Sigma 50 f/1.4 Art Lens Should be Amazing

Canon Rumors

Who Dey
Canon Rumors Premium
Jul 20, 2010
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<p><a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/01/08/sigma-50mm-f-1.4-art-targets-zeiss-otus-ignores-canon-l-nikon-glass" target="_blank">Imaging-Resource</a> sat down with Sigma at the CES show that wrapped up last week in Las Vegas to talk about the new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens they announced.</p>
<p>It turns out Sigma’s goal isn’t to top the Canon 50′s in performance, but to get as close as possible to the new king of resolution, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1007599-REG/zeiss_2010_056_55mm_f_1_4_otus_lens.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296" target="_blank">the $4000 Zeiss Otus 55 f/1.4</a>.</p>
<p><strong>From Imaging-Resource</strong>

<em>“But the most impressive information we gleaned? When discussing their goals of image quality and sharpness for the lens, Sigma mentioned they’re confident they’ll surpass competitive products from Canon and Nikon and are instead gunning for Zeiss’s new 55mm Otus lens. It’s a serious claim. The Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus lens – with its $4000 price tag — is squarely aimed at high-end professional shooting such as fashion, advertising and editorial work.”</em></p>
<p>A lofty goal indeed.</p>
<p>Source: [<a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/01/08/sigma-50mm-f-1.4-art-targets-zeiss-otus-ignores-canon-l-nikon-glass" target="_blank">IR</a>] via [<a href="http://photorumors.com/2014/01/14/the-new-sigma-50mm-f1-4-dg-hsm-art-lens-should-be-crazy-good/#more-53136" target="_blank">PR</a>]</p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
 
For that number of elements/groups and the expected increased weight from all that glass, this lens should be a serious improvement over the existing Canon and Sigma offerings and over the Zeiss Macro-Planar 50mm f/2.

I am looking forward to this lens and to the Canon replacement, because I am trying to assemble a primes kit and don't have a modern native 50-55mm lens yet. I am using ancient all-manual lenses I had already: Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 (amazing aberrations at f/1.2, can be put to use in a pictorial low-contrast effect, but usable as a regular lens from f/2.8), Mamiya-Sekor 55 mm f/1.4 and 60mm f/2.8 macro, with non-chipped adapters.

Sigma seems to be on a roll. I have contemplated getting a FF walkaround zoom as well, and the Sigma new 24-105mm f/4 behemoth has good reviews (not in local stores yet). I have the Sigma 35mm f/1.4, a very nice lens worth its price and bulk/weight.

Now back to my conditioning program, so I can carry that 35-40 pound photo plus camping pack come springtime. ;)
 
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I am so glad to hear this about the Sigma lens...I own the original Sigma 50mm, because even with "it's" issues...it was better than any of the Canon lenses to me....WHY???? has Canon not delivered a better 50mm after all of these years? It is the normal lens for FF cameras...it is an important lens format...and big red has just never given it any real respect. For that matter..why has it taken Sigma so long to do this!!!! LOL!!!
...can't wait to see what this lens can do.
 
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candyman said:
IsaacImage said:
Let's see the images first.
+1
If the praise is already so high before any raw-pictures have been released, it might become a disappointment because expectations are too high ::)
I am expecting this lens to best all of the Canon offerings but not reach as high as the Zeiss (in price either!!! LOL!)..
plus...we have AF with this bad boy. If you just look at the construction of the lens, 13 elements (I believe)...Sigma is obviously serious about this offering. I am sure it will be a great lens at a decent price. Can't wait!!!
 
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Sold my Sigma 50 1.4 some time ago, AF issues were too much to bear.

I am sure this lens will be awesome in many ways, curious to see sample shots and bokeh. Always thought the bokeh on Sigma 50 1.4 was a little clinical looking, but it's a matter of taste.

I feel I've been burned by Sigma once, but this lens - along with that USB thing that allowed you to change focus adjustment at different levels between MFD and infinity - may get me to bite again.
 
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I have made a simple synopsis of the sequence of lenses/lens groups and their type (divergent/convergent).
+ means a convergent lens, - a divergent lens, lens sequences without blanks mean lens groups

+- -+ Doppelgauß type
+ +- -+ + Planar type
+ + - -+ -+ + EF1.2 50
+ - +-+ + +- -+ +- + Sigma 1.4 50 Art
- - + + + +- -+ - + + Zeiss OTUS 1.4 55
+ - + - + - + - + + EF 2.8 24 as another retrofocus design with positive first element


Sigma and Zeiss are similar in their complexity and roughly in the number of lens elements. I expect that the Sigma is much more comparable to the Zeiss OTUS in terms of IQ. But the Zeiss might have an advantage because it uses 6(?) lenses made from different special glass types while the Sigma has only 4 LD glass lenses perhaps of the same glass type. But this might result in a marginally better IQ compared to the Sigma.

But ... truly let's see real images to discuss the IQ!
 
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I loved my 50mm f1.8 but I was ambivalent to the f1.4. I wanted to love it.. but I just couldn't.

If the sigma is amazing, I'm in. 35 is too wide for me and 85otoo long. Goldie locks.... don't care... but I will wait a year or two for the 50 to come down in price the was the 35 has. 699 New... on sale... thank you very much.
 
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