The 135mm focal length, along with the 28mm and 50mm, was part of the “basic trilogy” for most photographers approaching photography in the analogue era.

Things didn't change much until zoom lenses achieved a quality capable of replacing the corresponding prime lenses, especially those of normal brightness. However, producing a high-quality F/2.8 zoom is one thing, and reaching F/1.4 is another, which, at least for the moment, still remains exclusive to the best prime lenses. The 135mm is a moderate telephoto lens that owes its great diffusion—in the F/2.8 versions—precisely to the excellent compromise between brightness, size, weight, quality, and price. But everything increased drastically just to gain a single stop and reach the legendary 135mm F/2 (see the Zeiss 135/2 for Contax). Always click on the photos to enlarge them; it's worth it.

SIGMA's choice is singular, to say the least: why design an F/1.4 prime lens today—large, heavy, and expensive—when we could manage with a simple F/2.8 and increase the in-camera sensitivity by 2 stops, given that the extra noise is almost imperceptible now? The answer, my considerations, and the performance of the new SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art will be discussed throughout the article.

I would like to remind you that the DG designation indicates that the lens is designed for full-frame cameras (it can obviously also be used with APS-C cameras, where it would become equivalent to a 202.5mm), and the Art designation identifies SIGMA's best series, the one without compromise.

The SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art should be the natural successor to the SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art for DSLR cameras (see test on Nadir here), but—in terms of design choices and rendering type—it can be considered the older brother of the SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, which was dubbed the Bokeh Master for its exceptional bokeh.

We have in our hands another lens with excellent rendering in all conditions and at all apertures, but with a contribution from the defocus (bokeh) that is unmatched.

IN HAND

The SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art is solid, well-built, and constructed without compromise. It is not entirely metal, but made from SIGMA’s robust and proven composite material—TSC (Thermally Stable Composite)—which offers the same tactile feel as metal with fewer issues regarding tolerance variations at different temperatures, ensuring consistent performance in all conditions of use.

TSC has a thermal expansion similar to that of aluminum. Parts constructed with TSC are less affected by temperature fluctuations, thus reacting better to extreme operating conditions and safeguarding the lens's performance. TSC also offers excellent elasticity. Compared to polycarbonate with 20% fiberglass, TSC shows approximately 70% greater elasticity. Compared to polycarbonate with 30% glass, it is 25% more elastic.

This great build quality means having a lens of generous dimensions and consistent weight in your hands (1430g with hood, caps, and tripod collar in the L-Mount version; 1420g in the E-Mount version), but all in all, it weighs 200g less than the SIGMA 105mm F1.4 and its dimensions are average for the category.

The lens is equipped, as is now customary, with a tripod collar which, if absolutely not used, can be removed. Since it is also possible to rotate it instantly by loosening the locking screw, when shooting handheld, I always prefer to turn it upwards so that I can rest the lens on my left hand as usual. The manual focusing ring, while not too wide, offers a comfortable and secure grip, but—outside of testing—I had no need to use it because the AF was always fast and precise.

IN THE FIELD

Let's return to the question asked earlier: “Why design an F/1.4 prime lens—large, heavy, and expensive—when we could manage with an F/2.8 and increase the sensitivity by 2 stops, given that today almost all cameras have the capacity to do so without showing too much noise?”

The answer lies precisely in the F/1.4 aperture value, which is not used to avoid increasing sensitivity, a matter of secondary importance today, but to achieve record-breaking defocus (background blur) and bokeh. SIGMA already had an excellent 135mm F1.8 in its catalog (my test is here), which this new lens manages to surpass in maximum brightness and bokeh quality, but it also surpasses—according to SIGMA—the SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, which is considered the bokeh master.

SHARPNESS

The SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art has exceptional sharpness, and only modest differences between the center and edges at different aperture values can be noticed by photographing optical test charts and viewing the results at 100% on the monitor. This means that, in the real world when photographing actual subjects, you will not notice differences, but be careful of the shallow depth of field at maximum aperture because, as you will realize after the first shots, it is less than you thought.

VIGNETTING

Vignetting at maximum aperture is minimal and only visible in the case of uniformly lit subjects with homogeneous color, but in practical reality, it is difficult to notice, and if necessary, it can be easily eliminated during file development.

It is not too different from that of the SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and can be considered very good for the remarkable brightness of the lens and the generous size of the front element.

BOKEH

Thanks to the maximum aperture of F/1.4 and careful design, the bokeh of the SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art is very soft and progressive, extremely pleasing, and usable at all focusing distances. The wonderful thing is the out-of-focus light circles, which are perfect and free of the infamous "onion rings."

It makes no sense to buy this lens if you do not plan to utilize its background blur at maximum aperture, even in bright light.

When photographing at close range at F/1.4, it is very easy for the background to be completely out of focus and unrecognizable, a characteristic useful both for hiding distracting elements and for enriching the image. But—surprise!—the same blurred background is also obtained at medium distances, and that is truly an added value.

MACRO

The SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art is not a macro lens, but its minimum focusing distance is 110cm, allowing for a maximum magnification ratio of 1:6.9. This is not a lot, but it allows one to manage well in most situations, and the sharpness is so high that it's a shame it is not a macro lens.

Close-up distance, excellent bokeh, and an incredible presence effect. Look carefully at the many shades of gray in the goblet, the sharpness of the extreme edge, and you will understand. The three-dimensionality of the glass is exceptional. These are excellent images for any professional need.

ANTI REFLECTIVE TREATMENT

It is SIGMA's usual treatment, which is decidedly effective even on this lens despite the wide aperture. The lens is supplied with a large lens hood, so there are no problems with strong light sources positioned laterally. Street lamps at night did not cause veiling, and to provoke it, one must photograph the sun at F/1.4 (and that doesn't seem advisable, does it?). By stopping down the aperture, some small reflections may occur in particular situations, but they are decidedly below average even for less bright lenses.

COMA

When photographing city lights at night, it is possible that the furthest lights, almost like a dot, may show the typical "tails" of the coma defect. However, the correction on this 135mm F1.4 is praiseworthy, a characteristic that astronomical photography enthusiasts will greatly appreciate.

The historic "Palazzo Imperato" in Liberty style in Pescara. The distortion is very well corrected and only needs to be corrected in extreme situations with straight lines near the edges. In this case, no correction was necessary.

DISTORTION

The SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art exhibits a slight pincushion distortion detectable only with architectural subjects or straight lines near the edges, and it is easy to correct during file development. There are no problems, of course, when photographing theater, concerts, sports, and landscape.

AUTOFOCUS

I am not a sports photographer, but in photos taken in the theater and on the street, the AF of the SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art was always fast and precise, even in low-light situations. When combined with the facial recognition capabilities of the SIGMA fp L and the SIGMA BF, I consistently had perfectly focused close-ups.

Fast and precise autofocus even with moving subjects in low light. We are shooting at night with only the city lights, yet the focus on the two people with the dog is impeccable.

CONCLUSIONS

The SIGMA 135mm F1.4 DG Art has exceptional quality and manages to combine high resolution even at maximum aperture—currently a record for its category—with beautiful imagery and the ability to isolate the subject from the background thanks to the very noticeable and, above all, very pleasing defocus (bokeh).

The depth of field, especially at short distances, is truly minimal and must be used appropriately. The weight and dimensions are generous but proportional to the quality and robustness. It is a pity that the lens is not equipped with optical stabilization, although this is not an issue with Sony and Panasonic bodies that have in-sensor stabilization. The rendering is excellent at all aperture values, but I can only repeat how much I liked the maximum aperture performance: it's not just a matter of sharpness (which is notable), but of a ** perfect balance between the sharp and blurred areas**. You just need to try it in the field and switch from portraits to architecture and landscape to realize this.

Overall, it is a lens that I liked a lot, and I found myself pleasantly comfortable returning to a classic focal length, which I would have appreciated even more if the lens had been more compact and lighter at the cost of becoming "only" F/2. Like all recent SIGMA lenses, the 135mm F1.4 DG Art is well protected from dust and humidity, making it suitable for use even in more demanding outdoor environments and is the classic demonstration of the Made in Japan quality and commitment of which SIGMA is rightly proud.

Rino Giardiello © 2025/10 All Rights Reserved