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 p.1 #1 · Sigma 50mm Review: Yes its better than Canon 50mm f1.4 | |
I posted this review on amazon and though of posting it here. Please help me make it better and more accurate by sharing your observations, thanks!
This review is three pages long. The first section which is 1 page in length does not cover this lens in particular but rather goes into lens basics such as primes vs. zooms and benefits of wide aperture. The second section reviews this lens in detail. Experienced photographers can skip straight to the second setion starting from BUILD QUALITY.
YES ITS BETTER THAN CANON'S 50MM F1.4 LENS!
Out the box this lens is impressive. Better yet on camera it's more impressive. The lens hosts some of the best performance features and specs any medium telephoto lens can offer including razor sharp images (at par with Canon's best lenses), fast and accurate focus, and breath taking Bokeh (blur) quality. All of this comes enclosed in a high quality all metal body bundled with essential accessories all for under half a grand. For me this is value 101. But before getting into details lets answer the question why buy a prime lens like this Sigma?
PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS
There are two main unique benefits to this lens A) it's a prime B) it offers a wide maximum aperture.
Primes come in fixed focal lengths, making it essential to physically move back and forth to reduce and enlarge the frame coverage respectively. Zoom lenses on the other hand can reduce or enlarge the frame coverage with a twist of a ring. Traditionally, the main advantage of primes is that they are lighter, smaller, sharper, control distortion better, and come in wider maximum aperture. Over the years and with the advent of better zoom lenses those advantages have eroded. New zoom lenses are as sharp and control distortion as well as primes. Size and weight, however, remain a prime advantage. That being said most photographers are more than willing to overlook this aspect for the convenience of having multiple focal lengths in one zoom lens.
The last advantage in the list, wide maximum aperture, remains prime territory and has so far remained off limits to zooms. The maximum aperture for 35mm compatible zoom lenses is f2.8. That's 2 stops narrower (slower) than Sigma's f1.4 aperture. (Side note: some zoom lenses have wider aperture including Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0. Before you get excited, however, this lens is made for the Olympus much smaller four thirds sensor cameras. The four thirds system has its own short comings and the lenses are not compatible with 35mm cameras.)
The advantage of wide aperture is that it increases exposure speed. Hence, opening the lens wider by one stop increases shutter speed by half (up from 1/100 to 1/200 for example), which better freezes action and reduces the effects of camera shake on the final image. The second main advantage is that wider aperture reduces depth of field or focus range. In portrait photography that creates a beautiful separation in the form of blurred details between the subject and background.
There are additional minor, but still great, advantages to wider aperture. Since lenses stay open at their maximum aperture, a larger opening allows more light to reach the camera focus sensor and the view finder. The result is faster and more accurate focusing and much brighter viewfinder.
Keep in mind you are looking at a normal field of view lens made for 35mm cameras. On a 1.6 crop factor camera such as the Canon 40D, 500D, Rebel XTI, etc the field of view is like 85mm (50x1.6) on FF cameras. Standing 6-7 feet in front of a subject with this lens on a 1.6 crop factor camera held horizontally covers the top quarter of the body (chest up to head). Using this lens on a FF or 35mm sensor size camera at the same distance and orientation covers well over half the body. On a 1.6 form factor camera the field of view this lens offers is perfect for window lit portraits. On a FF camera the field of view this les offers is perfect for environmental (portraits that include the environment around the subject) and office portraits.
BUILD QUALITY
The build and size of this lens conveys quality. One thing that I didn't like was the lens surface which is covered with Sigma's mat finish. I don't like the finish but it's certainly better than plastic. I read that the finish gradually peels off and in a year's time can leave a mess behind. None of that happened to my one month old lens, but time will tell whether this is a common problem or not. I just wish they left the metal body bare, but I guess the mat finish provides a better grip surface over bare metal.
WEIGHT AND SIZE
The lens is pretty much all metal, making it far superior to the Canon's 50mm 1.4 mostly plastic body. That being said, the all metal body comes at a price; it's not cost its weight. The Sigma weights about 1LBS (500g, 16oz), where as the Canon weights (290g, 10oz). For me the weight is no issue but some might find the weight a little objectionable. Size wise the Sigma is about the size of the Canon 85mm f1.8, which is about 2.7". I find this size/weight combination perfect for balancing my camera. Especially so for countering the force required to press the shutter release button. In comparison the Canon 50mm is about 2" which I find a bit short to hold while mounted to the camera (I have long hands).
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
The lens comes with a hood and protective pouch. Since those two items not included with the Canon you need factor their cost when comparing both lenses. My guess is that Canon's equivalent accessories cost minimum $50. Hence, you might want to factor that cost when comparing both lenses. The hood mount design is much easier to use than Canon's hood mount. Though, the locking click feels a bit too soft, I fear it might wear out over time.
PERFORMANCE
Since I do not own the Canon 50mm f1.4 I will compare this lens to Canon's 85mm f1.8 lens. I have owned and used that lens for over three years and find its performance amazing. In fact, by most accounts the 85mm lens out performs the 50mm and is also considered one of Canon's best lenses. Hence this will set the bar high for Sigma. Take note that I also have extensive experience with the 50mm through in store tests and lots of online research.
SHARPNESS AND DISTORTION
Since the Sigma features and specifications read like a dream list, I had high expectations for this lens. I can gladly confirm that the lens delivers to my expectations. Sharpness is at par with the 85mm f1.8, which is a big statement since the 85mm is one canons sharpest lenses. Chromatic and flare distortion are well controlled in the Sigma, outperforming Canon's 85mm in both areas by a good margin. Vignetting also seems very well controlled and better than Canon 85mm. I would rate the Sigma as excellent in all of the above areas.
FOCUS
From the onset focus accuracy was recognized as the weak spot of this lens. Therefore, I observed the focus performance of this lens very closely. I never encountered any of the reported focus problems. It seems the first few production batches had some issues. Judging from my lens, which is a later production model, the problem was ironed out. Testing the focus using F1.4 aperture I encountered no front or back focus problems. The lens quickly focuses on the selected focus point. The speed is impressive and it seems to be at par with my Canon 85mm. Throughout my in store tests the Canon 50mm f1.4 focused slower than the 85mm and was a little noisy. Therefore, I can confirm that the Sigma focus will be quicker and quieter than Canon 50mm f1.4.
BOKEH(BLUR)QUALITY
The final feature, and perhaps most important in this lens, is the boken (blur quality). I researched this matter extensively online and came to the conclusion that Sigma's blur pattern is superior to Canon's 50mm f1.4. My practical experience with this lens confirms this. The lens produces the most beautiful blur among all of my other Canon lenses. The bokeh seems more uniform and stronger in effect, almost a dreamy(r) effect. Perhaps this is due to the lens aperture design which includes 9 blades vs. Canon's 8 blades.
ONLY QUIBBLE
My only quibble, is that the lens aperture only goes up to f16 which is really not an issue because I didn't buy this lens for landscape, but this can be limiting when I am doing food photography. Depending on the setting f16 isn't always enough to bring the content of the dish into full focus. On the plus side the lens wide aperture (1.4) makes the viewfinder much brighter for easier manual focusing.
TAKE NOTE
For the price and performance this lens is truly a dream come true for natural portrait photographers. The lens can be opened to its widest aperture to isolate the subject with shallow depth of field. This also provides faster shutter speeds which reduces camera shake effects on the final image.
For landscape photographers keep in mind that since this lens aperture starts at f1.4, it achieves best sharpness between f2.8-f4.0 (around 2-3 f stops above maximum aperture). Below that range the lens sharpness will start to degrade. Thus, if you intend to use this lens for fine art/large print landscape photography you might want to test it against another lens with a lower maximum aperture such as f2.8. At f2.8 a typical lens will achieve best sharpness around f5.6-f8.0. That's the range most photographers start with to capture landscape scenes in full detail. This lens sharpness will start to degrade well before that.
Last but least, the minimum focus range with this lens is 45cm or 17" half the required distance by Canon 85mm lens. The Canon 50mm also offers 45cm minimum focus distance. I find this feature very useful when photographing small things like newborn kittens for example. It allows me to get much closer and fill the frame with the object/subject while still maintaining focus.
Edited on Jul 04, 2009 at 12:44 PM · View previous versions
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