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Archive 2014 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review

  
 
hatch1921
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


chez wrote:
No really. I got the previous 50 1.4 and it didn't focus consistently on my 5d2. Sent to Sigma, they paid shipping both ways, and it is perfect now. I am also covered with a 7 year warranty so that future proofs me very nicely.

I have zero reservations going with a sigma lens.


+1 same situation... but on the 5D3... sent it to CRIS... sharp as a tack/focus hits.

Looking forward to more sample shots with the new Sig 50A



Apr 18, 2014 at 04:53 PM
wordfool
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


The weakness of Sigma lenses (and many third party lenses for that matter) has often been the autofocus performance and I'm not confident Sigma's ART lenses will be any more reliable in this area despite stellar optics. I've had sigma lenses in the past that sometimes nail focus, sometimes don't and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Having to send a lens in to get it to AF reliably is not ideal.


Apr 18, 2014 at 04:56 PM
Arka
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


codyconway wrote:
I really can't believe the ability for people to continually bash a lens based on weight. . . I handhold / carry a 500 F4 IS L on my 1D or 6D gripped without any thoughts or issues. I also have a 300 F4 IS L that is much much lighter and easier to carry, but I carry the weight because when the moment counts I need the accuracy and clarity and reach of the 500 F4, not a fair comparison? Ok, consider it against even a 400 F5.6 which is small and lightweight, add on a 1.4x TC to
...Show more

You don't think the photographic community's size/weight expectations for a 50mm f/1.4 lens should be a bit different from their expectations for a 500 f/4? I'm a huge fan and owner of Sigma lenses, but come one... your comparative reference is a little ridiculous.

Just about every 50-ish f/0.95-f/1.4 lens except the Otus is somewhat or much smaller than the Sigma Art. If you demand the Sigma/Otus caliber performance at that FL, you're either stuck with the weight, or going to RF. We can be very happy that Sigma at least delivered on performance! But it seems a little strange to hear you talk about how awesome you are with your big Teles when talking about a lens that, in most quarters, is considered a walkaround, street, or moderate portrait FL lens.



Apr 18, 2014 at 05:14 PM
Arka
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


pipspeak wrote:
The weakness of Sigma lenses (and many third party lenses for that matter) has often been the autofocus performance and I'm not confident Sigma's ART lenses will be any more reliable in this area despite stellar optics. I've had sigma lenses in the past that sometimes nail focus, sometimes don't and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Having to send a lens in to get it to AF reliably is not ideal.


Focus (auto or otherwise) is an issue with just about any brand, and Sigma's new glass is being unfairly criticized based on legacy considerations. Indeed, I've had Nikon and Leica optics that have been calibrated as much or more than any of my late-model Sigmas, which have never been calibrated at all.



Apr 18, 2014 at 05:18 PM
kezeka
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


I expect my primes to weigh somewhere between a 35L and 85L, and this splits the difference right down the middle. It is still half the weight of the 70-200/2.8 that I haul around for 10-14 hour events without any real problems.

If you want to come up with bullshit excuses to not buy a lens, at least pick something about its potential performance. If you aren't able to carry a lens around of this weight, you might consider exercising a little more - I am being serious here. Besides, most people use camera straps to displace the weight or a backpack. I have carried my 85L on a 1D series body for an entire day without a strap and while my hand hurt a bit, I was still complaining less than 90% of the people on this forum have complained about the weight of a lens that they haven't even carried.

I am personally worried more about the AF performance than hand holding this lens.



Apr 18, 2014 at 05:22 PM
Arka
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


kezeka wrote:
If you want to come up with bullshit excuses to not buy a lens, at least pick something about its potential performance. If you aren't able to carry a lens around of this weight, you might consider exercising a little more - I am being serious here.


Most people don't choose photographic equipment based on "performance" alone, except when they post about it (and their big muscles and rigorous exercise regimens) on the Internet.

Small cameras don't just save you weight; they are also less conspicuousness, which has a measureable effect on what can be achieved in a variety of situations. I guarantee there are images I can get with a Leica or A7 that you could never get with an EOS I and 85mm L prime. That's why I don't shoot the latter anymore; the vaunted "performance" wasn't worth either the weight or the effect on the subject.

I sometimes wonder if the tendency to order everything online before actually holding it in hand causes people to forget that they actually have to use and carry this stuff. It may also be driving equipment manufacturers to sacrifice ergonomics on the altar of "performance" as measured on Internet-postable test charts and MTF curves, knowing that most people won't handhold before they buy anyway.




Apr 18, 2014 at 05:31 PM
dehowie
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


Lens glass performance looks nice.
However when oh when will DXo start to test something that affects every lens sold..the AF?
Is it just me or is it a huge hole in the testing?
I mean who really cares if the transmissability is 0.3 stops better or worse
Test something that means something to everyone particularly a 1.4 lens where used up close the floating elements can really show through why they are needed.
Hopeless..



Apr 18, 2014 at 09:11 PM
kezeka
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


dehowie wrote:
Lens glass performance looks nice.
However when oh when will DXo start to test something that affects every lens sold..the AF?
Is it just me or is it a huge hole in the testing?
I mean who really cares if the transmissability is 0.3 stops better or worse
Test something that means something to everyone particularly a 1.4 lens where used up close the floating elements can really show through why they are needed.
Hopeless..


Yes. A million times yes.



Apr 19, 2014 at 12:55 AM
johnctharp
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


dehowie wrote:
Lens glass performance looks nice.
However when oh when will DXo start to test something that affects every lens sold..the AF?
Is it just me or is it a huge hole in the testing?
I mean who really cares if the transmissability is 0.3 stops better or worse
Test something that means something to everyone particularly a 1.4 lens where used up close the floating elements can really show through why they are needed.
Hopeless..


AF is only one of the many things that DxO doesn't test- for most of the 'real world' stuff, I wait for Bryan's review over at TDP.



Apr 19, 2014 at 01:36 AM
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


Well actually, most of the new 50ish lenses with aperture of f/1.4 or larger are pretty big.
SLRMagic 50/0.95 - 945 grams
Leica Noctilux 50/0.95 - 700 grams
Canon 50/1.2L - 590 grams
Zeiss ZA 50/1.4 - 518 grams
(oddly enough, the Nikon 58/1.4 is said to weigh only 385 grams, so it's likely mostly air inside despite the size )

Arka wrote:
You don't think the photographic community's size/weight expectations for a 50mm f/1.4 lens should be a bit different from their expectations for a 500 f/4? I'm a huge fan and owner of Sigma lenses, but come one... your comparative reference is a little ridiculous.

Just about every 50-ish f/0.95-f/1.4 lens except the Otus is somewhat or much smaller than the Sigma Art. If you demand the Sigma/Otus caliber performance at that FL, you're either stuck with the weight, or going to RF. We can be very happy that Sigma at least delivered on performance! But it seems a little strange
...Show more



Apr 19, 2014 at 01:52 AM
macrobild
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


PeaktoPeek wrote:
Its pretty evident that this is the new standard in 50mm AF lenses, and when you look at the image comparisons its really not that close. Its an amazing performance by this lens to be even close to the Otus.
Paul


well I have the Otus since long time and I like what I see from Sigma




Apr 19, 2014 at 02:31 AM
Abstraction
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


Optics is a complex science and designing photgraphic lenses is an art. There is a long tradition and the real innovations are rare. For obvious reasons, weight is not a desirable feature in any lens, so if suddenly we have two 50mm lenses that seem to outperform anything that has come before, it is likely that suddenly someone saw a way to get better performance with a larger, heavier lens. People want lens designers to bend the laws of physics for their convenience.


Apr 19, 2014 at 04:43 PM
macrobild
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


pipspeak wrote:
The weakness of Sigma lenses (and many third party lenses for that matter) has often been the autofocus performance and I'm not confident Sigma's ART lenses will be any more reliable in this area despite stellar optics. I've had sigma lenses in the past that sometimes nail focus, sometimes don't and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Having to send a lens in to get it to AF reliably is not ideal.


just like Canon in another words, I have 5 Canon lenses who was adjusted by Canon regarding AF+2 cameras



Apr 19, 2014 at 04:47 PM
skibum5
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


dehowie wrote:
Lens glass performance looks nice.
However when oh when will DXo start to test something that affects every lens sold..the AF?
Is it just me or is it a huge hole in the testing?
I mean who really cares if the transmissability is 0.3 stops better or worse
Test something that means something to everyone particularly a 1.4 lens where used up close the floating elements can really show through why they are needed.
Hopeless..


Well it might since you see people going nuts over f/1.2 vs f/1.4 capability so....

OTOH I do agree that how DxO presents lens data makes less than no sense. How do you turn a prime, much less a zoom, into a single overall perceptual MPIX rating? And how do you then decide to compare similar zooms to one another at different focal lengths and apertures? What sense is there in comparing one standard zoom at 50mm f/4 to another at 24mm f/2.8? Or comparing one 50mm at f/1.2 to another at f/2

at least DPR presetents the DxO lens data in a reasonable fashion though




Edited on Apr 19, 2014 at 08:31 PM · View previous versions



Apr 19, 2014 at 04:52 PM
macrobild
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


myron lee wrote:
Looking at the images, this lens renders like the Otus too. Very nice bokeh. Not dreamy like portraits from the 50L but subtle transitions from sharp to out of focus.


well Canon is dreamy because the lens lack sharpness except a small spot in the middle where it is average
dreamy king ? because of LoCa, focus shift and low resolution?



Apr 19, 2014 at 05:04 PM
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


How is AF tested when every photographic subject presents a different problem. The reason we get information about resolution is that there are standard resolution charts.

Of course, like everyone else, I want testing that will tell me if the lens will suit my purposes. It is, however, not a scientific question. Tests can tell you that if you need a 50mm lens that will do a decent job, probably as good or better than the most expensive zoom that covers 50mm, the Canon 1.8 will do; the Canon 1.4 will do about the same (it is better built). Granted the Canon 50L is ambigous. I have never used one, since the "scientific" opinion on the forum is that they are "dreamy" and have ice-cream like bokeh. Well, such a lens doesn't serve my purposes as a photographer. The Zeiss Makro is a nice lens. It makes you feel rich when you put one on your camera. I would guess that in a blind test no could pick the lens with statistically significant regularly. But the Otus and the Sigma Art are lenses that taking a shot for a lens that will distinguish itself optically. Clearly the Otus has done so. It would be interesting to see a blind test comparing the Otus and the Canon 1.8 on common subjects and diverse subjects. What would happen if three photographers were armed with Canon 1.8, an Otus, and Sigma Art and sent them out to shoot for a month. Then have then pick their best images, shuffle them randomly, and have the members of the Canon forum decide which is which. I imagine the results would be random or close to it.

That said, I will probably buy a Sigma Art. I really like it when people shoot for the moon at a bargain price.



Apr 19, 2014 at 05:40 PM
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


Of course, a good photographer will know how to put together a portfolio that look sharp or dreamy or any of the adjectives that one might use to describe an image using any decent lens. Canon produced some awful zooms back years ago, but now there is hardly a bad lens in their line up.


Apr 19, 2014 at 05:50 PM
splathrop
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


Abstraction—regarding your random test hypothetical. I recently got a free experiment (didn't have it in mind; it just happened, and I noticed the result afterward).

I took an assortment of new images to my gallery curator, to see what she might like to try to sell this summer. Most of the work was taken with the Canon TSE 90mm, or the 70-200 f/2.8 II. A minority of the images were made with the Zeiss 100 MP, the Zeiss 50 MP, and the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4. Most of the work chosen was from the Zeiss lenses. We never discussed equipment at all. Images shown: 2:1 Canon. Images chosen: 3:1 Zeiss. Not a huge sample, of course. Could easily be a random result. And for what it's worth, my style may favor Zeiss optical strengths.

By the way, your notion of sending people out with different lenses and then shuffling the results overlooks that nobody in his right mind is going to use comparable techniques shooting a Canon f/1.8 and a Zeiss Otus—so point-to-point optical comparisons wouldn't happen unless someone woefully inexperienced was making the images.



Apr 19, 2014 at 07:05 PM
krementz
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


splathrop: very interesting. Just curious, what was the total # of pix you showed the curator? 10 or 100 or 1000?


Apr 19, 2014 at 07:18 PM
johnctharp
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · Dpreview: Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lab Test Review


macrobild wrote:
well Canon is dreamy because the lens lack sharpness except a small spot in the middle where it is average
dreamy king ? because of LoCa, focus shift and low resolution?


You can stop pounding on the 50L- we all know what it is for, and what it isn't. The 50 Art isn't the 50L's competitor, the 58G is.



Apr 19, 2014 at 08:16 PM
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