By Antonio Malara In March 2017 I bought the Nikkor AF-S 85mm F1.8 for my Nikon DSLR system. I needed a compact portrait lens to use instead of the Nikkor 70-200 F2.8. Mainly this need was given by the fact that I needed the lens for the "Glamour" section of my site, where I have the photos taken by other people under my guidance. The 70-200 was too flashy, heavy, unbalanced the camera and was not easy to use for those who were not familiar with photography. My idea worked very well, the Nikkor 85 1.8 not only matched my Nikon D3S perfectly but moreover I discovered even more advantageous features. That lens has a very good minimum focus distance and after taking a series of fine art shots, I started using it for those types of photos continuously. I found that I used the 85mm focal length consistently and was happy with it because I actually had doubts about how much I would use that lens. In other words, after the purchase, I almost always left the Nikkor 85 mm attached to the Nikon D3S, a combo with which I take 2,500 to 3,000 photos every year. But after purchasing the Fujifilm XT3 at the end of 2018, this camera has become my favorite for its combination of performance and compactness. In fact, although the image quality of my Nikon D3S is still my favorite, the mirrorless system, ergonomics and ease of use of the XT3 are unsurpassed. It goes without saying that I started buying many lenses for the Fujifilm system, whose focal length I already had for the Nikon DSLR system. It was following this logic that exactly one year ago I decided to purchase the Sigma 56 mm F1.4, whose focal length in the 35 mm system corresponds to 85 mm. The decision was a bit long, initially I was inclined towards the Viltrox 56 mm F1.4 but having purchased the 23 F1.4 I wasn't happy with the performance wide open and then the 56 was a bit old and the rumors were imply that a new model would be presented soon (for the record, the new Viltrox 56 was launched a few weeks ago but it is an F1.7). So I decided to spend about €100 more and buy the Sigma which is a new model for Fujifilm even if from an optical point of view it is the same one that was launched for the Sony system several years ago. However, from some tests I saw, I was able to notice that the image quality was almost identical to that of the Fujinon 56 1.4 (old model), a lens that cost almost €1,000. Furthermore, I immediately fell in love with the Sigma for its compactness and also for the design, a simple lens, without aperture ring, light and compact. These were the reasons that led me to purchase the Sigma 56 mm F1.4 at the price of €430, mainly the use I intended was for my "Glamour" shots, for portrait photos but also, and this was a bet, to take street photos. In fact, the intention was to bring this lens on my travels and try it around European cities, where I noticed that there were much more interesting situations and subjects. Furthermore, abroad I happened to meet very beautiful girls to do photoshoots with but unfortunately I only had the 10-24 with me. The Sigma 56 mm combined with the XT3 is simply perfect in terms of weight and size and allows me to shoot discreetly, without being noticed, providing beautiful image quality. With this 56, given its compactness, it won't bother me to carry it with me when traveling, so I can also have this additional option. From a design and ergonomics point of view there is little or nothing to say about this aspect, the Sigma 56 mm is small and weighs only 280 grams. The design of this lens had a great influence on the purchase choice, in parallel with the potential regarding image quality.   Performance From a technical point of view, the Sigma 56 mm has an external but fluid autofocus, it is quite precise and fast. The noise during focusing is barely perceptible and happens especially during a change of focal plane. Let's say that in general it seems like using a lens with internal autofocus, both for silence and speed. Ironically, contradicting myself, I began to use this lens to take different types of photos from those I had set myself. Last year I only shot twice for the “Glamour” category using my Nikon D3S and this year I finally managed to do a session thanks to the collaboration of a friend of mine. As usual I wasn't able to find any girls to shoot with, so I was able to try the portrait lens partially, taking some photos of my friend during the only "Glamour" shots taken so far this year. However, and above all during my trip in June 2023, I experimented with both cityscapes, which with a tele lens becomes a creative, demanding but stimulating thing, and street photos. The latter are certainly more suitable for such a lens thanks to the compactness and discretion that the camera assumes. As for the cityscape, the first shots were totally experimental but already at that stage I immediately noticed the potential of the lens and the impressions regarding colors and rendering were positive. To tell the truth, however, I initially did not subject this lens to the same tests that I have always done with other lenses. This is because starting from the fact that it was a focal length for portraits, it unconsciously held me back from doing something else. But above all this lens amazed me for street photos, not only the focal length but also the maximum aperture of 1.4 proved essential for shooting in a certain way, an experience I had never had before. Below, I will analyze the lens by dividing it into the three categories for which I use it or intended to use it: portrait, nature and street-cityscape. Portrait I used the lens combined with the XT3, leaving it to my friend with whom I have always taken the photos in the "Glamour" section of my site, but with the Nikon D3S. Contrary to what I thought, it was more difficult for him to use the Fujifilm with the compact lens than the DSLR. The result was many blurry photos plus many other photos in which the combo was unable to focus correctly, fixing an undefined point between the photographer and the subject. The XT3 has caused me this flaw many times but if I shoot I can manage it. Even worse was the continuous shooting; of about 200 total photos only 5 came into focus. It must be said that the tracking of the XT3 is not comparable to that of the D3S and I have had the opportunity to observe this many times in the past. This however means that this combo is no easier to use than the D3S and the 85 F1.8 and I am referring to when it is someone who does not know the camera well, the one who has to take the photos. So in conclusion my idea of using the sigma 56 to take “Glamour” photos at the moment was not a good choice and furthermore I was not happy with the image quality in general. I must say, however, that I shot on a cloudy and gray day, however I did not see the depth in the files that I see when shooting with the D3S. Unfortunately I no longer made any attempts to take portrait photos and I am convinced that the flat quality of those photos I took and had taken was the fault of bad weather conditions and terrible light quality. Another reason why I didn't make other attempts for portrait photos was also because, having subsequently purchased the Fujinon GF 110 F2 for medium format, I tried to use that lens for portraits. I don't have a lot of time available and I like to do a lot of tests with different cameras, including vintage ones, but when I have the chance, I will try to make new portrait attempts with this 56 F1.4.      NaturePhotographing flowers and plants in my raw land is something that particularly relaxes me. Most of the time that's where I start testing a lens, especially when it comes to long focal lengths and not wide angles. Also for this 56 I took some shots of flowers, many of which were wild and many times by pure chance some very beautiful photos came out thanks also to the blur. As I have said before, I am not a fan of bokeh but in the case of wild flowers this helps to improve the background because the blurring actually dulls elements in the composition that only disturb the balance of the photo. So it happens, for example, that a grass without any design or geometry placed in the background becomes a beautiful diffused green. It was precisely in this sense that I tried to use the Sigma, taking advantage of the maximum aperture to emphasize the background. What surprised and gratified me most was the total lack of chromatic aberration which was instead too present in the other F1.4 lens I own; the Viltrox 23 mm. Taking the same type of photos, with the Sigma I obtained softer colors but without aberrations while the Viltrox gave me the impression of having brighter colors but with many aberrations at full aperture. As for the maximum aperture, clearly there is some softness in the photos but that is normal and I wasn't expecting something sharper.             Street and Cityscape I did the first test of street and cityscape photos with this lens during my trip to Frankfurt in June 2023. I brought the lens with me because it was super light but I didn't have in mind how or when to use it during my trip . However, being alone and without the distractions that a friend or a girlfriend can bring, in the city of Frankfurt I found the calm and relaxation to take specific photographs with this Sigma 56 F1.4. After a couple of days in the city, I had already identified the most suitable areas to capture moments of the daily life of Frankfurt personified by the inhabitants and tourists. I took streets photos both in a dynamic way, moving through the streets looking for situations and I also using benches where I stopped "waiting" for the right situations. As I am, I much preferred the dynamic choice, but there was a day where, thanks to the "fixed position", I was able to notice a characteristic of the lens that I would otherwise have confused or underestimated. I am referring to the aperture value which I have never managed to exploit on the Viltrox lens except to do specific tests. The fact is that in Frankfurt at the end of a busy day, I stopped on a bench in Römerberg more to relax than to take photos. From time to time some interesting subjects passed by and I think that at that stage I managed to take about ten good photos of people as they walked. However, what I was able to notice and which I would never have thought could be real, was the F1.4 value, I am referring to the real extra light that the lens managed to capture. I sat on the bench about half an hour before sunset and the camera was set to photograph in bright light. As the sun moved away and there was less light, I opened the aperture while maintaining a bright scene. It was practically almost dark and I shot at ISO 200, F1.4 and 1/200 of a second, obtaining photos as if I were in broad daylight. I found it very useful and fun to be able to shoot during the sunset phase by practically opening only the aperture (I always shoot manually). I was very skeptical about the real light that could be obtained by opening at F1.4 and instead the differences are noticeable. At the same time, always in the same city, I managed to create images by isolating details of very large structures such as churches, buildings or the many bridges present in Frankfurt. Let's say that the experience of doing street and cityscapes thrilled me a lot, giving me beautiful photos and inspiration. Towards the end of 2023 I tried the combo again during my trip to Malaga, unfortunately I only used it once, again before sunset. In Malaga I shot in the port area during a very particular evening where the temperature range created a singular fog thanks to which I was able to obtain surreal photos. The effect lasted about twenty minutes but during that phase I managed to capture very beautiful moments and above all I took a photo of a sailboat that I love very much. I also shot some streets but since that area was very large, there was always a certain distance with the subject so even if I took some good shots, it wasn't exactly what I wanted. I wanted to try the combo again by shooting in the center of Malaga, where the narrow streets were perfect for the photos I had in mind, only I didn't have time to do this test. In any case, the colors that came out in Malaga are beautiful, also the result of the particular light that was there that evening but in general in the city. During my last trip to Thailand, I brought the 56 mm with me but unfortunately and with great regret I was not able to use it even once. Above all, the city of Bangkok was very suitable for street photography and would certainly have been a nice testing ground for this type of photography. I will take the lens with me again on my next short trip to Spain, hoping to be able to use it and take some nice photos, perhaps updating this review, even just regarding the images.                                           ConclusionsThe Sigma 56 mm F1.4 has given me more satisfaction than I thought, moreover I consider this lens as something that after having owned it for a year, I have yet to fully experience. This means that in my opinion I still have to take the most beautiful photos, so I have a great motivation to continue using this lens. As far as ergonomics are concerned, the 56 F1.4 is super compact, in some moments perhaps even too compact because it is very short and I am used to holding the camera mainly by the lens. The absence of the aperture ring didn't bother me at all and the image quality it delivers is excellent in my opinion. I will certainly use it almost exclusively on trips such as street and cityscape but when the occasion arises again, I want to take other portrait shots to see the actual potential of this lens which for the moment has mainly given me satisfaction. Pictures: Antonio Malara
Camera: Fujifilm XT3
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