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Schuit
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Registered: Mar 10, 2008
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Dec 29, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Finally a nice finish, well build, serious weight, bokehhhhhhhhhh, sharp wide open
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Cons:
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lightcap a little loose, needs microadjustment
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This is my second Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX HSM. The first one got sold because it was a hit or miss situation. When I made 20 shots with my Canon 30d only a few were sharp enough for print or use on a website. I got fed up with it. After purchasing a Canon 7d I couldn't resist the urge to give it another try with the Sigmalux 50mm. This time I got one with the new finish (lovely) and tried it with the 7d. Most shots were quite well but not razor sharp. I then made some changes with the MA tool the 7d has and tuned it to -5 because the lens had some backfocus issues. Thats something different from the frontfocus most buyers are complaning about. Im happy with the adjustments I made and can recommend this lens to anyone who has the MA in their camera. The only thing that bothers me is that this lens seems only to have focus issues with Canon gear and produces stunning sharp pictures with the Nikon gear!
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 Dec 29, 2010
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djpapa
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Registered: Nov 4, 2009
Location: China
Posts: 232
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Review Date: Dec 20, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $431.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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sharp at 2.8 ,New version design for hood and body build good,Bokeh.
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Cons:
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F16 only,HSM squeak,some CA wider open in between f1.4-2.0,a bit soft wide open
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Bought this lens in last months and this review base on i have 35mmf1.4, 50mm f1.2, 24mm f1.4II and 85L II to compare with sigma 50mm.
Focus:
no focus shift compare with 50mm L stop range f1.4 to2.8(luck),but squeak when focusing,this 50mm version is made with new material body and hood(nice)
color contrast:Not much better compare with 85L II and 24L II,a bit look like a 35mm L but better than 50mm f1.8
CA :Stong CA at f1.4 when shooting some high contrast subject (like shooting letters on computer keyboard with black bg and white word on key)but 24mmL almost the same
Sharpness : sharp at f2.8 compare with 24-70mm f2.8 L.
Some review notice this lens heavy but for me is not even 85L II.
S50 boken is nice but the 50mm f1.2L have better creamy and good color contrast boken.
Here with some image shooting by this S50mm.
http://www.pbase.com/kpo/image/131268837
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Dec 20, 2010
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Marco Costa
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Registered: Nov 26, 2007
Location: N/A
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Dec 18, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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This is an increasingly sharp lens. I was worried about purchasing anything other than a Canon L lens but with canon's 50mm L costing over $1500, I decided to order the Sigma from my ocal camera store where I can return it with 30 days, no questions asked. I few shots and I was sold ; even at 1.4 the pictures look great. Very pleased.
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Dec 18, 2010
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tell
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Registered: Aug 25, 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 1409
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Review Date: Dec 14, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast accurate focus in low light. BOKEH.
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Cons:
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$150 MORE than Canon "equivalent"
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If you're looking at this lens, you're obviously looking at it for the buttery bokeh. Why else would you purchase a 3rd party lens for MORE than a Canon or NIkon 50 1.4? I came from a 50 1.8, and while it performed great, I wanted that beautiful bokeh I've been seeing people post. My lens is delivery wonderful results. I couldn't be happier, unless of course it was priced the same as Canon. Sigma knows they've got a kick ass winner here and they're going to charge accordingly. Wake up Canon!
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Dec 14, 2010
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Pi Chapman
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Registered: May 11, 2010
Location: Poland
Posts: 239
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Review Date: Dec 14, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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The best picture quality among 50's for Canon. Great colour rendition, contrast, resolution, AF speed and accuracy.
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Cons:
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Sometimes inconsistent colours and contrast between the shots. Some versions of this lens have problems with focus - service fixes it easily. Uncommon filter size for 50mm lense (huge I mean).
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If not for some well known problems with AF on Sigma lenses - a perfect 50mm lense. okok - it could have weather sealing, small filter size, more consistent colours, less weight, be cheaper than Canon 1.4, but c'mon that's the best 50 on the market.
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Dec 14, 2010
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nthomas
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Registered: Oct 16, 2010
Location: Taiwan
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Oct 16, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Usable sharpness at wide open, extremely sharp when step down to F2. Lovely color tone and boken. Comparable to 50L when considering IQ, with only 1/3 price.
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Cons:
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Sigma need to fix their QC problem. May need to send back for calibration when you encounter focus issue. A little bit too heavy.
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Most of what I want to say are in pros and cons. This lens is one of the most fascinating lens that you must buy. A lot of people nicknamed this lens as SigmaLux, a Sigma product but with Luxury quality. When you considering a 50mm AF lens, go grab this one.
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Oct 16, 2010
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jrizz
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Registered: Dec 28, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 55
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Review Date: Sep 29, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $430.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Sharp, creamy bokeh, built solid.
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Cons:
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None
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I bought this lens in April 2010 and found no problems as mentioned in other post. My pictures are sharp and the bokeh is beautiful. I have shot hundreds of photos with very good results. I have other Sigma lenses as well as Canon L series lenses. My other Sigma lenses have performed very well with no problems. The 150mm, 10-20mm and 30 F1.4. I'm very happy and have no regrets buying this lens. I'm presently using this lens on the Canon 5d-2.
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Sep 29, 2010
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davidmarsh
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Registered: Oct 26, 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 133
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Review Date: Sep 22, 2010
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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Well built, feels good, looks good, it it worked, good price!
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Cons:
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poor quality, poor images, very disapointing, see report below....
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I recently posted a report on our experience with the new Sigma 120-400 zoom lens. As a user of many Canon L and Sigma lenses we have, in the past, been impressed with Sigma. Sadly our recent tests with our Sigma 50mm 1.4 has only made us more committed to NOT purchasing any more Sigma lenses.
We do tend to purchase most of the new lenses that Canon & sigma make as they come out and immediately upon getting them; we test them against lenses we know to be good. In this instance we used a friends old canon 50mm 1.8 version 1 lenses that cost approx £75.00 new.
We are not qualified test engineers but having been photographing for over thirty five years we tend to test lenses under real conditions. In almost every test we did the £340.00 Sigma failed against its much cheaper canon 50mm lens at just £75.00!
For example we first placed a canon 7D on a tripod and set the ISO to 100, the F stop to 1.8 and the camera selected the speed. Under these conditions the Sigma gave the better result with the Canon being more blue in its colour balance but also less sharp. Both lenses looked milky but the Canon lost out here. However, under all of the other tests the Canon won.
We set the Canon 7D to ISO 200, the F stop to F2 and photographed a landscape shot of the end of the garden. We used the same standing point and focused on a single apple thirty feet away. The Canon was relatively crisp across the whole image. The Sigma was blurred across the whole images in comparison. We repeated this exercise using different areas of the garden but got the same results.
Both lenses vastly improved from F 2.8 onwards but using the same areas of the garden we repeated the same set of comparative shots but using F 8. Once again, the Canon was far crisper.
We then setup a portrait shot and focused on this object nose using the centre red square. Using ISO 200, F2, The Sigma still fell short of the Canon on quality and detail.
Indeed, we so wanted the Sigma to win as it looks so bloody good and is built so well, we persevered all day to try and get the Sigma to take better shots than the Canon. Sadly, we failed and have now agreed to get our money back on the Sigma and buy a Canon 50mm 1.4 at £240.00.
We do have the Canon 50mm L 1.2 and whilst we love this and have left forum comments, we really cant see the point in spending six times the cost of the Canon 50mm f1.4 when the results are not that different.
We have had to ask ourselves juts how often do we actually need anything below F2.8 and the answer is, hardly ever. Why then spend so much on an L lens? You could say because its built like a tank and is weather sealed but who would use a £1,600 lens in the rain anyway?
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Sep 22, 2010
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spentomuch
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Registered: Oct 3, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 514
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Review Date: Aug 18, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $425.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp wide open, very sharp at f/2.0 - The creamy Bokeh is to die for
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Cons:
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It chunks into Focus ,hunts a little in low light
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Got mine here on FM's B&S broad
My copy is dead on with no adjustment's
If your looking at this lens then it's probably for the DOF and or the Bokeh.
Well f/1.4 is pretty thin, and the Bokeh is best in the 50mmf/1.4 class (don't know about the Zeiss)
My take is that you should probably stay within 30-40 ft or so, this lens is not as good at real long distance's
hunt's a little in lower light.
chunks or rams into Focus.
AF is fast enough for most things on a D700
It lives at f/2.0 on my 700 very sharp there with no loss in creamy Bokeh. great contrast, good colors
There are a few short comings, but
Can't see myself letting go of this lens
Giving this Sigma a 10
As always YMMV
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Aug 18, 2010
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form
Online
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Registered: Dec 14, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 2557
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Review Date: Aug 12, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $499.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Excellent bokeh for 50mm focal length on Canon
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Cons:
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QC - image softer on left side than on right side
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I want this lens. What I mean by that is I just purchased this lens and I want a good copy. I know what this lens is capable of as far as image quality is concerned, so I am convinced that it is a good design. However, the one I just received is definitely defective: images are sharp on the right side and center, but they never get sharp on the left side. Sure, this would be alleviated somewhat by stopping down the aperture, but I purchased the lens because I intend to use it at f/1.4 through f/2 most of the time.
Therefore, the lens gets high marks for quality, but poor marks for quality control: Please improve your quality control, Sigma.
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Aug 12, 2010
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peolund
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Registered: Aug 23, 2009
Location: Sweden
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Jul 29, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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The most is said already, bokeh is fantastic and the sharpness is very good from about 1.8 to 11 on my ex. Top is 2.0 - 2.8. One dissapointment though...focusring, it feels like a bad fitted gearbox, no smothness at all. Buildquality is Sigma, if you like Sigma it΄s ok, but it΄s noway near Canon L.
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Jul 29, 2010
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edge100
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Oct 5, 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 188
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Review Date: Jun 30, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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- fairly sharp at f/1.4 and very sharp at f/2.0, stunning bokeh, great build quality
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Cons:
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- a bit slower AF than many primes
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I had been trying to choose between the Canon 50 f/1.4 and this lens for some time (as many are, I'm sure), but after hearing so many stories about sketchy AF accuracy on the Sigma, I decided to hold off.
After hearing that a fellow FM'er had a sharp copy that he had returned to a local store (to fund the purchase of a 50 f/1.2L), I ran right over to the store to pick it up.
Well, let me tell you this lens is fantastic. It has lived on my 1DmkII for the last few weeks. AF accuracy is terrific; no front/back-focus issues at all. AF performance is a bit slower than many L primes, but is certainly as good or better than the 50 f/1.4 and MUCH better than the 50 f/1.8.
The reason people buy this lens is the bokeh, and I can confirm that the bokeh on my copy is stellar; to date, the best bokeh I've seen is the 85 f/1.2L, but this one is a close second. I know it's not to everyone's taste, but if you like buttery/smeary bokeh, you'll love this lens.
Build quality is much better than the Canon 50 f/1.4. The Sigma is fairly sharp at f/1.4 and very sharp at f/2.0, which is where it lives most of the time on my camera.
If you can find a copy with no AF issues, this lens is definitely worth the premium over the Canon.
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Jun 30, 2010
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cmaeda
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Registered: Dec 1, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 43
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Review Date: Jun 7, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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sharp wide open. Bokeh, color and build are all great. Comes with case and hood too.
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Cons:
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I don't like the finish on it, and the lens hood is not built as well as the Canon hoods. The Canon hoods are thicker, with felt lining inside.
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This is a great lens. Initially, I was worried about Sigma's reputation for poor QC. I don't normally test my lenses, but this time, I decided to print out some test charts to make sure the focus was ok. I had to MA +16, but after that, everything was spot on.
The image quality is just incredible. Paired with my 5DII, the low light abilities are just awesome!
I had considered the Canon 50 1.2L, but read some reports about focusing issues here too. I figured for that price, it should be perfect, and I would rather take a risk with a $500 Sigma.
I had also tried out the Canon 50 1.4, but was left unimpressed. It was much softer wide open and had a reputation for AF failures.
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Jun 7, 2010
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JR Magat
Online
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 17, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 2132
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Review Date: Jun 3, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $404.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Bought brand new, and have not had issues with focus (lucky i guess!). This lens is very sharp and the bokeh produced is amazing! Definitely a good lens if you get a good copy; it's fast, sharp, good build and IMO better than the Nikon versions at 50mm 1.4. With that said... this is overall my favorite lens!
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Cons:
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Price, it is more expensive than the Nikon versions ($499 retail), and inconsistent quality (from previous reviews)
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Jun 3, 2010
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warszawarowero
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Registered: Jun 1, 2010
Location: Poland
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 1, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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love this lens, fast, great images on both 5d & 5d Mk2
i start my new project only with this lens
http://www.flickr.com/photos/warszawarowerowa/
most of them on f/1.4 sharp with nice bokeh
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Cons:
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sometimes little FF when shooting at very short distance on f/1.4 but it's not pboblem fom me
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Jun 1, 2010
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LeoJan
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Registered: May 26, 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: May 25, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $360.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp from F1.4, fast, nice rich color, nice bokeh. Little vignet on FF. Cheap.
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Cons:
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A little big in comparison with the Canon f1.4
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I love this lens! I would not dream to trade it in for the Canon F1.2. 4 times more expensive. No CA, no autofocus problems. It is a normal priced lens with all the goodies you can dream off. It is nice that Sigma comes with such a killer.
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May 25, 2010
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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103
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132769
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Jan 23, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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80% of reviewers
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$468.74
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.02
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8.33
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8.7
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