TechRadar Verdict
135mm f/1.4 DG from Sigma | Artistic lens builds on the nearly decade-old Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | Artistic lens in almost every way imaginable and, in my opinion, it’s the new master of bokeh. It’s currently only available for Sony FE and L-mount cameras, which means Canon and Nikon users are missing out. However, for the mounts it is currently available for, it is one of the more expensive options, despite being the only 135mm lens currently on the market to claim a super-fast maximum aperture of f/1.4. This feature offers unparalleled potential for light gathering and background blur creation, as well as truly impressive bokeh. That said, it’s much heavier (and more expensive) than other 135mm f/1.8 lenses on the market, so you’ll need to be prepared to go to the gym or use it with a tripod or monopod if you plan to use it for extended periods of time.
Benefits
- +
Exceptional image quality
- +
Wide f/1.4 aperture
- +
Arca-Swiss Tripod Food
- +
Quick focus
Disadvantages
- –
Large and heavy construction
- –
Dear
- –
Limited mounting options
- –
No optical stabilization
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Learn more about how we test.
Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: 1 minute review
The Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A (2025) is based on the nine-year-old Sigma Art 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM. So, with nearly a decade of technological and optical advancements, how does Sigma’s latest cutting-edge 135mm up the ante?
The price has also changed – Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM 2017 | A is available for $1,399 / £1,399, while the new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A costs $1,899 / £1,649 / AU$3,499, making it between 18-35% more expensive this time around. This is not just due to a decade of inflation and tariffs, part of this cost will be due to its more premium construction and redesign, being the fastest 135mm in the world with a maximum aperture of f/1.4.
But what is the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Would you really like to use it? Well, it’s a phenomenal achievement from the legendary Japanese lens maker: delivering razor-sharp detail and dreamy bokeh, even though it’s a particularly heavy lens.
Ultimately, if you need a short telephoto focal length with a super-fast f/1.4 aperture, then this will be the one for you, provided you shoot on both mounts it’s currently available for and have deep enough pockets to purchase one.
Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: Price and availability
- Priced at $1,899 / £1,649 / AU$3,499
- Lens hood, tripod leg collar and soft pouch included
- Announced in September 2025
In terms of value, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | The Art is one of the most expensive 135mm lenses on the market, although it’s not as expensive as the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM which costs $2,399 / £2,399, or the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena which costs $2,597 / £2,179. That being said, unfortunately the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 is currently not available for Canon RF or Nikon Z mounts, so it does not offer a more affordable third-party option for Canon or Nikon users.
However, for the Sony FE and L-mount cameras it’s currently available for, it’s one of the most expensive lenses you can choose, but it’s the only 135mm lens on the market with that super-wide f/1.4 aperture. If you’re willing to pay more than the af/1.8 alternative, this lens is a must-have because you won’t have any other options; This is a great portrait lens that delivers superb image quality.
For photographers looking for something more portable and svelte, the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8, or Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 lenses will be better options and one of the best third-party Sony lenses.
Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: Specifications
Drag to scroll horizontally
|
Type: |
Short telephoto lens |
|
To go up: |
L mount, Sony FE |
|
Sensor: |
Full frame |
|
Focal length: |
135mm |
|
Maximum opening: |
f/1.4 |
|
Minimum focus: |
1.1m |
|
Filter size: |
105mm |
|
Dimensions: |
111.7×135.5mm |
|
Weight: |
50.4 ounces / 1430 g |
Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: Design
- Large and heavy, weighing 50.4 oz/1,430 g
- Houses 17 elements arranged in 13 groups
- Has a removable Arca-Swiss tripod stand and collar
- No optical image stabilization
The new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | The art is large and perhaps it’s not too surprising when it reaches its maximum aperture of f/1.4. Its diameter of 111.7mm is larger than its competitors and its length of 135.5mm makes it approximately 18% longer than its predecessor. In fact, only the Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 and Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lenses are longer, at 147.6mm and 139.5mm, respectively.
The Sigma 135mm is also heavier than its peers – at 50.4 oz/1,430 g, it’s significantly heavier than other 135mm mirrorless full-frame lenses. Many 135mm lenses from Sony, Samyang, Canon and Nikon are all around 35% lighter or less, although none reach the Sigma’s coveted f/1.4 aperture, so that’s the price you pay for a faster lens.
The body houses 17 elements arranged in 13 groups, four of which are large FLD glass elements as well as strategically placed high dispersion glass that Sigma claims can suppress axial chromatic aberration. There are also not one but two HLA (High Response Linear Actuator) motors that drive the autofocus – the floating focus system allows two lens groups to be moved independently – I’ll go into more detail about how it works in the next section.
The original Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | Art lacked image stabilization when it was released nine years ago and unfortunately the new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Omitted this again. However, while the original was primarily aimed at DSLRs, this new Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | A is built with modern mirrorless bodies in mind, many of which have very good in-body image stabilization (IBIS) which is more effective than optical stabilization (OIS) anyway, so it’s less of an issue than it would have been back in the day. We also have to remember that adding stabilization to the lens would likely result in making the lens even larger – something I’m sure Sigma would want to avoid with its already very tank-like build.
I got my hands on the Sony FE version, although the lens can also be picked up for L-mount alliance cameras, which include Sigma, Panasonic and Leica bodies. It has a nice brass metal mount surrounded by a weather seal, showing that the lens has some waterproofing and protection from the elements, which is what you would expect from Sigma’s premium ‘Art’ range (and at this price point).
Removing the front lens cap reveals the huge front element, which has an oil and water repellent coating and also accommodates huge 105mm screw-in filters. The front element is so large that the lens barrel sticks out in front to give it room (and probably to protect it). The result is that the lens fits comfortably in the hand, with your supporting hand resting naturally on the focus ring.
Speaking of the focus ring, it’s noticeably thinner than the older version at just 2cm wide, perhaps showing the move away from manual focus, especially given how well modern face and eye detection autofocus systems have gotten over the last decade.
Looking at the new and old Sigma 135mm lenses side by side, the difference in area afforded to the focus ring is quite marked and must be about half as wide this time around. That being said, its knurled rubber design provides plenty of grip and is smooth to turn. With the move to mirrorless, manual focus is electronic rather than mechanical, meaning we also miss out on a focusing distance window.
The lens now comes with a tripod foot collar, you will get better balance on a monopod/tripod and reduce strain compared to shooting handheld. I actually preferred attaching it to a monopod when shooting outdoors to give myself a more stable platform, especially when nailing such a delicately thin focus slice when shooting wide open at f/1.4.
The collar is removable and although it can be screwed onto a tripod or monopod, the foot has also been machined to work in Arca-Swiss mounts without the need to attach a plate.
Also on the lens barrel is a switch to toggle between AF/MF and an iris ring that can be used to control the lens aperture, complemented by another switch to turn the aperture ring click on or off – a handy feature for videographers who like smoother, click-free operation. It can also be locked in the “A” position if you prefer not to use it at all and adjust the aperture via the camera body.
Finally, you will also find two AFL buttons on the lens, spaced 90 degrees apart, one on the left and the other on the top of the barrel for easy access when shooting in landscape or portrait orientation. These buttons can be assigned to a range of functions.
Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art: performance
- Stunning shallow depth of field effects with f/1.4 aperture
- Good face detection and eye tracking with my Sony test box
- Some vignetting when shooting wide aperture at f/1.4
As previously mentioned, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DC | Art is a big, bulky lens, almost twice as heavy as some of its competitors. This makes it a little difficult to use and I would recommend a camera body with built-in image stabilization (IBIS) to reduce camera shake – I paired it with the Sony A7R V.
If you’re using a smaller body that lacks a vertical grip, I’d also recommend adding a battery grip to improve balance with the lens – this helps keep the camera and lens more stable when shooting in portrait orientation.
The addition of the tripod foot and collar is clearly a welcome addition and will be used by those shooting on a tripod in a studio or on a monopod for scenarios such as shooting models outdoors or cars at a race. etrack, for example.
Focusing with the compressed focal length of 135mm and with the aperture wide open at f/1.4 is challenging because you’re playing with such a small focus area and very limited depth of field. Fortunately, the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DC | The Art offers fast and precise focusing thanks to its Dual HLA motors, and focusing on the eyes becomes easier when shooting on a tripod or monopod, to eliminate camera shake.
Your subject will also need to be very steady to prevent the subject from blurring and the focus from slipping off the eyelashes – which is great with an accommodating adult, but more difficult with animals! You’re also somewhat at the mercy of the quality of eye detection and subject tracking on the camera body, but the Sony A7R IV I paired the lens with worked very well.
Optically, the lens is razor sharp as you manage to focus exactly where you need it on your subject, while the background bokeh blur looks incredibly beautiful, with huge bokeh circles when shooting wide aperture. The bokeh is huge, smooth and circular thanks to its 13-blade aperture, and shows no signs of the ugly onion ring defects you can get with cheaper optics.
Vignetting is a minor issue when shooting wide aperture, although it disappears at f/1.8. There is also a very subtle amount of chromatic aberration at the contrast edges, although both of these issues are very easy to fix in post-production, and for the most part can be fixed using the profile corrections in the one-click editing software, so for me it’s not a big issue.
Should you buy the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art?
Buy it if…
- I used the lens for a month, capturing everything from controlled still life setups at home to outdoor portraits.
- I paired it with the 61MP Sony A7R V full-frame body, zooming in on images to assess resolution and clarity.
- I took photos throughout the aperture range, focusing closer and farther away to judge the sharpness of the image.
I used the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Art lens for a month, paired with a Sony A7R V to produce incredibly detailed 61MP files so I could zoom in and thoroughly inspect the image quality.
I photographed a range of subjects, from indoor still lifes to outdoor portraits with the lens, and shot at all available apertures to see how image quality and vignetting were handled across the aperture range.
I took a series of photos with the in-camera lens corrections turned on and off to see the difference. I also shot in Raw and JPEG formats and evaluated how things like corner sharpness and vignetting changed at different aperture values.
- First revision in January 2026
I started writing for photography magazines and websites in 2012. I’m an expert gear reviewer, Photoshop specialist, and have been an associate editor for some of the world’s best-loved photography magazines.