Sigma's Lightweight 85mm f/1.2 Art Is Official, But Canon RF Shooters Are Out in the Cold - Canon Rumors

요약

Sigma has officially announced the Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art for E and L mounts. As usual, Nikon and Canon mounts are left looking in from the outside. This one may sting more than most releases, as the 85mm f/1.2 prime lens is a "core" product for most manufac…

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The new Sigma comes in at only $1,599 USD, which looks like a bargain considering it outperforms the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM optically, which costs $1,200 more.

Yes, the Canon is 7 years old at this point, but the Sigma looks to be a better lens at the pixel level.

Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art Construction & MTF

Optical construction — 17 elements in 12 groups

MTF — Contrast vs Image Height (mm)

M 10 lp/mm S 10 lp/mm M 30 lp/mm S 30 lp/mmMTF data: 10 lp/mm curves stay above 0.9 across the image circle; 30 lp/mm curves range from about 0.65 to 0.94.

MTF measured at maximum aperture (F1.2). S = Sagittal, M = Meridional. Horizontal axis shows image height with distortion correction applied (L-Mount reference).

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM vs Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art

MTF at maximum aperture — Sigma vs Canon 85mm F1.2

Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG Art

M 10 S 10 M 30 S 30

Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM

S 10 M 10 S 30 M 30

Both charts measured wide open (F1.2), image height in mm. Sigma curve digitized from Sigma's published chart; Canon curve digitized from Canon's published chart. Axis conventions (solid/dashed = M/S) differ between manufacturers as shown in each legend — read within each panel, not across.

While the Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art is not available for the RF mount, it's interesting to look at how the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM compares to the brand-new Sigma.

When we look at these two lenses, there are a few things that stand out. The first is the price difference: the Canon is currently $2,799 USD, while the Sigma has launched at only $1,599. That $1,200 difference is a pretty big deal.

The Sigma is a more complex design with 17 elements in 12 groups compared to the Canon, which uses a 13-element, 9-group layout. For further comparison, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM uses a 14-element, 10-group design.

On the weight side of things, the Sigma comes in at a manageable 905g / 2 lbs, while the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 is 1,195g / 2.6 lbs, which is a significant difference. The Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM weighs only 636g / 1.4 lbs.

Another big difference is that the Sigma utilizes 13 aperture blades, while the Canon sits at 9.

Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG | Art vs. Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM

	Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG \| Art	Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM
Price	$1,599	$2,799
Mount	L-Mount, Sony E	Canon RF only
Optical Formula	17 elements / 12 groups	13 elements / 9 groups
Special Elements	2 SLD + high-anomalous-dispersion glass + 3 aspherical	1 UD + BR (Blue Spectrum Refractive) + 1 aspherical
Aperture Blades	13 (rounder wide-open bokeh)	9
Weight	905 g	1,195 g
AF Motor	Dual HLA linear actuators	Ring-type USM
Availability	October 6, 2026	Shipping since 2019

MTF Breakdown

10 lp/mm (contrast): Both of these lenses are excellent here. It's basically a wash between the two.

30 lp/mm (fine resolution): This is the measurement that shows off sharpness across the frame. and this is where the Sigma performs better.

The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM has a noticeably bigger drop in resolution from mid-frame to the corners than the Sigma. That means the Sigma is keeping more corner/edge resolution wide open.

The Canon is 7 years old, and we think that a new one is on the horizon as performance begins to show its age while lens design has taken some big leaps in recent years. That doesn't take away from the fact that the Sigma looks brilliant—and for $1,200 less? Impressive.

In Closing

This release will get the usual frustration that we can't get full-frame Sigma lenses for the RF mount, and I think in this case it really is a bummer. While I love the RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM and I would never go to any sort of f/1.2 variant, I'd still love to have this lens as an option.

It is what it is.

Press Release

Sigma Announces the 85mm F1.2 DG | Art

Ronkonkoma, N.Y., September 8, 2026

Sigma Corporation of America, the US subsidiary of Sigma Corporation (CEO: Kazuto Yamaki. Headquarters: Asao-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan), is pleased to announce the Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG | Art, a large-aperture, medium-telephoto lens for full-frame cameras that combines unparalleled rendering power with a compact, lightweight design.

At 85mm, a focal length widely regarded as ideal for portrait photography, this lens achieves Sigma's brightest-ever F1.2 aperture while also delivering outstanding portability. This lens is Sigma's third F1.2 prime lens designed for mirrorless camera systems, rounding out the common trio of wide-angle, standard, and medium-telephoto focal lengths.

With its super bright aperture and 13 aperture blades, this 85mm is designed to deliver exceptional bokeh and background rendering thanks in part to the image separation granted by the 85mm focal length, making the lens an exceptional option for portraiture. A full range of functions that come standard with Sigma Art lenses, such as an aperture ring, aperture lock switch, and customizable AFL buttons, work to deliver a lens designed to meet the challenges of professional use.

The 85mm F1.2 DG | Art will be available from authorized Sigma dealers in the US beginning October 6, 2026 for a retail price of $1,599 USD.

Source: press.sigmaphoto.com

Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art Features

Sigma 85mm f/1.2 DG Art

85mm Focal Length
Max Aperture f/1.2, Min f/16
E-Mount, L-Mount, Full-Frame Coverage
17 Elements in 12 Groups
13-Blade Rounded Aperture
Min Focus 2.8′ / 84cm
0.11x Magnification
82mm Front Filter Size
Autofocus, No Image Stabilization
2 lb / 905g

L-Mount Check Price → TAGGED:RF 85 f/1.2L Sigma 85 f/1.2 DG Art spotlight

ByCraig BlairCraig shoots professional basketball and travels extensively in search of wildlife adventures. His camera of choice is the EOS R1. Previous Article

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Maximilian(@maximilian)EOS R50 V 1 day ago #84610

I love competition.
Well done, Sigma.
But still no FF for RF mount 😪
1.499€ incl. VAT in Germany.

Uneternalism(@uneternalism)EOS R100 1 day ago #84614

Canon continues to trip itself up with its full-frame lens embargo and ugly new camera designs. 🤦🏻‍♂️

photographer(@photographer)EOS R100 1 day ago #84615

I think it’s clear by now that if I want a selection of third-party lenses, I can’t use a Canon. Owning a Canon camera makes sense if, on the other hand, the selection of Canon lenses is what appeals to me.

disqus_S3sWVXaLXj(@disqus_s3swvxalxj)EOS R100 Reply to photographer 1 day ago #84618

Every single camera systems has a compromise.
E mount castrates 3rd parties at firmware level and every single camera has horrible ergonomics
Z mount cameras are lag quite a lot in terms of performance and Sigma isn’t interested in making lenses for the mount thanks to history of Nikon letting loose their hounds from legal dept
RF mount is blocking 3rd party FF AF lenses completely and atleast what we have seen with APS-C offerings there are no artificial limitations applied to them unlike Sony
L mount has quite a decent selection of cameras but all of them lag behind when it comes to wildlife/action and overall AF performance
X mount is exclusively APS-C system and most of the FF AF lenses dont even make it to this system and AF in general is a little lagging behind
Micro 43 similar to X mount very few FF AF lenses are made for the system

So at the end of the pick your poison when it comes to camera system.

Last edited 1 day ago by disqus_S3sWVXaLXj 0

thw(@thw)EOS R100 Reply to disqus_S3sWVXaLXj 1 day ago #84628

Yes, you may continue to console yourself… 😉

-2

Steve_FR(@steve_fr) Reply to photographer 21 hours ago #84641

B&H alone has over 120 third party manual focus full frame RF lenses. I have no idea what is going on with AF, but people complain as if there are zero third party lenses to choose from, not so. Hopefully we get AF options soon, but in the mean time – we have a basket of manual lenses. Sony has a nice number of 354 full frame third party lenses (AF/MF). Canon also has another additional 120 third party full frame AF/Mf options for EF mount.

Last edited 21 hours ago by Steve_FR -1

disqus_Ws3YTQWGMM(@disqus_ws3ytqwgmm)EOS R100 Reply to Steve_FR 6 hours ago #84682

Nobody is talking about manual focus Meike or 15 years old EF Sigma lenses and you know that. People want modern RF AF lenses, like this Sigma 85mm.

snapshot(@snapshot)EOS R100 1 day ago #84616

no big deal, i am still getting great pics via EF 85 F/1.4 LIS or EF mount Sigma 105 F/1.4 + (sometimes) VND mount adapter on my R5.

in fact, i think the real disappointment is that Sigma has abandoned the EF mount.

rceres(@rceres)EOS R100 1 day ago #84623

This dreamy lens combined with the Sony A7R vi makes a pretty compelling argument for portrait and landscape photographers to switch systems. It’s sad to me. I’ve been shooting and recommending Canon for many many years.

PinholeR5(@pinholer5)EOS R100 Reply to rceres 19 hours ago #84644

Yep. I hear you. I’ve been exclusevly on Canon for the past 20+ years. And I love Sigma lenses and have been using them for almost as long. I own all the FF EF mount Sigma Art Prime lenses.
I’ve been considering getting a Sony A7R VI just to use with Sigma lenses. The 35mm F1.2 II, the 135mm F1.4, this 85mm F1.2 could also be interesting, though I am quite happy with the RF 85mm F1.2, so not as appealing. From reviews (e.g., Christopher Frost) the new Sigma looks fantastic. If they had announced the rumored 65mm F1.0(ish) I probably would have pushed the button.

padam(@padam)EOS R100 Reply to rceres 12 hours ago #84663

This lens is not dreamy at all. An EF 85 1.2 II is dreamy.

I think these new portrait lenses are just over-engineered (for their intended main purpose). They could make some that are optically less good but even smaller and lighter.

99% of the people aren’t young models and don’t look better with a lens this sharp. Of course when shot close enough, nothing is in focus apart from an eye (or both eyes) but the rendering still doesn’t look anything like old lenses.

SHK1(@shk1)EOS R100 Reply to padam 4 hours ago #84692

Agreed. I bought the RF 85 1.2 and returned it to stick with the EF version. I found the RF version clinically sharp and I ended up spending a lot more time on skin in post which didn’t make sense. I also preferred the more characteristic flare of the EF. The biggest bonus was that I saved a good amount of money.

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