Review: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART for Canon

[Canon Rumors]

<p>Dustin Abbott has completed a very in-depth review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART series lens for Canon. There’s a written review, a video review as well as a sample gallery for you to check out. I agree with most of what Dustin says about the lens, especially the part where this lens is leaps and bounds better than the 50mm lens it replaces. I tend to use the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART more often than the Canon 50mm f/1.2L, as I find the AF inconsistencies from the Sigma are far easier to deal with than the focus shifting of the Canon 50mm f/1.2L.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BqpViujzkis?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>From DustinAbbot.net

</strong><em>“All in all, Sigma has made a major breakthrough in creating a large aperture prime with world class optics that is in a price range that most professional and many amateur photographers can afford. While the stated “target” is the Zeiss Otus, there will actually be fairly few photographers that are cross-shopping these two lenses. The Otus is still the optical king and enjoys a certain cache that Sigma can’t touch. But the Sigma is a far more practical lens for most photographers, as most photographers need autofocus for their work. The inconsistency in the AF performance is a concern, but the truth of the matter is that there are a variety of focus concerns with other 50mm lenses, too. The AF in the 50mm ART is snappy and (most of the time) accurate. I have already used the lens in professional settings and have been mostly pleased with the results.  I wouldn’t hesitate to use it professionally in the future. This is an excellent lens that sets a new benchmark for autofocusing 50mm lenses.”</em><strong>

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<p><strong><a href="http://bit.ly/1pkiriO" target="_blank">Read the full review</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/1vk6Qkk" target="_blank">Sample Image Gallery</a> | <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1045458-REG/sigma_311101_50mm_f_1_4_dg_hsm.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART at B&H Photo</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>

 

[Shane1.4]

After each wedding when I am looking through the images, the 50A shots are in a league of their own. My copy hits more accurately and consistently than my 135L. Love it.

 

[YuengLinger]

Dustin, thank you for taking the time to do such a thorough, thoughtful review. At first I thought it was going to be a praise-fest, but you went right at the one unsettling issue with this lens, occasionally aggravating AF flakiness. The many sample shots are also much appreciated.

Only one comment in your review seemed a bit off key, the notion that customers don't embrace the dock because it is technologically "overwhelming." While this is true in some cases, I'd guess many customers have no problems using much more complicated gear and systems, such as multiple brands of lights and remote triggers during tethered shoots. AFMA in camera is a great advance for those of us who value sharpness and often shoot at wide apertures, and we pay plenty for bodies and lenses that can work properly together without adding another gadget and more time-consuming adjustments.

On the other hand, for owners of bodies without AFMA, the dock is also a great advance.

From my experience with the 50mm Art, which I returned to the seller and will buy again only after a firmware update, your lengthy discussion of its AF issues is accurate and refreshing. (And I am a completely satisfied owner of the 35mm Art.)

Again, Dustin, thank you!

 

[Hill Benson]

I have never experienced the 50 1.2L to miss focus as bad as the example he provided whilst using the 50 Art. This would make me a bit nervous about using it for professional use.

If your all about sharpness, low distortion and you have the time to deal with the inconsistencies in AF, I think the Sigma 50 Art is an amazing bang for buck lens.

 

[bholliman]

A terrific review as usual Dustin. Very thorough and objective. This lens interest me but the AF issues have kept me away, and will continue to after reading your review.

I also love my 35mm f/2 IS lens and am hoping Canon comes out with a 50mm f/1.8 IS with similar IQ and size.

 

[infared]

Love the new Sigma 50mm!
Great, fair review, too.
I returned my first copy of the lens as the focus was all over the place.
My second copy was a completely different experience. Needed a little tweaking with the Sigma Dock...and after that the AF performs as good of better as any of my Canon L glass. The lens is so special in sharpness and the way that it renders that I feel it deserved my extra efforts.

 

[zlatko]

I also love my 35mm f/2 IS lens and am hoping Canon comes out with a 50mm f/1.8 IS with similar IQ and size.

Me too! I hope Canon comes out with a 50/1.8 IS with IQ as good as the 35/2 IS. I'd even be happy with a 50/2 IS if the IQ were great. I also hope that Canon updates the old design of the 50/1.4, improving the IQ and AF, but not making it much bigger or not bigger at all.

 

[Hjalmarg1]

My previous experience with Sigma wasn't bad. Like Dustin, I also love my 35mm f/2 IS lens and am hoping Canon comes out with a 50mm f/1.8 IS with similar IQ, weight and size of the stabilized 24/28/35 lenses.
If Canon adds IS to the 85mm f1.8 (and less CA) and the 135L will be also temptative.

 

[Eldar]

Good review Dustin, and I believe you gave the AF issue proper room. I sold my 35 Art for AF inconsistency and I returned both 50 Art for the same reason. Apparently some copies are better than the ones I had, but still ...

I also tend to agree on the dock. To me, it was quite a bit of trial and error, to figure out how the scale worked. And when adding inconsistent AF to the equation, it became close to impossible to get it right.

But optically this lens is phenomenal for the price. If Sigma can prove they have fixed the AF issues, I´ll buy it again.

 

[DomTomLondon]

I'm very tempted by the Sigma, as I want a 50mm lens. But the focus issues and size of the Art lens bother me.
I'm going to keep my money in the bank until Canon come out with an update to the 50 1.4, which was okay (I owned it for 8 years) but needs to be more like the 35f2IS.

 

[DominoDude]

Well done, Dustin!
A balanced and unbiased review that should be very useful for potential buyers of a standard prime.

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Thanks, everyone, for the nice feedback. P.S. My comments regarding the USB dock were not intended to suggest that no one would like using it (I say otherwise), but rather that some users might find this "extra step" in lens ownership somewhat overwhelming.

 

[infared]

Thanks, everyone, for the nice feedback. P.S. My comments regarding the USB dock were not intended to suggest that no one would like using it (I say otherwise), but rather that some users might find this "extra step" in lens ownership somewhat overwhelming.

LOL!...not only that...it is somewhat of a saga to pay $950 for a lens, send a copy back, get another copy and then that one being good I have to take my time to do a through test (again) and then fine-tune the lens on the dock.
Phew! I think it was worth it....because when I use the lens it WOW's me ...but that is an awful lot of my time to get something right that I spent $950 on? I would do it again..but this is supposed to be a well-paid-for, precision instrument...I cannot help but think I am doing a whole lot of work and giving of my time that should have been handled by Sigma... One positive note is that the lens is dialed in just for my camera body...and I know they can vary...so it is kind of a mixed mess...but in my case I did finally have a good outcome.
The lens is great!!!!

Oh...and Dustin...THANKS sooo much for including the link for the "Show Focus Points" plug-in for Lightroom!
That is just a valuable tool to have as the only other place I could check up on myself and my camera AF at time of capture was in-camera or with the Canon image software which I rarely use, if ever. That is just so cool to have loaded in LR where I do a lot of my post processing.

 

[Peerke]

I also love my 35mm f/2 IS lens and am hoping Canon comes out with a 50mm f/1.8 IS with similar IQ and size.

+1. Could not agree more 8).

 

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

Thanks, everyone, for the nice feedback. P.S. My comments regarding the USB dock were not intended to suggest that no one would like using it (I say otherwise), but rather that some users might find this "extra step" in lens ownership somewhat overwhelming.

Oh...and Dustin...THANKS sooo much for including the link for the "Show Focus Points" plug-in for Lightroom!
That is just a valuable tool to have as the only other place I could check up on myself and my camera AF at time of capture was in-camera or with the Canon image software which I rarely use, if ever. That is just so cool to have loaded in LR where I do a lot of my post processing.

My pleasure. I have found it to be a great tool to have for evaluating images...and obviously very handy for my review purposes.