Whats the absolute best portrait lens for a Sony full-frame setup right now if I’m trying to stay under a grand? I’ve been shooting on my A7IV for a year now mostly with a kit lens and a cheap 35mm but my sister is getting married in Austin next month and she basically voluntold me to be the main photographer since they spent the whole budget on the venue and open bar lol. I’m starting to panic a bit because I know my current gear wont cut it for those creamy bokeh shots she wants.
I’ve been looking at three specific ones and I’m totally torn between these:
- Sony 85mm f1.8
- Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art
- Samyang 85mm f1.4 II
The Sony is the safe choice I guess because it’s light and cheap but I’m worried it wont look professional enough or the bokeh will look kind of busy compared to the faster glass? Then there is the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art which everyone says is the king of sharpness and rendering but its right at the edge of my budget and I’ve heard its kinda heavy to carry around all day for a 6 hour wedding. I also saw the Samyang 85mm f1.4 II and the price is amazing but I’m scared the autofocus might glitch out during the ceremony and I’ll end up with a blurry bride which would literally be the end of me.
The wedding is mostly outdoors at a ranch but the reception is in a dimly lit barn so I need something that can handle the low light without hunting for focus too much. I have about $900 saved up specifically for this but I could maybe stretch to $1000 if the Sigma is really that much better than the Sony 1.8. Is the extra weight of the Sigma actually worth the workout or should I just get the Sony and spend the leftover money on some extra batteries and a nice strap? I’m really leaning towards the Sigma for the f1.4 but then I see the size and get second thoughts...
Stumbled on this thread today. Be careful with the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art weight. I shot a long event with it once and the wrist fatigue actually made my shots shaky by the end.
- Sony FE 85mm f1.8: Snappy AF but watch for purple fringing on white dresses.
- Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art: Way better resolution but heavy glass. The Sigma is technically superior, just make sure to bring a good strap.
Honestly, Ive had issues with the AF on the Samyang AF 85mm f1.4 FE II during fast-moving ceremonies, and its just not as good as expected. Unfortunately, the Sony FE 85mm f1.8 bokeh can look pretty busy in those ranch settings.
- Just buy the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art
- Rendering is way more professional
- Reliable in low light Its heavy, but you really need that f1.4 for the barn.
No way, I literally just dealt with this yesterday. Small world.
To add to the point about the Sigma... unfortunately, I had a nightmare experience at a wedding last summer. I was using the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art and while the images were stunning, my shoulder was absolutely killing me after four hours. It's just not as good as expected for a long day of handheld shooting. Honestly, I've had issues with the weight balance on my A7IV too.
- The AF on the Samyang AF 85mm f1.4 FE II is just too risky for a ceremony imo.
- Sony FE 85mm f1.8 is reliable but that busy bokeh can really ruin a shot against trees. Not sure but I think I heard someone mention that the new firmware for the Sigma helps with the AF speed in low light? IIRC, it was supposed to fix some of the hunting issues in dark barns. Still, the weight is a massive trade-off that I'm still not 100% sold on for wedding work. Its a tough spot to be in when your sisters counting on you and you dont want to let her down with blurry shots.
