Sigma 135mm f/1.4 Art
With a 300-600mm f/4 lens launched in Spring and a 200mm f/2 lens in Autumn, Sigma were already crushing it with never before seen mirrorless lenses in 2025. Then, Just a couple of weeks later, they launched this - the world's first autofocus 135mm f/1.4!
Sigma 135 | Sony 135GM + A7CR
Bokeh lovers will be drawn to this lens, like moths to a supernova! It lets in a ton of light while being incredibly well controlled. It creates clean lowlight images, provides fast shutter speeds, has extreme sharpness and subject isolation (shallow depth of field). The metric that quantifies the latter, "Entrance Pupil" (EP), isn't found on any spec sheet, but it can be easily worked out (see below).
Large Entrance Pupil portrait lenses
Lens Specifiations
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$1,900
E / L
FF | 135 (1.0x)
135mm f/1.4
13 (blades)
17e in 13g
110cm
96.4mm
105mm
138mm / 5.4"
1,430g / 3.15lbs
Plastic
Dock
1:6.9
No
x2
Yes
Yes
Yes
Entrance Pupil
This is the size of the aperture, as viewed through, and magnified by, the front elements of the lens. Lenses compress light by the time it gets to the aperture, which is why it looks way bigger than it could be, but that doesn't diminish its power.
You can work out this fundamental statistic by dividing the focal length by the f-stop (135÷1.4 = 96.4mm). This is what "135/1.4" means. "f" is a "fraction" of the focal length that describes the entrance pupil. 96.4mm makes this lenses' EP very close to that of a 200mm f/2.0 (100mm). Here is the Sigma's EP visualized next to the previous best portrait lenses, for comparison...
This lens is available on L-mount & E-mount. The latter is quickly amassing a huge variety of native 3rd party AF lenses. If we count the original Zeiss A-mount version (adapted with the LE-EA5), from 2007, this marks the sixth fast, autofocus 135mm lens that works on the Sony mirrorless platform (of which I have used four), and all of them are stunning lenses, in their own right. Below is a historical list of autofocus 135mm f/1.8 lenses, with the Sigma f/1.4 lens at the end:
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2007 - 135/1.8 Zeiss A - 1,210g (2.67 lbs) * First
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2017 - 135/1.8 Sigma F/EF/SA - 1,255g (2.65 lbs)
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2019 - 135/1.8 Sony FE - 950g (2.09 lbs) [review]
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2022 - 135/1.8 Samyang FE - 772g (1.7 lbs) [review]
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2023 - 135/1.8 Canon RF - 935g (2.06 lbs)
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2024 - 135/1.8 Nikon Z - 995g (2.19 lbs)
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2025 - 135/1.8 Viltrox Z/FE - 1,300g (2.87 lbs)
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2025 - 135/1.4 Sigma L/FE - 1,430g (3.15 lbs) * First
Canon mirrorless users will likely need to wait for a first party version of this lens, which will be eye-wateringly expensive, if it is even attempted. Nikon mirrorless users can adapt the E-mount version using the Megadap ETZ21 adapter, but AF speed will take a hit.
Sony A1 | 1/400th f/1.4 iso 100
Image Quality
The above 3.5x crop, from the Sony A1, still has incredible image quality. Existing 135mm f/1.8 lenses were already a benchmark of extreme sharpness and low aberrations from wide open. I would stop the Sony 135GM down to f/2.2 to tighten up its sharpness, but I didn't see that as a flaw until I experienced this Sigma 135mm f/1,4. This lens just doesn't need stopping down unless you want more depth of field. Well, unless you're nearly at the minimum focus distance, but that also makes sense due to the razor-thin depth of field anyway and is not something that would affect a head & shoulders portrait, for example.
This is the best corner bokeh shape that I have ever seen. It's not perfect wide open, but it usually only needs stopping down a tiny bit (f/1.8-2.0) to get the bokeh shapes circular right into the corners. When you consider that the 135GM requires dropping a few stops (f/4) to clean up the shapes, this is pretty crazy! Other than that, the only reason to stop down here is simply an artistic choice.
Aberrations
Distortion is the biggest issue of the Sigma 135mm f/1.4, which takes -7 on Adobe's corrections to fix. That's unfortunate, but not a deal killer for most people. Vignetting is a bit higher than I expected given that the mechanical vignette is so good, but it is less than many other fast lenses, so is not a major complaint. It is easily corrected if needed. Chromatic aberration is minimal here, similar to Sigma's previous 135mm lens (f/1.8 DG). Best of all, there is zero ghosting. As you can see from the sample below, strong lighting just doesn't show up on the opposite side of the frame. If you see ghosting, it will be because you're using a filter, which I highly recommend you try your best to avoid with this lens. Your wallet will thank you, too.
Sony A7CR | 1/160th f/1.4 iso 200 (DxO)
Minimum Focus Distance
Compared to most mirrorless 135mm f/1.8 lenses, which have a minimum focus distance (MFD) of around 70cm, this Sigma lens can seem rather disappointing. It's not just the longer 110cm distance, but also the image quality (sharpness) at that distance starting to fall apart. This seems to be the one price you pay for having such a massive entrance pupil. I can still fill a red squirrel in a frame here, but it would be advised to stop the lens down to f/2.8 (for better IQ, but also to have less than a whisker in focus). It's not bad for this kind of subject, but this lens truly shines when stepping back, to capture a wider composition, and retaining great subject isolation.
Cropping / Equivalency
I know, I know... Digital cropping is a filthy concept (to some) and technically something you can do with any decent lens, but hear me out. The combination of extreme image quality, insane subject isolation, minimal aberrations, on a relatively short focal length and combined with a high resolution sensor, enable crops that emulate much bigger and more expensive lenses. Most notably, they don't look like crops. This image quality is so good that I wonder how well it would cope with a 100mp sensor. Combining this lens with the current highest megapixel cameras (the 61mp sensor from the A7RV / A7CR) allows equivalent crops of:
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37 megapixels @ 173mm f/1.8
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33 megapixels @ 193mm f/2.0
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15 megapixels @ 270mm f/2.8
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8 megapixels @ 386mm f/4.0
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4 megapixels @ 540mm f/5.6
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2 megapixels @ 771mm f/8.0
NOTE: The f-stop values change together with the focal length, to keep the entrance pupil the same size, and describe the equivalent look from a longer lens. If you divide any of the above focal lengths by their f-stops, you'll see that all the values equal: 96.4mm. Equivalency is obviously not stating that the exposure value changes because you crop the image.
Sony A7CR | 1/400th f/1.4 iso 100
The above example is from the 50 megapixel Sony A1, so I could have taken this a bit further with the 61 megapixel Sony A7CR. These extreme crops with reasonable equivalent apertures only work because this lens is super sharp wide open. Even the Sony 135GM lens I used to stop down to f/2.2 to tighten up the sharpness, but here I don't feel the need to.
135/1.8 lenses are already an impressive mix of sharpness and blur. Shockingly, their entrance pupils are closer to an 85/1.4 than this (see early pic). The 135/1.4 is a huge step above an f/1.8. In fact, its entrance pupil is only a tiny bit smaller than a 200mm f/2.0, which Sigma made the first mirrorless version of just a couple of weeks earlier. This lens can get pretty much the same results by cropping to the APS-C area. Step a bit closer (to frame your subject the same) and your DoF / separation will be even greater! I'll talk more about equivalencies later, but this lens is not far off emulating a 300mm f/2.8 when cropping to 2x.
Could I have captured the above image just as well on a telephoto lens? Well, maybe not... The most obvious candidate would be something like the Sony 200-600mm. That lens weighs almost twice as much (2.4Kg vs 1.4Kg), and is more than twice the size (318mm vs 135mm). I used to own that lens, and I remember its size & weight putting me off taking it out. What would actually stop you taking the above image is the minimum focus distance (2.4m vs 1.1m). At f/6.3 (wide open) the Sony has negligibly less shallow DoF than the Sigma 135mm (when cropped to the same area), but you shouldn't shoot that monstrosity wide open as the image quality sucks. Stopping the Sony zoom down to f/8 (to get reasonable sharpness) means it would have a five stop exposure disadvantage, and thus the above image would need ISO 80,000! Images shot in lower light make more sense cropping in on this lens, than using a wildlife telephoto.
DoF
With a bit of distance behind your subject, the depth of field can be so extreme that single images can look like a large format photo, or Bokeh Pano. Subjects often look like they're cut out from the background, in a way that only 200mm f/2.0 could previously manage. A 135mm lens is easier to use than a 200mm for portraits, although still harder to use than a 85mm. I had planned to use walkie-talkies for the below photoshoot, but I ended not needing them because it was quiet.
When framing your subject equally, the 135mm f/1,4 has shallower depth of field than a 200mm f/1.8, or even a 300mm f/2.0 (two discontinued lenses that are ridiculously heavy and expensive). This is possible due to the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 lens having a disproportionately large entrance pupil for it's relatively short focal length.
AF
Sigma's dual HLA motors manage to focus these internal elements at an incredible speed considering their size. This thing feels like a considerably smaller GM lens in terms of focus speed, which is yet another aspect of this lens that blows my mind. It is a real shame that Sony locks the burst speed of third party lenses to only 15fps because this thing is probably capable of much more.
Video
So far I have only taken a couple of videos, but it seemed to cope really well with this subject using the Sony A7CR's animal eye-AF in video. This was shot at 4k 60fps and slowed down to 40% speed to 24fps. I didn't even notice the crop, but apparently it is 1.2x. Although the subject isn't moving, the eyes do get partially obscured for a moment and the AF manages to keep locked. When the squirrel bounces toward the camera at the end, it fails to keep up, but that is normal for squirrels I'm afraid, even the Sony A1 and 135GM lens cannot hope to keep up with squirrels.
Competition
There have been three manual focus 135mm f/1.4 lenses, although you could have easily missed them considering how uncommon they are. There is a Leica PL-mount cine lens ($47,000), a medium format Noritar ($15,000), and a Mitakon Speedmaster ($3,000). All of which are bigger, heavier and have longer minimum focus distances. Sigma have utterly destroyed the competition here. Other than the slightly elevated weight and minimum focus distance, this lens is a threat to the 135mm f/1.8 lenses as well. It's shocking to think that the first mirrorless 135mm f/1.8 lens (Sony) was only six years ago, and only twelve years before that we saw the first DSLR version (Zeiss / Sony A-mount). How long will it be until someone give Sigma some competition here?...
Build & Design
Despite Sigma shaving off over 1KG (2.2 lbs) from any of the manual focus 135mm f/1.4 lenses, they have also made a lens that feels extremely well constructed. The weather sealing is to a very high standard. The aperture ring feels very well engineered, if you want to use it. It has a great grip, solid click stops, can be de-clicked and has a locking mechanism (in and out of auto mode). You also get two custom buttons (mapped to a single function) for use in portrait or landscape orientation.
Considering the image quality and sheer size of the glass, this lens is surprisingly small and light. It's about the same length as a 135mm f/1.8 and only really wider at the very end, which feels like a miracle. I am very curious to see if other manufacturers even attempt to make their own version of this. Will first party manufacturers be able to make a compelling reason to choose theirs over this for a lot more money? Will Samyang try to cut down the weight any further? We will see, but don't hold your breath.
I am not usually excited about tripod mounts on lenses, but this one has so much flexibility that it's probably one of my favourite elements. It features an ARCA-Swiss plate, so most people won't have to add one. It can be rotated to any position, or removed entirely if you just want to cut the weight down further. If you do remove it, there is a rubber ring (included) to cover the locking bolts (if you find them ugly or uncomfortable). A very nice touch.
The 105mm filter thread is going to be costly if you want to combine this lens with filters (which you should try not to) and of course the front lens cap is like a dinner plate, so only for bigger pockets. I usually prefer simple, twist lock hoods, but considering its massive size, the locking button feels like the better choice here.
Wider
The below composite illustrates my attempt to capture the subject's feet and the tree colours together. I could not go back far enough to capture this in a single shot, so I took two. It was a scenario like this that led me to discovering the 'Bokeh Pano' technique back in 2009. I should have used it here (with three vertical images) to make a slightly wider image. If I had, the resulting image would have been roughly equivalent to using a 100mm f/1.04. So, what if you want to go wider still?..
Bokeh Panos
This technique (A-K.A. The Brenizer Method) involves stitching multiple images (with the same settings) from a fast portrait lens, to emulate a wider angle image with otherwise impossibly shallow depth of field. This is the fastest portrait lens around, so what is it capable of? If you don't like shallow depth of field, skip to the conclusion.
Here are some samples where I shot between 20 and 40 images. I have included info about the number of shots taken, camera model and equivalency info for each stitched composite. You can see my tutorials for this technique here.
I usually recommend full-frame* "portrait lenses" primes for this technique. A nifty fifty (50mm f/1.8) will do, if that's all you have, but something like an 85mm f/1.8 is much easier to use and provides better results. The sweet spot is somewhere between 85mm and 135mm. This will provide the largest entrance pupil whilst keeping the workflow to a reasonable level.
Longer focal length lenses can have larger entrance pupils than this 135/1.4, but they will be exponentially more difficult to use and emulate a wide angle. It's this wide angle result that makes the real magic of the technique. This Sigma lens is on the extreme end. It has the biggest entrance pupil you will find before the focal lengths, weights and workflow complexity go through the roof!
*NOTE: If you're on a crop system and are looking for a Sony, Fuji or Nikon lens, then I highly recommend the Sirui 75mm f/1.2. This budget and lightweight lens sits in the goldilocks focal length zone, while performing so well that I wouldn't recommend much else.
Final Words
Although capable of extreme subject isolation, the most impressive part is its wide-open image quality. It just doesn't have any optical issues to speak of! The corner bokeh shape (cat's eye), sharpness & contrast across the frame, lack of aberrations, autofocus speed etc. Compared to what we already thought was the apex of prime perfection, with 135mm f/1.8 lenses, this sets a new standard.
Although you can't call this lens cheap, considering everything that it offers, it actually is shockingly good value. It costs far less than any manual focus 135mm f/1.4, whilst also being significantly lighter, better built, having a shorter focus distance and of course adding good autofocus. Furthermore, it undercuts the price of Sony, Canon and Nikon's fast 135mm lenses, while out-performing them AND being two thirds of a stop faster. That is crazy!
We have stellar value 135mm f/1.8 options from Viltrox, but at nearly the same weight as the Sigma it's not as interesting as the Samyang to me, given that it's half the weight. It might not be as optically good as the Viltrox, but it's not far off either, and that still represents a better balance of features to me. I will keep the Samyang 135mm f/1.8 around for travel, but I might sell the Sony 135GM.
I immediately pre-ordered this Sigma 135mm f/1.4 when I saw it (which I never do). Having such a massive entrance pupil on a relatively short focal length, at a reasonable weight and with autofocus was just too good to pass up! Combined with the A7CR you get a smaller and lighter 200mm f/2, at 27 megapixels and for much less money too. This level of performance is usually reserved for massive wildlife telephoto primes that cost as much as a car.
Drop in filters and image stabilization could make this a more compelling lens for some, but I am glad that Sigma decided to keep the weight down. If anyone else attempts to make this lens, I doubt they will be able to shave much weight off without sacrificing something important. To be honest, I don't think anyone else is looking forward to competing with this thing.
If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend reading Bastian's review of the Sigma 135/1.4, over on PhillipReeves.
Bonus Squirrels
If you like squirrels, yay! It's your lucky day, if not look away now...