I'd try to keep it short - I've considered the idea of buying an adapter (the Sigma MC-11 or Metabones) with Canon 135mm f/2, but then decided against it. The Sigma adapter makes any lens work as native, but I'll have to live with the knowledge my next Firmware could screw everything, and the Metabones doesn't support the Eye-AF. Othern than that - buying the MC-11 and the Canon is always a good idea, especially if you find the Canon cheaper.
My other choices for 135mm were the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art and the Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8. I thing both are great lens and come at a fair prices, a bit higher for the Batis in Europe, and at the end I chose the Sigma, because:
I also have a longer review on my website but I think it's probably against forum rules to place a link.
My other choices for 135mm were the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art and the Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8. I thing both are great lens and come at a fair prices, a bit higher for the Batis in Europe, and at the end I chose the Sigma, because:
- More light with usable f/1.8 aperture. Better to close when I don't need it than don't have the option at all.
- It's super sharp even wide open (in corners too, doesn't matter) and can be stopped to f/2.2 w/o noticable change in the bokeh, becoming even sharper. At 2.8 it's superb, and by f/4-f5.6 you just cannot make it better.
- Also extremely well controlled - no CA or any other type of aberration, coma corrected to a pixel it seems, not even a need to shoot with the huge hood, since you have to deliberately set up a scene to see a flare.
- Off focus areas don't show purple or cyan casts (something I hate in my 85mm f/1.8 FE), the transition to focus areas is perfect.
- Has superb bokeh. No swirly or busy stuff, smooth, no rings. Stays pretty much the same up to f/2.2, then starts showing some forms at f/2.8, still staying smooth.
- Superb build quality, as is to be expected from the new Sigma series.
- It's huge and heavy. I cannot stress enough on both. Hood makes it enormous. By no means this is travel lens.
- IMO SSIgma just slapped the MC-11 inside, or something similar, meaning the lens is longer than the Canon/Nikon variants. Same length as the lens plus adapter or similar.
- AF is super quiet and fast, but sometimes it makes mistakes, and I don't like how it follows movement. From what I gathered, the Batis is no better for static photos, but it's much better for video or AF-C mode. Compared to the popular Sony 85mm f/1.8 FE - it's pretty much the same, but you have worse time to refocus if it hits something not when you need it.
- Doesn't have optical stabilization. With A7RII and above it doesn't matter much, and it doesn't help with people anyway, but still - the Zeiss has it. Probably the reason it's f/2.8, I guess.
I also have a longer review on my website but I think it's probably against forum rules to place a link.
Last edited:





