Canon 85 1.8 vs. Sigma 85 1.4

[Bosman]

How can these two even be compared? ??? There difference lens speed and difference price ranges.

The comparison doesn't fit those criteria with the 85L either but the images i have seen comparing the two are making the 85 1.4 sig look better, just be prepared to put up with a lesser build quality. The contrast appears to be better on the sigma, and i hear its a lot faster. he says"I would guess that the Sigma is about twice as fast as the Canon in decent light. After using my Canon 85 1.2 II for a few years now, I have come to accept the fact that it is very slow to focus. "
"While I did not test the Sigma on any moving subjects, I can confidently say that it would beat the Canon hands down when tracking a moving subject."
"I honestly can’t say which one is sharper, which is amazing considering there is something like a $1000 dollar difference in price!"
Check this out.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-85mm-f-1.4-EX-DG-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx
http://darwinwiggett.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/sigma-85mm-f1-4-vs-canon-85mm-f1-2l-ii/

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Having been bit by Sigma a few times, I am wary of any hype I hear. This seems to apply to this lens as well.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-85mm-f-1.4-EX-DG-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx
"As of Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens review time, I have purchased (retail) three and returned two of these lenses. The first lens was consistently front focusing. The second lens was focusing so inconsistently that I wished for the first one back. The third lens is focusing very inconsistently, but does seem to average to the correct focus distance. I cut my losses and kept this copy of the lens "

"Roger at LensRentals.com is having the same problem - at review time, he has a warning posted on his Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens rental page for this lens. "
"The big problem, as I already indicated, is that the lens does not focus accurately, consistently. Accurate focusing is especially important when shooting with the shallow DOF this lens is capable of. My experience with AI Servo focusing was even worse with a very low keeper rate for even moderately fast moving subjects. Over-shooting a scene gave me the one-shot AF results I wanted on most occasions."

 

[Bosman]

I claim no fame with the lens but i was thinking of it as a purchase at some point. I havent heard much other than great user reviews across the web and in forums so i guess I'm not sure what to think of your post...I believe you, i just don't know what to think Spokane

 

[wickidwombat]

mine was consistantly front focusing i sent it back for recalibration it came back a week later and has been spot on nailing it every time, its just an internal programming thing almost a complete non issue IMO

 

[Bosman]

I have heard of some copies having spastic focusing however.

I like to check the photography on the net forum. People post way more about lenses in there. There are 298 pages in just that lenses photo archive.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=886651&highlight=Sigma+85+F1.4&page=298

 

[wickidwombat]

I think i know what you mean about spastic focusing

in low light if it hunts due to not enough contrast it can sound jittery because it hunts over a very short distance rather than racking the entire focus range like a canon lens hunting
while it can sound a bit wierd it will lock focus sh!tloads faster

 

[Quasimodo]

I think i know what you mean about spastic focusing

in low light if it hunts due to not enough contrast it can sound jittery because it hunts over a very short distance rather than racking the entire focus range like a canon lens hunting
while it can sound a bit wierd it will lock focus sh!tloads faster

This might be, but I am also starting to wonder whether the body (my 5D II) comes into play here? Here is what I wrote in a different thread here today:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=8056.15

Might I ask a question which might seem quite uninformed?

My own camera is a 5D II with grip, and I am also now borrowing the 1Ds III. I have previously borrowed the 85 F1.2L, but then shot it with my 5D II. I had to throw away most of the pictures I shot with that combo (ca. 80%), and that is the reason I went with the 85 F1.4 Sigma instead (that and price of course. I have now also borrowed the 85L, and I am using it on the 1Ds III, and I have an exponential growth in keepers.. This might be because I am getting better at taking shots, but I cannot shake the thought that the combo of the AF on the 1Ds III and the 85L works better than the 5D II and the same lens?

 

[Random Orbits]

I think i know what you mean about spastic focusing

in low light if it hunts due to not enough contrast it can sound jittery because it hunts over a very short distance rather than racking the entire focus range like a canon lens hunting
while it can sound a bit wierd it will lock focus sh!tloads faster

This might be, but I am also starting to wonder whether the body (my 5D II) comes into play here? Here is what I wrote in a different thread here today:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=8056.15

Might I ask a question which might seem quite uninformed?

My own camera is a 5D II with grip, and I am also now borrowing the 1Ds III. I have previously borrowed the 85 F1.2L, but then shot it with my 5D II. I had to throw away most of the pictures I shot with that combo (ca. 80%), and that is the reason I went with the 85 F1.4 Sigma instead (that and price of course. I have now also borrowed the 85L, and I am using it on the 1Ds III, and I have an exponential growth in keepers.. This might be because I am getting better at taking shots, but I cannot shake the thought that the combo of the AF on the 1Ds III and the 85L works better than the 5D II and the same lens?

Were you using the center point of the 5DII and was the lens MFA'd first? Shooting wide open with outer points on the 5DII will give lower keeper rates than the center point. My old crop camera didn't have MFA and worked decently well with fast lenses. My 5DII needs an adjustment of about +10 on the same lenses. Were you using AI servo or single shot?

 

[Quasimodo]

I think i know what you mean about spastic focusing

in low light if it hunts due to not enough contrast it can sound jittery because it hunts over a very short distance rather than racking the entire focus range like a canon lens hunting
while it can sound a bit wierd it will lock focus sh!tloads faster

This might be, but I am also starting to wonder whether the body (my 5D II) comes into play here? Here is what I wrote in a different thread here today:

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=8056.15

Might I ask a question which might seem quite uninformed?

My own camera is a 5D II with grip, and I am also now borrowing the 1Ds III. I have previously borrowed the 85 F1.2L, but then shot it with my 5D II. I had to throw away most of the pictures I shot with that combo (ca. 80%), and that is the reason I went with the 85 F1.4 Sigma instead (that and price of course. I have now also borrowed the 85L, and I am using it on the 1Ds III, and I have an exponential growth in keepers.. This might be because I am getting better at taking shots, but I cannot shake the thought that the combo of the AF on the 1Ds III and the 85L works better than the 5D II and the same lens?

Were you using the center point of the 5DII and was the lens MFA'd first? Shooting wide open with outer points on the 5DII will give lower keeper rates than the center point. My old crop camera didn't have MFA and worked decently well with fast lenses. My 5DII needs an adjustment of about +10 on the same lenses. Were you using AI servo or single shot?

I rarely shoot with I servo (a few times when shooting high speed bikes on a track, and some testing with birds, otherwise I shoot AI Focus as a default (most of my shots are of people and things that hardly move). I have never microadjusted any lens on my camera, and have not seen the need...? That lens is the only one that I have struggled with, but as mentioned above, it works quite well with my borrowed 1Ds III. It could be as you suggest that microadjustment would solve it, and if I were to buy one I would have to do it. However I do not see myself buying one in the near future, since I just got my Siggy 85 1.4 which I am very happy with, and I have set my eyes on the new 24-70, and I would like to replace my 50 1.4 (just got it back from the shop) with the 1.2. Too many cool lenses, and not enough money

As a sidenot, although I love my Siggy 85 1.4, I have to say that the bokeh on the 85 1.2 seems more dreamy, or buttery, and color rendition is brilliant.

 

[Northstar]

Regarding AF mode...you wrote that you primarily use Al focus. There are many people that believe this is the worst AF mode to use, and that using it results in far too many oof shots.

I leave my 5d3 on al servo because I shoot a lot of moving subjects, and then I switch to one shot with stationary subjects.

 

[Random Orbits]

I rarely shoot with I servo (a few times when shooting high speed bikes on a track, and some testing with birds, otherwise I shoot AI Focus as a default (most of my shots are of people and things that hardly move). I have never microadjusted any lens on my camera, and have not seen the need...? That lens is the only one that I have struggled with, but as mentioned above, it works quite well with my borrowed 1Ds III. It could be as you suggest that microadjustment would solve it, and if I were to buy one I would have to do it. However I do not see myself buying one in the near future, since I just got my Siggy 85 1.4 which I am very happy with, and I have set my eyes on the new 24-70, and I would like to replace my 50 1.4 (just got it back from the shop) with the 1.2. Too many cool lenses, and not enough money

As a sidenot, although I love my Siggy 85 1.4, I have to say that the bokeh on the 85 1.2 seems more dreamy, or buttery, and color rendition is brilliant.

Then it was most likely a MFA issue. The faster the lens, the more important it is. I'd do it for all lenses f/2.8 or faster. It's noticeable especialy if the adjustment is more than 2. My 5DII seems to want every lens around +10.

 

[Quasimodo]

Regarding AF mode...you wrote that you primarily use Al focus. There are many people that believe this is the worst AF mode to use, and that using it results in far too many oof shots.

I leave my 5d3 on al servo because I shoot a lot of moving subjects, and then I switch to one shot with stationary subjects.

Thanks for the heads up I will try this. I just read on the differences when I got my camera, and took it at face value. I will try the one shot, and also I will try with the AI servo on still shots to see the effect.

PS: where do you write the gear you have below the line, without having to write it each time?

 

[Quasimodo]

Regarding AF mode...you wrote that you primarily use Al focus. There are many people that believe this is the worst AF mode to use, and that using it results in far too many oof shots.

I leave my 5d3 on al servo because I shoot a lot of moving subjects, and then I switch to one shot with stationary subjects.

I thank you all for your good advice, and a special thank to Northstar for your brilliant advice on not to use the AI Focus. While I still love my Siggy 85 1.4, I have now borrowed the 85L II for a month, and after shooting with One Shot, instead of AI Focus, the keeper rate have had an exponential growth. Here is one I took today of my eldest son with my 5D II and the 85L II (I have as you all see done nothing with the picture, except converting it to jpg and rezised it for web).

 

[Northstar]

Regarding AF mode...you wrote that you primarily use Al focus. There are many people that believe this is the worst AF mode to use, and that using it results in far too many oof shots.

I leave my 5d3 on al servo because I shoot a lot of moving subjects, and then I switch to one shot with stationary subjects.

I thank you all for your good advice, and a special thank to Northstar for your brilliant advice on not to use the AI Focus. While I still love my Siggy 85 1.4, I have now borrowed the 85L II for a month, and after shooting with One Shot, instead of AI Focus, the keeper rate have had an exponential growth. Here is one I took today of my eldest son with my 5D II and the 85L II (I have as you all see done nothing with the picture, except converting it to jpg and rezised it for web).

Quad...Glad to help! Regarding AI Focus, you would think that with the word "focus" in the description that this setting would get you the best focus...but it surely doesn't...it's far and away the worst setting of the three.

It's really interesting when you think about it....you have this company that spends tens of thousands of hours of time and countless dollars developing and testing their product, and then they put a function in the product (ai focus in this case) that just doesn't work well. It makes you think, they must know right? And if they do know why do they do it? Marketing a camera "feature" is the only answer I can come up with.

 

[Loswr]

Regarding AI Focus, you would think that with the word "focus" in the description that this setting would get you the best focus...but it surely doesn't...it's far and away the worst setting of the three.

It's really interesting when you think about it....you have this company that spends tens of thousands of hours of time and countless dollars developing and testing their product, and then they put a function in the product (ai focus in this case) that just doesn't work well. It makes you think, they must know right? And if they do know why do they do it? Marketing a camera "feature" is the only answer I can come up with.

I'm pretty sure they do know. On 1-series bodies, the only options are One Shot and AI Servo.

 

[Northstar]

Regarding AI Focus, you would think that with the word "focus" in the description that this setting would get you the best focus...but it surely doesn't...it's far and away the worst setting of the three.

It's really interesting when you think about it....you have this company that spends tens of thousands of hours of time and countless dollars developing and testing their product, and then they put a function in the product (ai focus in this case) that just doesn't work well. It makes you think, they must know right? And if they do know why do they do it? Marketing a camera "feature" is the only answer I can come up with.

I'm pretty sure they do know. On 1-series bodies, the only options are One Shot and AI Servo.

interesting...i didn't know that. that makes me believe i'm correct in my assumption about marketing the feature. they believe that marketing that feature(even though it isn't a good feature) eventually results in more profit for canon......even though the user will eventually dislike or become dissapointed in the feature and not use it...or even possibly return the camera.

the thought process in the corporate world, especially product management...sigh.

 

[Quasimodo]

Regarding AI Focus, you would think that with the word "focus" in the description that this setting would get you the best focus...but it surely doesn't...it's far and away the worst setting of the three.

It's really interesting when you think about it....you have this company that spends tens of thousands of hours of time and countless dollars developing and testing their product, and then they put a function in the product (ai focus in this case) that just doesn't work well. It makes you think, they must know right? And if they do know why do they do it? Marketing a camera "feature" is the only answer I can come up with.

I'm pretty sure they do know. On 1-series bodies, the only options are One Shot and AI Servo.

interesting...i didn't know that. that makes me believe i'm correct in my assumption about marketing the feature. they believe that marketing that feature(even though it isn't a good feature) eventually results in more profit for canon......even though the user will eventually dislike or become dissapointed in the feature and not use it...or even possibly return the camera.

the thought process in the corporate world, especially product management...sigh.

Whatever it is, I have now stopped using it But like you said, not only is it intuitive to use it, it was also listed in several photobooks like the option that would serve me most for the type of pictures I take most. Well, no more.

Like neuro said, I have the 1Ds III that I have borrowed with the 85 1.2, and it does not have the AI Focus option.