Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

[YuengLinger]

Thanks, all, for these amazing samples you are posting.

I've been waiting one week now for shipping news from B&H...

In case anybody hasn't seen this extreme pixel peeping:

http://lcap.tistory.com/entry/Sigma-50mm-f14-dg-hsm-Art-Review

It's Korean, but the pics tell the story. If the review mentions AF, I can't read it!

Sounds like AF either works great or not. I imagine most members here have the latest firmware in their cameras...

 

[Viggo]

BTW here are some shots from yesterday, of my son and his mother running towards me… Shot at f1.4 using a 6D, center focus point.

The first shot is back focused, and only the last one is okay sharp to me at least. So it seems the tracking can't keep up. I've got a few from indoors today that are really sharp, so I guess going back and forth with calibration is always a good thing.

The thing about the Sigma is that it is soo sharp that even slightly misfocused shots appear sharp enough.

 

[jeffabbyben]

BTW here are some shots from yesterday, of my son and his mother running towards me… Shot at f1.4 using a 6D, center focus point.

The first shot is back focused, and only the last one is okay sharp to me at least. So it seems the tracking can't keep up. I've got a few from indoors today that are really sharp, so I guess going back and forth with calibration is always a good thing.

The thing about the Sigma is that it is soo sharp that even slightly misfocused shots appear sharp enough.

How can you tell that it is back focused? I can't see where his focus point was. Is it in the exif data? Sorry if this is obvious.

 

[Viggo]

BTW here are some shots from yesterday, of my son and his mother running towards me… Shot at f1.4 using a 6D, center focus point.

The first shot is back focused, and only the last one is okay sharp to me at least. So it seems the tracking can't keep up. I've got a few from indoors today that are really sharp, so I guess going back and forth with calibration is always a good thing.

The thing about the Sigma is that it is soo sharp that even slightly misfocused shots appear sharp enough.

How can you tell that it is back focused? I can't see where his focus point was. Is it in the exif data? Sorry if this is obvious.

If you look at his face in the first shot, it's slightly blurred and the sand just behind him is sharper than underneath him. The focus is locked behind him, instead of his face.

 

[docsmith]

BTW here are some shots from yesterday, of my son and his mother running towards me… Shot at f1.4 using a 6D, center focus point.

The first shot is back focused, and only the last one is okay sharp to me at least. So it seems the tracking can't keep up. I've got a few from indoors today that are really sharp, so I guess going back and forth with calibration is always a good thing.

The thing about the Sigma is that it is soo sharp that even slightly misfocused shots appear sharp enough.

How can you tell that it is back focused? I can't see where his focus point was. Is it in the exif data? Sorry if this is obvious.

First of all, it is a great series of shots that any father should be very happy with......

But to expand on what Viggo said, look at the blur on the wife over the three shots. First shot she is almost in focus. Granted it looks like the separation between the two increased, but part of that is back focusing on the first shot. And I agree, looking at the sand, it is sharpest behind the subject.

 

[jeffabbyben]

BTW here are some shots from yesterday, of my son and his mother running towards me… Shot at f1.4 using a 6D, center focus point.

The first shot is back focused, and only the last one is okay sharp to me at least. So it seems the tracking can't keep up. I've got a few from indoors today that are really sharp, so I guess going back and forth with calibration is always a good thing.

The thing about the Sigma is that it is soo sharp that even slightly misfocused shots appear sharp enough.

How can you tell that it is back focused? I can't see where his focus point was. Is it in the exif data? Sorry if this is obvious.

First of all, it is a great series of shots that any father should be very happy with......

But to expand on what Viggo said, look at the blur on the wife over the three shots. First shot she is almost in focus. Granted it looks like the separation between the two increased, but part of that is back focusing on the first shot. And I agree, looking at the sand, it is sharpest behind the subject.

Thanks for that. I am interested as I have one of these lenses hopefully shipping hopefully soon.

 

[YuengLinger]

But, Viggo, do we know if the running-boy shots were taken with AI Servo or One-shot? Sometimes you can get a lock with one-shot, hesitate with shutter-release half way, take the shot, and miss focus...Right?

Hard to conclude from this set of three that AF on the Sigma is missing. Do we know if on the second shot he attempted a little center-focus/recompose?

 

[infared]

Upgraded from the original Simga 50 to the Art 50…. Have a much higher hit percentage on the autofocus, and the image is just very sweet… I would recommend upgrading (the size isn't that much more in reality, unless it just won't fit in your camera bag).

Stop..stop...I have to buy a new truck for work....stop!!!!!! LOL!

 

[Viggo]

But, Viggo, do we know if the running-boy shots were taken with AI Servo or One-shot? Sometimes you can get a lock with one-shot, hesitate with shutter-release half way, take the shot, and miss focus...Right?

Hard to conclude from this set of three that AF on the Sigma is missing. Do we know if on the second shot he attempted a little center-focus/recompose?

I have never seen anyone shoot a running person with one shot, that will never work when he's running that fast.

 

[dpedro]

Well, I'm on the fence. I have all but a 50 prime now.

8-15L, 16-35L, 24-70 2.8L Mk 2, 24-105L, 70-200 2.8L Mk 2, 35L, 85L, 100L Macro, 135 2L.

I didn't care for the 50 1.2 and sold my 50 1.4 years ago. For that focal range, I just used my zoom. I think I am chasing the sharpest lens dream and really don't need this thing. These images look pretty good though. All L glass so far, but recent Sigmas are pretty awesome.

 

[Shane1.4]

This lens is far and away my most favorite lens ever! I used the 50A on a family session and an engagement session this weekend and the photos that came back were like nothing I have ever seen. The family had four children ranging from age 1 to 5 who were super high energy. I used single point AF and switched AF points. In our hour session I took 350 shots and I didn't see any that miss focused. For the first time ever, I was able to do a family portrait @ 1.4 and no one near the edge of the frame was soft as when I used my 50L. The bokeh, color, and contrast at 1.4 is breathtaking. I posted a few from the session on my facebook page. The only two lenses used were the 50A and the 35A.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.544452832330340.1073741988.418533551588936&type=1

 

[Shane1.4]

50A on a 5Dmkiii @1.4

 

[Shane1.4]

Best lens I have owned.

 

[aalbert]

The shots of the boy running were taken using AI Servo, focus point was his tummy, using silent multi shot.

 

[dlee13]

Great shots! Really like the last on there.

I have figured out the AF finally. It's absolutely flawless when the contrast is great, really really impressive! BUT in indoor light in the middle of the day I get almost nothing sharp.. I saw yesterday when shooting my daughter and a few rays if light in the window, whenever she had no direct sun I got nothing at all, but as soon as she had a little light/contrast on her it locked perfect. I saw the same outside, shot some houses far away and when they were in the shadows, but my no means dark and low contrast, it would front focus with several hundred yards, but if the same distance houses had more light in them, perfect every time.

So the great news is that focusing is not unstable and all over at all, in fact it's better than most L-primes I have owned. On a tripod and high contrast target it just can't fail.

The really bad news is that shooting with normal to low contrast it's really poor, so bad I took 23 shots in a row switching between Servo and One shot, I couldn't get ONE shot sharp of my daughter just standing in front of me.

I have the old copy of the Sigma 50 and it's pretty much the same as your art when it comes to AF. At first I was planning on buying it but I don't use the 50 as much now and I use mine if artificial light more than natural (shooting indoors, under street lights at night) so I don't see myself upgrading.

Try shooing in center weighted average even if you're in M mode. I've read a few people getting better results from the old 50 in CWA then in evaluative.

 

[wickidwombat]

nice shots there shane

 

[Sporgon]

Best lens I have owned.

Lovely shot, don't think I would have cropped it quite so tight.

 

[Viggo]

I am going to loose my mind pretty soon. Took my 50 Art for a walk outside today, been sick so almost haven't tried it outside. And the focus is WAAAY off, completely gone... Couldn't get anything sharp, front focused by a few car lengths. So got back home and tried AGAIN, and my earlier calibration was completely out the window and had to re do everything with totally different values, seems mine is one of those "drifters" that can't hold on to a afma value. It's 3 seconds before I just sell this crappy lens and call it quits with Sigma forever, this is just too much hassle to be bothered with anymore.

One day perfect and best lens ever, the next it won't even lock on any distance and any subject, completely random where it places focus.

AHRRRGHG§!!"

 

[dlee13]

I am going to loose my mind pretty soon. Took my 50 Art for a walk outside today, been sick so almost haven't tried it outside. And the focus is WAAAY off, completely gone... Couldn't get anything sharp, front focused by a few car lengths. So got back home and tried AGAIN, and my earlier calibration was completely out the window and had to re do everything with totally different values, seems mine is one of those "drifters" that can't hold on to a afma value. It's 3 seconds before I just sell this crappy lens and call it quits with Sigma forever, this is just too much hassle to be bothered with anymore.

One day perfect and best lens ever, the next it won't even lock on any distance and any subject, completely random where it places focus.

AHRRRGHG§!!"

Not that it's funny, but you sound exactly like I did when I got my first copy of the previous Sigma 50 so I can personally relate to you.

Have you tried using the dot tune method for AFMA? One thing to note is, if you have Back button focus enabled on your body then it's best to test it using back button focus. For the previous Sigma 50, I had a AFMA reading of +15 for the shutter button yet a reading of only +8 using BBF. I find my lens can be very temperamental too, one of the main reasons I now rely on my Canon 35mm f2 IS.

 

[Viggo]

I am going to loose my mind pretty soon. Took my 50 Art for a walk outside today, been sick so almost haven't tried it outside. And the focus is WAAAY off, completely gone... Couldn't get anything sharp, front focused by a few car lengths. So got back home and tried AGAIN, and my earlier calibration was completely out the window and had to re do everything with totally different values, seems mine is one of those "drifters" that can't hold on to a afma value. It's 3 seconds before I just sell this crappy lens and call it quits with Sigma forever, this is just too much hassle to be bothered with anymore.

One day perfect and best lens ever, the next it won't even lock on any distance and any subject, completely random where it places focus.

AHRRRGHG§!!"

Not that it's funny, but you sound exactly like I did when I got my first copy of the previous Sigma 50 so I can personally relate to you.

Have you tried using the dot tune method for AFMA? One thing to note is, if you have Back button focus enabled on your body then it's best to test it using back button focus. For the previous Sigma 50, I had a AFMA reading of +15 for the shutter button yet a reading of only +8 using BBF. I find my lens can be very temperamental too, one of the main reasons I now rely on my Canon 35mm f2 IS.

The thing is that I use real life testing, manual with Reikan Target, and the full automatic calibration in FoCal. At all 4 distances I can tune in with the docking. And it's perfect every time in any light absolutely flawless. Consistency in FoCal shows 99,4% with a 30 shot test, better than my 200 f2 and 24-70 mk2.
And I actually tried both BBF and on the shutter because my remote for tripod doesn't focus with BBF. And there was no difference.

The problem is that three days later it will not hit ANYTHING. Today I added +12 to my settings before it started to look okay again. And it's like that every other day, so I doesn't matter how perfect it's calibrated, it only works a short time.

I tested it against the my 85 L today for the same shots, and my god what a difference, the 85 is spot on at f1.2 no matter how bad I try to make it fail. Stunning precision ..