Sigma 85mm f1.4 - New Mid-range Telephoto Competition For Canon and Nikon

The Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM Lens was announced months ago. It was due to release in the summer, but it actually became available in November. Yours truly had great hopes for this lens, but I got tired of waiting and checking to see if it was available. Then, totally by accident, I came across it on Amazon, and to my shock, it is now shipping.The Sigma 85 turns out to be a wonderful alternative to Canon's own 85mm f1.2 and Nikon's 85mm f1.4. On the Canon side, the price is almost $1000 less and for the Nikon model, you can save a respectable $200.Right up front, I will admit that if you are a Canon shooter, and money is not an issue, go ahead and get the f1.2 version. However, if you are not yet decided, by all means check out this comparison, because this new lens has gotten the attention of some "pixel peeping" experts in terms of its excellent performance.I was personally interested in the release because of the perfect focal length and aperture for portrait photography. At f1.4, you will get superior Bokeh, as good as the more expensive lenses. And this is the goal of portrait photographers.But aside from portraits, there are two other aspects of a really fast medium telephoto lens. The first is indoor sports. The wide open aperture will get you some extremely fast shutter speeds in low light at events like basketball (my personal favorite). I have used my Canon 70-200 f4.0 lens with mediocre results. The Sigma 85mm f1.4 with its HSM (hypersonic motor) is "the cat's meow" in this type of light and action. The second place this lens really shines is when using the video function on your digital SLR. The prime lens has such good image quality that it makes video look absolutely amazing. Again, the bokeh in your video (if taken at the wide open aperture) will look smooth and professional.Tests against Canon and Nikon have placed the Sigma lens at equal or just below equal in image quality. And Sigma has been working hard to gain the trust of the expert photographic community.This handsome Sigma lens deserves your attention.