Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

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Archive 2008 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

UCSB
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p.2 #1 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Thanks for the tests, very interesting. It is a shame that Sigma just doesn't license the AF algorithms from Canon. They have produced lenses over the years that I would definitely have picked up ... the 50mm looks nice.

Dec 13, 2008 at 02:29 AM

george malamis
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p.2 #2 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

It seems to me that the images from the sigma are slightly under-exposed - does it appear that way to anyone else?

Dec 13, 2008 at 02:36 AM

tanglefoot47
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p.2 #3 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Wow the sig bok is great I am very impressed

Dec 13, 2008 at 02:51 AM

WilliamG
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p.2 #4 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Thanks very much for this! Gosh I miss Israeli Fanta... Haven't been to Israel in FAR too long.

While I LOVE the dreamy bokeh from the Sigma wide open, by f4 I prefer the Canon 50mm 1.4's bokeh signature since it maintains a better dream-like bokeh at that point. Interesting, though...

Am I the only one who thinks this?

In any case, the nifty fifty 1.8 clearly loses this battle, but I guess you get what you pay for.... It's still a fantastic lens for the money.

Dec 13, 2008 at 03:00 AM

mfurman
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p.2 #5 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Thank you for those tests Yakim. How is Sigma's focusing when comparing with Canon?

Dec 13, 2008 at 03:31 AM

Matt Kerby
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p.2 #6 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Thanks for doing this, it takes time and it's much appreciated.
Looks like your EF is a very nice and sharp copy, looks sharper than the EX wide open but I will agree the bokeh of the EX smokes em all, just super creamy. I would like to know how this lens is fairing as far as AF too, notice any FF or BF at distances @10'?

Dec 13, 2008 at 03:55 AM

mh2000
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p.2 #7 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

interesting tests! thanks for taking the time to post them!

yeah, Yakim made the 50/1.8 look pretty bad here, but in *my* real life experience I prefer what I get from it more often than the 50/1.4... tests are always special cases...

The Sigma 50 definitely has my interest! (I'm just no in an excited EF mount lens buying mood... otherwise I'd already have it).

Dec 13, 2008 at 04:23 AM

Greg Feldman
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p.2 #8 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

I'm crazy about my Sigmalux.

Greg

Dec 13, 2008 at 04:46 AM

kosin
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p.2 #9 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Great job Yakim
Thanks a lot...

Dec 13, 2008 at 04:50 AM

Ariel Bravy
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p.2 #10 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

I'm in love with the bokeh from the Sigma. The harsh bokeh from my 50 1.4 is very apparent in images and the Sigma totally blows it away. The sharpness seems to be better as well.

I've never really liked the 50 1.4. It's been ehh, okay. I very well may consider upgrading to the Sigma.

Thank you very much for these tests Yakim!

Shooting happily,
Ariel.

Dec 13, 2008 at 05:17 AM

M Vers
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p.2 #11 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

mfurman wrote:
Thank you for those tests Yakim. How is Sigma's focusing when comparing with Canon?

x2. I'd also like to see a center crop comparison

Dec 13, 2008 at 05:28 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.2 #12 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

I had my share with inconsistent AF with the Sigma (sometimes BF, sometimes FF sometimes spot on) and next week I'm going to try calibrate it but regretfully I have to say that the Canon 50/4.1 and 50/1.8 were no better in this regard.

My normal way of shooting is using AF and Av and in the initial tests I was using that but as they progressed I saw that I'm getting inconsistent AF (and inconsistent aperture) so I switched to MF and M. I was also doing some normal shooting a bit (I mean, with all three) and my impression was that in normal shooting the Sigma has a slightly higher percentage of inconsistent AF. Alas, the problem was evident in one my WA attempt as well.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/710554

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 13, 2008 at 06:17 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.2 #13 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

BTW, in these initial tests I was comparing the Sigma to the Canon 50/1.4 WRT flare (at that time I didn't think about adding the 50/1.8 and 17-55 to the test). Again, the Sigma trumps easily. With the sun in the frame it has none of those ugly flare spots which characterize the Canon.

BTW, from former experience with my 17-55 and 50/1.8 I can say that they are as worse (17-55) or even much worse (50/1.8).

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

2012 © Yakim Peled

Dec 13, 2008 at 06:48 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.2 #14 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

AF speed is also the fastest of the three. I did another test in very low light (ISO 3200, f/1.4, 1/45). I manually focused all to MFD, used the outer right AF point (i.e. non-high precision AF point) and didn't use AF assist. I then aimed to a sign post ~10m away and pressed the shutter button. I had no stopwatch with me but my estimation is as follows: Canon 35/1.4 – About 1 sec. Sigma 50/1.4 – About 1.2 sec. Canon 50/1.4 – About 2 sec. Canon 50/1.8 – About 3 sec. The 17-55 did not focus at all. Didn't even try…..

Summary: The Sigma is simply incredible piece of glass in all parameters of IQ where it trumps the others by either huge margin (bokeh), or big margin (flare), or small margin (CA). It also has the best BQ and best AF speed of all. No wonder that it is the most expensive.

Now, if I could just get it calibrated so AF accuracy will improve….

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 13, 2008 at 06:56 AM

JunRay707
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p.2 #15 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

Also Sigma 50.4(maybe..45mm) is more wider than canon 50.4, 50.8.
I have seen before form Korean testers.

Dec 13, 2008 at 02:54 PM

Ernie Aubert
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p.2 #16 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

David:

I got a Sigma 50 f1.4 a couple weeks ago, and it back focuses (on my 40D) very significantly at the only longer distance I've tried so far, about 50-60 feet. The plane at which the focus point is placed isn't within the DOF until about f5.6 or so. I'm hoping Sigma can adjust it if I send both the camera and lens to them.

But what a stunning lens! It's magnificent.

Dec 13, 2008 at 03:08 PM

Yakim Peled
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p.2 #17 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

JunRay707 wrote:
Also Sigma 50.4(maybe..45mm) is more wider than canon 50.4, 50.8.
I have seen before form Korean testers.

Indeed it is not impossible but I think it is more likely to assume that one lens show it than 3 lenses, and in the exact same amount.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 13, 2008 at 05:45 PM

abqnmusa
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p.2 #18 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

The 2 Canon EF 50mm F1.4's I have tried were poor quality from F1.4 to F2.2
- halos
- CA
- washed out
- less then sharp

My Sigma 50mm F1.4 does not have those issues.

Dec 13, 2008 at 06:34 PM

crazeazn
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p.2 #19 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

i think the 17-55 is the sleeper here. but all seem to be very good. great job yakim!

Dec 13, 2008 at 07:46 PM

hhski
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p.2 #20 · Sigma 50/1.4 vs. Canon's 50/1.4. 50/1.8 and 17-55/2.8 IS

There is no doubt that the sigma is an excellent lens optically. The question concern is how is it it the real world. I have read that the sigma also suffers from focus shift as the 50L does but to a lesser degree. My concern is the achilles for all sigmas when on a Canon AF. I do not like to use MF the color contrast of the Sigma appeals to me but my 50 1.4 works too well for me FF and the 35L gives me that FL on my cropped bodies. I had a survey about these lenses @ 2-3 wks ago. Welcome thread.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/712976/0#6435921

Dec 14, 2008 at 01:19 AM

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