the sigma 135mm: A first of its kind

The first time I heard of Sigma wasn’t through specs or sales pitches—it was through a story.

I was watching a storytelling workshop by Garrett King, aka Shortstache. I remember it vividly. He was standing on a beach, lens in hand, capturing a surfer backlit by golden light.

The lens? A Sigma 105mm f/1.4. It was massive. Beautiful. A monster of a portrait lens. I remember thinking: How have I never heard of this before?

That was my introduction to Sigma—not just as a lens manufacturer, but as a company doing something different. Building lenses no one else had the boldness to build.

Shot on the Leica SL3 with the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG DN | Art at F/1.4

Innovating in ways that weren’t about shaving weight or going mainstream—but about opening new creative doors.

Fast forward to now. The 135mm f/1.4 DG DN | Art lens is another first.

The first mirrorless 135mm f/1.4. And if you’ve never shot with a 135 at f/1.4… you don’t yet know what you’re missing.

A Moment That Made Me a Believer

I didn’t fully understand the hype until I used it.

I was photographing a bride crossing a road downtown. The asphalt was stained and cracked. Her white dress trailed behind her, a bouquet of sun-softened flowers in hand. The morning was hazy, overcast—but the light was warm and golden, wrapping around her like a blanket.

I framed the shot, standing in the street with the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 mounted on a Leica SL3. She was backlit, her figure glowing in the distance.

When I pulled the image up on an Apple Cinema Display, my jaw dropped.

The sharpness. The contrast. The way the background melted while she remained razor-sharp in the foreground — it was cinematic, but clean. Powerful, but subtle. A look I’d never quite seen before.

Why It Matters

Here’s the thing—there are a lot of fast lenses out there. There are a lot of 135mm lenses too.

But there is nothing like this.

I’ve owned and used the Canon 135mm f/2 more times than I’d probably like to admit. It’s a beautiful lens—lightweight, sharp, with lovely compression and subject separation. Even at f/2, it renders with grace.

But there’s something wildly different and distinct about shooting at f/1.4.

It’s not just the shallower depth of field—it’s the feeling it gives the image. The dimension. The presence. The subject doesn’t just stand out—they leap from the frame.

You can’t get this kind of depth and separation from a 70–200mm f/2.8. You just can’t. If you do the math—from f/2.8 to f/1.4—that’s two full stops of light.

And it makes all the difference. The difference between clean bokeh and a painting. Between nice separation and a truly three-dimensional image.

This lens makes your subject lift off the screen. It creates intimacy and presence in ways a zoom never could.

Size, Balance & Real-World Use

And then there’s the surprise: the handling.

When you hear f/1.4 at 135mm, you imagine something huge. But this lens isn’t as heavy or front-loaded as you’d think. Yes, it has a 105mm filter thread, but it’s beautifully balanced, especially on a camera like the Leica SL3. It feels intentional in the hand—not cumbersome.

This is a lens you can shoot with all day. Whether you're on your feet during an eight-hour wedding or out on location for editorial fashion work, it doesn't exhaust you. It just performs.

Nothing Else Like It

That’s why this lens matters.

You can’t replicate this depth with any other lens—not an 85mm, not a 70–200mm, not even the fastest primes in other focal lengths. The combination of focal length, aperture, rendering, and balance is one of a kind.

And it’s not just technical. It’s visceral.

The compression is different. The way it handles light is different. The way it wraps around your subject and drops everything else into a dreamy haze—it’s something you have to see to understand.

One of the things I love most is how the lens renders flares when the light hits just right—subtle, cinematic, almost like a controlled light leak. It adds atmosphere without overpowering the frame.

Whether you're shooting weddings, portraits, fashion, editorial—or even natural light sports—this lens will change your toolkit.

You’ll start building shots around it. Thinking differently. Seeing scenes you didn’t know were there.

And like that first time I watched Garrett shoot on the beach, you might find yourself asking:

How have I never seen this before?

And your clients? When they see the results… They’re going to be wowed.

Final Thoughts & Who This Lens Is For

The applications for the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 are broader than you might think.

Yes—first and foremost—this is a portrait lens. It’s made for working with people. For freezing a moment while everything else around it falls away. It’s intimate, sharp, emotional—everything a storytelling lens should be.

But it doesn’t stop there.

I can absolutely see this lens being used to capture sports in a completely new light—literally. Whether you’re on the sidelines of a football game or tucked into the corner of a dimly lit basketball or volleyball gym, this lens lets you create art out of chaos. You’re not just documenting the action—you’re telling the story behind it.

Even though it doesn’t live in the traditional “sports lens” category, it deserves serious consideration for those moments when depth, isolation, and light-capturing power matter most.

On a side note, I even used it for landscape work—and found it surprisingly refreshing. That compression at 135mm creates incredibly unique compositions, especially when paired with the massive aperture and nuanced falloff.

If you're a photographer or creative who works with people—portraits, weddings, fashion, editorial—this is a lens that will shine, elevate your work, and stand the test of time.

It’s not just a lens — it’s a creative tool.

A visual signature.

And one that will help you create images unlike anything you’ve seen before.

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Written by our Creative Director, Tyler Rickenbach | @tylerdrickenbach

Shot on the Leica SL3 with the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG DN | Art at F/1.6