Sigma has announced the 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens, which is a completely new design for full-frame mirrorless cameras, as the “DN” designation indicates. According to Sigma, the lens is “a complete reinvention of the definitive fast-aperture portrait prime that pairs class-leading optical performance with a compact, dust-and splash-proof design”.
Offered in both L-Mount and Sony E-Mount, the lens features a new optical formula that includes five special low dispersion elements and one aspherical element for edge-to-edge image sharpness. This new optical formula also corrects aberrations, resulting in visually pleasing images with no colour bleed, even at maximum aperture, and the 11-blade rounded diaphragm ensures smooth, attractive bokeh. The 85mm is handcrafted to the most exacting optical and mechanical tolerances in Sigma’s Aizu, Japan production facility. The lens comes with a dust and splash-proof design, aluminium and TSC (Thermally Stable Composite) construction, a brass bayonet, along with well-damped switches and rings, demonstrating the level of build quality that the Art name represents. Additional benefits include an aperture ring that allows for clicked and de-clicked operation, a programmable AFL button on the lens barrel, and a new Iris Ring Lock Switch that prevents unintended movement of the aperture ring during image capture. In addition to the fast and consistent AF response, the mirrorless design of the 85mm comes in a lightweight and compact lens body, weighing 630g with a filter size of 77mm and a body length of 94.1mm, packed with a range of functionalities such as face/eye detection AF, in-camera aberration correction and Focus Mode Switch.
The lens is scheduled to start shipping towards the end of August, 2020 at a retail price of USD 1,199.
