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PERFECTION: Sigma 135mm f/1.8 ART Lens Review

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PERFECTION: Sigma 135mm f/1.8 ART Lens Review

April 08, 2017  |  by samys

I feel so honored to have been able to test this incredible lens, thank you. Thank you Mr. Yamaki and thank you to your employees in Aizu, Japan, who strive for perfection in what they do in daily life. Life is an art there.

The 135mm 1.8 is aptly part of the Sigma ART series of lenses. This lens symbolically is like the beautifully crafted Katana sword of the Last Samurai…Perfection!

[caption id="attachment_4218" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Credit: Sigma[/caption]

I have only had just a few days to try this new offering from Sigma; but, it has been something incredible. It is everything I look for and so much more for much of the type of work I do.

Just the other day, I said to a working colleague that if I could choose just one lens and one camera to make a living with photography, this is definitely the lens. With this medium telephoto, one can do so much photographing people, landscapes, sports. It has just that reach you need to get that certain look that will make your photographs stand out; especially at F/ 1.8, which makes the subject stand out against any background, which is beautifully blurred.

Time after time, in new unknown situations and lighting in the several days I had with this lens, I could take on the situation and it would reward me with what I was envisioning and then some. This is the added magic that I will accept because I do not understand the engineering behind this lens; just the results I can achieve. Wide open, even the most chaotic background will be tamed and blended into something quite harmonious leaving the sharp subject to stand out.

Is it a lightweight lens?  What are you thinking? 

This is a medium telephoto lens with a 1.8 aperture. So, that requires a lot of this beautiful glass. But, for me, it is very manageable to hold and get more than I could ever imagine with a lens half its weight.  And, it is splash-proof and dust-proof, which is a plus in less than comfortable conditions.

Am I being dramatic here? Let’s call it passionate! I can only try to tell you how good this lens is. I will refer you to my photographs in the short few days I had with this lens. Man, oh man, I wish I could have a few more weeks with it!

Perfection!!!

[caption id="attachment_4220" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Olivier | 1/250 F/1.8 ISO 400 | Credit: Ralph Elliott Starkweather[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4221" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Palm Springs, California | 1/500 F/1.8 ISO 100 | Credit: Ralph Elliott Starkweather[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4222" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Palm Springs, California | 1/500 F/1.8 ISO 100 | Credit: Ralph Elliott Starkweather[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4223" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Palm Springs, California | 1/400 F/1.8 ISO 100 | Credit: Ralph Elliott Starkweather[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4224" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Niki - Palm Springs, California | 1/500 F/1.8 ISO 100 | Credit: Ralph Elliott Starkweather[/caption]

All photographs made with the Canon 5D Mark IV and edited in Photoshop for final presentation.

April 08, 2017

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samys

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