Sigma 311101 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon, Black

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The score in the “features-department” is 2[-]/5[0]/7[+]. On paper only the large size and weight is on the negative side, although for the money some weather sealing would have been nice. On the positive side is the unique option to get the lens-mount swapped. This is an in-depth review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art prime lens that was announced on January 6, 2014 for Sigma SA, Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony A mounts. Ever since Sigma announced its new “Art” lens line, it has been releasing superb new lenses and updates. The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art received the highest praise from us at Photography Life, especially after we compared it to the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G and other 35mm lenses in our extensive review. With the Sony α9 or Sony α6400, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby the AF stopping position occasionally had a variation when shutter was half pressed repeatedly during auto focusing on the same subject. We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. Admittedly the Sigma is a bigger lens: it shares the same maximum diameter as the Canon 50mm f1.2, but is roughly 50% longer and heavier, so you really know you’re carrying it around. But considering the Sigma delivers superior results across the board and comes in at two thirds to half the price depending on region, it becomes a no-brainer to me, and that’s before you even factor in the ability to switch its mount (at a cost) to a different system should you move from Canon in the future.

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Review - More Image Samples Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Review - More Image Samples

Focus accuracy and repeatability is critical to consistently produce sharp shots especially with large aperture lenses. Repeatability (the accuracy of focus on the same subject after repeated focus-acquisition) of the Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art is good (measured 97.7% in Reikan FoCal) with no outliers over a series of 40 shots. There is only a very slight focus variation whether the lens focuses from a closer distance or from infinity. summilux and otus are pretty much a full on hobby lenses. while they do edge out the 50mm art in sharpness, the difference is so marginal that you will not notice it if you don't spend an hour examining a picture at 100% crop. Water-repellent, Antistatic type. Protector is developed to protect the lens surface from dirt and dust as well as scratches. It is an ideal filter for regular use as it is completely colorless so does not affect color reproduction. Personally I believe the RF lens only makes sense if you feel you’ll get a significant “return” on the investment, be that the intangible satisfaction with the images you create (an emotional return) or the money you make as a result of professional work (a tangible financial return). Otherwise you might as well go with something less expensive and use your remaining budget to invest in additional equipment. I think the narrower focal length makes my point of view more mature and helps me to achieve new render, always with the Art precision.The AF accuracy has been improved when the AF area mode of the Nikon Z series is set to pinpoint AF. Of the three, there is no question that the new RF lens has the best build quality. Being a member of the Canon L-series, it has a weather-resistant design that protects against dust and moisture. Around the mount there is also a plastic ring that seals the gap between the lens and the camera body. JDThomas Although I have mingled with a few sports photographers I have yet to meet someone who shoots fast sports action on manual focus though I don't deny that photographers of the past shot iconic sports photography on full manual. So, yes please send me a link, I'm genuinely curious. The Nikkor 50mm f1.4G was for a while Nikon’s ‘top-of-the-range’ standard lens, although the introduction of the 58mm f1.4G means the lineup now shares a similar strategy to Canon. As such the 50mm f1.4G is positioned above the f1.8G version, providing a relatively affordable step-up from the ‘budget’ model, but comes in considerably cheaper than the flagship 58mm. This means the Sigma 50mm Art is positioned, price-wise at least, roughly between the Nikkor 50mm f1.4G and 58mm f1.4G.

Head2Head: Sigma 50mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art vs Canon 50mm F/1.8 Head2Head: Sigma 50mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art vs Canon 50mm F/1.8

Sigma’s service can change the mount of the lens between Nikon, Canon, Sony, Sigma, and L-mount (at a cost). This is a unique feature that no other manufacturer offers. [++] The focus rings of the Sigma and EF lens are somewhat stiffer than that of the RF lens but all three are pleasant and accurate to use. Because the Sigma and RF lens have wider focus rings, they are a little easier to turn than the thin ring of the EF lens. Earlier this year, Canon announced its first full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R, whose new RF mount features a large 54mm diameter and a shorter flange distance than the EF DSLR mount. According to Canon, this mount will allow for “faster and lighter lenses with higher performing optics” than ever before.

A good example is the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art, which is a third of the price of the RF lens. Although it is half of a stop slower and doesn’t offer quite the same level of edge-to-edge sharpness, it can still produce very satisfying results even at the fastest apertures. This is the optical reference regarding sharpness and contrast at every distance and it also sports very low longitudinal CA. But it is even larger and heavier and four times as expensive as the Sigma Art. Plus it has one big deficit: no auto-focus! Looking closer into the resolution results the new Sigma Art even manages to beat the mighty Otus by a small amount in center performance and it shows less light fall-off in the corners. That is an outstanding feat. Regarding Bokeh the Sigma Art and Zeiss Otus are pretty close with the Zeiss producing the bigger Bokeh balls in the center but having a stronger cat’s-eye effect towards the corners. Some field-curvature makes stopping down mandatory for high-quality shots of flat (or distant) subjects.

Head2Head: Sigma 50mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art vs. Canon 50mm f/1.2 Head2Head: Sigma 50mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art vs. Canon 50mm f/1.2

So when I first found out that Sigma had plans to update its existing Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM, I got really excited, since I knew that the new Art-series lens would not disappoint. It has been too long since both Nikon and Canon updated their 50mm f/1.4 primes. In the case with Nikon, its newer 50mm f/1.8G yields better sharpness than the bigger and heavier 50mm f/1.4G. In short, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G is just not good enough for modern high-resolution sensors and its performance at maximum aperture is rather disappointing (and the Canon 50mm f/1.4 is quite similar in that regard). The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art announcement was very timely because it hits a sweet spot between the sub-par 50mm f/1.4 Nikon and Canon lenses, and the exotic manual focus Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4. Canon EOS 6D + 50mm @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/800, f/1.6Other alternatives include manual focus lenses or lenses with slower focal ratios or shorter focal length: Large-aperture lenses are prone to reduced peripheral brightness. In this lens, we have made the forward lens group large-aperture, thereby raising aperture efficiency. The result is minimal reduction of brightness at the image periphery and even image quality throughout the photograph. Even at the wide-open aperture, you can shoot a blue sky without fear of reduced brightness and achieve a beautiful bokeh effect at the same time.