Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens For Nikon

I recently purchased this Sigma lens because a friend of mine asked me to take her daughters senior pictures. I have NEVER been asked to do such an important job before because I'm basically a soccer mom photographer, taking photos to use for our end of year banquet slide show and so other kids could have some action shots of themselves. But I thought what the heck, I'll give it a shot (and Seriously had stressed over it!!!). I had been researching portrait lenses previously because I've been trying to UP my photography game and get back into it (because I got a degree in photography a million years ago and never kept up with it!) I guess you could say I'm a better than average non-professional photographer mostly photographing pictures of my kids, dogs and family ... MoreI recently purchased this Sigma lens because a friend of mine asked me to take her daughters senior pictures. I have NEVER been asked to do such an important job before because I'm basically a soccer mom photographer, taking photos to use for our end of year banquet slide show and so other kids could have some action shots of themselves. But I thought what the heck, I'll give it a shot (and Seriously had stressed over it!!!). I had been researching portrait lenses previously because I've been trying to UP my photography game and get back into it (because I got a degree in photography a million years ago and never kept up with it!) I guess you could say I'm a better than average non-professional photographer mostly photographing pictures of my kids, dogs and family the past 15 years. Deciding I would take the challenge and shoot my friends daughters senior photos, it seemed the 85 2.8 portrait lens was the way to go, but deciding on which one to get was another thing. I have a couple of good, expensive Nikon brand lenses, but just wasn't sure I could shell out the extra $ when I could get the equivalent Sigma 85mm. After talking to a VERY knowledgeable B&H employee for 45 minutes for my whole commute home, he told me the Sigma was actually superior to the Nikon for several reasons (which I can't remember!) and seeing as I don't make a living doing photography, it seemed like a no-brainer. He was able to place my order for the Sigma 85mm right then and there, as well as suggest the best filter, and everything was delivered the next day by 10:30 am!. He even game me some shooting tips. I used the lens for my shoot and it worked great! The photos came out better than I had expected and I'm very happy with my purchase. I have to say B&H customer service ROCKS - you can't go wrong!

I love Sigma lenses and this is a dream for portrait work. So bright and so rugged. It is a dream lens. Particularly wanted for the wide aperture after persevering with mid range zooms. The is almost zero chromatic aberration which cannot be said for zooms. Feels like a battleship compared to Canon lens - really well built. Delighted with it.

This is probably the best value 85mm f/1.4 for Nikon shooters. I shoot in low light a lot, so large apertures are important to me. I've only owned Nikon lenses before this, and it took a lot for me to actually purchase this lens. So far, it performs better than expected; I rented one to compare with the Nikon 85 f/1.4G, and the difference was imperceptible. I'm especially happy because the one I purchased actually seems sharper than the one I rented. And no AF fine-tuning was necessary for my copy. I wanted to wait and see if Sigma would come out with an Art version of this lens, but the new Art lenses have been larger and heavier than their predecessors, and I'm not interested in heavier gear. The quality I get out of this version is more than I need. Not only is ... MoreThis is probably the best value 85mm f/1.4 for Nikon shooters. I shoot in low light a lot, so large apertures are important to me. I've only owned Nikon lenses before this, and it took a lot for me to actually purchase this lens. So far, it performs better than expected; I rented one to compare with the Nikon 85 f/1.4G, and the difference was imperceptible. I'm especially happy because the one I purchased actually seems sharper than the one I rented. And no AF fine-tuning was necessary for my copy. I wanted to wait and see if Sigma would come out with an Art version of this lens, but the new Art lenses have been larger and heavier than their predecessors, and I'm not interested in heavier gear. The quality I get out of this version is more than I need. Not only is this the best value, in my opinion, but it is just about the best quality you can get. For the price, it was a no-brainer for me.