Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II Art Review: Lighter and Sharper

At the end of 2025, the Japanese optical manufacturer Sigma announced the second generation of its 35 mm f/1.2 within the Art range. That ultra-fast series now comprises the Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II Art and the Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG Art, while a Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG Art is in preparation, with an official announcement expected during 2026. These optics are the manufacturer's flagship products and incorporate the best technologies it has available in the service of image quality.

On paper, then, the Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II Art is an exceptional lens, offered in Sony E mount or L-Mount, the latter covering Sigma, Leica and Panasonic Lumix mirrorless bodies. It naturally covers full frame and is equivalent to a 52.5 mm when used on a camera fitted with an APS-C sensor. Everything has been reworked on this optic compared with the first generation, which launched in 2019.

The lens has been through a slimming cure, with weight down by 30% and bulk reduced by 20%. That is a significant advantage for an optic opening at f/1.2, a category usually heavier and more imposing than F1.4 Art models and, naturally, F2 Contemporary designs. The reduction has not come at the expense of build quality or handling: high-quality materials in the form of TSC (Thermally Stable Composite), weather protection, a manual aperture ring and a customisable button are all present.

The optical formula has also evolved. It rests on 17 elements arranged in 13 groups, including one SLD glass element and four aspherical lenses. Sigma states that axial chromatic aberration and sagittal coma are fully corrected, and that flare and incident light are reduced as far as possible. According to the manufacturer, the lens delivers exceptional sharpness and beautiful bokeh, both magnified by its maximum aperture of f/1.2 and its circular 11-blade diaphragm.

Autofocus relies on a much lighter dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) system, which the manufacturer says guarantees fast, reliable and quiet focusing. Sigma has also made a particular effort to limit focus breathing as far as possible for video work, and the aperture ring can be switched to continuous operation for the same purpose.

The Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II Art is a high-end lens that lives up to the Art range's reputation for design, handling, styling and build quality.

With an ultra-fast optic opening at f/1.2, all the more so a 35 mm intended for work such as reportage, the question of weight and bulk is fundamental. Sigma has made considerable efforts here compared with the first-generation model. Weight falls from 1090 g to 755 g, length from around 14 cm to close to 11 cm without the hood, and diameter from about 9 cm to only 8 cm. That is a marked improvement. Even so, the lens remains imposing and heavy when paired with a body of the A7 series, which tells over long handheld shooting sessions.

The optic is naturally protected against the weather thanks to an internal focusing design, meaning the dimensions of the lens do not vary with focusing distance, a structure resistant to dust and splashes, and a water- and oil-repellent coating on the front element. It is built from TSC (Thermally Stable Composite), a polycarbonate whose coefficient of thermal expansion is similar to that of aluminium and which has a strong affinity with the metal parts of the chassis.

In handling terms this is a fully equipped model, fitted with a manual aperture ring that can be used clicked in one-third stop increments or continuously for video needs. That ring has a lockable A position for automatic control. There is also a programmable AFL button. The manual focus ring is particularly wide and comfortable to operate: it commands the lens's autofocus motor, which then handles moving the elements. The absence of a programmable control ring is a small regret, though offering that sort of option has never been part of Sigma's approach.

The measurements described here were recorded with a Sony A7R IV and its 61-million-pixel full-frame sensor, capable of delivering images of 9504 x 6336 pixels. The captures were made in JPEG at Extra Fine quality with in-camera lens corrections set to Auto, since Sony applies digital corrections for vignetting, chromatic aberration and distortion.

Sharpness is the trickiest quality to describe. It corresponds to what might be called the sensation of sharpness, or the precision observed in an image, and it can vary appreciably from one lens to another according to focal length and aperture, as well as between the centre and the edges of the frame. Behaviour is assessed by measuring blur in different zones of the image, at the centre, at two-thirds of the way out and in the corners, with the aperture varied.

The optical performance of the Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II Art is very good. The lens shows consistent general behaviour, with sharpness rising progressively as the diaphragm is closed. Maximum sharpness at the centre is reached from f/2 and stays relatively constant, and excellent, all the way to f/16. It is already very good at maximum aperture.

Homogeneity becomes very good from f/4. Before that there is a shift in sharpness between the centre, the two-thirds mark and the extreme edges. That shift, which is quite pronounced, stays constant at f/1.2 and f/1.4 before diminishing. In any case the phenomenon will have little impact in practice, because when this lens is used at very wide apertures the edges of the image will most often be lost in depth-of-field blur.

Distortion is very well controlled on this 35 mm. Sony also applies digital corrections directly in the camera body, although those are potentially less thorough and precise on a Sigma lens than on a native optic. The measurements indicate a fairly low average distortion level, in the order of 0.17%.

Chromatic aberration, also corrected digitally in the body, leads to the same conclusion: it is negligible and imperceptible, measured at around 0.01%.

Like the 50 mm, the 35 mm is considered a standard focal length, but a slightly more versatile one. Being wider, it is ideal for reportage, street photography and architecture, for instance. It also makes sense in portraiture, through compositions that leave plenty of room for the subject's environment.

Mounted on a mirrorless body with an APS-C sensor, the 1.5x conversion factor gives it a focal length equivalent to 52.5 mm, a slightly longer standard that is particularly interesting for portraits.

This lens has an ultra-wide f/1.2 aperture combined with a circular 11-blade diaphragm, which places it among the elite for background blur. That brightness gives it great versatility handheld in poor light and allows images with extremely reduced depth of field and particularly pronounced bokeh. Isolating a subject from its surroundings has never been simpler: the background blur is enveloping and the transitions between sharp and blurred areas, in both directions, prove soft and harmonious.

There is a difference in rendering between a photograph taken at f/1.2 and one taken at f/1.4, although in many situations it is fairly subtle. Working at f/1.2 does nonetheless produce a less common look.

Vignetting, a phenomenon corrected digitally by the camera body, remains quite visible at the widest apertures and up to f/2.8. It is logically at f/1.2 that it proves most marked, although many photographers will see an artistic advantage in it, closing in the image and directing the viewer's eye. Either way, the phenomenon is very easily corrected in post-production.

The lens has no optical stabilisation, as is the case for the vast majority of primes of this type whatever the brand or the mount. Users therefore have to rely on sensor stabilisation and on the wide f/1.2 aperture to keep handheld shutter speeds comfortable.

On autofocus, the manufacturer has opted for the best it has: a dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) system that is fast, reliable and quiet. Sigma has also limited focus breathing as far as possible for video work. The lens offers a minimum focusing distance of 28 cm, which translates into a maximum magnification ratio of 0.19x, a useful asset for getting close to a subject.

The only competitor to the Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II Art is the Viltrox AF 35mm F1.2 LAB, offered in Sony E mount. The Chinese manufacturer's reputation is still being built, so it is worth waiting for field reports and reviews before choosing between them.