dfresh wrote:
Better build quality, better AF mechanism, better CA resistance, sharper wide open, etc. according to many of the reviews.

I had high hopes for this lens but ended up returning it.....

- Build quality is pretty similar really.

- AF on mine was fine up to 10ft then wildly unpredictable thereafter (off by several feet at times - my experience is not unique either)

- Mine was not sharper wide open, it was softer

- Mine was slightly softer at all apertures thereafter, up to around f8


There may well be better copies out there if you are prepared to roll the dice....

Jess Edward wrote:
Yea a friend of mine has the Sigma Fisheye lens and he cant use it on his 5D because he gets an error message every time.

Been using my non DG sigma fisheye on my 5d and a MKIII for a while now, never, ever had an issue-ever.
I sold 2 other sigma lenses because image Quality was terrible, but that old fisheye works out for the shots I need.

Sigma, besides it's fragile paint job on the body, many of it's lens IQ are similar, if not , superior to the Canon counter parts. This is Especially true for it's 24-70 and 30 F1.4. The bokeh is just a beauty.

i had a similar experience to lord fluff's...

i wanted to like the sigma, which was stunning when it would correctly focus... unfortunately, it was way too unpredictable, and i ended up selling it off to someone who was comfortable (lord knows why) with it's af quirks.

i'm back to shooting with the 35L as my normal prime, and it's dead on every time with the focus (when i do my part correctly).

stiksandstones wrote:
Jess Edward wrote:
Yea a friend of mine has the Sigma Fisheye lens and he cant use it on his 5D because he gets an error message every time.

Been using my non DG sigma fisheye on my 5d and a MKIII for a while now, never, ever had an issue-ever.
I sold 2 other sigma lenses because image Quality was terrible, but that old fisheye works out for the shots I need.



No problem on 40D, 5D Mk I or II neither.

dfresh wrote:
better AF mechanism

debatable

For $500 ish

I'd buy a Canon 50/1.8 II ...

... and a Rokkor

But that's just me.

Better coatings on the sigmas. Seems the Canons need to be upgraded as they were made for film. More saturated colors on my sigmas and haven't seen one CA in the 5 Sigmas that i own. My sigma24/70 could be the worst aut focus lens out there today with very poor edge sharpness at 24mm full frame 5D. Just terrible. The fixed focal ones 50,70, 105 and 150 are spot on in every way... Bruce

jvarszegi wrote:
dfresh wrote:
better AF mechanism

debatable

Funny there's another thread this page at the same time moaning about the Canon's AF mechanism.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/758045

I've owned a couple of the Canon 50/1.4s over the years and it's the fragile AF mechanism more than anything else that keeps me from buying another. The Sigma has ring USM and there doesn't seem to be a lot of complaints about it's durability.

The Sigma is targeted to a market between the Canon 50/1.4 and the Canon 50/1.2L and is priced accordingly.

Just a little thing. Not about the 50mm f1.4 in perticular but rather the Sigma lenses. I've def had a few lense error up while trying them out in stores (looking for older model lenses you see). But from what I remember sigma is usually pretty gracious about this and will update some lenses to work on newer bodies free of charge right? While I'm sure they don't do it for all lenses I'm sure if it's expensive enough they can do it.

The Sigma is bigger and heavier, but it blows the Canon 50/1.4 away optically. The bokeh is incredible too.

Sam N wrote:
The Sigma is bigger and heavier, but it blows the Canon 50/1.4 away optically.

Maybe your copy - not mine.

Lord Fluff wrote:
Maybe your copy - not mine.

And you are 100% sure it was not the AF problems you previously described that made it less sharp?

Sigma lenses still have the rep of being incompatible with future canon releases... But we had the same Sigma 70-200 F2.8 since before we got a 20d, and it worked on the 10d, 20d, 30d, 5d, 300d, xt, XTi, and most recently a 1dMk3.

To my knowledge, there hasn't been a re-chipping problem in a very long time.

Nello Milanese wrote:
Canon: NO COMPATIBILITY ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE!
What if Canon decides it's time for a new lens mount? How are those old FD mount lenses working?

Cableaddict wrote:
Nello Milanese wrote:
Jess Edward wrote:
Yea a friend of mine has the Sigma Fisheye lens and he cant use it on his 5D because he gets an error message every time.
Contrary on what people think Canon is not dumb Sigma reverse engineer Canon's AF algorithm...but when Canon releases a new body they re-reverse sort of speak Sigma's
Guess they don't like people stepping on their turf .

Is this actual fact, some kind of wild conjecture, or just a joke?

I would assume that if Canon actually did something like this, it would also affect their old lenses. That would be marketing suicide, so I 'aint buyin' it. Not with proof.

Until then, It's just a fun theory.

Also- I assume this IF this is true, it would only affect AF, seiing as there is no problem with any vintage manual-focus lenses.


Its not a theory its fact. I believe the issue was present when the 40D came out with many lenses. I Know they reverse engineer the af algorithms and can say for a fact that AF is an issue with sigmas and Canon. I have the sigma 150 macro and it rocks but dont count on the af. I bought the 50 1.4 but the lens had issues and just bit the bullet and got the canon 1.2.

gasrocks wrote:
I sold my EF 50/1.4 the same week I got my Sigma 50/1.4

X2, sold my Canon the day I after I got mine. Images from the Sig are sooooo much better, my AF is fine but even if it wasn't it would be worth it.

I'm really itching to give this lens a try. I think I've read every review out there, but I haven't check out the link yet that Trumpet_guy posted. I have the Canon 50 f/1.4 right now, and I probably use it more than any other lens I have. My only beef with it is the bokeh, and that it lacks contrast/sharpness wide open.

My main concern is that I would be using it on a full frame body (5D), and it appears this lens is better suited to a crop body.

Mark

I use mine on a 1Ds2, no issues that I've noticed. I may be blinded by the gorgeous bokeh though, lol.

Makten wrote:
Lord Fluff wrote:
Maybe your copy - not mine.

And you are 100% sure it was not the AF problems you previously described that made it less sharp?

Yep. The focal plane could be easy seen, and when it was in the right place the whole image had a glow to it like the front element had been coated in vaseline.

I returned it and decided to stick with the Canon offering. I'd hoped to like this lens but didnt have the inclination to try multiple copies.