Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

[robbinzo]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I've been thinking about going Sigma because of AF issues with my Canon 50 f/1.4.
I love the shots I get with it but there used to be so many out of focus shots that it was just infuriating. I was teetering on the brink of selling it.
However, since I bought my 70D, I can nail focus most of the time. Why? Dual pixel AF technology. I am almost exclusively using live view AF now with my nifty fifty and I can report that the results are so many times more consistent than even the very good inherited-from-the-7D AF system can produce.
I've been shooting indoors today with f/2.0 with a shutter speed of 1/100 albeit pushing the ISO a bit but the results are very good indeed.
Even adjusting the AFMA doesn't come close to the live view focus because the focus is achieved on the sensor and there are no adjustments necessary in live view. It was a real wow moment.
The live view seems to be pretty quick too. Not much messing around hunting for focus.
I love my 50 again!
This also begs the question: Would the Dual Pixel AF system work well with 3rd party lenses?
Has anyone out there used the 70D with a 3rd party lens and found their results have improved?

 

[Viggo]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I've been thinking about going Sigma because of AF issues with my Canon 50 f/1.4.
I love the shots I get with it but there used to be so many out of focus shots that it was just infuriating. I was teetering on the brink of selling it.
However, since I bought my 70D, I can nail focus most of the time. Why? Dual pixel AF technology. I am almost exclusively using live view AF now with my nifty fifty and I can report that the results are so many times more consistent than even the very good inherited-from-the-7D AF system can produce.
I've been shooting indoors today with f/2.0 with a shutter speed of 1/100 albeit pushing the ISO a bit but the results are very good indeed.
Even adjusting the AFMA doesn't come close to the live view focus because the focus is achieved on the sensor and there are no adjustments necessary in live view. It was a real wow moment.
The live view seems to be pretty quick too. Not much messing around hunting for focus.
I love my 50 again!
This also begs the question: Would the Dual Pixel AF system work well with 3rd party lenses?
Has anyone out there used the 70D with a 3rd party lens and found their results have improved?

I'm more worried about AF with Sigma tbh. If you don't get same sharpness with live view and phase AF , then lens isn't calibrated. Phase can miss, but contrast can also miss. That being said, the canon 1.4 isn't exactly the pinnacle of AF performance... Let's just hope Sigma starts to figure out AF for Canon.

 

[jdramirez]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I don't know why I'm so excited about this 50mm... I think it is because I was willing to buy the 35 but I knew for my purposes it would be too wide. But if the sigma approaches the zeiss, and costs about the same as the 50L, then it is just an incredible value.

 

[jedy]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

To all the people commenting how good the new Sigma 50mm is or that they're selling their existing 50mm to buy it, please remember IT'S NOT OUT YET!!! You have no way to know how good it is. Wait until it's released, try it then decide. If however you're a gear whore...sorry, carry on.

 

[jdramirez]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

To all the people commenting how good the new Sigma 50mm is or that they're selling their existing 50mm to buy it, please remember IT'S NOT OUT YET!!! You have no way to know how good it is. Wait until it's released, try it then decide. If however you're a gear whore...sorry, carry on.

I suppose we are relying on the word of sigma. Would they stake their reputation on a lie? This lens is the best option save for the otus. Then it comes out and is worse than the 50mm f1.8... no... their lie would catch up with them.

The best lies are the ones that can't be disproven.

Imagine being at a bar and telling a girl you are well endowed like nothing she has ever seen or felt before. She goes home with you, but in reality... fifth graders put you to shame.

The truth will come out...

 

[privatebydesign]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

To all the people commenting how good the new Sigma 50mm is or that they're selling their existing 50mm to buy it, please remember IT'S NOT OUT YET!!! You have no way to know how good it is. Wait until it's released, try it then decide. If however you're a gear whore...sorry, carry on.

I suppose we are relying on the word of sigma. Would they stake their reputation on a lie? This lens is the best option save for the otus. Then it comes out and is worse than the 50mm f1.8... no... their lie would catch up with them.

The best lies are the ones that can't be disproven.

Imagine being at a bar and telling a girl you are well endowed like nothing she has ever seen or felt before. She goes home with you, but in reality... fifth graders put you to shame.

The truth will come out...

But you still get the girl, even if only for a night, and Sigma would still have your money..........

 

[jgkphotography]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

Price and release date information will be released March 31st or so, with the actual lens releasing about mid-April, this I got in an e-mail from Sigma customer service when I contacted them directly through their website, so all the guessing will be over in about 45 days

 

[jedy]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

To all the people commenting how good the new Sigma 50mm is or that they're selling their existing 50mm to buy it, please remember IT'S NOT OUT YET!!! You have no way to know how good it is. Wait until it's released, try it then decide. If however you're a gear whore...sorry, carry on.

I suppose we are relying on the word of sigma. Would they stake their reputation on a lie? This lens is the best option save for the otus. Then it comes out and is worse than the 50mm f1.8... no... their lie would catch up with them.

The best lies are the ones that can't be disproven.

Imagine being at a bar and telling a girl you are well endowed like nothing she has ever seen or felt before. She goes home with you, but in reality... fifth graders put you to shame.

The truth will come out...

Don't get your argument. I rarely base my buying decisions on the blurb from the lens company; it serves more to catch my interest and they're not going to downplay their own lenses are they? Whether it is great, is it for me? Only trying it out when it's released will decide that one.

 

[mackguyver]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

Price and release date information will be released March 31st or so, with the actual lens releasing about mid-April, this I got in an e-mail from Sigma customer service when I contacted them directly through their website, so all the guessing will be over in about 45 days

jgk, welcome to CR and that sounds like the most solid information we have on the lens. It sounds like the strategy they used for the 24-105.

 

[Viggo]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

Ouch, wish it was sooner. They better hope the 35 L II isn't released before they get my money...Or I buy another 50 L..

 

[jdramirez]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

To all the people commenting how good the new Sigma 50mm is or that they're selling their existing 50mm to buy it, please remember IT'S NOT OUT YET!!! You have no way to know how good it is. Wait until it's released, try it then decide. If however you're a gear whore...sorry, carry on.

I suppose we are relying on the word of sigma. Would they stake their reputation on a lie? This lens is the best option save for the otus. Then it comes out and is worse than the 50mm f1.8... no... their lie would catch up with them.

The best lies are the ones that can't be disproven.

Imagine being at a bar and telling a girl you are well endowed like nothing she has ever seen or felt before. She goes home with you, but in reality... fifth graders put you to shame.

The truth will come out...

But you still get the girl, even if only for a night, and Sigma would still have your money..........

I think you get blue balled...

 

[mackguyver]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

...Or I buy another 50 L..

Already did that one myself, just a few days before they announced this...

 

[Viggo]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

...Or I buy another 50 L..

Already did that one myself, just a few days before they announced this...

Stay with it, it's sublime... I really miss it..

 

[Zv]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I gave up waiting. Going to try the old Sigma 50 1.4 for now and see how it goes. Might upgrade to the new one later this year after the price settles and there are a stack of good reviews.

 

[jdramirez]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I gave up waiting. Going to try the old Sigma 50 1.4 for now and see how it goes. Might upgrade to the new one later this year after the price settles and there are a stack of good reviews.

I'm kinda in the same boat. I think I want to buy the old sigma 50 for $275... but I'm concerned that it's auto focus is going to be whack... and then someone else will buy it and not be happy with it.

 

[Zv]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I gave up waiting. Going to try the old Sigma 50 1.4 for now and see how it goes. Might upgrade to the new one later this year after the price settles and there are a stack of good reviews.

I'm kinda in the same boat. I think I want to buy the old sigma 50 for $275... but I'm concerned that it's auto focus is going to be whack... and then someone else will buy it and not be happy with it.

I ordered a used one. If the AF is out of whack even after AFMA I'll just use LV and manual focus it. Most of the time I shoot static stuff anyway. No biggie. For portraits I like to shoot slightly stopped down. I just like the 50 look and the only thing I have is the 24-105, which isn't all that great. Hoping for some cheap bokeh thrills really! Haha!

 

[Viggo]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I'm thinking about having an 85 L in my life again, again ;D

 

[Northstar]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I gave up waiting. Going to try the old Sigma 50 1.4 for now and see how it goes. Might upgrade to the new one later this year after the price settles and there are a stack of good reviews.

i'm also getting impatient, but will continue to wait for the siggy 50 art. i've read too many negative reviews on the original sig 50 1.4...I'd stick with the canon 50 1.4 IMO

 

[Zv]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

I gave up waiting. Going to try the old Sigma 50 1.4 for now and see how it goes. Might upgrade to the new one later this year after the price settles and there are a stack of good reviews.

i'm also getting impatient, but will continue to wait for the soggy 50 art. i've read to many negative reviews on the original sig 50 1.4...I'd stick with the canon 50 1.4 IMO

I had the 50mm 1.8 II for a while and it was OK for the price. The Canon 50 1.4 seemed like the logical choice but from what I can tell there are some issues with it that concern me such as the AF motor and it's durability. Then I also compared f1.4 from Sigma and Canon using TDP image comparison tool and the Sigma looked nicer. Bokeh is also reportedly nicer on the Sigma. Plus the Sigma is a newer design compared to the ancient Canon version. I'm not going to buy anymore ancient non L lenses - the 85 1.8 was a disappointment.

Finally the Sigma worked out slightly cheaper and takes 77mm filters that I already own.

I can live with a little wonky AF as long as overall IQ is good from f1.4 to around f/2.8.

 

[Zv]

Re: Sigma Announces the 50 f/1.4 Art Lens & More

OK, I got the Sigma 50mm 1.4 non Art version today and had a short muck around with it. After a +7 AFMA it seems to be behaving a bit better and though not as accurate as I would like for the larger apertures, the hit rate seems to be much better than before. At MFD or close it is really badly front focusing at like +15. Might run it through Focal when I have more time.

Overall IQ is actually pretty good even at f/1.4 with plenty of detail. A bit more CA and fringing than the 24-105L at f/4 but nothing too distracting. Not bad for the price, might hang on to this until the new Sigma and Canon 50s come out and then go head to head.

A sample at f/1.4 with only the Lens Correction Profile applied ...