Sigma 105mm F/1.4 DG HSM | A vs Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM | A — Which Is Better?

The Sigma 105mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art and the Sigma 85mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art are both full-frame Nikon F primes in Sigma's Art line. Both cover the same maximum format, so neither restricts you to a smaller sensor, and both share the F/1.4 maximum aperture that gives portraits a bright viewfinder image and shallow depth of field.

Their release dates differ: the 105mm Art arrived in 2018, two years after the 85mm Art from 2016. That history aside, the practical choice between them rests on focal length and the body size each focal length demands.

The 85mm Art is the meaningfully lighter and slimmer lens for a smaller kit. It weighs 1130 g against 1645 g for the 105mm Art, a 515 g difference, and measures 94.7 mm across versus 115.9 mm. If you carry one lens on a strap or work handheld for long sessions, the 85mm keeps the total package closer to a standard portrait setup.

Filter sizes differ too: the 105mm Art takes 105mm front filters, while the 85mm Art takes 86mm. Each accepts filters directly in its own thread, so a set of 86mm filters fits only the 85mm without an adapter, and 105mm filters likewise belong to the longer lens. Lengths are close, at 131.5 mm against 126.2 mm, so the longer lens adds little depth in a bag.

The 105mm Art gives you more working distance and tighter framing on distant subjects. Its 105mm focal length, against 85mm on the other lens, means a head-and-shoulders portrait requires standing further back with the 105mm, and distant subjects fill the frame more without moving. That extra reach is the single biggest reason to choose it.

The 85mm Art focuses closer, at 85 cm versus 100 cm, letting you fill the frame with a face or small still-life subject at a shorter distance. The two lenses' maximum magnification figures both round to 0.12x. Both are primes with autofocus, a manual focusing ring and a nine-blade automatic diaphragm, sharing the same F/1.4 aperture wide open.

Weather sealing and fluorine front coatings are shared here, so both lenses carry protection against the elements and a front element that sheds water and wipes clean of smudges easily. For outdoor portrait work in drizzle or dusty conditions, neither lens asks you to compromise on these practical points.

Two limits are also shared: neither lens offers built-in image stabilisation, so slower handheld shutter speeds rest on your technique or a stabilised body, and neither supports teleconverters for extra reach. If you photograph moving subjects in low light, plan on shutter speeds fast enough for the subject either way.

The 105mm Art carries the more elaborate optical formula for its focal length: 17 elements in 12 groups, including three elements that reduce colour fringing, one aspherical element and one low-dispersion element. Those specialised elements target chromatic fringing and distortion in a fast, long portrait design.

The 85mm Art uses a simpler 14-element formula in the same 12 groups, with one aspherical and one low-dispersion element of its own. Both designs are conventional extending-focus types, so neither keeps a constant physical length while focusing.