making it the best lens for portraiture and shallow depth in the focal length.
For years, the 135mm focal length has been underserved, which is a downer as it’s an excellent choice for portraiture and other shallow depth of field images. Thankfully, the winds of change are blowing, as Canon, Nikon, and Sony all include made-for-mirrorless 135mm F1.8 primes in their current mirrorless lens catalogs. That didn’t stop Sigma from engaging in some one-upmanship, with its 135mm F1.4 DG Art ($1,899) that focuses in an instant and features a brighter optical formula that excels in tough light and blurs backgrounds into nothing. The 135mm F1.4 DG Art is not only better, but also a few hundred dollars less expensive than its main competitor, the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM, so it easily earns our Editors’ Choice award.Design: A Squat, Dense Telephoto Prime
The 135mm F1.4 DG Art is relatively squat among telephoto lenses. Its barrel measures about 5.4 by 4.4 inches (HD) at its widest point, with the removable tripod collar adding another inch to the overall diameter when attached. The 135mm Art is heavy for its size, too, around 3.2 pounds, which is not surprising given how much glass is inside. Sigma uses a 17-element/13-group optical formula to realize the F1.4 aperture at this focal length, along with a sizable front element that works with 105mm threaded filters. Larger filters are costly, so make sure to budget for the creative filters you like to use if you don’t already have a set in 105mm.
Sigma makes the lens for two camera systems. You can get it for L-mount bodies made by Sigma, Panasonic Lumix, Leica, and others, or for Sony E-mount cameras. Sony owners have several alternatives to mull, including the aforementioned 135mm F1.8 GM, the value-priced Viltrox 135mm F1.8 FE Lab, the affordable FE 85mm F1.8, and Sony’s 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS portrait specialty lens. There are fewer options in the focal length for L-mount cameras; the closest you’ll get is a shorter telephoto, like the excellent Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art.
An 85mm F1.4 gathers as much light, but its shorter focal length means that it doesn’t blur backgrounds quite as heavily or as readily as a 135mm. Given a ten-foot distance between the camera and subject, the 135mm F1.4 has a 1.7-inch plane of focus, compared with 4.2 inches for an 85mm F1.4. If you prioritize blurred-out backdrops, this extra compression is welcome, though it can be overkill in some situations. With such a narrow depth of field, it’s a little too easy to get just one eye of your subject in focus. You can still get plenty of blur at narrower apertures with a 135mm, however.
Aside from the bayonet mount, the E- and L- editions are doppelgängers. The lens uses a mix of magnesium and Sigma’s thermally stable composite, a plastic that’s as sturdy as aluminum. Pro-grade is a term that’s thrown about a little too casually, but the 135mm F1.4 qualifies. It’s suitable for use indoors and out, as Sigma includes gaskets to keep dust and moisture from finding their way inside, and coats the front glass with fluorine, a material that prevents grease and moisture from adhering to its surface. This makes it easy to wipe away raindrops without leaving watermarks, and lets you clear off accidental fingerprints with just a microfiber cloth.
