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Frequently Bought Together
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Technical Details
- for All Nikon digital SLR cameras
- Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a standard lens that offers high-level brightness and image quality for digital cameras
- Its SLD and ELD glass elements offer the best correction for chromatic aberrations
- The glass mould aspherical lens provides high-quality image results at any distance, despite the large aperture
- The HSM models provide quiet high-speed focusing
Product details
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Product Description
Product Description
This large aperture prime lens with a standard focal length of 50mm is ideal for digital cameras. This lens has superior peripheral brightness and provides high contrast image even at the maximum apertures. It is ideal for several type of photography such as portrait, landscape and reportage. The molded glass aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction of chromatic aberration and ensure superior optical performance. The fast F1.4 aperture and rounded 9 blade diaphragm creates an attractive blur to the out of focus areas. This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focus override.
Product Description
Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a standard lens that offers high-level brightness and image quality for digital cameras. Its SLD and ELD glass elements offer the best correction for chromatic aberrations. The glass mould aspherical lens provides high-quality image results at any distance, despite the large aperture. The HSM models provide quiet high-speed focusing. The 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a compact, bright and fast lens. Content: Compatibility : Nikon Optical : lenses/groups : 6 groups - 8 lenses Minimum focusing : 45 cm Filter diameter : 77 mm Included accessories : Information not provided Dimensions : 84.5 x 68.2 mm Weight : 505 g
Matches APS-C size image sensors.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
I bought this lens a few weeks ago after reading many magazine and online reviews. It was a close call between this and the Nikon 50mm 1.4G. In fact I almost bought Nikons version due to it's cheaper price and it's equally high ratings.
I chose this however as most reviewers thought it edged out in front of the nikon at wider aperatures - which is mainly what i got the lens for (to use in low light). I can't compare the two, but from my own findings it performed well. The image quality is excellent, colours are vibrant but not over saturated, images are very sharp with fine details well captured, the 'bokeh' (a needlessly fancy word which simply means blur/haze in japanese) does add a great effect to portraits, and is especially well done in this lens. If you're thinking "blur is blur - how much better can it be on one lens than on another", which i did wonder myself to be honest, but it actually is noticeably different, and nicer on this lens. I found the focusing to be at least 80% accurate, which could be better but it only wavers rarely, and momentarily moving the focusing point usually rectifies it. You can also adjust or correct automatic focusing by manually turning the lens barrel, without flicking the lens switch to manual focusing, which can be quite handy ('live auto focus over-ride'). As has been said it does also feel very well made, very solid, which i suppose for almost 4 hundred it should do!
In terms of it's flaws;
*It doesn't have a very close focusing distance but that's common to 50mm primes anyway
*It's massive, by 50mm standards anyway - this is the case in length and diamater - the latter of which makes a difference if you want to buy filters, as they need to be bigger than normal (77mm) and thus will cost a bit more
*With that size comes weight - I own a Nikon D5000 and it's literally almost the same weight as the camera body (I actually like the weight when holding it, but it's not so cool when carrying it in a bag...)
*Under high contrast situations, 'Chromatic aberations' are a bit too visible - this basically means certain outlines will have a line of (unsightly) colour around them
*Price - it costs a heck of a lot.
If you're ok with the extra price, size and weight - this is a great choice. Bottom line, the image quality it produces, is great, and for portraits or low light photography, this is an excellent choice.
I chose this however as most reviewers thought it edged out in front of the nikon at wider aperatures - which is mainly what i got the lens for (to use in low light). I can't compare the two, but from my own findings it performed well. The image quality is excellent, colours are vibrant but not over saturated, images are very sharp with fine details well captured, the 'bokeh' (a needlessly fancy word which simply means blur/haze in japanese) does add a great effect to portraits, and is especially well done in this lens. If you're thinking "blur is blur - how much better can it be on one lens than on another", which i did wonder myself to be honest, but it actually is noticeably different, and nicer on this lens. I found the focusing to be at least 80% accurate, which could be better but it only wavers rarely, and momentarily moving the focusing point usually rectifies it. You can also adjust or correct automatic focusing by manually turning the lens barrel, without flicking the lens switch to manual focusing, which can be quite handy ('live auto focus over-ride'). As has been said it does also feel very well made, very solid, which i suppose for almost 4 hundred it should do!
In terms of it's flaws;
*It doesn't have a very close focusing distance but that's common to 50mm primes anyway
*It's massive, by 50mm standards anyway - this is the case in length and diamater - the latter of which makes a difference if you want to buy filters, as they need to be bigger than normal (77mm) and thus will cost a bit more
*With that size comes weight - I own a Nikon D5000 and it's literally almost the same weight as the camera body (I actually like the weight when holding it, but it's not so cool when carrying it in a bag...)
*Under high contrast situations, 'Chromatic aberations' are a bit too visible - this basically means certain outlines will have a line of (unsightly) colour around them
*Price - it costs a heck of a lot.
If you're ok with the extra price, size and weight - this is a great choice. Bottom line, the image quality it produces, is great, and for portraits or low light photography, this is an excellent choice.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
129 reviews
72 of 77 people found the following review helpful
Beautiful, sharp, fast, and fantastic bokeh
13 Aug 2008
In a world of zooms, many people would find plopping down $500 for a 50mm prime -- from a third party manufacturer, no less -- to be a bit absurd.
However, if you are a "prime person" -- and you know who you are -- you'll love the performance of this lens: super sharp photos, incredibly creamy background bokeh, nice contrast and flare resistance, and operation in low-light without needing super-high ISO or a blast of flash.
Pros:
+ @1.4 it's quite usably sharp
+ @1.8 and beyond, it's very sharp
+ the bokeh (rendition of out-of-focus areas) is really amazingly smooth. More so behind the DOF than in front, though
+ colors, contrast, etc, all excellent
+ great build quality, solid feel, free case and lens hood
Cons:
- weight
- price
- big filters (77mm)
Canon already has three 50mm lenses: the 1.8, 1.4, and 1.2L, so you might wonder why Sigma felt the need to jump into this market. The Canon's are all pretty good, with the 50/1.8 being an great value at $80, the 50/1.4 being a reliable workhorse (though prone to a dreamy look wide open), and the 1.2L, being, well, $1500. This lens is priced between the 1.4 and 1.2L, and judging from photos I've seen, it probably performs in that range as well. So it is filling an niche in the wide gulf between the 1.4 and 1.2L.
On my camera, a 400D, a 50mm is like a short tele, and I use it mostly for relatively close up photos of people. I like that when if upgrade to FF, I'll be able to continue to use this lens (and I'll sell my Sigma 30/1.4) whose place it would take.
The lens has not been out very long, and, to my knowledge, no formal reviews have been published (8/2008), but the general "buzz" is that people are seeing AF problems at distances beyond a few meters subject distance.
I personally have not done exhaustive analysis, but I feel my copy performs quite well. Then again, I don't use this lens for far-off subjects very much, and almost never wide open in that case. So there may indeed be problems with this regime, but I don't feel it affects my photography much. That said, it could be that I'm just not as exacting as some, or my camera's AF is sloppy enough to hide lens variation to begin with. However, I do pixel peep a lot and I get about the same hit/miss rate as I do with other lenses I own.
So far, I'm a happy customer.
However, if you are a "prime person" -- and you know who you are -- you'll love the performance of this lens: super sharp photos, incredibly creamy background bokeh, nice contrast and flare resistance, and operation in low-light without needing super-high ISO or a blast of flash.
Pros:
+ @1.4 it's quite usably sharp
+ @1.8 and beyond, it's very sharp
+ the bokeh (rendition of out-of-focus areas) is really amazingly smooth. More so behind the DOF than in front, though
+ colors, contrast, etc, all excellent
+ great build quality, solid feel, free case and lens hood
Cons:
- weight
- price
- big filters (77mm)
Canon already has three 50mm lenses: the 1.8, 1.4, and 1.2L, so you might wonder why Sigma felt the need to jump into this market. The Canon's are all pretty good, with the 50/1.8 being an great value at $80, the 50/1.4 being a reliable workhorse (though prone to a dreamy look wide open), and the 1.2L, being, well, $1500. This lens is priced between the 1.4 and 1.2L, and judging from photos I've seen, it probably performs in that range as well. So it is filling an niche in the wide gulf between the 1.4 and 1.2L.
On my camera, a 400D, a 50mm is like a short tele, and I use it mostly for relatively close up photos of people. I like that when if upgrade to FF, I'll be able to continue to use this lens (and I'll sell my Sigma 30/1.4) whose place it would take.
The lens has not been out very long, and, to my knowledge, no formal reviews have been published (8/2008), but the general "buzz" is that people are seeing AF problems at distances beyond a few meters subject distance.
I personally have not done exhaustive analysis, but I feel my copy performs quite well. Then again, I don't use this lens for far-off subjects very much, and almost never wide open in that case. So there may indeed be problems with this regime, but I don't feel it affects my photography much. That said, it could be that I'm just not as exacting as some, or my camera's AF is sloppy enough to hide lens variation to begin with. However, I do pixel peep a lot and I get about the same hit/miss rate as I do with other lenses I own.
So far, I'm a happy customer.
63 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Amazing value for the money
24 Nov 2008
I'm a primary Canon user. I owned before the canon 50 mm 1.4, a trully excellent lens for the money too. But not to sharp wide open. You have to stop down at least to f2 in order to get good contrast and saturation. Also, the focusing ring was bad in my opinion.
In the other hand, the 50L 1.2 was a big dissapointment to me.I expected the same image quality as the 35L or the 85L for that price.
When I received the Sigma lens I really love it at once. The construction was amazing, solid as a tank, and the ring is very smooth.
What have really impressed me was the performance wide open. Images are clear as crystal with good color and rendition.
Fully recomended.
In the other hand, the 50L 1.2 was a big dissapointment to me.I expected the same image quality as the 35L or the 85L for that price.
When I received the Sigma lens I really love it at once. The construction was amazing, solid as a tank, and the ring is very smooth.
What have really impressed me was the performance wide open. Images are clear as crystal with good color and rendition.
Fully recomended.
60 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Portrait Perfection
21 Dec 2008
This is one of the best portrait lenses I have ever used.
I had originally bought the new Nikon AF-S version of this lens. While it was nice, I really had a problem with the way small bright lights looked in it's bokeh. After using the Sigma version once I sold my Nikon and never looked back.
First, the bad:
At F/1.4 this lens is slightly softer than the Nikon version. Unless you're printing poster sized prints and then standing a foot from them you will not notice. At about F4-F5.6 its razor sharp.
Quality control...Sigma has a poor reputation in this department. Unlike their other lenses I have yet to see reports of this lens having the same issues, but you never know.
Weight...it weighs a fair amount, and a little bit more than the Nikon version. Both are heavy however, and if you're used to using a lens of this quality you won't notice.
Now, the good:
The Build Quality is superb. I'd have no regrets with shooting in the rain, snow, or desert.
Bokeh...Wow. The first word that comes to mind whenever I take a picture with this lens is "Creamy". It truly has some of the finest bokeh I've ever seen. When taking portraits you want nothing to distract the viewer from the face of the model; this lens does just that. It turns the background into a beautifully soft collage.
When comparing the bokeh of the Nikon and Sigma lens it is really clear who the winner is. The Nikon is just SO harsh with lights (especially Christmas style) it really distracts the viewer.
Bokeh is the reason most people buy F/1.4 lenses these days, don't waste your money on the inferior Nikon.
I had originally bought the new Nikon AF-S version of this lens. While it was nice, I really had a problem with the way small bright lights looked in it's bokeh. After using the Sigma version once I sold my Nikon and never looked back.
First, the bad:
At F/1.4 this lens is slightly softer than the Nikon version. Unless you're printing poster sized prints and then standing a foot from them you will not notice. At about F4-F5.6 its razor sharp.
Quality control...Sigma has a poor reputation in this department. Unlike their other lenses I have yet to see reports of this lens having the same issues, but you never know.
Weight...it weighs a fair amount, and a little bit more than the Nikon version. Both are heavy however, and if you're used to using a lens of this quality you won't notice.
Now, the good:
The Build Quality is superb. I'd have no regrets with shooting in the rain, snow, or desert.
Bokeh...Wow. The first word that comes to mind whenever I take a picture with this lens is "Creamy". It truly has some of the finest bokeh I've ever seen. When taking portraits you want nothing to distract the viewer from the face of the model; this lens does just that. It turns the background into a beautifully soft collage.
When comparing the bokeh of the Nikon and Sigma lens it is really clear who the winner is. The Nikon is just SO harsh with lights (especially Christmas style) it really distracts the viewer.
Bokeh is the reason most people buy F/1.4 lenses these days, don't waste your money on the inferior Nikon.
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