Sigma 135mm f/1.8 FE review by Marc Alhadeff: “superb optics for outdoor portraits”

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 for $1,399 at BHphoto, FocusCamera, and Adorama.

Marc Alhadeff tested the new Sigma 135mm f/1.8 FE lens:

The Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art (1400 euros) is a superb optics for outdoor portraits. Considering the focal length and aperture, the size and weight is reasonable and much more manageable than the Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art

• Sharpness is exceptional including in the corners even wide open at F1.8
• Bokeh, background blur , color rendition are very good
• AF its fast and silent and its efficiency is  good in general but with still some issues vs a Sony lens : expect to get 15% misses focus (tested on Sony A7RIII)
• Ergnomics are ok but not perfect
  • no focus hold button that could have been assigned to eye Af 
  • No aperture ring which makes it less practical and more noisy for video

Alternatives

• Zeiss Batis 135mm F2.8 (2000 Euros) Excellent lens but which does not achieve the same aperture and therefore less background blur. AF is very efficient and reliable
• Samyang 135mm F2 AS UMC (560 euros) : excellent manual lens with excellent sharpness everywhere & very good color rendition
• Sony 135 F1.8 GM : expected for end 2018, but expect a price higher than the 1400 for the Sigma

If you need an AF you can trust 100% , I would wait still a few months to see if the Sony will do better , if not the Sigma is a exceptional optics capable of wonderful images