Should I stick with an 85mm or is the 135mm GM actually the play for outdoor portraits? Ive been using the basic Sony 85 1.8 for ages and its fine but since I moved to the A7R V the resolution is just showing every single flaw and the purple fringing is driving me nuts. I have a high-end engagement shoot in Olympic National Park next month and I want something that handles backlight better. I have about 1600 saved up and Im torn between the Sigma 85 DG DN or just biting the bullet on the G Master. Does the Sigma focus fast enough for candid movement or is the native glass still the king for eye-AF reliability?
Honestly, I really wanted to love the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art for Sony E but I was pretty let down by the autofocus consistency. I know everyone raves about it online, but on my A7R V it just felt kinda nervous. Like it couldnt quite decide where to lock when my subjects were moving through dappled light or shadows. For a high-stakes engagement shoot, thats the last thing you want to worry about, especially with those 61MP files showing every tiny miss.
- Third party glass still struggles with that perfect sticky eye-AF when you have heavy backlight.
- The older Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is gorgeous but the AF motor is basically a dinosaur compared to newer linear motors.
- Weather sealing on the Sigma is okay, but I always feel more anxious with it in misty places like Olympic. Its honestly frustrating because the 135mm mentioned earlier is technically amazing, but it is such a massive beast to lug around a national park for hours. Youre gonna be exhausted. I actually ended up moving away from 85mm entirely for a while and grabbed the Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM because its just more reliable in those tricky outdoor spots. If you're dead set on an 85, just be careful with the Sigma if there is lots of candid movement... it might disappoint you when you are culling and notice the focus is just slightly off on the eyes.
> I have about 1600 saved up and Im torn between the Sigma 85 DG DN or just biting the bullet on the G Master. In my experience with the A7R V, that 61MP sensor is brutal on older glass. If you look at the technical data, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Sony E actually outperforms the original Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM in corner sharpness and axial chromatic aberration. The Sigma uses five SLD elements that really kill that purple fringing you're seeing on your current 1.8 lens. Its a beast. AF speed on the Sigma is solid for candid movement, but native glass still wins for tracking reliability in harsh backlight. Since you're heading to Olympic NP, maybe check out the Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM as an alternative. It has Nano AR Coating II which is basically magic for flare control. If you stick with 85mm tho, the Sigma is the technical play. The current GM is kinda dated and due for a Mark II anyway.
Go for the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM! Honestly, the AF is amazing and its way more reliable for a big shoot than going third-party, you wont regret it!
Any updates on this?
