[Adam]

I'm all for modern lenses- it would definitely be a fine addition to your kit (for any purpose, but especially if you're into portraiture).

[zapp]

Although I also prefer small lenses - the filter size increase of modern lenses results in lower vignetting and better perfomance. This is the treadeoff netween size and quality.
A really good f2 lens would be my favorite - I will keep the 77 mm Pentax lens - focal length that is, not lens diameter.

[Frogfish]

To put things a bit into perspective, one should note that the FA85 is about 20 years old.
It would be very surprising, if a new, state-of-the-art lens couldn't perform at least slightly better.

You may be surprised. A Canon shooter recently tested the FA85 against the Canon 85/1.2L and posted his results .... and to his utter amazement he was forced to conclude the FA85 was the better lens.

[Frogfish]

The Sigma is one sharp lens.

It will be interesting to see the Samyang review as well.

I saw a comparison a few months ago that concluded the Samyang 85 was the sharpest of all the 85s wide open but was overtaken by all when stopped down. So if you are looking for 1.4 performance .......

[Frogfish]

The Sigma has a 77mm filter thread, and is a beast when the hood is on.

The 77mm filter, while large and expensive, also fits a large range of other lenses (DA*300 / 14 / 12-24 / 16-50) so if you have any already you are actually making a substantial saving. This is a great move by Sigma because many of their other lenses have less popular filter sizes.

[vrrattko]

You may be surprised. A Canon shooter recently tested the FA85 against the Canon 85/1.2L and posted his results .... and to his utter amazement he was forced to conclude the FA85 was the better lens.

You may be right, but after looking at the comparison photos in Pentaxforums' in depth review, I can clearly see Sigma as a superior lens to FA* in terms of resolution.

[JohnBee]

Great review!
Very informative.
Any chance you could add an alternative or competitive item lists to the reviews([with prices)?

[zapp]

You may be surprised. A Canon shooter recently tested the FA85 against the Canon 85/1.2L and posted his results .... and to his utter amazement he was forced to conclude the FA85 was the better lens.

Who cares what a Canon user thinks about a Pentax or even a Canon lens. The review I saw was not the smartest review ever. The Canon 85L outperformed the Pentax lens in the center. For a portrait lens this is the sweet area you need. There are also some more elaborated reviews round for the Canon 85L. In Pentax land you can only choose from long dicontinued lenses - or the APS-C 55 mm lens besides Sigma. There are a couple el cheapo 85 mm lenses also available now, not really worth a look. In case a Samyang lens surpasses other lenses, I would be ignorant enough to dismiss the review completely.
Is resolution the most imnportant point for a 85 mm lens?

[vrrattko]

The 77mm filter, while large and expensive, also fits a large range of other lenses (DA*300 / 14 / 12-24 / 16-50) so if you have any already you are actually making a substantial saving. This is a great move by Sigma because many of their other lenses have less popular filter sizes.

That's a good point.....and let us not forget that Sigma is a fullframe lens, so in a worst case scenario you can likely use step down ring to mount smaller filter like 67mm with no drastic effect on image quality.
But I wonder, do you guys use any kind of filters on short telephoto lenses? I usually use filters just for wide angles or standards for landscapes mainly...

[Adam]

I keep a filter on my 85mm just to protect the glass- and I was sure to get one of the higher-end hoya filters to minimize the impact on IQ.

[Winder]

I keep a filter on my 85mm just to protect the glass- and I was sure to get one of the higher-end hoya filters to minimize the impact on IQ.

I would recommend an aluminum lens hood. They are cheaper than filters and actually improve IQ when glare or stray light is an issue. I use a lens sock over the lens to keep it dust free (they don't pop off and get lost).

I leave them on all the time and just deal with the added length. I think they do a better job of protecting the lens.

[TOUGEFC]

I was in a camera shop yesterday and had a look at the Sigma 85mm in the display case, I was quite suprised at the small size of it (well it aint no Ltd) but I expected it too be much bigger!

[vrrattko]

I was in a camera shop yesterday and had a look at the Sigma 85mm in the display case, I was quite suprised at the small size of it (well it aint no Ltd) but I expected it too be much bigger!

Could anybody post image of Sigma 85 mounted on Pentax body, please?

[TOUGEFC]

Could anybody post image of Sigma 85 mounted on Pentax body, please?

Page 1, post 1, click the link to the review, it has some pics on a body

[Adam]

Sigma 85mm F1.4 HSM - Review