This is a large aperture prime lens with a standard Focal length of 50mm, ideal for digital cameras. This lens is perfectly suited for a wide range of subjects enabling outstanding, sharply defined images against a nicely blurred background. The fast, F1.4 aperture makes this lens desirable for use with Digital SLR cameras. This lens effectively becomes an 80mm medium telephoto lens on digital cameras with APS-C size image sensors. The optimum optical design and molded glass Aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. This lens has superior peripheral Brightness and provides sharp, high Contrast images even at the maximum aperture. Superior optical performance is also ensured throughout the focusing range. The super multi-layer lens Coating reduces flare and ghosting. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7”) and has maximum magnification of 1:7.4. It creates a very attractive Blur, even when a small aperture is used.
This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focus override.
Standard lens with large maximum aperture of F1.4.
It creates sharp images with high contrast and ensures superior peripheral brightness.
Incorporates molded glass Aspherical lens, perfectly correcting coma Aberration and creating superior image quality.
Super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting.
Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensuring silent, high-speed AF
Cheaper and better than the Canon 50mm 1.2, Friday, 03 September 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Although it is more expensive than its Nikon and Canon counterparts - the sigma outperforms them both in auto-focus speed and sharpness. The Sigma 50mm 1.4 is no doubt one of the most underrated lenses around. When compared to the 1,400 dollar Canon 50mm 1.2, the Sigma even outperforms that lens in sharpness (even if barely) at 1.4 aperture. What does this say about Sigma's lens? It is built solid like a tank, just like the Canon 50mm 1.2 and it's even sharper than the 50mm 1.2 for 900 dollars less. Though you won't get that Bit of extra light in like the 50mm 1.2, the Sigma's build quality is superb, optics are superb, the autofocus speed has a dead-lock on every single time.
The bokeh produced by this lens is extra-ordinary. Out of focus areas render dream like textures that look like an abstract painting.
Though there is one problem with Sigma's quality control. I have used two Sigma 50mm 1.4s, and out of the two - one has a back focusing problem. This can be fixed with AF-fine tuning, but if you are concerned about using it on a camera model that does not have AF-fine tuning - you can return it to Sigma without repair costs. Sigma has an excellent custom-relations reputation.
I highly recommend this lens to any portrait/model/wedding photographer.
Best price/performance 50mm out there!, Thursday, 02 September 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I first want to say that the initial lens I received had a screechy focus ring that I couldn't stand, but Amazon was perfect in delivering me a replacement very quickly. The new replacement works very well thankfully.
I debated between the Canon 50mm 1.4 and this, and decided this was the better performance lens and was worth the little extra premium. The build quality is big plus when compared to the Canon 50mm 1.4, and the results show as well - much smoother bokeh, and less Chromatic aberration when shooting below f2 in very bright conditions. I had rented the Canon 50mm 1.4 when I was doing the comparisons. It just feels much more solid and better with my 5D Mark II. The Canon 50mm 1.2 was out of my price range and not worth the extra performance/results anyways for me.
Having the 77mm filter size is nice as well since the other lenses I have in mind are also 77mm, so no need to manage/buy different sizes or worry about step down rings. It performs very well with my 5D Mark II - the autofocus can be hit or miss *sometimes*, but if you are careful with your focus points at those < f2 apertures you can still get very good results, both outdoors in bright light and in low light conditions. Higher f-stops yield very good results as well, no worries there. The focus ring works great for video as well, it's pretty quiet and does not get picked up by the built in mic nearly as much as the canon 50mm 1.4 focus ring noise. Very happy with my first sigma lens, even though the first copy i got was a lemon, I still like it!
It is a great lens. At 1.4 it seems like almost nothing is in completely sharp up close. Ive used it a lot at 2.8 and it still has a great bokeh and subject is sharp. auto focus is much faster and accurate compared to the canon 1.8. I have not tested the canon 1.4 so I cannot compare it to that.
The best head and shoulder portrait lens fo APS-C , Sunday, 01 August 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I compared this lens with my canon 50 mm f1.8, canon 50 mm f1.4 and my friends canon 50mm f1.2L. I will not give a detailed review of the specs because there are a several professional/scientific/variable controlled comparisons online. With side by side shots of the same subject using a sturdy tripod and my trusty Canon 7D, I ended up selling my canon 50mm f1.8 and 1.4. They great canon lenses but the "bokeh" from the Sigma is much more pleasing to me and the sharpness at f1.4 wide open is noticeable and more importantly reproducible.
Compared to the professional canon 50mm f1.2L I do not see much difference to warrant paying more than twice the price. I own 2 other canon L lenses with USM but the Sigma HSM can hold its candle to my Canons although not as quiet.
For those reviews in here complaining of focusing issues and quality controls, take them with a grain of salt. Even my Canons have their quality issues and if your Camera is equipped with micro-adjustment capabilities then this should not be an issue. I want to point out that at apertures of f1.4, the DOF is so thin it takes a steady hand and good technique to keep things in focus. So before blaming the lens get a sturdy tripod and make sure you are using the right metering and focus option in your camera to take a shot. At f1.4 I use spot AF to make sure I focus on the target.
Flickr have a good collection of beautiful shots taken with this lens. This is my favorite lens for portraits replacing my beloved canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS.
Horrible Lens for the T2i, Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
1.0
Sharpness
1.0
Build Quality
1.0
AF Speed
1.0
Value for Money
1.0
This lens has a terrible front focus problem at f1.4 - f2.2. For $[...], you'd expect a perfect lens out of the box. My $90 canon 50mm f1.8 focuses better than this lens.
Although f2.8 and above fixes the focus issue, what's the point of buying a f1.4 lens if you can't use it at lower apertures?
I called sigma to see if they'll fix it. The catch is you would have to pay for shipping yourself. I asked if Sigma would reimburse me for shipping charges since this is a defective item on delivery but got denied ¬so this lens is going back to Amazon.
My recommendation is for you guys to not waste your time with this crap.
I am just getting back to SLR photography after giving it up 10+ years ago. Currently using this lens on a Nikon D300s and so far the boken, the details, the precision is very nice. So using it more as a portrait type lens but can be quite versitle. See the photo uploaded here for results.
This lens, when focus correctly, is an outstanding lens. However, the auto focus accuracy on newer Canon body is a huge letdown.
According to DSLR forums, many Canon users reported no problem with their XT, XTi, 30D, 40D, etc, but almost all the T2i user reported front focus problem. Myself included. I tried 4 different copies of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM lens. Two of the older ones (serial 140xxx, 150xxx) front focus so badly that I had to stop down to f/8 to get a clear image. The two newer ones (both had 180xxx serial) were much better. I could get decent focus accuracy at f/4, or even f/2.8 at times.
A workaround is to use Live View. LV is slow and sometimes unreliable, but that's much better than 100% front focus on all shots...
My conclusion: if your Canon body can't micro adjust focus, stay away from this lens, unless you rather manual focus.
Great quality and picture but unfortunately has fr, Thursday, 15 July 2010
Overall rating (weighted)
2.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
3.0
This lens is just like what every one say it is except autofocus. The lens feels solid and of great construction quality. Autofocus is fast and quiet. The pictures come out beautiful but unfortunately not focus at exactly where it is suppose to. I really really want this lens and was hoping that I'd get lucky but ultimately I had to return it. It really sucks too because I took some pictures with great moments of my little girl but she's just ever so slightly out of focus in them. SIGH!!!!
Having feared Sigma's QC, I felt hesitant to purchase. This lens works perfectly and is the companion to my cz135mm. lens. I've had to take in my Nikon 70-200mm VI, and 24-70mm zooms to the repair center, the first for back focus, and the later for the known abrasive sound from the zoom ring, and for front focus. Both now are superb. The Sigma has been through two shoots and performed as expected. The bokeh is creamy, the Resolution and detail is quite astounding looking at a Sony A900 file. This is the first outside party lens I have purchased, and I may look at the upcoming 85mm f/1.4 lens by Sigma also if it proves to be as good as the 50mm.
Overall this is a very good lens. AF is fast and very quiet. It does hunt in low light, but no more than most lenses I have used in the past. I have been using it on a Pentax K-7 and after a few hundred images I am very happy with my purchase.
F/1.4 could be a little sharper, but it is still sharper than almost any other lens in this class. By F/2 it is very sharp and I have no complaints. This is the first Sigma lens I have owned and I had expected to have to use the AF-micro adjustment, but after testing I left it alone. Very slight front focus at f/1.4, but by f/2 everything is on the money.
Good lens, I look forward too seeing the Sigma 85mm f/1.4
I used some Sigma lenses on Nikon DSLR for few years. It produce very good images with a reasonable price. I love it. The lenses haven't got any problem...
I just recently got the new Canon DSLR(T2i/550D). Because I had good experience with Sigma, I'm confident to purchased two Sigma lenses, which are 30mm F/1.4 and 50mm F/1.4. However, "both" of them have serious front focus problem... I tested almost a thousand shots. Literally, anything I aim for are blurry. Therefore, I need to send it to Sigma and see if they can calibrate them...
Since both lenses have front focus problem, I ifwonder it's incompatible with newer Canon dSLR systems. Beware when you purchase it. Maybe I should have get Canon branded lenses instead...
I'm using a Canon 5D Mk II. The Sigma front-focuses badly wide open and back-focuses badly stopped down. Since the focus adjustment required is different at different apertures, there is no way to use the micro adjustment feature to compensate.
There is enough commentary about this online that I don't think it's a Calibration issue, but a design problem. Returning it for the Canon.
17th Street Photo was very quick with an RMA #. Kudos to them.
I have both Canon 50 1.4 and this Sig. If the good old Canon is a suprisingly unpretentious and reliable piece of plastic, this Sig is almost the opposite: it looks pro-ish, feels fantastic in hand (solid, properly sized) and well made, but with quite questionable AF.
I tested it side by side against the Nift-Fifty, on Canon 5D classic, center AF, AE at f1.4, ISO100, indoor day light, hand held continuous shooting with multiple shots on the same subject, targeting static subject from minimum focus distance to about 5 feet, results examined on 28" screen (1920/1280)at 100% crop.
Here's the result I found:
1. AF - Canon dead on most of the time, Sig focus around the general area of the focus spot but never really on the spot. For example, if the focus point is the nose, the clearest place on the photo maybe one side of the cheek, aiming the center of the character "Y" on the keyboard may end up with F being the sharpest, etc. In other words, the focus is not dead on but not too far off either. I had similar problem with the Sigma 24-70/f2.8 classic. After Sigma calibrated it the focus is better but the lens never is all that sharp wide open. In comparison, the Sig 50/1.4 is reasonably sharp wide open. AF speed on both are good. Didn't find Sig hesitant as some reported.
2. Sharpness - Canon wins by small margin. The Sig is definitely not SHARPER than the Nifty on my copy. At best it's on par with the Nifty. I didn't test the border sharpness as it's not my concern for this lens. 50/1.4 for me is mostly for head shots. That is why the bokeh is so important here. This probably is not the best lens for shooting the grand canyon at infinity.
3. Color/Contrast - Similar. The good old Nifty may be a little bit more contrasty. But nothing stands out really. Didn't find yellow cast on the Sig as some reported.
4. CA - About the same. Both has the annoying loCA as reported by PhotoZone review. This is common to this class of lenses. But Sigma being the "modern" design didn't really make much progress in this department. Canon DPP's CA correction helps somewhat in post-processing. I don't use Photoshop since it's too slow and complicated. So this may not be of concern for PS wizards(?).
5. Bokeh - the Sig wins by big margin. Some has said the Nifty is famous for it's dreamy halo wide open. Well, this Sig makes the Canon dream more like a nightmare. The Sig gives a truly thick milky bokeh unlike the nervous and sometimes sharp-edged one from the Canon. My non-HSM Sig 24-70/2.8 zoom also produces creamy bokeh wide open. Unfortunately often times the subject is included in the bokeh as well :)...
6. Look and feel - Again the Sig wins out big time. The Canon doesn't look like much and feels pretty cheap. The MF ring is like an after-thought, similar to most of the non-L lenses from Canon. This Sig is consistent with other Sigma EX lenses, with well sized and dampped MF ring. The handling in hand is fantastic - just the right weight in hand. This Sig is not heavy or big by any measure, maybe with the exception of the kit 18-55 zoom. Put it on my 5D classic, the fit is tight and precise, much better than the Nifty-Fifty actually, with a very solid and assuring click. Put this Sig next to the Canon, both with the hood on, you won't find too much difference in size.
Bottom line -
This is definitely a worthy alternative if not an upgrade to the good old Nift-Fifty if you are interested in wide open head shots with creamy bokeh. If wide open shots is not your thing, I think the good old Nifty-Fifty is far more reliable and predictable all around prime like it's splendid long history, proven by so many loyal users. But with the shifty AF, this Sig may not be the best choice for pros on critical jobs. For me personally, this is the best bokeh lens I have used so far. I am now very interested in the upcoming Sig 85/1.4 ...
I have both Canon 50 1.4 and this Sig. If the good old Canon is a suprisingly unpretentious and reliable piece of plastic, this Sig is almost the opposite: it looks pro-ish, feels fantastic in hand (solid, properly sized) and well made, but with quite questionable AF.
I tested it side by side against the Nift-Fifty, on Canon 5D classic, center AF, AE at f1.4, ISO100, indoor day light, hand held continuous shooting with multiple shots on the same subject, targeting static subject from minimum focus distance to about 5 feet, results examined on 28" screen (1920/1280)at 100% crop.
Here's the result I found:
1. AF - Canon dead on most of the time, Sig focus around the general area of the focus spot but never really on the spot. For example, if the focus point is the nose, the clearest place on the photo maybe one side of the cheek, aiming the center of the character "Y" on the keyboard may end up with F being the sharpest, etc. In other words, the focus is not dead on but not too far off either. I had similar problem with the Sigma 24-70/f2.8 classic. After Sigma calibrated it the focus is better but the lens never is all that sharp wide open. In comparison, the Sig 50/1.4 is reasonably sharp wide open. AF speed on both are good. Didn't find Sig hesitant as some reported.
2. Sharpness - Canon wins by small margin. The Sig is definitely not SHARPER than the Nifty on my copy. At best it's on par with the Nifty. I didn't test the border sharpness as it's not my concern for this lens. 50/1.4 for me is mostly for head shots. That is why the bokeh is so important here. This probably is not the best lens for shooting the grand canyon at infinity.
3. Color/Contrast - Similar. The good old Nifty may be a little bit more contrasty. But nothing stands out really. Didn't find yellow cast on the Sig as some reported.
4. CA - About the same. Both has the annoying loCA as reported by PhotoZone review. This is common to this class of lenses. But Sigma being the "modern" design didn't really make much progress in this department. Canon DPP's CA correction helps somewhat in post-processing. I don't use Photoshop since it's too slow and complicated. So this may not be of concern for PS wizards(?).
5. Bokeh - the Sig wins by big margin. Some has said the Nifty is famous for it's dreamy halo wide open. Well, this Sig makes the Canon dream more like a nightmare. The Sig gives a truly thick milky bokeh unlike the nervous and sometimes sharp-edged one from the Canon. My non-HSM Sig 24-70/2.8 zoom also produces creamy bokeh wide open. Unfortunately often times the subject is included in the bokeh as well :)...
6. Look and feel - Again the Sig wins out big time. The Canon doesn't look like much and feels pretty cheap. The MF ring is like an after-thought, similar to most of the non-L lenses from Canon. This Sig is consistent with other Sigma EX lenses, with well sized and dampped MF ring. The handling in hand is fantastic - just the right weight in hand. This Sig is not heavy or big by any measure, maybe with the exception of the kit 18-55 zoom. Put it on my 5D classic, the fit is tight and precise, much better than the Nifty-Fifty actually, with a very solid and assuring click. Put this Sig next to the Canon, both with the hood on, you won't find too much difference in size. MF ring actually is useful on the Sigma, rather tight but useful. The Canon ring was loose and glitchy when I got the lens new. Bottom line -
This is definitely a worthy alternative if not an upgrade to the good old Nift-Fifty if you are interested in wide open head shots with creamy bokeh. If wide open shots is not your thing, I think the good old Nifty-Fifty is far more reliable and predictable all around prime like it's splendid long history, proven by so many loyal users. But with the shifty AF, this Sig may not be the best choice for pros on critical jobs. For me personally, this is the best bokeh lens I have used so far. I am now very interested in the upcoming Sig 85/1.4 ...
2010-07-01 Update - Just got my 2nd copy after returning the first one. This time AF is centered much better but still back/front focus on 5D comparing to my Canon 50/1.4. The 2nd copy seems to be sharper when manually focused. Again, the bokeh is still much better than the Canon. Sharpness is not outstanding for a prime with this much glass. But for a portrait lens, sharpness may not be everything. Again, the faulty AF is perhaps more of the Sigma's technical limitation rather than sample variation. This exchange took 20+ days to complete. Will see if I have better luck with my 3rd copy. If not, I'll have to stick with my old Canon 50/1.4. This experience also dampened much of my enthusiasm about Sigma's upcoming 85/1.4... Let's hope that three is a charm.
I'm using a Canon 5D Mk II. The Sigma front-focuses badly wide open and back-focuses badly stopped down. Since the focus adjustment required is different at different apertures, there is no way to use the micro adjustment feature to compensate.
There is enough commentary about this online that I don't think it's a calibration issue, but a design problem. Returning it for the Canon.
17th Street Photo was very quick with an RMA #. Kudos to them.
