toolkit | Kit check
Prime time Wafer-thin depth-of-field and soft bokeh from the Sigma 85mm lens shot wide open gives a unique look
and lightweight. It’s the only E-mount lens in this focal range from any manufacturer. For filmmakers, vloggers and solo creators, those extra few millimetres at the wide end could prove considerably more useful than yet another standard zoom with a little extra reach. They are very different lenses, but both demonstrate Sigma’s willingness to explore territory that more conventional optics leave untouched. Master of Art The headline-grabber is the premium full-frame prime, designed to combine extreme light-gathering ability with the sort of optical performance expected of Sigma’s famed Art line. This is Sigma’s brightest-ever 85mm, joining the 35mm and 50mm f ⁄ 1.2 lenses to complete the trio. And f ⁄ 1.2 isn’t simply about shooting when the lights go down, as open the lens right up and backgrounds melt away, while subjects have the sort of three-dimensional quality that makes this focal length such a favourite for portraits and close-ups. This isn’t achieved at the expense of sharpness. There’s excellent detail at the point of focus, even at f ⁄ 1.2, so you can exploit the lens’ signature look rather than regarding its maximum aperture as something for emergencies. Chromatic aberrations are also impressively controlled, although push it hard and there is some mild fringing wide open.
What? Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art and 20-60mm f/2.8-4 DG Contemporary How much? £1299/$1599 and £749/$849 More info? sigma-global.com
Sigma’s 85mm prime is the new king of defocused background, while its 20-60mm zoom is ideal for real-world filmmaking Bokeh face
igma’s most interesting optics are the ones that make you wonder why nobody else has made something quite like
Specs that matter
them. The new 85mm f ⁄ 1.2 DG Art takes one of the classic portrait focal lengths and pushes it faster. Even Sony’s own flagship 85mm GM tops out at f ⁄ 1.4, making Sigma’s newcomer the top dog for E-mount users chasing shallower depth-of-field, stronger subject separation and serious low-light performance. Then there’s the 20-60mm f ⁄ 2.8-4 DG Contemporary, which attacks convention from the other direction. Standard zooms traditionally start at 24mm – or even 28mm – but Sigma pushes all the way out to 20mm while keeping the lens remarkably compact
What it is: Sigma’s latest lens pair offer a choice of wafer-thin depth-of-field or a useful wide-to-standard zoom Mounts: Sony E and Leica L Aperture: f/1.2, 13 rounded blades on the 85mm and f/2.8-4 with nine blades on the zoom Filter size: 82mm on the prime, 67mm on the zoom
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November/December 2026
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