Mine is here, and hoooooooooooly cow this thing is sharp. So, so, so sharp.

I am still gawking at the 100% crops of some shots at f/2 and, well, wow.

I'll need a moment over here.

edit:100% crop at f/1.6. If you use a 72dpi monitor it's like a crop of a six foot print.

pingflood wrote:
Mine is here, and hoooooooooooly cow this thing is sharp. So, so, so sharp.

I am still gawking at the 100% crops of some shots at f/2 and, well, wow.

I'll need a moment over here.

edit:100% crop at f/1.6. If you use a 72dpi monitor it's like a crop of a six foot print.

Love mine too. Thin DOF takes a learning curve to get the best image out of; though

can any of you guy that bought this lens recently and have no focusing issue tell me your serial number that way I can use this as a guideline and hopefully get a copy that is good when I go purchase this superb lens when it focus good lol...

Here's a little summary I made for myself a while back when I was considering this lens... People were wondering if a certain serial number had a fix, so people started posting their serial numbers and experience with focus problems. I noted APS-C vs FF, because some people thought the problem only existed on FF.

1002xxx johnahill -- no problems on FF(?)
1002xxx syntrix -- no problems on crop
10017xx changes13 -- front focus on crop
1006xxx Ravon's -- no problems on crop
1006xxx jinashi -- back focuses past 10ft on crop
1007xxx Drew_Persson -- no problems on FF
10077xx kendallkoning -- no problems on FF
1008xxx slimyfishy -- slight front focus at 1.5ft to 2.5ft
1008xxx badlydrawnboy -- two copies back focus
1008xxx xameleon -- backfocuses far on FF
1009xxx frcsyk says a retailer told him that Sigma requested all 1008xxx's be returned. The 1009xxx's have the back focus issue addressed and the firmware has been updated.
1014xxx trumpet_guy front focuses up close, back focuses far on FF
1016xxx Andi Dietrich -- no problems on FF

FWIW, mine is perfect on my 40D and 7D. It's actually the only lens I have that I didn't apply microadjust for on the 7D. And it's wicked-sharp, too. Sharper than any fast Canon lens I've used (35/2, 50/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 85/1.2) at wide aperture, and perhaps sharper than even my 100/2.8 USM at small apertures (haven't compared directly).

This is one of those lenses that I have a hard time leaving home. It has such a beautiful rendering that I try to use it for everything that I can. The only time I've been disappointed is with extension tubes... the LoCA starts to assert itself more strongly, so you have to be careful to avoid backlight.

CKrueger wrote:
Here's a little summary I made for myself a while back when I was considering this lens... People were wondering if a certain serial number had a fix, so people started posting their serial numbers and experience with focus problems. I noted APS-C vs FF, because some people thought the problem only existed on FF.

1002xxx johnahill -- no problems on FF(?)
1002xxx syntrix -- no problems on crop
10017xx changes13 -- front focus on crop
1006xxx Ravon's -- no problems on crop
1006xxx jinashi -- back focuses past 10ft on crop
1007xxx Drew_Persson -- no problems on FF
10077xx kendallkoning -- no problems on FF
1008xxx slimyfishy -- slight front focus at 1.5ft to 2.5ft
1008xxx badlydrawnboy -- two copies back focus
1008xxx xameleon -- backfocuses far on FF
1009xxx frcsyk says a retailer told him that Sigma requested all 1008xxx's be returned. The 1009xxx's have the back focus issue addressed and the firmware has been updated.
1014xxx trumpet_guy front focuses up close, back focuses far on FF
1016xxx Andi Dietrich -- no problems on FF

FWIW, mine is perfect on my 40D and 7D. It's actually the only lens I have that I didn't apply microadjust for on the 7D. And it's wicked-sharp, too. Sharper than any fast Canon lens I've used (35/2, 50/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, 85/1.2) at wide aperture, and perhaps sharper than even my 100/2.8 USM at small apertures (haven't compared directly).

This is one of those lenses that I have a hard time leaving home. It has such a beautiful rendering that I try to use it for everything that I can. The only time I've been disappointed is with extension tubes... the LoCA starts to assert itself more strongly, so you have to be careful to avoid backlight.


thanks for the info!!!! any more guys

1015xxx U.C. heavy frontfocus on FF, but with micro-adjust AF is spot on at every distance.

Love mine.

f/2 on 5d2....

CKrueger wrote:
Here's a little summary I made for myself a while back when I was considering this lens... People were wondering if a certain serial number had a fix, so people started posting their serial numbers and experience with focus problems. I noted APS-C vs FF, because some people thought the problem only existed on FF.

...
1014xxx trumpet_guy front focuses up close, back focuses far on FF
...


Chris,

Actually mine is serial # 1001425. Yep, still same issue even after
trip to Sigma New York, along with my 5D body. They had the lens and
body for about 6 weeks, and the supervisor worked with the tech,
to no avail. Now that I'm shooting with an EE-s screen, it is a more manageable issue.

Tim

Mine is fantastic. Here is a photo at f2.5 on a Canon 5D. Focused and recomposed on her eye. Shot handheld.

I know it's off topic, but why do they call the Sigma 50 f1.4 the sigmalux?

wiregen wrote:
I know it's off topic, but why do they call the Sigma 50 f1.4 the sigmalux?

Leica brands it's 1.4 lenses as Summilux. Since the Sigma's bokeh and drawing style are remarkably similar a Leica 50 or 80 'lux, it got the nickname.

I just got my copy...no time to test it for focus problem...I already know about the AF problem b4 I bought the lens and judging from the amount of AF problem on sigma...I wouldn't be surprise my copy have it to and since I'm not from USA sending my lens to sigma is a no no...I do however think I have the latest copy...my serial starts with 105xx

I only hope my lens is good...if not I'll just MA it on my 7d...any of you guys using the lens on MA...just wondering

oh yeah here's a shot...focus is on the letter "am" shot wide open f1.4

Did a focus test...results are mix..need feedback from you guys...

here's the focus test pic...summary first...took a print screen so all three test can be compared at 100% crop... full version below. All test done on tripod, wide open f1.4, 10 second delay and no flash, camera is 7d using spot AF, show in raw and converted in dpp with no additional special settings...



1. Live view-Manual Focus
magnify ten times and did manual focus...I was shock to find that the manual focus test is the most focus to my eye...however upon further inspection I notice a bizarre green tint...could be due to my UV filter, the lens itself, the artificial light or some other factor...because of this I think it is not really in focus when compared to my other two test where the green tint is not present on both Contrast Detection and Phase detection mode...I could be wrong....

2. LiveView-Contrast Detection Autofocus
pressing the shutter half way once the contrast detection is finish I took the shot...notice the brownish tint? the word appear less in focus though....

3. View Finder-Phase detection Autofocus
live view is off, look through the view finder half shutter press once focus is lock took the shot. I notice the black bar is the most uniform, no green/brown tint...but again the word appear less in focus....

Full Version...Large file!
1. Live view-Manual Focus - http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4176/liveviewmanualfocus.jpg
2. LiveView-Contrast Detection Autofocus - http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6310/liveviewcontrastdetecti.jpg
3. View Finder-Phase detection Autofocus - http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/254/viewfinderphasedetectio.jpg

I don't know what to make of these test result...any idea guys...

but I'm quit happy with the pic took wide open f1.4 not bad...here's an example, spot af handheld...

100% crop


I know some of you might say its soft but wide open the lens is soft just not as soft as the canon version as illustrated by the many reviews of this lens on the net...

Looking forward to the feedback from you guys... thanks for your time!

after seeing a couple of more 100% shot from this lens I can say I'm satisfied with its performance...and because its shot on a 7d... viewing it at 100% crop is already handicapping it due to its pixel density on a crop and funny enuf dpp don't produce the sharpest image for the 7d as shown here [url]http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1645/canoneos7dmasterthreadf.png[/url] overall the sigmalux is a damn goon lens!

another shot handheld, spot af, f1.4, flash on... shot raw, no special things being done in dpp...

I did a test with 4 lenses wide-open on a 5D-II. There's difference in colour because of the sunset (vs. a lightbulb inside), but it's all about sharpness. I used liveview to focus on the "e". It's a bottle, so not everything is in focus. BTW: the Sigma 50mm almost exactly has the same angle of view as the Rokkor 45mm, so it's true about the FL of the Sigma being more like 47mm.

Canon 24-70 at about 50mm f/2.8


Rokkor 45mm f/2


Rokkor 58mm f/1.2


Sigma 50mm f/1.4