Sigma announces 85mm F1.2 DG | Art, ships Sept., completes portrait trio

Sigma Corporation announced development of the Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG | Art in a press release dated February 26, 2026 from Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, with CEO Kazuto Yamaki named in the materials. The announcement describes the lens as a large-aperture medium-telephoto prime for full-frame mirrorless cameras and gives a planned ship month of September 2026.

Sigma confirmed the lens will be exhibited as a development prototype at its booth during CP+ 2026 in Yokohama, which runs February 26 through March 1, 2026. The company specified available mounts as L-Mount and Sony E-mount and included the legal note that “This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E‑mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation.” The press materials also state that “L‑Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.”

On the optics front Sigma used precise marketing language in the release: “With the latest optical design, the lens delivers exceptional resolution even at maximum aperture, enabling striking portrait photography with the distinctive depth of field unique to F1.2.” The release adds that the lens is “Featuring a compact, lightweight design and fast, precise autofocus driven by dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) system, the lens offers reliable performance for professional applications.” The company warned readers that “Product appearance and specifications are subject to change.”

Outlets covering the CP+ exposure reported autofocus will be handled by a dual HLA system. CineD noted that “Autofocus is driven by a dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) system, the same motor technology Sigma has deployed in its most recent Art lenses, including the 35mm F1.2 DG II | Art and the 35mm F1.4 DG II | Art,” and that the dual HLA implementation “has proven to deliver fast and quiet focusing across the current Art lineup, which bodes well for both stills and video applications.” Petapixel described the 85mm as “Sigma’s longest full-frame f/1.2 lens to date.”

Sigma positioned the 85mm as the closing piece of its f/1.2 portrait set, saying in its materials that “With the addition of this lens, Sigma’s lineup of F1.2 prime lenses is now complete, joining the Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG II | Art and Sigma 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art.” Petapixel reported that Sigma’s wording “is now complete” suggests the company may not plan further full-frame f/1.2 primes, while noting the engineering challenges of going wider than 35mm or longer than 85mm at f/1.2.

Concrete technical details remain limited because this is a development announcement and a prototype showing. No optical formula, element/group counts, aperture blade count, filter diameter, length, weight, or information on image stabilization were released in Sigma’s press text or in subsequent reporting. Media outlets uniformly flagged that price and full specifications were not disclosed.

For press follow-up Sigma listed pr@sigma-photo.co.jp for inquiries in the press release. Expect requests for a final spec sheet, MTF charts, weight and dimensions, confirmation of any optical stabilization, and MSRP before the lens reaches retailers in September 2026. Completing the 35mm, 50mm and 85mm f/1.2 Art trio places Sigma squarely into the ultra-fast portrait prime market while leaving the finer production and pricing details to be filled in over the coming months.