Canon EF 85mm F/1.4L IS USM vs Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM | A — Which Is Better?

The Canon EF 85mm F/1.4L IS USM and the Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM | Art are both full-frame 85mm prime lenses. The Canon carries the L designation and was released in 2017; the Sigma belongs to the Art line from 2016.

The mount is the first buying decision. This Canon record is the EF version for Canon EOS bodies, while this Sigma record is the Nikon F version. The Sigma Art line is also offered in a Canon EF mount, so Canon shooters can weigh both directly.

The Canon is the lighter and more compact lens, at 950 g against the Sigma's 1130 g, a 180 g difference. It is also shorter at 105.4 mm versus 126.2 mm, and slimmer at 88.6 mm versus 94.7 mm.

Filter threads differ. The Canon takes 77 mm filters and the Sigma takes the larger 86 mm size, so direct-fit filters do not transfer between them. Both accept front filters directly.

Both lenses give the same framing and the same maximum aperture, so dim reception halls and studio shoots are equally well served by either. Each is an 85 mm prime with an f/1.4 maximum aperture and a nine-blade automatic diaphragm.

Close work matches as well. Both focus down to 85 cm and reach approximately 0.12x magnification, enough for tight head-and-shoulders portraits. Both support autofocus and manual focus with a focusing ring.

The Canon is the better pick for handheld shooting in dim venues, because it offers image stabilisation rated at four stops while the Sigma has none. That stabiliser helps hold the framing steady for static subjects indoors without a tripod.

Protection and cleaning match. Both lenses have weather sealing for outdoor sessions, and both carry a fluorine coating that helps the front element shrug off dust and smudges.

The two designs share the same element count of 14, including one aspherical element each, and neither uses internal focusing, so the barrel moves during focusing on both.

The Sigma's layout differs where it counts for aberration control. It splits its elements into 12 groups against the Canon's 10 and includes one low-dispersion element, a glass type used to counter chromatic aberration.