Testing The Leica CL and Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art:
Hey, I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I had a review planned for today but change of plans, I’m going to speak about my experience with the Leica CL and the 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens that I had for review instead. This was another post I had planned a couple of months ago but due to complications when I was migrating this site to a new host, this was postponed. Anyway, getting back on topic, since the CL is L mount, I’m able to try pretty much any lens that I review on my SL2, which even after all this time, I think is so cool :). Unfortunately, when I was reviewing this lens, it was during another rise in Covid cases here in New York City, and much of the nation (this was around November and December), so my model shoots were canceled, and I wasn’t going out much. But since the beginning of the pandemic, I did start bike riding to get some exercise, and these are images from one of my rides.
So, how does it feel to shoot the CL with the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens? Quite good actually. I won’t go into full details about ergonomics here, since I already reviewed this lens, which you can find here, but the Sigma is pretty compact and light considering its features. It feels great on my SL2, and surprisingly, it also feels nicely balanced on the much more compact CL as well. I say surprisingly because the 85mm f1.4 is a full frame lens, and the front element looks large in the pictures but it in no way feels like it does not belong on the CL. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed using this set up actually. It’s also worth noting that the autofocus is very accurate and quick.
↑ The Leica CL and the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens.
I really wish I was able to do one of the model shoots I had planned, when I had this set up because due to the CL’s crop sensor, the 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens equates to a 127.5mm, which is fantastic for portraits. In addition, it makes a great general telephoto. The lens is just so optically good, and I just love what the sensor in the CL produces. Together, these two perform so well. The only issue is that there is no image stabilization in this combo, and since this is about a 130mm focal length, you have to make sure to hold the camera steady. The pictures here were actually taken on one of the windiest days of the year that I experienced as you can see in some of the photos with waves. But the pictures are still tack sharp, so don’t let the lack of image stabilization deter you from this combo, if this is what you think you might need. In other words, this isn’t a deal breaker in my eyes because the results are well worth it.
↑ This was taken at f8 with 125 ISO. It was very windy, so I had to make sure I had a faster shutter speed. The Leica CL was set at 1/500s.
↑ This was taken at f1.4 with 1/10,000s. I had a lot of light here. 100 ISO was used.
↑ Here’s a 100% crop. If you click on the image, you can see the words are tack sharp at f1.4 even factoring the windy day, the waves, and the rocking of the ferry.
As I said earlier, the images here were taken during one of my bike rides, which I started to get into right after lockdown here in the United States. With being home so much more this year, I’ll be honest…I really got into it haha, and bought myself a Brompton, which is a really cool, foldable bike. So, in addition to photography, I now have a new obsession haha. I just wish Billingham would make a bag for it, so I can attached it to the front of the bike ;). For those who don’t know, you can attach certain bags on the front of a Brompton like the photo below.
↑ This is my Brompton folding bike. This was taken at f1.4 with 100 ISO and 1/3200s.
As I said before, the CL and Sigma 85mm f1.4 make a great combo, so it wasn’t difficult at all to bike with this set up. I had the combo in my Billingham Hadley Small Pro around my shoulders, and I had no problems biking a few miles down to this pier that you see in these photos. If you’re looking for a compact longer telephoto with an f1.4 aperture for the CL, this is actually a great set up. I much prefer this to even my Fuji X-T3 and XF 90mm f2 set up, and keep in mind that technically, the XF 90mm was specifically designed for the Fuji bodies. The 85mm f1.4 was designed for full frame but works so well with the CL, and it feels better balanced than the Fuji combo I mentioned. Honestly, the CL and 85mm f1.4 combo feel nicer than even the CL with my APO 90mm SL. The 85mm f1.4 is a little shorter and lighter. Trust me, for a large aperture telephoto, the 85mm is a great match with the CL.
↑ I was thinking about cropping this but I kind of like it the way that it is with the clouds. This was taken at f8 and 1/500s. 200 ISO was used here.
As I said, the photos here were taken at a pier near me. The light was a bit harsh but as some of you know from my Instagram, I do love shooting in hard light :). The cloud formations were very cool too. The Covid cases were very high, which also contributed to the lack of people but it was also freezing and incredibly windy. The ferry in these photos couldn’t even dock. Other than me, there was only the one brave fisherman you see in the photo below. Editing was done in Capture One, and each one took maybe a few minutes at most. I didn’t go crazy with these edits because I wanted all of you to still see what this combo can actually do without a ton of retouching…so definitely no dodging or burning.
↑ Here’s another shot taken at f1.4. 1/16,000s and 100 ISO was used here.
So, if you have a CL, and you’re looking for a decent telephoto, I highly recommend you give the 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens a try. What’s so cool, and this goes with pretty much all L mount cameras is that this lens will also work on other L mount bodies from Panasonic to Leica. So, if you have another L mount body, you have a lens for that as well :). Overall, the Sigma 85mm f1.4 is such a wonderful lens. As I said in my full review (which you can read here), if I had a lens of the year, this would be mine for 2020. It’s an incredible optic, and works not only superbly on my SL2 but also on the crop sensor CL as well. If you have any questions, comment below or shoot me a DM on my Instagram. Thanks for stopping by!
Here are some links for further information:
My Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art Lens Review
My Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art Lens And APO-Summicron-SL 90mm f2 ASPH Comparison
Hello Patrick,
I was drawn to finding out more about these interesting water/city-scape images & the gear that was used to capture them. I would have to agree with your assessment of this Sigma lens, which I have heard about but am not that familiar with due to my Fuji-centric photography. It was clear that you were dealing with a lot of wind & difficult light conditions, but the cloud structure & contrast in the buildings made for some very nice photos. Also really enjoyed learning about, & seeing your new Brompton bicycle. My wife & I had a pair of them that we kept in a locker on our sailboat to use for getting about when away from our marina. They are quire marvelous in their own right & you may know the story that their designer in England created the unique folding size to fit into the overhead racks on the trains in their tube system, so they became very popular with commuters in London. Enjoy the new ride & keep up the good work. Cheers, or maybe Cheerio would be more appropriate in connection with this new mode of transport.
Jed
Hi Jed!
Thanks for the very kind words!
Was there a rumor that Sigma might make lenses for the Fuji system? I don’t remember, there are so many rumors out there these days haha. It would be great if they did make lenses for the Fuji system.
As for the bike, I love it. I wasn’t too sure about it but my parents had actually bought a pair during the pandemic. After I used my dad’s, I really enjoyed it, and that’s how I ended up buying one for myself. It’s been great to travel with. I used to have a bike rack for my car, which was just a pain but now, I just fold up the Brompton, and throw it in my trunk :).
I hope you have a great Sunday, Jed!
Best,
Patrick
Patrick,
Yes, there have been rumors floating around for some time that certain of the Sigma lenses might be adapted for the X mount, with much discussion about which or preferences being suggested on the Fuji-X-Forum. When I have looked at the prices they sell for, my enthusiasm hasn’t been that great compared to what Fuji already offers. Some of their Art lenses like the 24-70 f2.8 are very appealing though based on the reviews I’ve seen.
I don’t know what they have now, but when we had ours the only choice was either 3 or 5 speed. My wife settled for 3 but I found with the 5 speed gearing I could take quite long trips on the Brompton without any problem. A basket on the front & rack on the rear allowed for hauling quite a bit of gear, drink or food as well. Have fun – a real kick to watch folk’s faces when you fold it up to attache case size in less than a minute. Cheers,
Jed
Hi Jed,
I think it would be nice to have some X mount Sigma lenses. It would only add to the X Series system by giving people more choice. As for prices, it depends…there are definitely some higher priced Sigma lenses but some of the higher end Fuji lenses now are definitely up there in price too. If you look at the XF 56mm f1.2, it is roughly double the price of the Sigma 56mm f1.4.
As for the Brompton bikes, I think the choices are 3 and 6 speed now…I feel like there is also a one speed but that could be my imagination lol. I currently have a 6 speed, and it’s been pretty good. I get a kick out of seeing people’s faces as well when I fold/unfold my bike haha. When things get better, I’m hoping to take it cruising with me. I’ve seen people do that on YouTube. It looks like fun :).
Best,
Patrick