The Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is one of the most optically ambitious lenses ever made for portrait work, and it exists almost entirely because Sigma wanted to prove it could be done.
Coming to you from Mark McGee Photos, this thorough real-world video puts the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art through its paces on the streets, testing it where it counts: in bright sunlight, with moving subjects, relying entirely on autofocus. McGee already owns the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, so he’s not coming at this as a newcomer to the lineup. He bought the 135mm with his own money. One of the first things he addresses is depth of field at f/1.4, which at this focal length is so thin that manual focus isn’t even a realistic option.
The autofocus system uses Sigma’s HLA dual-motor design, driving two separate focus groups independently. McGee is upfront that he missed a few shots during testing, and he puts that on himself rather than the lens. Spot focus at f/1.4 demands precision, and if you’re not exactly on target, the shallow depth of field punishes you fast. Eye-tracking autofocus fares much better, and McGee notes it’s quick, though not quite on the level of native Sony G Master lenses. The tradeoff, as he points out, is that Sigma lenses run about a third less than their Sony equivalents.
There’s also a practical issue shooting wide open in bright conditions. Even at 1/8,000 sec, you may still be overexposed, which means a large-diameter ND filter becomes necessary. At 105mm filter thread, those aren’t cheap. The lens itself weighs 1,430 g, which McGee notes is 400 g more than the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS. It ships with a tripod collar and an Arca-Swiss compatible base plate specifically because the weight puts real stress on the camera’s E-mount. McGee makes a strong case for why 135mm sits in a sweet spot between 85mm and 200mm for portrait work: you get more background separation than the 85mm while staying close enough to the subject to maintain a natural working connection, something that becomes genuinely difficult at 200mm distances.
Check out the video above for the full breakdown, including McGee’s sample images and his final verdict on whether the size and weight are worth what this lens delivers.