It's a phenomenal lens
I wanted to find out whether what people say about it is true. So I rented one and looked forward to the results. My first shot was out on the street — linden blossoms. I shot wide open and the result wasn't quite what I expected. You need more distance between the subject and the background. At home I focused on the ceiling light and the result was different — better. And the lens really showed what it could do with a portrait. Even in extreme backlight it renders details with sufficient finesse. The photos look sharp from f/1.4 — which is a noticeable difference compared to my Nikkor AF 1.8D.
What I love most is the bokeh. The ability to open up the aperture that wide is wonderful, especially when you want to isolate a detail. The Sigma ART gives you the absolute maximum possible.
Price? Fair (around 29,000 CZK)
Competition? None — the Nikkor I also tried is more expensive. I don't see a meaningful quality difference between them. Why buy the pricier one when the cheaper option is better?
And the Sigma is over 600g heavier and has a larger filter thread — 86 vs. 77mm.
Already looking forward to trying the 105 or 135 f/1.4. The 135 seems quite long already, but we'll see what it can conjure up.
