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Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art (Leica L)
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Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art (Leica L)
£984.21 £639.73
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Additional information
| Product code | ACE-58597 |
|---|---|
| Barcode | 0085126303693 |
| Brand | Sigma |
| Colour | Standard |
| Model | Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN Art (Leica L) |
Macky –
Im glad that Sigma has started to support sony with there lens lineup. Definitely a lot faster than using an adapter but definitely not as fast as a native Sony lens. Now to some that might not matter as much as it all depends on your style. I do a lot of portraits and most of the time its a run gun setup. Pair it with the A9 and the autofocus and sharpness combine makes for a clean shot. Some say the weight of these lenses are a hassle but I think it just feels robust l. Highly recommend it for the price.
John –
I love this lens, but the front focus issues are frankly inexcusable. Every shot is focused in front of the subject. Millimeters at the close range and feet at infinity. I had to spend hours adjusting the focus via the Sigma Dock and Software. Im hoping it is pretty close to perfect now. Itll take a little more testing. There are really no viable alternatives to this glass. The Canon 1.2L version is from 1875 and soft. The plastic 1.4 is plastic. The Zeiss is manual only. Again, I love this lens. Everything about it is excellent. The build quality, the contrast, the speedy focus. It just will not nail its target without adjustment. And the process of adjustment is painstaking and requires additional equipment. Some copies ship and are dead on. Some do not. Its a gamble. But once all of the headaches are out of the way this glass is quite excellent. 5 Stars if Sigma could give me a lens that nails focus out of the box.
Andrew –
Pros This lens is super sharp, and the colours are more vivid that with the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens it replaces. Theres a pleasing lack of chromatic aberration on fine detail like branches and overhead wires in the corner of the frame. Its a bit heavy, but it doesnt feel unbalanced on my 6D Mark II, and I havent had any focussing problems, although it benefits from a setting of 2 in the microfocus adjust settings on the camera.Cons While a lot quieter than my previous lens, the focussing is still audible on video when using the builtin microphone.
Russell –
Tune the lens for one camera with the Sigma USB Dock and Spyder Calibration Kit. Use Lightroom to view the results and Sigma software to load corrections at 4 distances. Repeat until perfect.I like to tinker so calibrating the lens was a joy, and the end result gave me a standard by which to compare other lenscamera combinations.Out of the box, I noticed images were no better than the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 kit lens on the D850, yet DxOMark gave this lens an excellent sharpness score of 34 Using the Sigma USB dock and Spyder Lens Calibration tool, images had extreme frontfocus from 1.3 to 25. I wound up inputting values of 10, 11, 13 and 5 to center the image focus at the autofocused target for four test distances. This might sound a bit much, but the results are well worth it.
Eugene –
I am primarily a TV producer… I purchased the sigma 50mm f1.4 about 4 weeks ago and have it on a LUMIX S1H… I have filmed 4 TV commercials with it and am very impressed with the auto focus and depth of field. I would highly recommend this lens to anyone interested in this lens for video. The camera and lens are so sensitive that I recommend using an ND filter even when filming indoors if there is any ambient daylight.
Paul –
Where do I begin Well, there is more to an image than just sharpness. Some people are Bokeh freaks but I like my images sharp. So I guess I could be called sharp freak. This lens is sharp at 1.4. I mean its so sharp that I am afraid to leave the camera hanging around my neck with this lens attached because it will just cut all my chest hair. I felt like I have hit the limits of the Canon 6D so I have switched from Canon 6D which was with 50mm 1.4 to Nikon D810 with this Sigma 50 1.4. I did not think it would be such a big difference. The older combo was great and I thought they were super until I switched to Nikon with this lens. Its that much better. I have taken about 900 test images the first week I received it from BH. AF much more accurate and its not soft at 1.4. Colors are so clear its unbelievable. Center AF point is used 90 of the time so who cares about the 6D having only 9 AF pints in total but it matter when its just not accurate. Id say only 20 usable images were taken with Canon 50mm 1.4. Anyhow, the one thing that I did feel right away was…forget taking images with just one hand…this lens is heavy. you will need both hands otherwise youll have curpletunnel in your wrist within a few months. This lens is very durable, plastic but very tough and strong great quality. It also has super quiet and fast focus. Maybe I just got a great copy but if anyone is hating on this lens, then they are probably just bias and only stick to a particular brand.
Darryl –
I havent AF micro adjusted this yet, but it seems pretty sharp out of the box on my camera. As a million other reviews have said, its plenty sharp in either good light or low light, its low in distortion, sharp in the corners, has very low vignetting, almost zero ghosting of bright lights at night, seems well built, pretty fast and feels good in use. Its a lot bigger and heavier than the Canon 501.4, thats for sure but this blows that much older lens out of the water in all imagerelated respects. This is the 2nd thirdparty lens Ive ever owned out of a dozen or more over the years and to me the images seem a little colder and more clinical than Canons but that might just be me. Hard to beat it for sharpness and image quality. I would give it 4.8 stars for image quality and 4.5 stars for the price. Its a great lens, no doubt and certainly a bargain compared to Canons recent pricing which is going insane or Zeiss pricing but to me it feels like a stretch for a third party prime, which is probably why its taken me so long to get one.
JSnowPhoto –
I have always been a Canonm glass owner….period. While there have always been some fine offerings in the aftermarket field, none quite equalled up to what was offered in the line of L series glass.None did until the ART series from Sigma. I knew I was in the market for a new 50mm when the trusted 50 1.2 was stolen from me. The first choice, of course, was to simply replace it but after reading so many great reviews on this lens I begrudgingly pulled the trigger and gave it a shot.Do you lose a small amount of light vs the 1.2 of course you do. Do you use 1.2 often I know I didnt so no big deal. From what I have seen so far this lens is sharper, it focuses faster, has great contrast and color…did I mention how sharp it is Its a bit heavier but good glass typically is. Not to mention a few hundred cheaper than the alternative and even without that it is a great buy and a wonderful lens.Will I go Sigma on all of my lenses…of course not, but they are definitely getting a piece of my business if they keep producing glass like this one.
Paula –
Ive had many bad experiences over the years with sigma products but I took a leap of faith with this one. I bought this for my 5dsr to replace the 50 1.8 stm lens. Absolutely night and day difference in image quality at all f stops larger than 5.6. Its even better than my 100 f2. The sharpness and lack of chromatic aberrations makes this lens a jewel. I read about the autofocus issues some people experienced so I bought the usb dock as a safety net. The autofocus a little slow was dead on right out of the box, so I didnt need the dock. This lens is heavy compared to other 50s. I like heft, it gives me better handling stability. This is a very well made lens. I normally dont like shooting portraits with a 50 and prefer 85100 range but I dont want to take this off the camera. Its that good. If the Otus is better than this, then WOW
Jonathan –
Ive used the Canon 50mm L f1.2 and that lens always struggled with sharpness shooting wide open. This was especially true for closer shots where the lens would slightly back focus. The Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art is super sharp with great color and contrast. It focuses on close subjects without back focusing like the Canon. I even sent the Canon in for service and replaced it with another version, but still had the same result. This lens doesnt have those problems.
matgay –
used this both on the A900 A99. 1. very sharp lens you will see how sharp when zooming in with RAW files in post processing. 2. but the autofocus is still a little slow to hunt even when wide open, it is definitely slower and louder than SSM autofocus, but not by much. I would have thought this lens would focus much faster in low indoors light than my 2470mm Zeiss, but no. Not even so fast compared to SSM in bright sunlight. 3. I didnt get a chance to shoot directly at a brick wall to test for distortion, but any distortion isnt so noticeable. 4. Bokeh not so great, but not all that bad. Its bokeh cannot compare to Zeiss or Leica 35mm primes, but it is also cheaper in price. The rendering just doesnt blend together so smoothly. 5. Lens Cap SUCKS always falling off of the lens. Need to buy an aftermarket lens cap 67mm. This is actually pretty huge. It gets very annoying to always have to look for where the lens cap just fell to. 6. No focus hold button. Just so used to the Zeiss AMount lenses having the side button on the lens. For center focus and then recompose method. I customed one of the front A99 buttons for focus hold, but it is awkward and uncomfortable to reach for. 7. This does NOT work with NEX7 and the LAEA1 adapter. Autofocus beep confirms, but all shots are blurry out of focus. Would just LOVE a Zeiss version 35mm, even at double the price for better bokeh. I still have the Zeiss 50mm on preorder until it comes out in 2 more months. Only reason I got this lens was because all the hype that it was the best lens for such low price it isnt. It is just wide at f1.4 and very sharp.
ktruong170 –
I can tell this lens is going to be amazing but I knew ahead of time that I might need to purchase the usb dock and do the firmware update. At first, I was super happy with the lens just testing at Thanksgiving with some candids with my family, it seemed to focus much faster than my Canon 50mm. But, then I took it with me for an actual session with a new client which maybe I shouldnt of done but I was excited Anyway, there were times that I could not get it to focus at all Nothing I did would get the focus to work. It became frustrating One of the things that appealed to me with the Sigma lens was reviews talking about very little chromatic aberration. My edit time for this session was wayyyyy tooo long trying to fix the chromatic aberration. It was worse than my Canon lens. Im really hoping that after the firmware update, some of these issues go away because it will be hard to have this as a go to lens with these issues. This lens is super heavy Just giving a heads up on that Other than that, when it would focus, it was fast to focus My images are pretty dang sharp and Im excited to see what this lens can do with the update.
Raymond –
I had this lens paired up with my A7III for a few months now and have gotten great color and clarity even in lowlight conditions. In extreme lowlight like a band playing in a dark bar it does struggle with the focus a little. I usually switch to manual focus in that case anyway to help keep the focus on the subject and not the mic stand.
Chadillac –
I can not express to you the sharpness and clarity that I have achieved with this lens. Ive read every publication, review and comparison to this lens compared to every possible 50mm made. Heres the fact, just buy this lens. You will not regret it, sure the bokeh isnt as blurry or creamy as many say….but I think the bokeh is perfect for the tack sharpness achieved on your subject. Ive found that the lens even has some macro sensibility to it as well. I can get some excellent detail shots using this lens with weddings and engagement photos I love this lens, I am a firm believe in the ART series lenses and I intend to purchase ART series lenses from now on…
Howard –
After reading all of the reviews of all of the available 50mm lenses for the Canon EF mount, I decided on purchasing this lens as it was rated as the most sharp of all available lenses. Immediately I noticed that my lens would frontfocus quite a bit when focusing on subjects less than 5ft away. I purchased the Sigma USB dock and I now enjoy tacksharp images. As the lens is very sharp, the bokeh does look a little different, but it looks fine to me. It looks like the bokeh from the Canon 50mm 1.4 with a photoshop sharpen filter applied.
Anonymous –
This lens is remarkable. I have a Sony a99, and Im just an amateur that simply takes videos of his family but I color grade the heck out of them in Resolve pretty well, but I have to tell you that this lens produces BEAUTIFUL video. I have the Zeiss 85mm f1.4 and the Zeiss 50mm f1.4, and this lens is AT LEAST as good as the 50mm, if not better. Thats not apples to apples, but Im just saying.I know no one reading this is going to want to watch my family videos that is quite understandable BUT, I did this one on Saturday using the Sigma 35mm f1.4 almost exclusively except for one minute, and I explain that in the youtube description you weed through the bouncy house scenes and see the corn feeder bucket, the horse feeding, and some others, you can see that there are some remarkable shots were I have to give credit to the lens Just a reminder… my poor focusing and taking shots where I go from shade to bright sun causing the skin to be blown out is NOT the fault of this lens. I was using a 1.2 ND filter, by the way and most of this video is either f1.4 to f1.6 or so.Its stunningly clear, and the blacks just seem to be magic sort of reminds me of how Nikon lenses produce a lot of great blacks. I dont know how to describe it other than it really finds blacks and brings them out of the woodwork.For me, being that Im filming a couple of kids running around like screaming maniacs, having a great 35mm on a full frame camera is extremely important I need to have room and plus, I like the full body shots there are a lot of them with my wife and the stroller.So, because Im still far when I get those full body shots well, not too far because of the 35mm, that means that there is much less bokeh and shallow depth of field than there would be if I were getting up close shots, but there is still a decent amount. I have no complaints here.Anyway, if you want to see the lens in action, take a look. It will be my go to lens for things like this from now on. For more, well, scripted things, Ill be using the 85mm and the 50mm, but as some of you know, this is not ideal when you are dealing with kids.John Christian
Andy –
This lens has actually made me feel like Im going insane at times. The focus was perfect for months when it was new, then it was off enough that I bought the dock. Once calibrated, it worked perfectly again, and then a few months later it was inaccurate again. I dont know if its normal for a lenses AF performance to be degenerative but this one just constantly requires more time than Id like to spend tweaking it. Sometimes after it collects dust for a bit after it gives me focus issues, Ill try it to find it working perfectly again. The bottom line is that the AF is inaccurate, no matter how many times Ive fixed it with the dock or how many times Ive cursed at it. When Im trying to run and gun I even prefer canons little plastic 50mm F1.8 because I can actually trust it. However, when Im in the studio and I can take my time ensuring focus, it makes incredible images… Im still considering ditching this to get canons 50mm L lens in hopes that Ill not have to fight with focus issues
frenzelrhomb –
This Lens clarity, sharpness and accuracy is extremely high. I use digital correction software that corrects lenses innate geometric barrel and vignette characteristics that have been mapped out for particular lens body combinations, accommodating changing values for focal length, focus distance, and apeture. This Lens doesnt need it. Typical base corrections for other lens show comprehensive changes in the image before and after correction for the better. With this Lens there is hardly any discernable difference. It is a class act with fast silent focussing, and outstanding performance. There is a reason sigma will refit new camera body mounts for you for this Lens… once you have one, you will want to keep it for every camera body you own in the future. Outstanding. The only improvement could be if it was more weatherproofed for more resiliency to rain and harsh working life.
maria.f –
This is one of my favorite camera lens ever Everything looks so sharp and beautiful. I love this product so much because of the fact that other 50 mm lenses out there are double the price while they do the same job. This is a picture of my friend in which I used the Sigma 50mm camera lens.
Ivan –
Ive owned the Canon 1.8, 1.4, and rented the 1.2L.. Finally an updated 50mm for Canon DSLRs This thing is wicked sharp, great bokeh, fast focusing. I was really irritated to wait almost 3 months for my copy but its totally worth it Watch out Canon, if Sigma keeps this up I also got the Sigma 35mm Art I may be getting more primes 24, 85mm. Less than Canon equivalent, sharper no brainer. I havent done the micro adjust yet, but based on my first shoot, I dont think I need to.. Results far better than the Canon 50mm lenses Ive used. Ok.. So its not small and lightweight, but neither is the 5d Mk III it sits on. I dont care. If I needed super lightweight, Id go with a micro 43 system which I may get in the future to supplement my Canon gear.
David –
I purchased this lens for my Sony A7RM4. I normally shoot with the Sony f2.8 2470 GM and needed something faster for shooting in low light. This lens is 450 less than the equivalent Sony lens, and the performance has been great. The lens is very sharp and I have seen no image defects in the shots I have taken. There are only two issues the lens is large and heavy about the same size as the 2470 GM and auto focus has some issues. With the camera set to AFS you can see the lens hunting for focus and you have to keep trying. Changing to AFC continuous AF the problem is no longer noticeable and the resulting images are all in focus so this is no longer an issue. The new Sony cameras work fine with AFC turned on all the time even for landscape photography.All in all a great bargain in a very fast lens.
heather.w –
This lens is so great for the price point Its much cheaper then the canon L series but performs so much better then the canon mid grade 35mm. I recommend the Sigma for any camera mount, Sony, Nikon, canon. It performs so great with clear sharp focus
David –
Im going into my third year of ownership. Its bigger, heavier, not the fastest to focus, doesnt have advertised weather sealing, etc. Thats where the cheaper price comes from. It delivers with the image quality. The nature of my subjects means that while I did want background separation, I also wanted sharpness edge to edge, at least horizontally. I make large prints. This lens really has delivered. Even as I move from Canon to Sony, I may keep it. I just bought the 55 1.8 Zeiss and Im really going to take some time to see if the Zeiss comes close enough for the smaller size of the 55 to tip the scales and for me to unload the Sigma. Its right here on my desk and I dont know if I can part with it.
Linda –
This is the third Sigma I have purchased and you cant go wrong with the quality and price.This lens is a little off. I am in the midst of doing the calibrating but there is no question for any close up work I will need to work on this.Landscapes and astro will not be affected by front focusing issues.
shakeela.l –
Overall the Sigma Art 35mm is an incredible lens. For the past few months this has been my goto lens. I think where it exceeds its competitors the most is its ability to work fast and capture incredibly sharp images even wide open at 1.4. This lens works well in all types of situations especially low light . Another reason its a personal favorite is its ability to work well in low light situations. Low light is one of my favorite types of light. Im able to shoot wide open at 1.4 or close to wide open with my children, and focus is often spot on and sharp. The Sigma Art 35mm is by far my sharpest lens. With the 1.4 capabilities I can keep my ISO low and avoid grain in low light situations. Its shallow depth of field also beautifully isolates my subjects from the background.
Darla –
Im a Canon gal and had a hard time ordering a Sigma lens. This lens was somewhat expensive but beyond worth it. First time used it changed my Concert Photography to professional quality.The clarity in a low light situation is beyond compare. I have many highend lenses and this will more than likely remain on my Canon 90 of the time. Its rugged and produces an incredible shot. Im so glad I took all these reviews to heart and listened. Best purchase ever
Peter –
I recently purchased this based on discussion forums and test results. It replaces a Nikon 50 1.4G.While I only have a couple hundred snaps with it, I can safely say that the focus speed is faster than the 50 1.4G and it is sharper in every situation. Particularly sharp at 1.4 vs the Nikon.Bokeh is surprisingly good, especially with a near subject and distant background. It may not have the super soft bokeh look of the Nikon 58 1.4 but it is quite fine. From what I can tell, bokeh depends on aperture and subject distance and you may want to read objective comparisons if you can find them on the subject. I will say that I like the bokeh more than the 50 1.4G.Sharpness Really cant be beat at this focal length except the manual focus Zeiss Otus.I love it for informal portraits and find myself gravitating toward it more and more.While it is big for a 50, it balances nicely with a D800. Some complain about the 77mm filter but I have many large lenses with that same size so it is a plus for me.
mark –
This is a two part review. Part A will consist of my review of the lens and part B will consist of my buying experience with Adorama. PART A I received this lens today 72919 and although I have not had a chance to take it through the ringer, I did snap off a few test photos on my Nikon D5. All I can say is that I was blown away with the results. The images are clear and very sharp. Contrast is very good too. All the reviews Ive read on this lens leading up to my purchase are so far everything I expected. PART B Adorama really surprised with this used copy of this lens. It was rated V and to be hones, I was expecting a far uglier copy. The lens I received in my opinion is in near mint condition. THANK YOU ADORAMA. Although I have come to have full and total confidence in your company, you have a customer for LIFE
TiCoyote –
This lens feels heavy and wellbuilt. It seems to focus quickly, quietly, and smoothly. Im using it replace the Canon 50 1.4. In actual practice, it is slightly sharper than the Canon. Ive only played with it a bit. I think that the Canon focuses more consistently. My Canon is also soft on the right side. I havent really tested this one to that extent yet. I like the heavy, solid feel of the Sigma, but in all actuality, a lighter lens is more convenient.
Kenyon –
Admittedly I have been a Canon L series lens snob for some time and have stuck with my trifecta of 2.8 zooms. The Sigma 50 Art was my first foray into legit prime lenses and I am so impressed. In fact, my next purchase will likely be a Sigma 35 Art. Very happy with every aspect of this lens…rugged, beautiful color and detail rendering…the price point…its all there and its not an L lens.
Fang –
The moment I took this out the box, I knew a good lens when I saw one. Ok, a little heavier, and bulkier, than your usual 50mm. But it looks really nice, and the build quality is excellent. On that note, feels great in handling also. Ive based this review on first impressions, before tweaking the camera body, on the spyder lenscal. Currently, Im without a full frame, and so the pic uploaded, is the initial shot on my partners D3200, straight out the box. The image was wide open at F1.4 1125 iso 800, in low light in my living room. Really impressed, with this lens, and its very sharp
Matt –
I have been burned in the past by poor quality third party lenses but the overwhelmingly positive reviews on this convinced me to give it a try, and Im oh so glad I did. The focus needed a little fine tuning out of the box, once that was done everything was a joy. I do a lot of product shots, using this at f8 or 9 produces images that at least to my eye require no sharpening in post, a totally new experience for me. Just one con autofocus does tend to hunt in low light and sometimes cant get a lock, even in situations where my f1.8 lenses have no trouble. But really, if its bright enough to read you should be fine. And one quirk when taking images that are intentionally out of focus, the images recorded are significantly blurrier than what I see in the viewfinder. Just something to adjust to. Overall, this is producing some of my finest images to date. Highly recommended.
Jonathan –
Great lens. Very sharp and pairs well with my S1h. A little on the heavy side, but not a deal breaker. Will update if anything changes, but build quality is high. Worth the investment.
Andr Ramos –
There are plenty of reviews available online about this lens. The bottom line is it is perfect from a optical standpoint. Stellar resolution, no perceived aberrations of any kind yes, if you pixel peep you are going to find some barrel and some chromatic aberrations. I bought the Sigma Dock to adjust focus to my 60D and its still collecting dust in the shelf. No adjustment was necessary. It focuses beautifully even wide open. The downside is that perfection comes at a cost the lens is huge and heavy. Its not a walk around lens. If you are OK with that, then buy it. If not, there are other less than perfect options that will suit you wellOn a pretty subjective side, I think this lens, even being perfect, lacks the personality of the Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM. Its something I cant explain quite perfectly but I liked the way the other lens rendered things. o
rhiggco –
The Sigma 50mm F1.4 art is absolutely amazing. Ive purchased this lens for 3 different camera bodies over the years and it never disappoints. I love how versatile it is, how sharp the image is and how it helps me shoot just about everything. Ive taken this to rural china, rural thailand, rural malaysia and always came out with amazing images. Its heavy for a 50, but definitely worth it. If you are producing art or capturing portraits, this is a must have
Linda –
I am using this lens with a Canon 5D Mark III. It is fast to focus, beautiful colors and contrast. The construction of the lens is very solid. Lens comes with a nice case and lens hood. I bought the dock, but did not have a need to use it yet. It is a bit large and heavy, but you will have that with a high quality lens. I have attached two photos, one of my 11 month old afghan hound, Bella, camera settings, 1500 sec., f8.0, ISO 250. The other is to show the shallow DOF, camera settings, 18000 sec., f1.4,ISO 100. Both photos were centered, cropped and reduced using Lightroom. Minimum sharpening was applied.
Alex –
Ive used this lens for portraits, engagement sessions and weddings. I shoot wide open to give my photos that 3 dimensional look and have never missed focus. I feel that this lens offers just a tad bit more contrast than the Canon 1.2 and photos appear to be a little sharper. Subjects pop out of the photos. Lens is solidly built and feels good mounted to a 5D mkIV.Some of my best photos were shot with this lens. It travels with me along with my Canon 35 1.4L II and my Canon 85 1.4L.You wont be disappointed with this lens.
christopher6871 –
This is the sharpest lens I have ever used. As a pro photographer, I have a kit of excellent lenses. However, for the price, this is such good value. The lens is heavy, however, you get used to this very quickly.
Walt Walts photo –
Well, as you all know this lens has been worked over by reviewers to the full degree. This is the real deal. The lens out of the box performs absoultly perfest. I have had a chanch to try this baby out on all of my Nikon bodys. D700s D3s,D750s. I am thinking that the problems that othe reveiwers have had, may be because of nonfull frame camera bodys. or maybe just a bad copy. However I also own the Sigma 150600 Sprots lens. The 150600mm also has perfect focus throughout the whole focus range.PERFECT. As well as this new 50mm right out of the box.PERFECT. Buy this lens you will be very glade that you did. Please no more bad storys,the lens is6STARS. Just like all of the NEW A ART SSPORT lenes.
sole133 –
I just got this beauty. I love the versatility and how much it gives me on my D4 focal points. Nikkor or Nikon lenses are not even half as good as this lens is. I was told before my last three 50mm Nikon f 1.4 lenses. I use it for portrait and close very sharp close ups
Lane –
I purchased this after a shoot where I had to borrow a Canon EF 50 f1.8 I knew I needed a fast 50 for a while, and I dislike the cheaper 1.8 because it is quite slow and loud when focusing, and the quality is, well, it is a lens. I knew I needed something of better quality and I knew from reviews how fantastic Sigmas Art series lens were. I received the lens late, due in no part to BH, UPS really dropped the ball, and my lens, on this one. When I saw the UPS employee drop my package in front of me, I was upset, but just wanted to get out of there, so I took my lens home, and opened. It was packed very well, Thanks BH and the Sigma box was completely in tact, as was my lens. It was a cold day so the metal lens barrel was cold to the touch, which shows just how solid it was built.The autofocus speed is phenomenal. It easily blows the Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II in to the weeds, and is more accurate. Image quality is beyond fantastic. I have used it now for 2 boudoir sessions, and both times I have been blown away by the quality, speed and accuracy of this lens. Now, this lens is quite heavy, it weighs more than my 851.2, it is even heavier than my 70200 f4L IS. That being said, it feels better balanced than my 85, the weight feels closer to the camera, so it is a lot easier to handle than the 85, so to me, the weight isnt an issue, but it is still a heavy lens.
Cj –
I love this lens, the look I get on a lot of my photos is top of the line for the price. Light, great build, and the quality of shots are second to none. You definitely want to get this lens.
Rolf –
These are only first impressions with this 50mm lens.The lens on my D810 generates very sharp images of high color fidelity in the near macro range. This seems to be also true for indoors flash photography. Should be very good for landscape and architecture photography. Did not notice major chromatic aberrations.4 instead of 5 stars because of limited experience since recent purchase.More exact optical features data available at DXO test side.
Jimbo –
I purchased this lens based on the reviews on how sharp it was. They didnt prove to be wrong. I did have to get the Sigma USB dock to tweak the focus, but after that, it performed flawlessly. I did find the the sharpness was excellent, even out to the edges. Unfortunately, I have arthritis and the lens was just too heavy for a 50mm for me. I ended up returning it and getting the Nikon 50mm f1.4, which performs almost as well. But for my use, it is also an excellent lens and I highly recommend them both.
CARLOS –
I like the lens and dont mind the weight and size. I did have to adjust the focus in order to get it to take sharp pictures on my camera glad I also got the dock to be able to do so.When I use it on my D300, the pictures are sharp, but probably not worth . On a higher resolution camera it makes a much better difference. Gave it 4 stars because If focus alignment is needed many users say they need it, it should come with the dock at the same price and focus alignment is quite tedious.
Will –
Im not a fully professional photographer, but Ive had three years of experience shooting extensively on DSLRs for various events, and just for fun. Up to this point, Ive used the versatile but slow Canon 18135 f3.55.6 kit lens. It gets the job done and Im fond of it, but I was looking for an upgrade. I read reviews online the same Im sure youve read if youre seriously considering spending nearly a thousand dollars on plastic, metal and glass that compared this lens to offerings that cost four times the money. I was skeptical. And my skepticism was then proved wrong. This lens is a dream come true. Its razor sharp even at f1.4, and there is only the most miniscule improvement in sharpness when stepping up. Its incredibly sharp, its bokeh is freaking gorgeous, and since the aperture is so nice its depth of field is incredibly versatile. Ive done a few tests at night with this lens, and it continues to amaze. In twilight, I can literally use this lens handheld, it lets in so much light. Naturally theres nothing wrong with tripods and a lower ISO is always a better ISO but it speaks volumes of this lenss capabilities that this is even remotely possible. My one caution is that its heavy. Like, really heavy. Some users, such as wedding photographers, that are forced to move around frequently without a tripod may want to take this weight for a test drive before deciding on it permanently. Its just a matter of personal preference. Still, weight is what gives this lens its superhuman superglass superlens supercamera capabilities. This glass is well worth the investment
rodbawa –
We have a photographer community that really like Sigma Art Lenses. After reading many articles, reviews and product comparisons, I decided to go with this lens with high expectations. After about a year of regular use, the lens is coming apart. I have a sony lens that I have used on its side and its still going solid. At first, the autofocus started failing, and the lens wasnt detected by the camera in the middle of photoshoots. Right now, the lens is all loose and I feel it will come apart in any second. Notice the wide gap the lens has in the middle, right beside the white text, also in the video. I take care extreme care of my equipment, keep it in a padded case, and I never lend it to anyone. Great lens for portraits and all around use, super fast aperture, the images are extremely sharp but not sure any more if this is enough to counter the extreme weight and size of the lens and the fact that it isnt made to last. I WOULDNT RECOMMEND IT FOR PURCHASE, THINK TWICE ABOUT IT OR LOOK FOR OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WILL LAST LONGER, I EXPECT MY EQUIPMENT LAST FOR YEARS. IF YOURE OK FOR YOUR LENS TO LAST ABOUT A YEAR OR SO, GO FOR IT, BESIDE THE TREMENDOUS WEIGHT IN YOUR BAG IT WS A GREAT LENS TO WORK WITH.
Dean –
Razor sharp would compare to the 4000 Zeiss lens. The sigma 35 mm fixed 50mm fixed and 85mm fixed THE new generation of lenses. These lenses can be calibrated to be razor auto focus sharp at any length. However, it does take patience, it is worth it if you are a professional photographer.
del –
Extremely crystalsharp in the field of sharpness, oil and stylish bokeh, color reproduction and resolution at the level of the most advanced modern cameras, which are with a large number of megapixels such as Canon 5 D MIV and higher. From independent testers, this lens gives almost the highest performance in terms of requirements in general for modern lenses.
therussells518 –
Im a wedding and portrait photographer, and I typically use my Canon 2470mm 2.8 USM II and my Sigma 70200mm 2.8. Ive been wanting to upgrade my prime lens because all I really had for portraits was my Canon 50mm 1.8. I was looking to upgrade to the canon 50mm 1.2 but had read a blog of 50mm lenses being compared to one another. It appeared to me that although this lens was a 1.4 the sharpness could not be beat. I already love my sigma 70200 so I thought Id give it a try. I not only saved myself a few hundred dollars but I was NOT disappointed. In the little time Ive had this lens Ive done an engagement session, three family sessions, and a senior session and it may be some of my best work. This lens is amazing
Anonymous –
I didnt hesitate giving up my Canon 1.2L for this lens. Now, this is not a decision everyone should make, but here are my reasons for the switch 1. I dont particularly need weather sealing for the 50mm range. 2. I shoot a lot of product work, and was getting annoyed at all the barrel distortion present in the Canon 50s … yes … even the 1.2L This lens has negligible barrel distortion. I do not spend any time correcting it, even when shooting rectangular paintings. For someone like me, this is a huge time saver. As Im sure youve read in every other review around the web. This lens is very sharp, and very well built. Riskwise, Sigmas durabilitylongevity remains to be seen, but if the lens stands the test of time, this purchase is a no brainer.
thewindstore –
I have many fast, sharp lenses, including several considered best in class for their focal length on a Nikon body. None of them compare to the sharpness and unbelievable low light performance of this Sigma 50mm f1.4 HSM DG Art lens. I highly recommend this lens. Its in a class of its own.
Jaime –
I use this with either my Canon EOS 6D or my Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Ive been contemplating for a long time which 50mm prime I will buy to step up from my MARK I Canon EF 50mm 1.8 lens. Its an old, classic piece of glass, but its not quite up to par with me understatement, I know since Ive really expanded into commercialeditorial portrait photography. Having consistent and fine quality is a must. On occasion, I do shoot events as well and that also demands autofocus that can keep up with moving subjects and lowlight capability for the worst of the worst. What I like about this lens It performs. I never thought Id stray away from the Canon family for a lens, especially something I have to invest some good bucks on. I was a little skeptical, but I am now interested in possibly getting the 35mm Sigma Art lens because of how much Ive come to enjoy this one. I own the Canon 85 1.2LII, Canon 135 2L, Canon 70200L 2.8LII, Canon 2470mm 2.8L, and Canon 100 Macro 2.8L and I find that this lens is my preferred when shooting portraits. The autofocus is fast and it seems to be wellfocused consistent. Although I can shoot only up to f16, that doesnt bother me. I can shoot at f1.4 if I need that bokeh, and it still seems to perform well when wide open. Closing it down make things even sharper, especially past f4.0. The autofocus is also silent and quick. Like a ninja. I have nicknamed this lens Ninja because of it. This also cost a lot less than the Canon 50 1.2L and even though its f1.4, I dont really find that a bother. It might actually be impractical to spend that much more for only 13 more light. It comes with a nice case very protective case, youll know if you ever see the interior. The lens hood snaps into place nicely also and is made nicely. I feel like this is a highend piece of glass. What I dont like about it I kinda wish it had IS, but thats okay. I will practice shooting with a steadier hand when on the move.
dennissmoy –
When I first received the lens I was ecstatic. For the price and the image quality I felt as though I had scored a true bargain. Within two days of unboxing the product I was looking at the lens in full daylight and discovered that it is rampant with fungus on the front internal lens. I am truly disheartened now. This was the first time I had invested in a lens of this quality and to see it in the state it is now disappoints me to no end. Reading the return policy I would be asked to pay a restocking fee which it absurd.
Oveth Martinez –
I am lifestyle photographer base in San Diego, CA. I shoot a lot social media content for rad brands. I just bought this last week and got it two days ago. I literally opened the box and attached the lens and went shooting for a client. I dont know why so many people say they have bad experience with this lens. It worked flawlessly on my Nikon D810. All the images were sharp, great color and awesome depth of field This is my second Sigma lens. I first purchase the 35mm Art lens. Both work for me
KirstyC –
Was originally deciding between this lens and the Canon 50mm L series. After reading a lot of reviews online, i decided that this lens would be the best option with a lot of reviewers saying they thought it was better than the Canon version. My conclusion this lens is great for what i need if for portrait and event photography. It has fast autofocus and isnt too loud either. This lens is great value for money cheaper than the Canon 50mmA couple of things worth mentioning however This lens is pretty heavy but you get used to it when you have used it many times. I also had to calibrate the lens slightly as the focus was out by a bit. But that was pretty simple to do.Overall Would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a 50mm lens
NikonThomas –
Ive been a lifelong Nikon user and never had much use for a 50mm, much less an offbrand 50mm. I mean, what working pro would really want a cheaper, off brand lensIm a heavy 80200 and 2470 2.8 user and I wanted to purchase a Nikkor 50 1.4 g lens to use on my D800. When I started researching, I came across the Sigma 50 art and was impressed by how much everyone loved the lens. I bought on on impulse and its turned out to be my favorite lens. Id even say its forced me to think about photography a bit different and thats a good thing. Its basic I use it like a short zoom lens for portraits and anything that I can physically walk up to. First, it is amazingly sharp. I mean REALLY sharp. My Nikkor 80200 2.8 is a sharp lens as is my Nikkor 60mm Micro and it blows both away totally different level of sharpness at least with a D800 file. Second, its fast to focus and fun to hold. It feels like a good lens a lot like shooting with a Hasselblad 500c and an 80mm lens from back in film days. Third, did I mention how sharp it is Its heavy and that might be an issue for some but if you want a seriously high end lens, take a look at this one. Now if they will release an 85mm 1.4 art…..
Elana –
Wide open, the sigma 50 art is incredibly sharp, with little distortion, and beautifully controlled fringing. Like all Art lenses, the build is pro level, and with a weather and dust seal, the sensor is safe from damaging rain and granular particles. Color rendering is very precise, and is on point with my more expensive Leica lenses and GFX lenses. Focus could be a little faster, but for portraits, its plenty fast. There is a bit of focus breathing, so for those using it for video, you may find that to be an issue when in AF mode. Otherwise, this lens is a steal, and worth every penny.
Rebecca –
I had high expectations for this lens bought the Sony mount for my a7iii. Had serious AF issues when I tried to use it for the first few shoots I had. Clients said they could see it moving in and out, but it wouldnt lock focus. Sent it back as faulty and got a replacement same issue So slow to focus, but as soon as I changed to a Sony lens there was no problem, so it had nothing to do with settings. I shelled out 500 more and invested in the Sony 50mm 1.4 instead. Will be sticking to native lenses from now on. I cant afford to wait around for a lens to AF when photographing children BH were fantastic with all the replacementrefund steps though
Frank –
I used the lens on a Nikon D810. To get the AF into the right ballpark at medium distances, I had to dial in a 8 microadjustment. I found the lens optically as good as the most glowing reviews have it crisp and clear fully open, flat field, no color fringing to speak of, no distortion. Amazing, incomparably better than any 50mm prime I have used on a Nikon body. But I had trouble focusing. With the center AF point, there were frequent glaring misses good target, good light, in some situations almost 50 . The outermost AF points were completely useless, never yielding correct focus. The intermediate ones were middling. The trouble is in order to focus reliably at f1.4 at short distances, for example on a portrait sitters eye, you cant use the center point and recompose. You need to be able to rely on the offcenter points, and I couldnt. I can with my other lenses, so its not the camera bodys fault. Manual focus in LV mode worked very well, but it really requires a tripod, and I find the monitor update too sluggish to capture fleeting facial expressions. Returned the lens.
CATHERINE –
Another great lens from Sigma. It has become my staple for all my lenses in my bag. I have never had any issues with the quality of the lenses and the turnout of photos taken. The sigma lenses are a tad bit heavier but I think this is due to the quality of the lenses. The pictures are crisp and give much more than other lenses that I have. They are top of their game.
Scott –
I used to always buy Nikkor when I was Nikon or Sony when I switched to shooting Sony but now I have a good set of these art lenses from Sigma and I have to say they are great and certainly well priced next to the others. Sharp , Fast and everything I need for a working photographer. I shoot 15 days a month on average so already it is getting serious use since I bought it and I am more than pleased
Anonymous –
Great performance. Excellent sharpness. But the focus accuracy is not that good on my D850. Even after spending good amount of time to AF Fine Tune things are still not very reliable. So I use it using live view focus but it is not very fast on my D850. So a bit of a problem. But when the focus doesnt miss it has very good resolution and sharpness.
willegeie0 –
I was heavily debating between this lens and the Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8 because of its similar price point and image quality. I went with this one because I need the mechanical manual focus of this lens for cinematography. But now that I got it, I absolutely love it its my go to lens. The weight is nice and heavy which I actually prefer. It does not feel plasticky at all and is extremely dense you can tell there is a lot of glass crammed into that space and it shocked me when I first held it. Great buy, I plan on going the sigma route for the rest of my Sony glass.
willie –
Alexander, Napoleon, Mohammad, Lincoln they were that too. Great NonApologetic. Personally, I think Sigma 50mm ART should apologize to Nikon, Canon, Sony and especially Zeiss Otus. Notice I did not say The Zeiss Otus.I purchased Nikon 58mm at its launch for bokeh with the intention of also buying Zeiss Otus for detail. I bought Nikon 58 because I own and love the Nikon 85mm f1.4 bokeh lens. I could see Nikon 58 as the increase in frame coverage that Nikon 85 is missing. In the beginning I was happy with my Nikon 58 coverage solution to the Nikon 85. But over time, I came to see that the Nikon 85 bokeh is a class better than the Nikon 58. Hence, no person owning both of those lenses would use them both. They become mutually exclusive, as in 2interval, 2alternative forced choice. Therefore, I sold my Nikon 58 to buy Zeiss Otus 55.Zeiss had led me to believe that only a lens made without Auto Focus could be the sharpest. I was ready to buy even though I plainly understood what Zeiss understood but was keeping silent on The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th most important considerations about a lens is whether that lens can capture an image. And without auto focus, that is exactly what Zeiss Otus cant do. Outside the studio, with Otus, youll always be lucky you captured the image. Why care so much that Otus is sharp It is impotent Otus is made with glass elements more expensive than Gold. Too bad, so sad that that glass was made available to optics designers who didnt even have a clue. Ever shall it be that the Idea means more than the Effort. Isnt it enough just to be beautiful I say no. But Zeiss think so. I took notice of The Sigma 50mm ART lens when it was announced. And I heard the praise over the months praise that ranged from sharper than Otus to only a hair behind Otus. This lens is to be Otus made with Auto Focus. The Sigma isnt made of glass more expensive than gold, but what glass it is made of is back by the right Idea. And the idea makes all the difference. If you want the extra hair that Otus only might be, you still need The Sigma to capture those images above and beyond Otus. And such will amount to a lot of images.Some reviewers have submitted that The Sigma suffers from lack of bokeh. Ive shot many comparative images against Nikon 85 and found The Sigma to be a better bokehcoverage solution to Nikon 85 than is Nikon 58. I am wondering where that lack of bokeh which others are seeing is. I cant see it.I have shot with The Sigma in all subjection still, motion, low light and video. I am impressed As I see it, as far as this and that goes, The Sigma is right in the middle of all this and all that. It has no limitations.Except that it is a nonapologetic knockout punch. Perhaps, in future some lens will come along and teach it proper manner.I have included 2 Basic Setting jpeg photos. The 1st is a 130 a.m. night photo of my street at ISO 6400, f1.4 with only street light illuminating, but without a tripod. Here, Otus might be better but only if a tripod is used. If I owned Otus, I would glad I also own Gitzo Series 5. But owning The Sigma, my Gitzo is no matter.The 2nd is a snapshot of a lady walking away. Otus could image this shot only if the lady is beyond infinity. But with The Sigma, her image capture was as easy as eating pancakes. But what is even more is this When I zoomed in on the ladies butt, it was more detailed than Nikon 58 could have mustered at 10 from her. Beyond Otus and above Nikon is what this lens, The Sigma 50mm Art, is all about. I seriously wonder if this lens was never designed, but rather wished for. Experiencing The Sigma has opened my eyes to the truth. I see Zeiss Otus owners as misguided people whom are paying the highest price a human can pay in life The price of misunderstanding.Perhaps, Zeiss is so large that it suffers from what only large companies suffer policy that allows only The Chosen to submit an idea and receive credit. The greatest likelihood is Sigma ART has one man hired who knows what is between the lines and also what is beyond the end of file. And they actually give attention to that man. Incredible does occur rarely.I submit to you this No committee could have designed all this, The Sigma ART 50mm lens. Thank you, Nikon, for the D810. It is just the turn of event my Sigma ART needs.Kings better themselves by toppling other kings. Thats the way it is. Thats the way its always been. Usually, the masses have no problem accepting the new sovereign. Its a simple case of waving Goodbye to the old crew and waving Hi to the brand new. May I say that I have paired The Sigma with The Big Stopper and I got my best looking images yet. Perhaps, Sigma Art will do something for us masses than Nikon, Zeiss, Canon, Sony would never dogive us landscapers the perfect lens, an f8 to f64. Large format guys have had this detail lens option for decades. Nothing encourages Great Expectations so much as a newly crowned King.Welcome, King Sigma ART. And for the sake of us all may thee fair well.Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, Sony face the dirty LowDown. You have been placed on Notice.
C Law 24 –
The headline was intentional. My review should not be a deciding factor for professionals or the highly technicallyminded. Instead, I want to share what drove an amateur me to the Art over the 1.2L. After much literally 50 hours of research and comparison of these two 50mm lenses, I was still left undecided. Thirty minutes of silent contemplation paired with a nice glass of bourbon finally led me to realize that I appreciated the sharpness of the Art over the dreaminess of the 1.2L. This is not to say that the Art produces poor bokeh or that the 1.2L is soft it sort of is for a prime. Instead, I came to the conclusion that I could postprocess a little dreaminess much easier than I could sharpen an image. Fast forward to today and I sleep like a baby. My experience with the Art has been fantastic and Im thrilled with its allaround performance. I have found the need to soften a face or two in post production, but thats not time consuming or grating. On the other hand, Im loving the crazy fine detail captured in every snap. As a result, I use this lens almost exclusively. Note 1 I shoot on a Canon 5D Mark IV. I cannot speak to its performance on any other body. Note 2 Many reviews noted the need to make micro adjustments to this lens. My experience and testing of the lens found it to be spot on right out of the box. My own two cents completely uneducated is that the early batches of the lens may have had more QC issues or perhaps the lens didnt cooperate as well with older camera bodies. Conclusion Unless your style or wallet dictates otherwise, the Art is a near perfect prime for your collection.
Andy from Cali –
This is probably HIGHEST rated lens I seen. Now I expected a lot from this lens because I read so many positive reviews.1 YES its pretty sharp. 2 and YES I really like how fast it grabs focus. No complains there.I do feel its little heavy for 50mm prime. When I hold camera Im use to camera body being little heavier than lens and camera in my hands tilts back little bit, with this lens it tilts forward a bit. By the way its not a BIG deal, dont let this scare you. Its not 70200 II lens its not heavy. Im just used to prime lenses being super light .Other wise Sigma is amazing
Caitlyn –
Just received my first art lens. Excited to see what it has to offer. So far images have been really clean and crisp. Great quality in low light as well Would definitely recommend.
kt –
I recently bought a 24mm Sigma lenscame with a dock for my Canon 6D as a change from Canon lenses. I was so impressed with it i decided to try another and replace my Canon 50mm 1.8 with the Sigma 50mm Art lens1.4. I love this lens I am not a professional but an avid intermediate, rabid shooter and the clarity and sharpness are just fantastic. The quality and look of the lens are impressive and my photos, mostly all nature, are making me much happier as well. I can also update the lens software using the dock I already have, another reason I went for the Sigma. It is a little heavy but it doesnt bother me a bit seems like all my lenses are heavy anyway So far, I havent found anything to complain about.
divasaxman –
Having owned numerous canon L lenses, including the 50mm 1.2L, I can say without question that the sigma art 50mm f1.4 is the sharpest lens I have seen to date. I also own the sigma 85mm art and although unbelievably sharp, the 50mm beats it in every category At this price point its a no brainer.
Jeffrey –
Im a wedding photographer, so fast primes are a must for me, especially during indoor ceremoniesreceptions, and the Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART lens for Sony did not disappoint Physically, the lens has a clean, simple, and beautiful build. Its solid and has some weight to it, but right away, you know Sigma means business, especially when it comes to its ART series of lenses. The only drawback for the build of this lens is that its not weathersealed. Performancewise, I could not be any more happier At f1.4 on my Sony a99, the images are tacksharp Focus is fast and silent, and didnt have any issues with autofocusing in lowlight. Focus accuracy is also pretty consistent. Bokeh is nice and smooth, and contrast is excellent. To me, this lens is definitely comparable to the Sony 50mm f1.4 Carl Zeiss lens in terms of quality, but the biggest different is PRICE. At about a 500 difference, the 50mm ART lens by Sigma is a nobrainer.
John M –
I use this lens on my Canon C100Mk2 and my Canon 5dmk2 and all I can say is buy it with confidence. The autofocus works flawlessly and is quick and silent. Its built like a solid piece of metal and glass the finest lens I have had on my camera period. It feels more solid than my 1635 2.8L II lens and it simply a pleasure to use. Images are glare free, crystal pixel peeping clear with no color change throughout what you see pretty much is what you get read all the reviews on line this thing is no joke and a real bargain for people considering other so called high end glass such as a Canon 50mm 1.2 this lens is tons sharper and has nearly no CA and it handily beats the so called best of the best from Zeiss such as the Milvus or Otus glass plus it auto focuses. What else do you want I currently have the amazing bargain Samyang 85mm Cine Lens amazing on all fronts and the Samyang 35mm Cine AS I even compared this to a Rokinon 35mm DS which I returned bc the Samyang looked better after extensive testing on both cameras we are blessed to have BH all of lens copys from BH all are as far as I am concerned top examples of state of the art at any price. The next lens I get will most likely be a 2470II 2.8 by Canon but now that I have the Art I may try another art instead. Congrats Sigma for making such a high quality piece of gear I will treasure for years to come.
Andrey –
Its said to be super sharp.. Well.. maybe. But I have something to share about the sample I have.the focus is horribly inconsistent During the same shoot out I can get several back focus issues followed by front focus issues. Yes, the error VARIES with focusing distance Is it how a k lens supposed to perform outofthe boxSome would tell me about Sigma USBdock for calibration.. But, hey, this is ridiculous Why should I bother to calibrate a brandnew premiumgrade lens Isnt it supposed to be done on the factoryShame on you, Sigma
Timothy –
This lens is near the pinnacle of the 50mm lenses for Sony Emount. The Zeiss 501.4 reigns supreme but this lens is a far better value. The image quality is top notch. The fall off and bokeh can only be described as molten clarified butter. Its an utterly fantastic portrait lens. AF on an A7RII is very good. It sometimes hesitates a bit in low light but it snaps into focus after a bit. In good light it nails it every time.To anyone complaining about the size and weight. Its a Sigma ART lens. Theyve had that reputation for years now. They are heavy and huge.
thejojti –
Ive bought this lens to try out a bit of prime lenses.. As I found this as a good lens for a fair price I bought it. I absolutely did not regret the purchase, however Im now to prime lenses so wouldnt say anything stupid, in general Im very satisfied with it and would recommend it strongly to anyone is in similar situation. Very strong lightpower, and even without IS I could get sharp result around 120 sec. works very well in low light conditions as well. No backfocus problem spotted… Maybe the hood works a little bit lose on the lens when fitted, but that did not bother me at all. I think it is a very fair price for a 77mm filter sized lens.
Jim –
I have shot about a thousand photos through this lens and here are my initial impressionsSolid build, fast autofocus, tack sharp out of the box, lens cap cheaply made and it fell off once already, image quality is amazingly sharp across the frame, weight not an issue I have the Nikon 2470mm, f2.8 85mm, f1.4, and the Sigma falls somewhere in between. Note, the Sigma 50mm f1.4 feels slightly front heavy on my D610 though not uncomfortable. I imagine on the D800 it would balance perfectly. For what its worth to some fence sitters, heres a comparison of the Sigma 50mm f1.4 vs. Nikon 85mm f1.4. Yes, they are different focal lengths so its an unfair comparison apples to oranges but if you plan to take portraits here are some points worth considering First, price Sigma 50mm vs. Nikon 85mm .Second, the images coming out both of these lenses are truly fantastic. You will not regret buying either one. Third, portraiture lens. I got both for that reason. The Sigma probably has more versatility beyond portraits.Here are my thoughtsIve got a 3year old who is constantly on the go and I found the Sigma slightly betterfaster at locking onto him under any given situation. The Nikon 85mm gets the job done too but is a bit slower in focusing.Nikon 85mm balances better on my D610, think of a grapefruit sitting on your camera. The Sigma, slightly front heavy and sticks out more about an inch more.1. Why Id pick the Sigma 50mm over the Nikon 85mm Great price for what you get, slightly quieter and quicker autofocus, the black and white markings on the lens give a sexy look on a Nikon camera, if you wish to take your game to the next level, the Sigma 50mm will do it.2. Why Id pick the Nikon 85mm over the Sigma 50mmThe Nikon 85mm is lighter, smaller, and balances better on a Nikon 610, the pics coming out of this lens are magical, the bokeh creamier, the skin tonality is slightly warmer on the Nikon 85mm, slightly more clinical on the Sigma 50mm. I dont know about you, but for me I take thousands of photos. Many are throwaways, some are keepers, but every once in a while I come across one that simply takes my breath away. All the stars align, the colors and focus are dead on, you see the pic, slowly smile and nod your head perfection sought, perfect attained. Your friends and family see it and they are quite blown away by it. Its nearly magazine quality right out of the camera with no Photoshop added to the mix, theres a magic in the recipe. Basically, this happens more with the Nikon 85mm, less with the Sigma 50mm.I cant say if that justifies the extra cost of 750 over the Sigma. Only you can decide. But when I buy a lens, the pain of the sticker shock lasts about a day and I am left with the lens. If you are going to invest 1000 in a lens, why not chip in an extra 750, and get yourself a dream lens.
Anonymous –
I was eagerly awaiting the release of this lens and wouldnt stop reading prerelease reviews. This lens lives up to the maximum optical quality that Sigma is promising with its new Art series. I used to use the Canon 50mm f1.4 and even tried the 1.2. Wide open, this lens will beat either of them stopped down to f2. The vignetting is natural and smooth, aberrations are minimal and barely noticeable and the focus is super fast and accurate. Warning, the lens is rather heavy, and might seem out of place on smaller cameras like the Rebel series, but the performance makes it all worth it. The price is absolutely unbeatable for this kind of quality
Anonymous –
I use this as a portrait lens on my EOS 60D and the contrast and color clarity is very nice. I stepped up from the Canon 50mm f1.4 and couldnt be any more pleased with how sharp this lens can be. This is my second Art series lens from Sigma, but I have noticed in some instances focus problems with this lens. Where it gets thrown off be it usually focusing a bit closer than the subject I want. More noticed at the wide open aperture. Which could be in part due to the camera unable to focus as accurately at these large apertures. That being said it was about 15 inaccuracy in outside 3pm daylight with my experience thus far. Which means an overwhelming majority of pictures have come out fantastic
CT –
I wrote a lengthy review below from CT from when I used it for a solid day upon its arrival. This would be my update to that. The lens is even sharper than my initial impressions made it out to be. I still wouldnt say that at f1.4 its as sharp as the Canon 135L at f2, but at f1.8, the Sigma has made up the ground. Absolutely unbelievable The bokeh is creamy, soft, and wonderful. I cannot get enough of this lens. It is everything you hope it is and more. Perhaps a little CA at f1.4 see the Audi picture attached and focus on the Audi symbol, but nothing outrageous. I dont see how you can buy this and be disappointed
James G. –
Let me start off by saying that I have going on a sigma love affair. I first bought the 85mm 1.4 sigma used and got an absolute deal on it. Since the nikon version was out of my budget at the time I jumped on the 85mm deal because of the price. I would be able to sell it again and still make money off of it event if I was unhappy with it. However, the 85mm blew away my expectations This got me very very interested in the Art line. After debating is sending this much money on a 50mm lens was worth it, I just decided to go for it. Once I did I have never looked back. I have used the Nikon version 50mm lenses and hands down there is ABSOLUTELY no comparison between any other 50mm lens minus the Otus which I have never used. Even comparing the Canon 1.2 the Sigma would be my 50 of choice. I have had no problem is focus, low light, or reliability after owning for a few months. For newborns this Sigma 50mm is well worth the money. I can and have shot almost all types of sessions from newborn, weddings, to portraits. Everyone complains about the weight but this have been a non issue especially if you are used to shooting with a 70200 2.8. I would definitely recommend this lens without any caveats……. well except one, and that is lack of weather sealing but hey, that is seriously not a deal breaker for me at least.
Mark –
Ive never been impressed by my old Canon 50mm f1.4 lens but saw no reason to pay the big bucks to upgrade to the L lens. Then I read an article about this lens and research images others were creating with it. I was intrigued. So I took the plunge and ordered one along with the USB Dock. I was concerned about focus speed and was pleasantly surprised to find zero problems in that area. This lens is well made, great color reproduction, great focus speed and works well in low light. This lens has not been off my camera since I unboxed
Elbert P. –
I just got back from a trip where I used this lens almost exclusively paired with A99ii. The image quality sharpness will blow you away coupled with the 42MP sensor on the A99ii. This is the sharpest lens I have ever used so far. I know there are sharper lenses out there still, but this is way more than adequate.The second thing I want to talk about is the autofocus. Some people have AF issue with this lens. I have also experienced issue with inaccurate AF, especially wide open. If you stop down to F2.0 or F2.8, the AF accuracy gets better. However, with A99ii, I have no problem whatsoever shooting wide open. The reason is with A99ii, you can manually adjust focus after AF confirmation and I get sharp pictures 99 of the time. The EVF on A99ii is so amazingly sharp and smooth that the focus magnifier shows you CRYSTAL CLEAR when your subject is in focus.For portrait work, if you have A99ii, this lens is one of the best lenses for it no doubt.
ShayneG –
I have owned sigmas in the past that tainted my opinion on these lenses so I was all set to purchase a Canon 50mm 1.2. A colleague however reccomended the Art series and assured me I would be impressed. After copious amounts of YouTube reviews and message boards I decided to give this lens a try. All I can say this lens is worth as much as the canon 50 and more. Its sharper, quieter, faster, more accurate and if you can spare the .2 fstop loss you can then this lens will turn you into a sigma believer. Im converting all my primes to the art lenses. Do the research yourself, this lens is perfect. It looks good too.
Anonymous –
This lens has reset the standard by which I compare lenses. After 30 years of Nikkors and many of the top lenses, I had pretty high expectations when I ordered the 50f1.4 ART but it still exceeded them. It even outperforms some of the macro primes, which is really a statement. Optically, it delivers very high sharpness and microcontrast, little if any CA, very minimal field curvature not macrolens flat, but close, minimal vignetting even wide open. AF is fast and accurate I even found myself shooting a few high speed pans at the race track. I was expecting some trouble with flare, but test shots without the hood mounted showed pretty good although not absolutely air tight control of flare. Like my 24f1.4 ART, this lens came accurately focusing right out of the box for both my D3 and D3x, rendering the USB dock a bit redundant for now. The contruction is very solid, with no play, no wiggle. It feels like its solid brass and glass when hefted. In a way it feels more like a smooth rock than a piece of precision machinery and optics. The only drawbacks of this lens is its size and weight, which are considerable. Its surprisingly close to the size of my Nikkor 24120f4 obviously before the latter is zoomed, especially when the hoods are deployed. Most would guess that the camera is mounted with some kind of zoom, not one of the little primes. From what Ive seen of some samples from the Nikkor 58f1.4 AFS the Noct successor, the bokeh of the Sigma is not quite as nice, but its smooth and pleasant nonetheless. I havent had this lens out for a fullscale test of coma flare at night, but it is obviously FAR better in this regard than the Nikkor 24120f4 which is mediocre in this dimension and also better than the 2470f2.8 AFS which is better, but hardly immune.
William –
When Sigma released their 35mm Art, I took a leap of faith and bought it based on the positive press it was receiving. Afte two years and 120 weddings, the 35mm has become my goto photojournalism lens. So, when Sigma released their 50mm, and the press was just as glowing, I went for it without hesitation. After getting to know it, tuning it a little with the Sigma USB dock, and reviewing hundreds of images in postproduction, its clear that Sigma is doing something special even magical with their new global vision line. Not only is the physical quality and feel of this lens luxurious and comfortable, the image quality is second only to the famed 4k Zeiss Otus. My advice put away any blind brand loyalty to Canon and give this lens a try.
Fred –
This is my first 50mm prime lens, so it took a little bit to get a feel for this particular focal length. After having used this for a little over a week now, I can honestly say that this lens is a game changer A very solidly built lens with optics that are second to none. The speed allows to experiment with different compositions under a variety of lighting conditions. It has actually changed my approach to photography in many situations. From street photography to artistic abstracts, you cant go wrong with this lens
Anonymous –
I had and used this lens for less then 6 months before I started noticing that my shots werent in focus. This lens is seasonal for me as I primarily shoot portraits Lifestyle during the summer, so the lens wasnt used often. My first shoot was amazing Second amazing Then it started to back focus, and then front focus and now it is all over the place… It ended up getting to the point where I went from a 90 keep rate wide open, to less then 20…. Im currently hunting down my receipt to send it back to Sigma for them to take a look at it… I have heard its a HUGE problem with this lens, and that there isnt a fix yet… SO this being said I hope Sigma fixes the issue, or provides a new lens…. Because the color and sharpness WAS perfect…
Josef –
I usually dont post reviews, but this lens deserves the time to write one. I have shot this lens on both FX and DX bodies and it is my favorite by far. Always sharp, bit heavier but the extra weight is due to a high build quality. This Sigma is always in my Pro bag.
willworkforhead –
This is a fantastic lens. All of the Sigma Art series lenses have been fantastic. I now own the 24mm, 35mm, and 50 mm. I currently have the Tamron 85 1.8 that is going to get switched with the Sigma 85 1.4. Thats how much Ive enjoyed my others. Fair warning, though, you will need the USB Dock to update the firmware on all of these. I had MAJOR focus issues with all three prior to updating the firmware. After I updated, I only needed to make very minor in camera calibrations 3 to get these things absolutely tack sharp. These adjustments were so minor I opted to make them via my 5D IV in camera calibrations by lens instead of the USB dock. It was just easier that way. After updating the firmware these things get the focus bang on at a way higher percentage than the majority of the Canon L glass I have owned and do own at comparable apertures. Being someone that can afford all Canon L glass if I wanted, I would still buy these over the Canon versions. The only thing that would sway me would be if I required weather sealing, and I dont. If weather sealing isnt an issue for you, and you make sure you get the USB dock to updatecalibrate the lens, this thing is a no brainer.
Dezant G. –
I bought this from PBtech, and I immediately fell in love with this lens so much. Where do I start, the focus is so fast with my 6D, and then with my 5D Mark III and now with my Canon 5D Mark 4. Build quality is very good, it looks modern, sleek and elegant with all black finishing. Image quality I think everyone must get this lens because what Im about to tell you that this lens is really sharp wide open, I never use this lens above f1.4 LOL even for my wedding, you guys can check my website http://www.dezantgrayman.com to prove that Im not wrong I wish I can give you example here. Anyway, micro contrast with this lens is very good too, so much better than Canon 50mm f1.2 I really love this lens so much and its been served me really well so far 5 stars for Sigma 50mm f1.4 ART lens. Btw I also bought 24mm f1.4 ART lens as well and they very identical, if you love taking astrography, landscape or travel, the 24mm f1.4 my go to lens.
Canon guy turned Sigma evangelist –
Having an older camera body Canon 7D, and already owning the Canon 50mm 1.4, I was hesitant to spend this kind of money on something that I from a focal length perspective already owned instead of putting the money toward a newer body. Little did I know at the time of purchase that this would be possibly the smartest photography purchase of my life with a close runner up being the Canon 70200 2.8 mkII. I believe one reviewer described it as butter and razor blades. I couldnt agree more. The images coming out of this lens are so good that I am now able to shoot in lower light and shallower DOFs than Id ever consider before. When I put this lens on my 7D which is on probably 80 of the time, I feel like I have a full new kit because its that good. Now, with all of that said, I did notice that with a 58ish foot range that my particular copy would backfocus a bit. So I opted for the USB dock. Problem solved in about 20 minutes, and I can confidently say its the best thing Ive ever purchased.
Brian –
I am an 25 year fashion, event and street photographer. I purchased the Sigma 50 1.4 Art in July and after two weeks I returned it for several reasons. First the positives. The lens is indeed an excellant performer optically. When photographing people they will appear to pop out at you with a three dimensional visual. Autofocus was fast and accurate on my copy. I found the color rendition of this lens to exhibit a slight grey hue. This is even after white balance correction. The next minus is the weight This lens is heavy Compared to other 50mm lenses, its like carrying around a small zoom instead. When I think Nifty Fifty, I think small and light weight. A 50mm is a lens I can carry in my bag with no thought of it getting in the way. The Bokeh was not up to par when compared to my other 1.4 lenses. When shooting street photography I also like having a lens with some sort of dust and weather protection. In conclusion I would say Sigma did a great job in creating a lens that performs much better than the competition. If the added features were improved upon in the future, it would make this lens a more complete product for my needs.
Stanislav –
Optical, technical build etc perfect lens,BUT I bought it to my S1H, I am very dissapointed of noisy AF in video, it is audible in every my video , when I use internal microphone or external on S1H or on Cageit doesnt matter…my wife heard it from 1.5m in quiet room and asked me what is it….. So you have only 2 choices1.make video with MF or2. external mic but not on your camera,nice far away from your AFC with this lens.So it really doesnt see like ideal weddingevent lens
Chris the wedding photographer –
My first 50mm was a Nikon 50 1.8D. It was great value for money, but it under performed in Backlight and had horrible CA. When the Nikon 50 1.4G came out, i jumped on it…it turned out to be the worst nikon lens i owned. Focusing was slow, it always seems to missed. In the end, i hardly ever used it. When Sigma announced this lens, i was skeptical….having owned 2 other sigmas. But decided to give it a shot. What I can say, it Wow, it is sharp, focuses much better than the nikon 50mm 1.4G and can overcome backlit situations much better than my nikons. Very heavy, but for the photos and focus for those critical wedding photos, I am willing to carry it. Ive been using this for over a year now. This lens renewed my faith in Sigma and i recommend it to all my friends and colleagues. Give it a go.
BrianDavisPhoto –
I was shooting a wedding with my Nikon 50 f1.4 G lens and it stopped working. I needed a replacement fast and I had heard great things about the Sigma 50 Art. Needless to say I ordered one on the spot. When it arrived few days later, I tried it out and was blown away. Not only did it out perform the Nikon 50G, but it out performed every other piece of premium glass I own. This isnt simply a new lens….its a new yardstick. Its sharpness and contrast are unlike anything Ive tried and the focus is lightning fast, accurate, and whisper quiet. Im stunned and there are no words to describe how awesome this lens is.
William –
I have been using this lens for about 2 weeks on a Nikon D800e and D4s. I have been very pleased with the results I am getting. pluses are Fast and accurate autofocus on both cameras. Good resolution and contrast wide open. Excellent results on both close and distant subjects. Nice solid build. The only negative I can come up with, and I havent tested it under fire and will not intentionally, is the lack of weather sealing. It would be nice to have, but the lack ot it is not a game changer for me. The lens is heavier than most in its focal range, however the performance improvements far outweigh the weight gain. Also, when you compare the weight to other high quality lenses, it really isnt that heavy. The price of the lens is very fair for the quality and performance it delivers.
Susan –
Im fairly new to photography and have a couple of lenses that Ive struggled with. I was nervous to spend the money in this one but boy am I happy This has been a game changer for me. I highly recommend the lens. The shipping from BH was quick and the lens was well packaged.
Peter –
Im a serious hobbyist when it comes to photography and as such I wont get bogged down in the technical weeds. I suspect most readers want to know about image quality. In my experience so far, the Sigma is a gamechanger. Portraits and landscape alike are breathtaking in their clarity and texture. As far as my eye can see, the bokeh is luscious. I had some concerns about AF functions based on the many reviews I poured over and Im happy to report Ive had ZERO issues. And maybe Im an anomaly, but I enjoy the heft of this lens…the build quality is top notch. I coveted the Sigma for nearly a year and Im beyond pleased with the results.
shankar.b –
Owning this wonderful lens since is been lounged for the 1st time, the colors of the outcome, build in quality and very strong. Never had problems with auto focus. 1.4 gives are more comfortable and stress free when you shoot in church or darker locations. Single light set up or just available light is just amazing.
BROOKE –
After a lot of research reading reviews and looking at comparison videos on YouTube, I decided on the Sigma Art over the Canon 50mm 1.2 since the sharpness of my focal point was very important to me. I couldnt be happier with this lens and the results Im getting from it. Ive used it on several shoots now, and it hasnt disappointed. Before this lens I was accustomed to my 24105mm f4 IS Canon L and the Canon 70200mm f2.8 L. Im enjoying the difference between my new prime and my familiar zooms. It has added a new dimension to my images I wasnt able to achieve with my others, and I will keep it as a permanent fixture in my camera bag.
Gerald –
Ive had this lens for about a month and use it exclusively on one Nikon D810. Construction and external features are very good, as good as any. Focusing is very rapid and accurate, once corrected. I have a Sigma dock and do not hesitate to use it. Out of the box the lens showed consistent mildtomoderate front focusing at all distances that was confirmed by using the DataColor and LensAlign systems for checking focus. I used the Sigma dock and tweaked the focus across all focus distances and thought I was home free. Then I noticed what I suspected was persistent front focus at very close distances, not much but in the range of less than 1 inch 2 cm at the point of closest focus. Again I confirmed this and readjusted the lens with the Sigma dock and software. Now everything seems fine. Autofocus is now very sharp about 90 of the time at f1.4 handheld, with the remaining 10 close but not exact, possibly due a combination of the lens and me primarily me with handholding. Autofocusing is very quick and very quiet. The lens is extremely, and I mean extremly, sharp, one of the sharpest I have ever used, including at the edges of the field and at the largest and smallest apertures. I notice a tad of chromatic aberration under the worst of lighting conditions at f1.4, but this is easily correctable in Lightroom. At larger apertures and under better lighting condition I have seen no aberration. I have noticed no distortion. The lens is on the heavy side for a 50mm prime, but having used much larger and heavier lenses, this isnt a problem for me. I have noticed no distortion. Theres no image stabilization. I think for a lens of this price and quality, IS would ve very desirable. I have chosen some Tamrons with competitive but not superlative optics because of their very good vibration compensation. Finally, there is no weather sealing for all practical puroses. Again, for a lens of this type, this should be standard. I would definitely recommend this lens, especially to someone appreciates excellent optics and who is willing to take the time to readjust autofocus using the Sigma dock if needed. I personally feel its worth the savings to get such excellent optics even though I have to tweak the autofocus a bit. In the end you get superb optics with good autofocus at a good price. Others may not feel this way.
sivasee –
Wedding photographer here, wanted to hold off doing a review till I had gotten some decent use out of the lens first. Have now shot more than a dozen weddings with this 50mm and first off Id like to say I was very underwhelmed when it arrived. Like many others it was quite a wait after the announcement before I was able to get my copy and of course during that time I was constantly reading all these amazing reviews which of course had me in a frenzy. It arrived at last and of course AF was just all over the place and I mean completely out. I wasnt expecting it to be 100 but to be so completely off had me really worried since the 35 Art was pretty close to spot on with my 5d3 out of the box. I also wasnt blown away by sharpness wide open when I did get something focused. It took me 2 weeks with the USB Dock, AF Test charts and constant adjustments to get AF working reasonably well but I still had issues with severe back focusing on anything more than about 20 meters away. I ended up using the 5D3s micro adjustment on top of my adjustments with the Dock to get it right and now Im happy to say AF is perfect right through from min. focus to infinity and fast as well. With AF sorted, I would say this lens is pretty close to perfect. Love IQ, love the design, weight isnt a problem, great build quality. I also figured out why I wasnt so impressed with it when I first got it which was because I had been spoiled by the 35 Art which I had been using almost exclusively. It wasnt until I had to shoot some work with my old Canon 2470 2.8 50 1.4 that i realised just how much better the 2 Sigmas were. All in all I would have to say if you already own the Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art then I might spend my money on something more urgent or important before getting the 50 but if you already have everything else and are just looking for a 50 than the Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art is practically the best lens you could get. If Sigma continue like they have I expect I will soon only have Sigma lenses in my bag.Just dont forget the USB DOCK
Ash700 –
Five stars just means that, in my world, this lens is about as good as they get. Compare that to the price and compare the price to what else is available on the market, in the same category, and you have an excellent lens. Weather proofing might not be quite as good as a Canon L but I look after my things and protect them accordingly.The weight of the lens is substantial, but that is not a negative for me. Handling the lens enables you to appreciate the quality, detail and very fine finish even the lens hood fits, rotates and clicks into place with a solid, smooth feel. On the camera, it looks like a serious piece of kit and Im sure will be admired by other photography enthusiasts.The lens works with superb compatibility on my 5D Mark iv and images produced are consistently crystal clear. Great also having a max aperture of 1.4 for low light situations or isolating a subject.
mojave96 –
Yes its heavy but thats relative. Yes its one of the best lens. It shares 77mm filters. See it at dxomark The photos are beautiful.
Isaac –
Sigma. WOW. Last Spring I purchased Sigmas 1835mm 1.8 ART lens to pair with my 70D and its optics were phenomenal. Many other lenses that I have used never rendered colors as purely as the Sigma. It was then that I knew it was time to see what everyone was raving about in the Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART. I researched, found, and loved the 50 1.4 ART before I had even held it. When delivered to me, I could take a picture of a rock and I swear, that rock was so beautiful that unicorns must have made love on it. This lens is more magical than Lucky Charms and delivers bokeh sweeter than Molasses.
Dmart Films –
We rented just about every 50mm EF lens available to use for video on our Canon 5D Mk III and Canon C100. We normally always shoot with Canon L glass but were unhappy with the results of the 50 1.2L so we rented most of the available 50s out there. We were just about sold on the Zeiss 50mm f2.0 MakroPlanar ZE Macro but we saw all the great reviews of the new Sigma Art serries 35mm and the rumor that a 50mm was soon coming, so we waited to try it. We rented the lens for a weekend shoot and I placed my order to buy the lens before the shoot was even over.The color, contrast of the lens is beautifull, and the sharpness even wide open is amazing. The build quality is equal to the Canon L series, although not weather sealed. However it is big and heavy. For VIDEO its the auto focus is not the fastest we use, but we do not use auto focus that often anyway.We use our 50s a lot and this so far has not let us down in the few weeks we have ha with it.
Allen –
The focus is mechanically linked. You can see the internal focus group moving when you crank the focus ring even when the lens is not mounted to a camera. Not happening in pure flybywire. Thats good from my point of view and it shows up as mechanical responsiveness to focus adjustment. There must be an electrical clutch that disconnects the focus ring when the motors are doing the driving.The focus distance indication is helpful.Its built like a tank and is almost as heavy. I dont love heavy in a lens but I think dont think they made it heavy as a bad joke, I think they really did build it to last.
lesdentsdusinge –
Really great lens. Its super sharp, durable, and looks nice as an added bonus. One small caveat, if youre running a lumix mft system and try to use a cheaper adapter for a mount, it doesnt work well. Just get the metabones and save yourself the headache.
coxuk4 –
This Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art series Lens is quite simply brilliant. Fast, Sharp, and a substantial sized piece of kit. I think because of its weight it could possibly benefit from builtin Optical Stabilisation. But that aside, its a great Lens.
Rafay –
Ive used so many lenses and watched so many reviews before purchasing those lenses. The word tack sharp gets thrown around a lot and, being very detail oriented, I never really came across a lens and agreed it was tack sharp until the sigma 50mm 1.4 ART. Ive used various Nikon lenses, the 2470 2.8E also the tamron G1 variant the tamron 70200mm2.8G2 very sharp lens btw. The 85mm 1.8 the 50mm 1.8, and all of these lenses Ive had to stop down at least one or two fstops especially the 85mm to avoid Chromaaberration CA. I always questioned, why is this lens 2k and Im getting CA or vinegtting, or other things. This lens was literally like shooting through a clear crisp piece of glass. If you wear glasses, its kind of like that feeling when you get brand new glasses and everything is clear and sharp. I wanted to use the 50mm over my 2470mm at my recent shoot because the 2470mm felt like cheap glass 2000 lens. Yea the build material might not be the best plastic and it might not be weather sealed, but I think my money was well invested. It feels great in the hand, its the size of the 2470mm. The lens hood pops in place and it feels really good when it does. Ive considered selling my 2470 and 70200 and investing in the 24mm and the 105mm ART lenses. But being a wedding photographer I need that zoom flexibility, so maybe Ill just get 2 more bodies and lug around 3 cameras with all primes is that a thing….who knows. But this lens takes the sharpest pictures Ive ever seen. Psst I think it took better pictures than my friend canon 85mm 1.2L lens. I barely used to use my 50mm the Nikon 1.8 but now the sigma 50mm 1.4 is all I want to use, and its all I use unless I need to go wider. I say get the lens, you wont be disappointed. Its also worth noting I didnt get the calibration mount that sigma sells, not sure if I got lucky with mine being pretty accurately precalibrated. I hear a lot of people have issues with that.
Anonymous –
I bought this lens with a new 6D, to fill a gap between my UWA and my telephoto, and also because Ive always wanted one great, fast prime. Well, I found it. This lens is incredibly sharp, by far the sharpest lens I have ever used. I use it for portrait, family shots, and travel and landscape. At f1.4 it is still far sharper out to the corners than any other 1.4 Ive ever used, and by f2.0 its just stunning everywhere. I have seen none of the AF issues that I read about my copy is perfect and it just nails focus every time. Theres a tendency for it to hunt in very low light, but its not a problem. Great colors, love the contrast, and the build quality is fantastic. It is heavy for a 50mm, but I dont worry too much about the weight, in fact, it actually gives the camera a nice balance. This lens is well worth the price. Well done, Sigma
Mark –
I have the Canon 1.8f and thought this would be a serious upgrade, it is certainly a serious jump up in price. I have to say that while I do appreciate this lens I am not seeing HUGE difference yet. I do not want to sound too negative and I am giving 4 stars because I think some of the limitations I have are a crop sensor camera and not putting the lens through all the paces yet. I need to do some more side by side shooting before I say it isnt just me. This lens is very sharp and I think as my skills and experience grow I will appreciate this lens more.
Canada wildlife shooter –
Ive only had this lens now for a week, but I must say Im completely blown away by its value. The lens is tack sharp and focuses quickly and accurately. If I were to have only one gripe it would be that I had to micro adjust this puppy majorly on my 5Diii. So if you have a camera that does not have micro adjust, Id recommend you spend the few bucks to get the dock to adjust it at the lens side of the equation. I have 6 Canon L lenses, and this lens is IMO on par. Only draw back will be lack of weather sealing, so I will have to make sure I bring my lens jacket for poor weather days. Seriously well worth the and actually worth more IMO… happy shooting.
Daniel –
I bought this lens to use for portraits, as well as some wildlife that I see at closer range and dont need a huge telephoto for. This is a FANTASTIC lens. Autofocus is fast and accurate. The color rendering of this lens is exceptional and the bokeh is super smooth and attractive. Its a heavier lens, but I actually like that as it helps me keep it steady while shooting. Ive shot a number of things with the aperture wide open, and its been really sharp……though you have to keep in mind that 1.4 yields a really narrow depth of field. My one reason for not giving this lens 5 stars is that the lens needed significant calibration upon arrival. I took a few test shots right out of the box and noticed that the focus wasnt super accurate. So I did a little test. I set up a yard stick on a 45 degree angle, put the camera on a tripod about 34 feet away, and aimed the focus directly at the 20 inch mark. When I zoomed in on the image afterwards, the focus was actually on the 22 inch mark. I ended up having to calibrate the lens in camera to a setting of 11. After that, when I aimed at the 20, the focus was dead on the 20 in the image. Portraits are now super sharp, and when I focus on the eye, the eye shows up sharp in the final image. This lens would have received a 5 Star rating from me if it didnt require calibration right out of the box. It seems like this is a pretty common problem with buyers that Sigma ought to address. I wouldnt discourage people from buying this lens, just be sure to do some test shots right out of the box and either calibrate if needed, or send back for another copy.
Anonymous –
I seldom leave reviews on products but this lens is so spectacular I couldnt WAIT to give it five stars. I was skeptical about the price after reading about other peoples experiences with it as they seemed to vary BUT it was worth every penny. The quality is unparalleled to any of Nikons attempts at a 50mm. It just puts Nikons 50mm lenses to shame with its incredibly sharp focus even when I shoot at 1.4 which I do almost 100 of the time, quality glass, solid build and fast focus. I finally understand peoples obsession with their sigma art lenses
SaltyKine –
I upgraded to the Sigma 1.4 when my autofocus started giving out on my Canon 50mm 1.4. The Canon 1.4 is a great lens, especially for the money. Ive shot 4 events with the Sigma Art lens now and have been impressed at how well it autofocuses in the dark compared to the canon. Its also got really nice Bokeh. Ive done 2 surf shoots with the Sigma Art in my SPL water housing and have been very impressed with the focus on fast moving targets as well. The only downside to this lens is that its really, really heavy. Im sure thats a sign of quality, but it comes in significantly heavier than any of my L series primes.
John –
50mm is my favorite overall focal length and I own four other 50mm lenses for Nikon, the Nikon f1.4G, 1.8G, f1.2 AIS, Zeiss 50mm f1.4 not the Otus, and now this one. This lens is really sharp and contrasty and the lack of vignetting is far more obvious than I expected. I like that effect in the AIS lens and use it for that effect. The 1.4G, 1.8G are great overall lenses and great when you want to go light. This lens controls chromatic abberation really well, far better than all the others. I have tried this on the D600 and D800 and the results are truly stellar. I will use this lens a lot and only leave it at home when I am forced to travel light. This lens is very solidly built and feels built to last, just heavy because of the additional glass elements. The focus is as fast or faster than every one of the 14 other lenses I own for my Nikon cameras. This lens gives a very clean, crisp, contrasty, evenly lit look and the sharpness is excellent. It will get lots of useThe only real downside is that it is heavy, but I am a big guy and that isnt a problem. I may not be a lens you want to lug around on a walking tour along with other lenses unless wanting the absolute best from your equipment is a must. Additionally, I had to tweak the autofocus 6 on my D600 to get it razor sharp took all of two minutes. That wasnt a big deal. So far I can say nothing else negative about this lens.The natural comparison will inevitably be between this and the Otus lens. I am not adverse to manual focus lenses. I own several. Still at on fourth the cost of the Otus lens and given this one has snappy, accurate autofocus, this one is a clear winner. Visually I seriously doubt you can even tell the differece between the two lenses and the Sigma may even look better because of slightly lower vignetting numbers and a tad less chromatic abberation. The slight increase in transmission of the Otus wont make any difference using dxomarks numbers here. I am extremely happy with this lens. Lenses like this dont come around very often and this one is a keeper, for sure.
Joel –
Everyone has read the reviews describing the superlative nature of the lens rendering and I will spare you yet another outpouring when it nails focus, it really is excellent. That being said, the lens has difficulty nailing focus on my 5dsr in situations with relatively low contrast. Its more than a bit frustrating. Also, it occasionally bonks on focus altogether it occasionally is so far off that its comical. For family candids I dont mind, but commercial work Not acceptable. Also, the lens required major calibrating out of the box. Not the end of the world, but not something that I expected the dock is an absolute must have. All that being said, when it nails it I love it. I wouldnt use it for fastmoving subjects, though slow and deliberate work is a reasonable task for the lens. See the attached sample for OOF rendering.
Subhajit –
Awesome lens, super sharp, giving 4 star just because its too heavy. Lens build quality is great, auto focus need some adjustment but manual focus is awesome. Weather protection should have been there but overall a great portrait lens in a cheaper price.
Anonymous –
Although this lens is a bit heavier than most, I wanted the absolute sharpest autofocus 50mm f1.4 lens I could find, and this is it. I am VERY impressed with the sharpness from cornertocorner at f1.4. Sigma did a really nice job with this lens The build quality is very good indeed. It manually focuses quite smoothly as well, for those that prefer the precision of manual focus with the option of autofocus when desired. At the time I purchased this lens, the only other competition on my radar was the Zeiss Otis 55mm f1.4, but this lens is far lighter, has autofocus, and it is incredibly sharp with excellent microcontrast. I REALLY like this lens
Dog Shot –
Five stars out of the box. Based on the reviews online and the reviews here i bought the 50 1.4 art and the usb base. i didnt update the firmware right off the bat, instead i inspected the lens, tested manual focus on a lens align target using live view on a d750, then shot the target a few times in my family room under 8 incandescent overhead cans. I havent had a chance to lens align in a brighter area, outside, or under lights, but I ended up having a hard time deciding between a 2 or 3 af fine tune setting. Intact, i think my decision was pretty subjective and the lens was focusing very well in relatively low light right out of the box. I will need to test more extensively, but im very happy with the sharpness of the lens and the af accuracy out of the box.
luminairefoto –
Im a professional wedding photographer, I shoot over 50 weddings a year. Ive always been skeptical about anything less than Nikon glass. With all the articles and reviews on the Sigma Art series lens. I figured why not try it, if it doesnt live up to whats written Ill send it back.I own a Nikon 58mm 1.4 lens, this was my benchmark. Can I use the 50 instead of stealing my wifes 58mm all the time. After using it for now a month I can tell you without a doubt this is an amazing lens. Its as good if not better than Nikons 58 1.4. For half the price, this is a no brainer lens. The only, and the only downside is the weight. Its much heavier than the 58mm. The 58s weight is amazing, light but still professional feeling. The sigma is heavy, but feels rock solid.
Caleb –
Im a big fan of the Sigma art series which started for me with the 35mm 1.4. But I just thought my Canon 50mm 1.4 would have been good enough for both video and photo work. Fast forward a few years and I finally jumped in for the Sigma 50mm 1.4 and man Im glad I did. I wanted it mainly for video interviews for my Sony cameras with the Metabones ultra speedbooster. And even though I have cine lenses, I found myself using this lens for a majority of the time because the depth of field and the sharpness of the lens is outstanding. I cant talk enough about how important the sharpness of this lens is for video. The primary reason is because most video picture profiles the sharpness needs to be reduced. So with other lenses it can produce a somewhat mushy image and thats not the look I like. This lens is crispy and smooth in all the right places. AND its a killer photo lens. So what was I thinking not getting this lens earlier Get it. Its worth it.
FRANK –
This is a great value for a lens that competes with the 4K Otus in image quality. I get stunning images with a Nikon D800E and the 50mm Art. Forget about your past Sigma experiences. The new Art Series puts Sigma at a level somewhere between Nikons Pro Glass and the Zeiss Otus line, and priced very competitively. I shoot manual in poor light, and autofocus in good light, so I cant comment on any auto focus complaints by others. The weight and lack of weather sealing is not a problem for me, and being a prime, I dont see this lens sucking in dust like a zoom might. The image quality this lens provides far outweighs any of the typical keyboard photographer and forum troll complaints. This is by far the best value for a super sharp 50mm, provided by the best place to buy your gear, BH Photo
Michael –
I am very pleased with the performance of this lens The sharpness and build quality are what you come to expect from an ART lens. I am still getting used to the focusing in combination with the A7R2 but overall it did well with focusing. Highly recommended
marinabay1321 –
The lens is a little bigger and heavier than one would expect for a 50mm prime lens. But it is worth it for the detail, contrast and sharpness of your photos even at 1.4. Super fast lens. It is also built to a very high standard and is a joy to use.
Lens Tester –
A refuge from 4×5 film photography I sought a way in increase print resolution with full frame 35mm digital DSLR gear. Stitching multiple images together seemed an appealing approach. I needed a focal length several times that of a typical wide angle lens to capture images to be stitched together several images wide and several tall. The Sigma 50mm f1.4 HSM Art Lens is just what I needed. Extensive testing with Imatest reveals that this lens in remarkably sharp all the way open to f2.0 and has very low chromatic aberration. It is perfect for what I want to do
Maddie –
Ive been looking for a new lens for my Sony for quite some time now. I was debating between a 35 mm and 50 mm and went with this Sigma 50 first. At first I was concerned the weight would be an issue for me. While I do like a lightweight setup, this lens actually doesnt bother me. I got it on sale and considering the age and price, the weight doesnt bother me as much as I thought it would. Overall its very sharp and quick to focus. I havent gotten a chance to use it a whole lot, but for the time that I have gotten to use it, I know itll be staying on my camera for a while Ive heard such amazing things about Sigma Art series and thats why I chose this lens. I must say, the weight and size are totally worth it What a great piece of glass. Highly recommend.
George –
This lens is amazing. It is super sharp and creates beautiful photos and video. The colors are awesome and I dont see any fringing or chromatic aberration. It works great on the Lumix S1. Single autofocus is fast in both photos and video. Continuous autofocus is ok in video, but not as good as the Panasonic 24105 f4. The autofocus motors are a bit louder that Panasonic lenses, but very on par with any other sigma lenses. I picked it up for 850 and it seems to be just about as good as the Panasonic 50mm at about 13 the price. Its a great lens.
Oxford –
Truly outstanding optical qualities on my 5DSR after microadjusted using FoCal software. Severe autofocus consistency issues below f4 when out of microadjustment. Live view focusing is great. Comparison to a Canon 24105 4.0 L at f4.0 blew me away. Much sharper all over the frame from corner to corner. Much less lens distortion. Rendering of vegitation and tree bark was hugely clearer. I use it for stitching together panoramas for large format printing. I still cant believe the sharpness and the way the reduced lens distortion makes the stitching seamless.
Davikabo –
I received my Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon a few days ago. This lens is everything that I have read and more. It is beautifully crafted. I actually just held it for about 1015 minutes before I mounted it on my Nikon D810. Impeccable workmanship. Straight out of the box, it is sharp sharp sharp and renders colors beautifully. Although It is not necessary, last night my wife ordered me the usb dock for it. This way I will have something to play with on Christmas Day. I cant imagine any better results after the tweek, but I like to play. I am so sold on the Sigma Art series that I am planning on purchasing the Sigma 24mm 1.4 Art lens after the New Year……maybe sooner
CT –
I finally received my copy after two months of waiting just this morning, and after seven hours and hundreds of photos, Ill report my preliminary findings with photos attachedHandling I typically shoot with either a kit lens 24105 f4L, the 135 f2L, or the 40 f2.8, and the Sigma, while the heaviest, doesnt feel particularly out of place. Its fractionally heavier than the 135, and similar to the 2470 f2.8L ii. It feels exceptionally well built, looks stunning, and balances nicely on my 6D. In terms of design, it stands out while being subtle. The focus ring has good resistance. I dont typically use hoods, but the Sigmas looks really good. It is not weathersealed.AutofocusThis was the one area that concerned me. I have read enough reviews on this and Sigmas 35mm Art to know that AF is the one potentially dodgy area. I did an AF test to see if microadjustments were necessary, and the AF was spot on. Outside, it performed well. It can make the tiniest bit of noise, and can hunt for focus a little more than my 135, but I am tremendously pleased overall.Performance ComparisonsTo my eye, it is extremely sharp wide open. On a brief shoot with a friend using his Canon 5Dm3 and 50 1.2L, there was no comparison. The Sigma, though half a stop slower, is substantially sharper. That should come as no surprise as it is a significantly newer design, and the Canon seems to have been designed for wonderful bokeh first and sharpness second. Back in my house I did some handheld comparisons to the 135 to see how sharp it was. The 135 has the reputation of being one of, if not the sharpest Canon lens at its widest aperture. At f1.4, the Sigma approaches the 135 in sharpness, which is no small feat. Stop it down to f2, and the Sigma is sharper to my eye. It is incredible The Sigma has pleasing bokeh, with perfectly rounded bokeh balls. I also found the vignette to be nice, and both correctable in post or eliminated substantially by f2.WrapupIve had it for less than a day, but Im completely sold. Sigmas Art line has its second clear winner. I dont see this glass leaving my 6D very often. If my opinions change, Ill be sure to update my review.
Anonymous –
All those features and specifications speed responce.. are important for a lens, but I believe more important than that is service quality of company. I have 2 Sigma lenses in in my 13 lenses collection. I sent those two to the Sigma service after experiencing with some moisture trouble. The companies response was weird. They said at first. 50mm that is unrepeirable and the demage moisture demage out of warranty. Then they offered discount for new one with some discount you can easily find cheaper one online I asked menager for further talk. The manager if he is the manager who called me 1 hour later. He said it is repairable I asked how much he said havent assessed yet. Ok, I said. and I asked why it is not under warranty less than 1 year use and I did not drop or put in the water or drop water on it for experiment. It should be related with defect. He told me lots of bla bla bla stil offering me discount for new one How can I know it will be or referbished. It is done. I never going to buy Sigma lens again
katelyn.f –
I used to own all Canon L series lenses, but switched over to the Sigma Art collection.. I am so in love with the sharp, but creamy shots that I can create using this series I love my Sigma 35 and recommend it to all my Canon buddies. You wont regret this line up
matthedunavan0 –
I rented this lens before purchasing to ensure I would like its quality despite its noticeable weight. Its an AMAZING lens. Extremely worth the money. I love this focal length, but any of the Sigma Art lenses will impress you.
JOSEPH –
We love our Sigma Art 50mm 1.4 Up to this point we had purchased Canon 50mm 1.4 lenses, but they kept breaking. So we finally invested in Sigma and we have never looked back. The build quality alone is fantastic. It feels sturdy and durable. The image is sharp and it does really well in low light. I use it for video and photo and it does great for each. The autofocus is much quieter than the Canon 50mm 1.4 and its fast.Overall I would highly recommend this lens. I will be purchasing an 85mm 1.4 soon.
Dr Robert –
This lens was a big surprise to me. I had a Canon L lens 50mm 1.2 and it was not sharp .So I sold it. The Sigma lens is razor sharp with fast auto focus, great natural colors and great bokeh. I never thought that a sigma lens could be better than a canon L lens. By the way my 50mm L 1.2 Canon L lens is the ONLY L lens Canon that I didnt like, all my other L lenses are superb 1635mm 2.8 L, 70200 mm II 2.8 L. 100400mm L II, 24105mm, 4 L II, 1124mm, 1.4 300mm 2.8 L,
AZ Mac –
Ive shot film for many years, but recently I moved to the world of digital photography. Most of my work has been in landscapes and architectural detail where every aspect of a photo is put under the microscope. I will be honest. I was a little apprehensive spending this much for a Sigma lens, however, after much review and I do suggest that you look at as much information as possible, I decided to purchase this lens. The first thing I noticed was the build quality, which is outstanding. All of the parts work smoothly and the focus speed is quick and quite. At 1.4, the foreground and background are blown out beautifully. Low light conditions are not an issue. Though theres no IS, Ive dropped the shutter speed to as low as 120 without any noticeable blur. Detail is without doubt its strongest feature. Parts that you see with your eye are accurately reproduced. Without a doubt, I would highly recommend this lens.
Marcos –
Absolutely everything youve being hearing about this lens is true Superb image quality, sharpness from edge to edge, beatuiful colors, contrast and bokeh. Yes, it is big and heavy, but I guess performance comes at a price.This is a solid and robust lens, Sigma is definately changing the game in terms of quality and setting the new standards for optics in the market. Its comparable and even better than main Canon L series primes, and somehow cheaper, so no doubt this is a good choice, Id definately recommedGood clicks to you all
PizzaPie –
Let me first say that I did not extensively test this lens. I purchased the lens because I was unhappy with my Canon 50mm 1.2L missing focus SO MANY times during dimly lit wedding receptions on my Canon 5D MIII. I heard the great things that were being touted about this lens so I decided to take the plunge. I unpacked it, attached it to my camera, recreated ambient wedding reception light in my dining room, and took two pictures of my wife. Then I attached my Canon 50mm 1.2 and took the same shot. After checking out the images on the computer, I determined the Sigma lens two shots were both grossly out of focus. I wouldnt deliver them to a client. The Canon lens images were not fantastic but were much better than Sigmas. Thats enough testing for me.
DIMITRIOS –
USE Everything and anything for lowlight and dramatic daytime photography.PROSSpectacular MTF optical clarity like the Zeiss.Beautiful bokeh.Great build and ergonomics. No plastic feel.Solid and accurate internal focus system. Great advantage over the Canon 50mm f1.4.Wider field of view than the Canon 50mm f1.4.CONS Much longer and heavier than the Canon 50mm f1.4 however, given the optical improvements, the size naturally has to increase in order to output the proper results so not really anything to complain about.
eco.guy –
This lens is super sharp, produces highly useable images even at wide open F1.4 Focusing is fast and acurate. Construction quality is top notch though a bit on the heavy side Great lens for general portraits, pets or kids. Only wish it had image stabilization, then it would be a perfect lens. This lens costs less than half of Nikon 58mm F1.4 or Canon F1.2, and out performs both of them. Did I mention that the bokeh on this Sigma 50mm F1.4 ART is delicious
TIFFANY –
Super sharp lens. This is my secondmost used lens, the other being the 24mm art. Great responsiveness on my A9, and beautiful color. Perfect for portraits and lowlight conditions.
Brittany –
This lens works beautifully with my Canon 5D Mark IV camera It is my first ever 50mm and I couldnt have made a better choice. My images are super clear and sharp I am a portrait photographer and with the very low aperture of f1.4 my backgrounds are extremely blurred It is a heavy lens, however you get use to it. I highly recommend this lens
Caitlyn –
Just received my new Sigma Art lens. This is my first art lens and I am excited to see what it has to offer. So far, images are really clear and crisp. Nice low light quality as well Definitely would recommend.
SeannH –
There isnt much to be said about this lens that hasnt already been said. It is that fantastic. My initial thoughts over the twoweeks that I have had it It is huge. Im a big guy, and dont mind the heft, but it is a lot to carry around for street photography. Not so much the weight, but the size. People are going to see this lens coming. Crystal clear from corner to corner, with very fast AF. I guess I did not get one that has focus issues, but this lens blows my former Canon EF 50mm f1.4 out of the water. It may not be fair to compare two very different pricepoints, but there is a lot of chatter about the Canon being better. Not my experience. You get the hood and a REAL case, not just a suede bag. This lens just feels good. Im not afraid of using this one daily, or keeping it attached to my camera in sling bag with nothing more than a neoprene case to protect it. If youre considering going with the 50mm 1.2L from Canon, give this one a shot first. I have not owned the Canon L personally, but Ive shot professionally with it, and have plenty of experience. Save the cash get the better lens and go with the Sigma.
David –
Adapted for a Lumix S1H LeicaL mount, using Sigma EF adapter. The images at f1.4 are beautiful creamy bokeh, sharp subject, wonderful color. Yes, its big, but so is my S1H.
Nemo –
I have to admit, in the more than 30years Ive been a professional commercialadvertising photographer, I have, generally, always been brand loyal. In my case, thats Canon. For years, I used the Canon 501.4 going through two of them and replaced my second one with the Canon 501.2. I have to say, for the past three years Ive owned that lens, Ive been underwhelmed. Ive always felt the adage was true almost any lens is sharpest 112 to 2 stops from maximum aperture. Sadly, this was never the case with my 50. I had to stop down to at least 5.05.6 to get decent sharpness across the frame, which negates the reason to own a fast, expensive.It was time for a change. I decided to rent the Sigma 501.4 three different times to use on three different shoots, because of the various reviews Id read. Each time I was impressed by the sharp images the lens delivered. If there is a negative, its slight. I discovered the the lens is perhaps about 13 stop maybe 14 stop darker in exposure than my other Canon lenses at any given value. 95 of the time, I shoot on manual, so you see the difference. This is not the case when used on Av. So, the true transmission value is less than the nominal f1.4. Not a huge deal, but worth noting. What IS worth noting is that the lens is quite sharp at 2.5 to 2.8 much more so than my Canon. My only other potential reservation is servicing. I know what I have with Canon Im a CPS member, but I hope I wont have to send the lens to Sigma. From what Ive heard, though, theyve much improved their repair support over the years and turnaround is relatively fast. An additional note buy the Sigma Lens Optimizer for focus tuning. I havent had to use it on my bodies, but its peace of mind to know that I can fine tune the lens if needed.Buy this lens. You wont be disappointed with the quality both optically and build.
Warren S. –
This is a great lens, Ive been using it for a couple of months and Im impressed so far. Id read the reviews and decided to order it and the dock from BH and as usual they provided great service and it arrived quickly. Some reviewers say that this lens is heavy, well it is compared to the usual kit lens, however it is not actually that heavy. I used it walking around Washington DC for a few hours and it was totally fine. So, is the picture quality as good as the hype Generally I would say that it is, Ive shot people, architecture and wildlife, and the image quality is very good. Is it worth the , well thats a difficult one, as it is very expensive for a 500mm prime lens, hence the 4 stars, though I have absolutely no regrets with my purchase. I also bought the sigma dock at the same time after reading about other people having some focus issues. I set up a focus rig and from my test shots I found that it was pretty spot on out of the box, so I didnt have to use it, but it wasnt too expensive anyway. One point and it was a learning point for me, was trying to use this lens wide open at F1.4 at night to shoot people at a holiday party. Because the DOF is so small at F1.4, you might get one person in focus and the person stood next to them is out of focus this is not a problem with the lens, it was me, I should have known better, I was just excited to try shooting at such a wide F number that I forgot about the basics, well lesson learned Also, there is no image stabilization with this lens, again it is not a problem and should not stop you considering adding this glass to your collection. My only very minor point for this is the lens cap, as it doesnt work as effectively as the Nikon lens caps, and it takes a wee bit of persuasion to get it to attach to the lens, though as I said, is only a very minor point. So, in summary a great quality well constructed lens that will allow you to get the maximum resolution out of your camera, you will not have any regrets if you purchase this.
Dano –
There are plenty of choices in a 50mm out there. I had discounted my need for another fifty as I already own the nifty 50 f1.8 and have worked with the f1.4 non L Canon 50. After using a Canon L f1.2 I realized just how much I was missing. So when I decided that my Canon 5D Mkiii really deserved a nice prime, I remembered the buzz about the Sigma Art 50 and went back for a closer look. So Glad I did. The Sigma Art 50 sits in that perfect spot of being high quality at low price. Autofocus is almost instant. Clarity is tack sharp. Yes its heavy… but I dont really care about that and I have plenty of Lowepro bags to carry it in. If you are on the fence about this lens vs. the Canon L f1.2 Id say there is no real arguement. Unless you are seriously considering an Outus, I think this lens is right in the sweet spot.
ken –
Im a professional photographer that shoots events, weddings, and portraits. The thing I love most about this lens is that it is SHARP at all apertures. Of course youre going to lose corneredge sharpness at f1.4 but thats not the point of shooting wide open The focus speed is pretty good. Its not like a 85mm 1.8 or 135mm 2.0 Canon lens but more like a 50mm 1.4. The biggest con about this lens is its weight It feels like I have a Canon 2470mm strapped on If youre looking for a lightweight prime, then this product is definitely not for you. Although people say you get used to the weight, when you have 812 hour days, a lightweight prime lens makes all the difference. That being said, I love the image quality and I get paid to take photos so for me this lens stays
Adrian –
Pros Great lens and large amount of glass. Reassuringly heavy, speedy autofocus, F1.4 fast aperture, and great Bokeh despite what some say. Nice packaging, comes complete with petal lens hood which is really well made, and quality case to store it in when not in use. Could come with a lens filter for price but have purchased one anyhow.Cons Some may find it heavy but I like the weight. Is slightly pricey but it is designed to be cheaper than the Canon 50mm F1.2 which it is. Is a large lens and I have some telephoto lenss which are smaller My main gripe is the SIGMA lens dock which allows you to calebrate the lens using a USB cable and a computer. Many will not use this but the techie users will probably love this feature. My constructive suggestion is if I have spent nearly 700 on the lens, then I should at least be able to buy the lens dock post free. Right now I intend to buy one but not if I have to pay postage A point of principle but nevertheless one I feel strongly about.
BRIAN C. –
I got my D3200 camera a few years ago and it was an incredible leap from the point and shoot cameras I had been using. With young kids I wanted to be able to get some good photos and especially needed to be able to do so without flash. I have been using it with the stock zoom lens and have been happy with the results.Getting this lens feels like the next big leap. The photo quality that I can achieve with this lens is astonishing almost as much of a difference as going from point and shoot to the DSLR. I never felt like I could really achieve the number of pixels claimed on my camera until I took pictures with this lens. Now I can clearly see objects reflected in peoples eyes when taken in good lighting. But the bigger difference is with poor lighting. Even in dimly lit indoor areas I can get bright and beautiful pictures with almost no noise.If you are using the stock zoom lens this will elevate your photos to a whole new level. Pick the focal distance that you use the most and buy the Sigma f1.4 DG HSM Art Lens that matches youll never look back.
Jung –
After purchasing at BHphoto and test with Sony 24105mm F4G and Rokinon 35mmF1.4 AF FE. Both Rokinon and Sigma are far sharper than Sony 24105mm F4 at center as well as corner noticeably. In Comparison between two, both excellent at center and no difference, but corner at low aperture, Sigma is slightly sharper marginally not much. Rokinon display its great capability at budget price, but Sigma is ted better at low light environment at edge or corner due to better vignetting and possibly less curvature issue.
William –
This lens is a bargain compared to some other high end offerings. My only suggestion for improvement would be to offer more written information on the Sigma USB dock that comes with the lens for fine tuning focus features. There is additional infromation online that is very helpful. At f1.4 the lens is a little soft but gets much better with stopping down. Beyond f11 there is also a drop off most likely due to diffraction. I would not hesitate to recommend this lens.
Rick –
Im a video journalist and wanted another lens option for my Sony FS7 when doing interviews. Fast speed and subsequent bokeh are important and sharpness is expected. Most importantly I wanted a lens to minimize light flares and to be small enough to throw into my crowded carry bag of accessories. This lens passed with flying colors except for size. I was very sad to send it back, but it was so much bigger and heavier than what I ultimately chose Zeiss Planar, 1.4 50mm. I tested the lens unscientific for my own conditions and compared it to my Veydra 35mm emount as well as the Zeiss 50mm with Nikon mount and Metabones adapter to E Mount. The Sigma and Zeiss both excelled where my Veydra fell short lens flares. I perceived the Sigma to be even better than the Zeiss for lens flare but they were actually nearly identical. The Sigma was also exceptional for manual focusing which was a welcome surprise. It has no hard stop at infinity but that did not make it hard for me to get a sharp focus and without any drift or worry of bumping it off focus while filming. In the end I chose the Zeiss which was about 20 less money, but I chose it more for its size. If I were a pro still shooter as well as a videographer it would have been even harder to say no to this Sigma.
JOSEPH –
Sigma has been on a tear with their ART lens lineup for the last few years, starting with the sublime 35mm f1.4 ART and I applaud them for making lenses that can resolved up to the high resolutions of modern sensors and for giving notice to Canon an Nikon that the big boys need to up their game.In short, from a pure image quality perspective, the 50mm f1.4 ART is second only to the Zeiss Otus 55mm f1.4 out of all the many 50mm lenses Ive ever used. It is clean and sharp wide open, pulls like plenty of light the Tstop must be close to f1.5 or, just like the Otus, has great micro and macrocontrast, and is basically entirely usable for critically sharp images even at f1.4, even on 36 megapixel or more bodies.The main drawback really applies to all Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, etc lenses the autofocusing algorithm, which Sigma has to reverse engineer because Nikon and Canon dont share their proprietary algorithms, can result in a miss rate that is higher than a native lens. Ive found the 50mm ART misses slightly more often than the Sigma 35mm ART on the same D800E body, but gives a much better hit rate than the Sigma 20mm f1.4 ART which I found troubling in how often it totally missed.It also is not weather sealed, its fairly large and heavy though no Otus and a new body from Nikon could render the lens AF inoperable until Sigma issues a firmware update.But overall, even with the higherthannative miss rate, I love the image quality when I do hit so much than Im willing to simply take more photos of my subject to ensure a hit. And when you land one, even at f1.4, the detail is lovely.A great lens.
Mike –
Id been dissatisfied with my Nikon 50mm f1.4 so replaced with this. YES it is much bigger. YES it is MUCH heavier. BUT the image quality is so, so much better. Love it as much as my Sigma 35 f1.4.
cavalerfarapata –
Excellent lens, sharp at wide open apertures as others have mentioned. Whether you will notice this extra sharpness compared to a decent prime like the Nikon f1.4mm AFD or AFS really depends on many other factors your technique, the conditions, the size of the print or screen etc. And it is big and heavy, it must be said. I am glad I bought this lens, but will not be selling my 50mm AFD since it is so much more travelfriendly.
josekathrein –
Product arrive in great condition, images are very sharp as expected from the Art line. I did notice the white balance of the RAW files coming out are off and not right, the skin tones are quite redmagenta. Im hoping it will be fixed with a Sigma lens calibrator.
terry.b –
I am a professional photographervideographer working in the dance music space. I tour with a DJ for a living. This lens is sharp corner to corner, the autofocus is surprisingly good, but its really heavy. If weight is not an issue this is a great lens for your kit. I personally carry a Canon 50mm f1.4 now to save weight, but its not as sharp in the corners and the autofocus is lacking. I kind of wish I still had the sigma.
dali.f –
This lens is without a doubt one of the best in class The focus that you get out of this is incredible for portraits and I would highly recommend it to any photographer looking for a prime lens Youll definitely not be disappointed
Noggin30 –
The hype is true, the Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG HSM is as sharp as they come. This lens creates simply stunning and sharp images. So why the four stars I am a cosplay photographer, and shoot mainly at large comic conventions. Each convention, I come away 1000 2000 images. This is the second time I have owned this lens. The first time, The lens performed beautifully, with fantastic images. I owned the lens for almost 3 years. But as time wore on, every 500th 600th image the lens would just shut down. Id press the shutter button, and the AF would not activate and I could not take a photo. The only solution, that I found, was to power everything down and turn it back on again. This seemed to get worse as time went on, and eventually was happening every 200300 images. It was embarrassing to be stood in front of a model and having them wait whilst I turn everything off and on again. Finally becoming too much to bear, I decided I had had enough and traded for a Canon EF 50mm f1.2. At twice the price, I was expecting to be at least almost equal to the Sigma I had read the reviews and knew the Sigma was better than the Canon. But with every picture I took, I looked at the result with bitter disappointment and wished that I had my Sigma back. So…here I am again, with this incredible but heartbreaking lens. I can only hope this copy lasts a while longer than the previous one…but you simply cant beat the lens for price and sharpness.
John M –
Is it possible to love a purchase you have made Well I do… so well made, focus is accurate, colors true to life and a pleasure to use. I use this ART lens on my C100mk2 and 5dmk2 and honestly do not miss using Canons Red banded L glass 1635mm 2.8Mk2. This is a wonderful piece of kit and strongly recommend. Its a fair price for such an engineering achievement. DXO rates this lens as one of the sharpest ever made of its kind rated 46 overall out of 50 … sharpness up to 40 MP, Transmission at 1.8Tstop, Distortion at .1 and vignetting at 1.6EV and chromatic aberration at 6um. Named one of the best autofocus prime lenses period. I am sure pros know and take note the 50mm when fitted to an APSC camera, the angle of view is equivalent to a 75mm short telephoto. Its also important to realize this lens was released on Jan. 2014 if Sigma plans on doing any sort of improvements I would think it wouldnt be for at least 10 years from now 112916. I would gladly lookinto other ART lenses by Sigma this lens has made a firm believer of second partys lenses above and beyond Tamron and Tokina. This lens is as close to a Milvus or Otus in many ways and even better than these in others. I used this lens for many interviews for my film I Love My Country But Hate What They Are Doing part 2 and 3. Strongly recommended.
Simpletantra –
If youre like me, youre reading hundreds of reviews, forum pages, and comparisons, while watching video reviews and reading all the posts on techie sites. And like me, youre probably also worried about the autofocus issues Sigmas last 50mm was known for I owned it for three years and sold it two months ago and yes, I had to send it to Sigma for calibration and it still wasnt perfect. Bottom Line Up Front You just cant turn down a lens that performs like the Art does for the price point it sells at, especially when you consider the negative attributes of the highly debated 50L focus shift, CA, softness. I wanted so badly to sell my old Sigma 50 and order the 50L, but no amount of brand loyalty and professionals saying, the 50L just has a look to it or the bokehs just better on the L couldve convinced me to not at least TRY the Art. It was not an easy decision but as I said above, you just cant deny which is currently the better choice. The 50 1.4 Arts autofocus on my 5diii is spot on. Period. Just to put it to the test, I used Ai Servo at 1.4 not advisable and had a shoot with my dogs in the backyard playing. It nailed every shot that I was able to get the autofocus point using center point correctly aimed at. It was tough to hit shots because 1 they were moving, and 2 I was holding the camera a couple of inches off the ground and therefore not even looking through the viewfinder. Considering all of this, its focusing abilities are nothing short of amazing. So while we all know there is copy variance, I really wonder how many of those posts out there are of people who actually have the lens and are doing everything correctly. As far as the remarks about the 50Ls bokeh being better, I think theyre more related to the extra speed of the L than the quality of the bokeh. We know the L has a touch of additional speed 1.2 vs. 1.4, and this I believe is why in SOME cases, the bokeh looks a touch smoother. The bokeh Ive seen with my own eyes and with my own copy of the Art is perfect. Its smooth, its silky, similar to the older Sigma 50s bokeh. The only issue Ive noticed so far is that the Art doesnt like focusing on shadow areas when there are brighter areas in front of and behind the focal point. And Im pretty sure this is to be expected with any fast, nontele prime. Until Canon steps up its game there are signs of this happening later this year, the Sigma is hands down the best autofocusing 50mm on the market.
Kermitthehermit –
Paired with a fullframe 5DM3 My sample is perfectly usable at f1.4, but the sharpness is not breathtaking. There is a bit of spectral highlight coma in the corners in nighttime street shots, as well as pronounced vignetting that detracts at times depends on the subject and composition. Stop down a single notch to just f1.6, and the sharpness leaps into amazing territory from edge to edge and keeps getting better and better until around f5. Stop down to f2 and coma and vignetting issues are effectively resolved. This is my most used aperture. For practical purposes, chromatic aberrations and distortion are of no concern. Amazing performance Perfect Not quite…. The 50mm ART is heavy to the point where I have to lean on something in order to get good results handheld unless the light is very bright. Yes, I wish it was stabilized. The lens doesnt balance well on a tripod with a 5DM3 unless the head takes an ArcaSwiss style plate. The pinch cap often falls off and the hood doesnt screw on tight. Background bokeh is very good, but not as creamy smooth as the Canon 100mm f2.8L IS Macro my reference lens. Foreground bokeh can be a little harsh at times, so you have to be careful what ends up in front of the plane of focus. No weather sealing. Would it have been that difficult to add a gasket Focusing speed is above average for a portrait lens, but not fast enough for action. No surprise here. The advantages of the 50mm ART far outweigh the shortcomings and it is a bargain for the IQ. If Sigma comes out with a 135mm f2 this good, I will buy it in a heartbeat.
Brittany –
This is the only nonCanon lens I have purchased. After extensive research several years ago, I went with the Sigma 50 1.4mm nonArt, since the Art line was not out yet. It was a great lens for the price but I wanted better. I couldnt quite stomach paying the price Canons 50 1.2, although Im sure its equally amazing. All of their L lenses are.This Sigma lens is sharp and I trust it to lock in focus fairly easily. I have not had it very long but I can tell it will out perform the previous 50 I had and I do not regret my purchase
Joe –
I did a great deal of research on this lens before I made the purchase. I have to say that I am very pleased with its performance. Its fast I like the bokeh when its wide open. Im not that discerning when it comes to that element, but I think its really creamy. The lens is an outstanding pair for the Canon 5D Mk III. I think its sharp from edge to edge with little vignetting. All told, this lens is an excellent buy
thebames –
The image quality of this lens is as expected, based on the countless reviews that we have all read. The AF is fast and smooth, especially when compared to the Canon 50mm 1.4. Its not as fast as my 70200, but impressively close. The design and construction is beautiful, and the lens hood snaps on with good precision. An interesting first impression when mounting the lens, however…the mount was a bit clunky compared to my Canon Ls, and very clunky compared to my Zeiss lens. Guess it doesnt matter much, but I expected more precision, especially since I never heard any other gripes about it. Either way, it doesnt have any adverse impact on image quality, so I dont really care. Regarding the weight, I never get hung up on it…I actually like the feel of heavier equipment. If its light, people complain it feels cheap, and if its heavy, people complain its too heavy. My kids might have a problem with the weight, but as an adult, I think its a silly gripe. Allinall an impressive lens that I plan to keep on my camera as much as possible.
Andrey –
This is the most controversial product Ive ever dealt with. Its said to be super sharp. And it really is. Except when its not The first copy I got was terribly inconsistent in focusing. It had severe front focus for some distances, and also severe front focus for others Incamera AF fine tuning was just helpless. Note as expected, the contrastdetection focusing LiveView worked okay. Had to return it and exchange for another copy. Guess what The same story After searching on the net, I decided to give the USB Dock a try gosh, almost a 1k lens requiring you to buy an additional device and 2 hour fiddling trying to do what is supposed to be done on the factory So, after receiving my USB dock I spent 2 hours doing what is asked in the manual thankfully I already got 2 tripods, LensAlign, remote shutter release. The AF offsets I came up with were 7, 9, 9, 9. The result was quite pleasing. Now with phase AF I was able to get the sharpness I got with LiveView End of story You wish Taking the lens for a ride showed a nasty flaw. It does focus perfectly under a good light when there is enough contrast in the scene. But when I, for instance, tried to focus it on a foliage, it just failed None of the 10 attempts Then, taken indoors, under dimartificial light the lens just cant seem to acquire more or less reliable focus at all the keeper rate is close to 0. My question to Sigma is this the kind of experience a 1k lens is supposed to deliver So, Im giving up and sending the lens back. P.S. Its really surprising to see mostly good comments on that lens. Could it be that the two I got were from a buggy batch
Dung –
This lens is for those that have distinguishing and refined taste in lenses and it is what a 50mm feels and looks like when its at the uppermiddle of the Nikon range of lenses. It is a heavy lens that is very well constructed that you cannot only see, but feel as well. For instance, the threading on the focus ring is a thicker tactile and beveled construction that functions like a quality product. I initially compared the size and weight to my Nikkor 2470 when I first got it, but it feels like the weight of 3 Nikkor 50mm. The bokeh is insanely dreamy to those that would can could recognize it, but when I compared it to my Nikkor 50 the difference was incremental to my eyes. The focus was substantially more accurate and snappy when I did a comparison. The Nikkor can hunt a bit with certain kinds of closeup shots. Get this lens if you can afford to and would like a new and bigger feel to your 50 mm arsenal. It is not cheap and will not get you that significant difference in your brokeh like if you use a lens that went down to F1.2, lets say, but at that point, the question become does it fit your application of the subject in your photography I love the feel and construction of this lens, and when you look at this lens you kind of fall in love with its construction and details of construction. Performance is tack sharp on focused areas, and focus hunt is minimal and sometimes stops. Which means, move your bum, youre using a 50mm I dont know if the differences in this and the Nikkor is worth the extra money, but get it if you have the money and want a lens that feels, functions, and looks like a piece of art on your camera. Check out the two images and compare for yourself.
chocolatespaceship –
Been using this on 1D MK iii and 5D MK ii. Comparing to Canon L lenses. Sharp sharp sharp, but that is technical. Just magical look. Colours are beautiful, bokeh is superb. I like shooting night with available light. Perfect. Live music with stage lighting, portraits in a bar, gorgeous. 1.4 gives the dof that I love up close. Perfect focus on both bodies, fast. I have Canon 50mm STM good for the money and a manual Carl Zeiis Jena from Belarus dont bother. Both are junk compared to this. Just buy the damn thing. Weighs a tonne.
John –
This is the second Sigma Art lens I have owned. I also have the 35 mm f1.4. I purchased this because I had such good results with the 35 mm.I have owned the D800, D810, and D850 bodies and use them for technical photography. We do a lot of cropping and working in various parts of the frame in post, so having a lens that produces clean images from the center to the edges and cropped down at all f stops saves a lot of time. I get significantly better fine detail at the edges with this lens than I do with the Nikkor f1.4 G.The down side is that this lens is heavy compared to the Nikkor, but if weight is not an issue, buy this lens.
mythic1 –
In the two years Ive had Sigmas 35mm art lens, it has rarely been off my 5DMK2. Its that good and its hard to shot a bad picture with it. It throws a mm DOF out to where you want it and makes your focal plane pop and has great color. I argued with myself, Why get the 50mm when I could just move 3 steps closer to something 10 steps away and get the same field of view with my 35mm Sigmas recent sale got me off the fence. The 50mm art lens is all the good things people say it is, and very similar to the 35mm. Im just building a rapport with the lens, but it might have ever so slightly better color than the 35mm, just by way of initial impressions. It is as sharp and well focused as youd want a lens to be. The 35mm remains my first choice, but Ill be working a little harder on determining what makes Sigmas 50mm art lens unique, perhaps, for example, its low light performance.
kennethhart1 –
Sharp and and fast focus. Great in low light if you have something bright enough to attach your focus to. Its a heavy lens. It doesnt bother me at all. Im very pleased with this lens and endorse it to any photographer.
Jerome C. –
Another photographer lent me this lens for use on a recent photo shoot. There were some very positive aspects to this lens, it is exceptionally sharp where focusing, and has excellent bokeh. After using it for a weekend I decided To get one. I did some reading on these, it seems that the back focusing or front focusing is a fairly common problem. In preparation, I also purchased the Sigma USB Dock in case I had to make any adjustments to the autofocus firmware.As usual BH was great to order from, although the package delivery was not good. Fed Ex presented the box in very damaged state, with both air pillows inside popped. They stated there was a note indicating it arrived to them in that condition. Who knows, but not what you want to see around an expensive lens. The lens box and lens itself seem to be ok. Time will tell.I took some sample shots right away, and sure enough this lens was back focusing. Using this Sigma Dock I was able to make the necessary adjustments to bring the lens back into proper focus. Ive only had it for a day, I will know more after a couple portrait shoots are under way with it. It took about 90 minutes to make these adjustments and double check them.When this lens functions as it should it is phenomenal, it truly is. I echo the sentiments of other reviewers who say 1000 lens should not require this kind of tweaking right out of the box as often as many are experiencing. I would recommend this lens, with the caveat that you may have to spend 60 on the dock in order to get the lens to focus as it should. This is the only thing keeping my rating from being 5 stars.
William –
If a 5D3 was the only camera body I owned, I would probably say this was easily the best allaround lens in EF mount for 6000. Theres really nothing about the optical performance I could think to complain about, it really is that good. Additionally, on the 5D3 the autofocus on this lens is absolutely rock solid. I have yet to see this lens miss focus when using the super sensitive central focus points and rarely misses even with the outer points. Build quality is great with a nice smooth focus ring and the new fulltime manual focus feature, once you turn the focus ring a user selectable distance the lens reports itself as a manual focus lens so you can get a focus confirmation beep, is very cool. Now the bad. I also own a 1D3 and a 1Ds3. The autofocus on these cameras is beyond terrible. I know lenstip had reported minor AF problems with their copy but Ive found that Im lucky to get 1 in 10 pictures in focus on either camera. No amount of AFMA will help either as the focus is all over the place. This seems like a gross error on Sigmas part so hopefully it will be fixed in a future firmware update, but for the moment the lens is completely unusable with either the 1D3 or 1Ds3 except as a manual focus lens in live view. Now with that said, the positives of using this on the 5D3 far outweigh the negative of only being able to use the lens on the 5D3. Highly recommended, unless you only have the older bodies, in which case wait until they either fix the lens through firmware, upgrade to a newer Canon body, or prepare to test a bunch of lenses in the hope that the issue only affects certain copies.
thkiv –
Everyone should own a NiftyFifty and this Sigma 50mm f1.4 is my second. I have the Nikon 50mm f1.8 and this Sigma 50mm blows it away in sharpness. Its a heavy lens for a 50mm but it feels well made and looks great on my Nikon D810. I highly recommend this lens for anyone looking for a 50mm.
Anonymous –
I never seriously considered the idea of buying a nonNikon lens, but everyone has been raving about this one so I decided to try it out. I already own the Nikon 50mm 1.4G, but I hardly ever use it because I was never happy with the results I was getting trying to shoot wide open. The Sigma lens is amazing. Simply put it is noticeably sharper when shooting wide open. Ive had a lot of fun with this lens. It has made me fall in love with shooting with the nifty fifty, and to be totally honest, the lens has hardly come off my D800E body since Ive purchased it a month or so ago. Also, FWIW, Ive seen comments from other Sigma buyers about needing to dial in the focus using either the camera or the separate Sigma accessory. I didnt run into this it worked great right out of the box.
cptguy –
At some stage in any aspiring photographers lensladder they find themselves in need of a so called niftyfifty. Having saved vigourously, I can proudly say that my entire Canon lens collection consists of Lseries glass, and there are five of them, 1635 f2.8, 24105 f4, 135 f2, 70200 f2.8 and the 100400 So along came my step in the ladder for the niftyfifty… and I could not weather the 1500 storm for the Canon 1.2 L, so I did my research, made the calls and sent the emails all to get input from people out there using the variants available. I must admit, as other photgraphers, I kind of stick to the same brand in lens as in camera and I did the same here. Got the Canon 1.4 50mm and whistling high notes, off I went in search of some low light conditions to make the most of my new purchase. At this stage I must strongly emphasize that I am by no means even close to those guys at DPReview or DigitalReview, I am a mere mortal. Point made. Shoot went ok, not brilliant but as much as I could have hoped for, for the limited planning that went into the preparation. i did a couple of face shots, some landscape, city life late at night and lastly, ont he way back, I tired some long exposures on a tripod… Well… well… I decided to rent a Sigma version of the same lens and tried to get the exact places as I did with my new Canon version of the 50mm. Boy oh boy was I surprised at the difference Again, I want to reitterate, I am by no means a pro, for this matter even a semipro, but even I could see the difference in the result between the two lenses. Two days later, I had the Sigma in my sights while the Canon was being auctioned. I have still not looked back… maybe, just maybe I got that one lens in every million which is brilliant and Im really happy for that. Brilliant little lens, really. Next step in ladder… 400mm 2,8 IS… if the whitebeared, red coat old man upstairs is listening by any chance
Evan –
I have been shooting video and some photo on this lens for a little over a month now. The build quality was the first thing that stood out. This lens is a tank. Im not one to complain about sizeweight because usually that reflects the quality of materials. This lens can definitely handle everyday wear and tear. The image quality is astonishing, especially when considering Lumix sells a 50mm at over DOUBLE the price of this one. I wont even make mention of the AF because we know that Sigma had nothing to do with the Lumix AF system. I would absolutely recommend this lens to anyone looking for a versatile lens that produces professional grade image.
Chris –
So I recently switched to full frame, and the 50 1.8 STM just wasnt quite doing it for me. Dont get me wrong, that is an amazing lens for the price, and with Lightroom adjustments, the vignetting is manageable. But this lens. I had the 1835 Art before this, and it was my baby. But it only fits on crop sensors. So I sold it, bought a 35 1.4 L to replace it, and didnt realize just how freaking wide a 35mm is on a full frame sensor. Returned it. Then I bought this. The images this lens makes are pretty much flawless. The sharpness is amazing. The bokeh is delicious. The colors are fantastic. At 1.4 it gets a little dark around the edges, but barely. But Sigma autofocus circa 2010. AF is dead on for me with this lens, just as it was on my 1835. Downsides, its not your travel lens. This thing is beefy. I got it entirely for work. For travel, throw the 1.8 STM on. You wont miss that much to be honest. This lens is pretty much as perfect as youre going to find a 50mm until maybe Canon decides to update their ancient 1.4. If you have the cash, buy it. If questioning your budget or if you really need it, get the 1.8 STM.
AMANDA –
I purchased this an an upgrade from my older Nikon 50mm f.18D. While this lens is significantly bigger it takes much better photos when paired with my D500 equivalent 75mm focal length. At f1.4 the image is tacksharp and the bokeh is a delight. I purchased it primarily for lower light indoor use and shoot it around f2. I could not be happier with the results.
Joe –
Ive always been a fan of the Art line in general, but often there is still a native offering that surpasses their truly excellent lenses such as the Canon 35mm f1.4L II going beyond even the superb output of the 35mm Art. However, when it comes to 50mm, nothing short of a Summilux or an Otus can touch the 50mm Art. Its sharp as a tack wide open with fantastic bokeh and reliability across the frame. Its the one lens I wont go without.
Stephen –
Ive just joined a Flickr group for the 50mm F1.4 Sigma Art. Group discussions included all kinds of hand wringing about whether the lens is any good, how the bokeh was not so great etc etc. My opinion This is an amazing optical instrument. It did take some finessing and ultimately required a 9 correction on my Nikon D810. I do have the USB dock, however I tend to fine tune my lenses with a calibration tool and the in camera menu. Its now singing like the Stradivarius of 50mm lenses which it is. Ive owned others its almost sacrilege to compare it to them This is straight from camera. I could have adjusted highlights etc etc but I like it like this. Subtle look at how dreamy the background is. Apart from the wonderful sharpness at F1.4, the lens itself is an object of beauty. Heavy, precise and gorgeous to look at and hold. My next big purchase is going to be the 135mm Art.
Dreamcatcher –
Have used this on my canon 5D. I have owned all 3 of canons 50mm lenses in the past and even owned sigmas previous offering just plain ugly. This lens is well built and never misses focus and for that reason alone it gets my vote. Im a wedding and press photographer and while I used the canon f1.2 on press shoots in the past I wasnt prepared to risk it at weddings even with careful selective focus and stopped down to f1.8 f2 it would hunt endlessly and reward you with an out of focus shot after locking on, more times than not. The sigma looks good when attached, is easier to mount, is quick to focus and locks on every time. Even at f1.4 it performs beautifully, the picture quality is sharp and delivers lovely bokeh despite what some critics say. Easily the best performer on the market
Ian –
All of my photos are taken with primes, 50mm is where I felt my gear was at its weakest. Bought the Nikon 50mm f1.8G earlier this year to replace the aging D but it just wasnt giving me the quality I was hoping for. After some research and saving, the Sigma was ordered. So just one weekend of good use the benefits over the Nikon G lens were obvious. The quality of the bokeh, sharpness, details, and color rendering are noticeably better with almost no CR effects. I also found that post production work was minimal, it looks almost perfect out of the camera. The only immediate con was the weight, it is a hefty lens. Thats a con I am happy to accept, this lens is my new goto.
Jamie –
I am a portrait and wedding photographer. I shoot a Nikon D850 with a host of Nikon lenses. I upgraded my 50mm Prime to this lens because of the rating and versatility without losing the artistic components. I have a sigma 105 macro that I have been very pleased with as well.I have an 85mm 1.8 Nikkor and I love the Bokeh effect and the compression of that lens. This Sigma offers that same effect but with the wider versatility. It focuses quiet and super fast The attached pictures are both shot at f1.4. So far I am extremely impressed with this lens. In the near future I think I will be upgrading my Nikkor 85 1.8 to the Sigma 85 1.4 ART
Stang –
This is a lens I wanted to love right out of the box. Paired with my Sony a99, I shot some casual photos and a wedding with it but the focus was killing me.The motor is silent and very responsive in welllit conditions, but AF suffered in the dark. For comparison, my old Tokina 80200mm f2.8 that uses the camera body to AF locked on quicker and in the same conditions. I found myself manually focusing most of the time at during the reception at night.That said, the focus ring feels very good and dampened nicely to give you precision control. AF in video mode on the a99 is quiet but the builtin microphone will pick up click noises when the focus hits the end of its range.Another problem was the backfocus. I resorted to microadjusting on the job but had no time to perfect. After spending an off day playing and calibrating it, I finally had sharp, accurate shots at f1.4 after fine tuning to 7 microadjustment on the a99 body.When it focuses properly wide open, it is very impressive. Bokeh looks great. The focal length feels good for walk around. The short minimum focus distance allows for closeups. Build and finish are very good. Amazing is within reach, but you have to meet it halfway. I plan to use this as my standard lens over the Minolta 2870mm f2.8.
Glenn –
This lens is very sharp when shooting video. I would like to see how well it performs with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6k. Got this camera early and BH deliveries are always up to date and sometimes even deliver early with their orders. Really recommend this lens.
Cameron –
Sigma has really changed the game with the Global Vision line. Having owned the previous Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM, I was always impressed with the image quality and sharpness, but let down by the inconsistent autofocus. This new Sigma 50mm lens improves on every aspect of the old one, including color, contrast, sharpness, and of course, autofocus. Ive been using this lens professionally for a few weeks now, and I can say with confidence, this is the best 50mm lens available. It outperforms even Canons 50mm f1.2L in every measurable way except for overall background blur bokeh. Autofocus is consistently accurate and reasonably fast although somewhat slower than Canons 50mm offerings. It seems to struggle a bit more than the 1.2L with AF in extremely low light, particularly using focus points near the edges. Hasnt been an issue, but I have noticed it from time to time. The physical design and build quality is impeccable. It looks great, feels even better, and just oozes quality. It feels much more expensive than it is. Beware, despite all of its benefits, this is a VERY large lens. Its much larger than Sigmas 35mm f1.4, larger and heavier than Canons 35mm f1.4, and longer overall than Canons 85mm f1.2. Its big, but its worth it.
Douglas –
I needed a normal lens and looked at the Sigma line. I have the 135mm art and it does a very good job on portraits. I purchased the Sigma 50mm f1.4 because of its reputation. Its very sharp and pairs well with my D850. I like the weight because it forces me to remember I have a steady tripod, why not use it.
willowbrookbehm –
This has been called the sharpest lens theyve ever reviewed by DPReview.com, equal to the 4000 Zeiss Otus. At just under 14 the cost, thats a hell of a deal. My experience is that theyre right. Also, I compared this to 2 different Canon 50mm f1.4 lenses, and this one beat them both, so I sold them. The one thing you must be aware of, however, is the weight. This is serious optics, and its heavy. The Canon f1.4 weighs 10.2 ozs., while the Sigma weighs 17.8, i.e. 70 more, or nearly double. The work I do requires the kind of precision this lens delivers. Being used mainly in the studio and on a tripod, weight is not an issue for me. It could be for others. But its phenomenal glass
Ivan –
I have been shooting with it for about six months.This is a very good lens, it just requires some getting used to. I shoot mostly with prime lenses and the 50 mm is not my favorite one but I still use it a lot. 1.4 aperture is what makes it great I can shoot without a flash at near complete darkness. The focusing woks quite well in the dark. The depth of field is extremely shallow at this aperture, its easy to get an eye in focus and a nose and an ear out of focus. This gives a lot opportunities to reveal or blur background to the degree you like. The image produced by this lens is veryveryvery soft and low contrast 1.4. Not nonsharp but soft in an artistic sense. The bokeeh how do I spell it is pleasant and not obtrusive, it fits my style of photography very well. This lens is also great to play with backlighting and flare 1.4. The only drawback of this lens is the annoying inconsistence of focusing in backlight. But again, after some practice I have learned to overwhelm this. At smaller apertures the lens turns into a regular one but… why do we buy a 1.4 glass again To sum up, if I loose this lens I would buy the same one again.
Jeffrey C. –
Im more of a manual focus guy, but with grandkids sprouting up, and a growing interest in event photography I needed a a fast auto focus lens. Over a couple months I weighed my options. It came down to the 58G and the 50 Art. Tough decision, but came to the realization that the competition was just too soft for me. I was concerned the bike from the 50 Art might not cut it for me. The 50 Art has proven to be sharper than I have personally witnessed. It is absolutely sharp at 1.4, with no adjustments needed. Color rendition is as good as I expected. Boke is pleasant to outstanding. As some say, the weight may bother some people, but it doesnt bother me. Im shooting a d750 and d800E. For me, the price was reasonable. Buy it and enjoy
Gary –
I thought about buying this lens for several years as I tried to justify the purchase. After I took the plunge I took the lens to downtown Madison for a test shoot and realized I absolutely love it. The reason for the test was two fold. I wanted to check the quality including the focusing accuracy and I wanted to make sure it was as useful as I hoped. I found the lens to be very versatile and the image quality is fantastic. Please check out my sample images.
Eric –
This is a heavy, solid 50mm lens. It takes great pictures and is very sharp. However, I tested this lens on 3 different Canon camera bodies and found it focuses significantly differently on each Canon camera body. On a Canon 50D, I experienced very little focusing errors at F1.4, 1.8 2.0. On a Canon 7D, I had significant back AND front focusing errors at F1.4, 1.8 and F2.0. No microadjustments would consistently work. This lens just couldnt nail the focus consistently. On Canon 7DMii, it works beautifully. No focus errors.
Daus –
Amazing lens. I was able to use this lens for a wedding 90 of the time. Its sharp all the way open at F1.4. Only issue I had was the AF speed but I really think thats just due to my Panasonic S1. Panasonic makes amazing cameras but their AF isnt something to depend on. The AF performance is similar to my converted Canon EF lens from the Sigma mount. I was hoping to get more speed since this was native, but the way this is built, is basically like a converter with the extended design. Its not a true lens built ground up for L mount mirrorless. If you already have an EF version with the Sigma adapter, just stick to that. If youre thinking to get native L mount for the continuous AF performance, dont bother if you have the S1 camera. Other than that, image quality and sharpness is everything you can hope for.
nfc8 –
This a superb lens and performs exceptionally well, at a fraction of the price of the equivalent lens from the camera manufacturers. I would recommend it to any photographer looking for a prime 35mm lens. It is fast and especially good for indoor wedding events. It is very well built but a little heavy due to the quality glass being used.
Anonymous –
I will echo what has already been said. Excellent, excellent value. Superb bokeh, stunning sharpness. BUT, the autofocus is not worth a darn. I cant get this to focus in low light at all and at f1.4 without a tripod, autofocus is a must. I just made some photos of my son on my front step in midday sun. Trying to focus on his eyes was impossible I had to pick an area of the most contrast which were blue and white stripes on his hat in the same plane and focus on that. Fortunately, that worked. Using autofocus indoors in available light is mostly impossible. That is my only gripe but its a big one, enough to leave my Canon 2470mm f2.8 II in most circumstances.