Sigma has announced a new 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art lens designed specifically for mirrorless cameras including the new Sony a7S III.
Art glass has been popular among creators, and while it lacks standard features found on cine lenses, the series features a de-clicked aperture ring that's very videographer-friendly. The 85mm F1.4 DG DN is no different, but optically, it changes things up compared to Sigma's existing 85mm F1.4 DG HSM fit for SLRs.
The lens features the same fast aperture and familiar compact form but includes 5 SLD and 1 aspherical element among 11 groups in 15 elements. Sigma also bumped the aperture blade design from 9 on the DG HSM to 11 on the DG DN which yields a glistening 22 sun points. The lens features the same 28.6.° angle of view and 33.5" (85 cm) minimum focusing distance, but reduces the front filter size from 86mm to 77mm.
Besides the change in optical performance, what shooters will notice most is the cut in weight and length. The 85mm F1.4 DG DN weighs nearly half of what the DG HSM did at 630g compared to 1,130g. That's more than 1 lb., which is a significant reduction that won't go unnoticed. The lens is also an inch shorter than the SLR version.
Sigma's new iris lock switch
As you'd expect from the Art series, the lens has a dust and splash-proof construction, a brass bayonet, a programmable AFL button, damped switches, and a stepping motor optimized for high-speed autofocus. Also new is an iris ring lock switch which Sigma says "prevents unintended movement of the aperture ring during image capture." Essentially, when you set the aperture, you can now lock it in place, which is a nice feature. It's also compatible with cameras that offer lens-based optical correction as well as Sigma's USB Dock that allows shooters to adjust autofocus settings and update the firmware of the lens.
The 85mm F1.4 DG DN will be available in Sony E mount and L mount cameras like the Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1H. Expect to arrive this August with a price tag around $1,199 USD.
