Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

[Viggo]

I have signed up at Nikon rumors (felt almost like a criminal  ) and posted a question there, to check if they have similar experiences. Apparently very few Nikon versions have been delivered, so the only answer I have so far is that there is none. I will follow up though.

Thanks! Keep us posted. I will hopefully have an update on my 50 Art at service during next week.

[wickidwombat]

Shane...great shots.

But am I hearing this right, both Eldar and Viggo are sending their lenses to Sigma to fix the AF?  Anyone else having issues?  I know TDP and lenstip identified some issues. 

Anyone not having AF issues?

I didn't really have them at first, at least I thought it wasn't properly calibrated as I wasn't home when I got it. But after running my usual tests and buying the docking I know it was perfect, but then started to act up and drift, and final straw was after the forth time of making it perfect, and after a trip out I needed to add +12 to get it back to being even close to what I aimed at. So people might find it superb now, but I'll bet we are not the only two this will happen too.

viggo have you tried to calibrate it with just the dock only and forget about setting any in camera AFMA value?

That's how I done it, 0 in camera, but I was thinkIng to try it the other way, only a slight adjustment with dock and pull a +10 in camera instead. I so wish for a firmware NOW, for the Art to adress this and make it go away, lol.

Its just wierd that mine was all over the place out of the box and after calibration its flat out awesome and yours seems the reverse.

[docsmith]

Are the issues both with phase and contrast detect AF? 

[Viggo]

Are the issues both with phase and contrast detect AF?

Haven't tried contrast, but that seems unlikely, and the issue is almost hidden, so if I were to shoot 20 images in LV with contrast it might not show any fault even if it would after 100 shots.

[Viggo]

Shane...great shots.

But am I hearing this right, both Eldar and Viggo are sending their lenses to Sigma to fix the AF?  Anyone else having issues?  I know TDP and lenstip identified some issues. 

Anyone not having AF issues?

I didn't really have them at first, at least I thought it wasn't properly calibrated as I wasn't home when I got it. But after running my usual tests and buying the docking I know it was perfect, but then started to act up and drift, and final straw was after the forth time of making it perfect, and after a trip out I needed to add +12 to get it back to being even close to what I aimed at. So people might find it superb now, but I'll bet we are not the only two this will happen too.

viggo have you tried to calibrate it with just the dock only and forget about setting any in camera AFMA value?

That's how I done it, 0 in camera, but I was thinkIng to try it the other way, only a slight adjustment with dock and pull a +10 in camera instead. I so wish for a firmware NOW, for the Art to adress this and make it go away, lol.

Its just wierd that mine was all over the place out of the box and after calibration its flat out awesome and yours seems the reverse.

It's actually not reversed, it never worked before calibration, then it worked perfect for several days, and then not at all, then calibrated worked perfect, then all over again.

[dlee13]

Are the issues both with phase and contrast detect AF?

Haven't tried contrast, but that seems unlikely, and the issue is almost hidden, so if I were to shoot 20 images in LV with contrast it might not show any fault even if it would after 100 shots.

Shooting in LV is a great alternative if you want to make it work. For my old Sigma 50, I use LV if I know the lighting will cause AF issues then normal if it is in good lighting.

[Viggo]

Are the issues both with phase and contrast detect AF?

Haven't tried contrast, but that seems unlikely, and the issue is almost hidden, so if I were to shoot 20 images in LV with contrast it might not show any fault even if it would after 100 shots.

Shooting in LV is a great alternative if you want to make it work. For my old Sigma 50, I use LV if I know the lighting will cause AF issues then normal if it is in good lighting.

Try tracking kids with contrast detect 

[YuengLinger]

Viggo, does USB  mount allow to restore lens back to out-of-box settings?

[Eldar]

Viggo, does USB  mount allow to restore lens back to out-of-box settings?

If you have updated the firmware version, I believe you´re stuck with the new version. For the focus settings you can reset to defaults.
For the 50mm there is only one FW version at this time, but for the 35 there is an update.

[docsmith]

Try tracking kids with contrast detect 

  Faster AF with phase detect is something I couldn't live without.  I only use contrast detect for landscapes.  They move slow enough, typically.   

I was just wondering how severe the problem may be, and if AFMA adjustments were just putting a band-aid on a more severe wound. 

I picked up a 35A in March and have the 50A pre-ordered.  I initially had AF issues with the 35A in that I felt my keeper rate was much lower than my other lenses.  But I also noticed that the AF wasn't quiet.  There was a clicking sound.  I re-AFMA'd the lens, and the clicking sound went away (I think these are separate events).  The AF is now both quiet (no clicking) and accurate at short distances.  I have noticed that it is off at longer distances and have ordered the dock so I can AFMA multiple distances.

While the 35A is working well, that doesn't inspire confidence.  Especially when combined with everything I am reading.

Everyone talks about the price different with the Sigma lenses, but that is just upfront costs.  The savings will quickly disappear if the life cycle of the Sigma lens is half the Canon.  Plus, one of the benefits of Canon's L lenses is how well they hold their value.  If Sigma's aren't built as well and don't hold their value as well, then the true cost difference could quickly become negligible or even favor Canon.

All that said, I am past the point where I can return the 35A so I'll play with it some more.  If I don't cancel my 50A order, I am planning on scrutinizing that lens a lot more before the return period ends.

[Dylan777]

I have signed up at Nikon rumors (felt almost like a criminal  ) and posted a question there, to check if they have similar experiences. Apparently very few Nikon versions have been delivered, so the only answer I have so far is that there is none. I will follow up though.

All I can say is......

 

[Eldar]

All I can say is......

 

I have never felt more like a spy in my life 

[neuroanatomist]

I have never felt more like a spy in my life 

Don't think 'spy', think agent provocateur.  After all, if Nikon lovers can come here and DRone, why can't you go there and talk about better lenses and oil spatters?   

[JohnDizzo15]

A little off topic. But I decided to jump again last week and picked up a third copy of the 35 Art from BH. I figured there may potentially be better results this time since I have a different body and new lens firmware now.

I've only taken about 600-800 shots with it so far and it appears to be performing a little better than my previous two copies paired with a 5D3 (now with a 6D). That being said, it is still not giving me a high enough critical focus hit rate with relatively static subjects which has me on the fence. I would say hit rate could be estimated around 75-80% which is much better than the previous experience.

And yes, it was ran through FoCal.

[verbaine]

IMAGES SAMPLES FROM VIENNA + MUNICH 1/3

Hello to you all. Last Friday, I rode the train from Munich to Vienna to pick up my Sigma 50A. Couldn't find one in Germany. The good guys at UNITED CAMERA had a single one in stock. On my way back to the Wien Westbahnhof train station I snapped the first test pictures.

All 18 pictures (I'll try to upload 3 x 6) are 960px wide, slightly compressed, to provide you with first impressions. Afterwards, I'll upload 3 Full-Res JPEG samples exported from Lightroom 5, only default parameters applied, no NR, no sharpening.

I shot all images with a Canon 5D Mark III, with single-shot AF, with only the 41 cross-type AF-sensors active (my personal day-to-day setting, limiting AF precision-hassle when shooting with Canon's 50/1.2L or 85/1.2L wide open). I do combine the 41 cross-type sensors with half-pressiong the shutter-release three/four times in rapid succession ("spamming" the trigger, as Viggo said). So far, I am very happy with the results, couldn't detect mis-focus. Focus tracking, skin and eyes are still on my to-do-list ...

I like very much what I see. The Sigma 50A draws beautifully. The rendering (at f 2.0/2.5) reminds me much of the manual-focus Carl Zeiss 50/2.0 Makro Planar. Which I loved, but sold, because the focus hit rate was to low when shooting paid jobs hand-held. Resolution and sharpness are simply stunning, even wide open. I bought the dock with the lens, checked the lens yesterday in mixed daylight/interior available light and left it untouched: no corrections needed.

You guys helped me to make up my mind to decide for this beautiful lens. Thanks for that. It stays on my 5D3 all the time now. The combo is almost 2 kg – that's why I mated it with a glove-like heavy-duty wrist-strap (similar to the Nikon AH-4 with slip-off safety).

I can still think of situations where the Canon 50/1.2L could be my choice (dreamy portraits, beauty shots). But probably less and less, because the Sigma 50A is my new workhorse now. The Otus won't make it for me, because to much of my work is hand-held: And therefore I want fast and reliable AF.

Best regards from Munich,
Jens

PS: I'm a photographer, graphics artist and web designer. You can see my photographic work here:
http://www.jensschnabel.de