Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM For Sigma APS-C Digital And Full Frame Cameras

I purchased my copy from Amazon a few weeks ago now. I have never purchased a third party lens in my entire photographic lifetime (30 odd years) and felt very nervous about doing so. I first purchased the Canon equivalent, but the build quality wasn't up to my expectations, although it delivered some nice images. I sold it on and held back for a few months, finally taking the plunge and going for the Sigma lens.

There are numerous reviews about the optics and build of this lens which are mostly positive, and do not need any further input from me, though I was concerned over the back and front focus issues some people have had with their copies. But that issue can be fixed by Sigma very easily via calibration, if you can get over the inconvenience of sending it in to them.

My impressions when I first took delivery were mixed. One minute I loved it, the next I was wondering how long the finish would stay pristine. I reserved judgement and just played with the lens awhile. Anyway, over the course of the day I began to love it. I photographed a focus test chart and am pleased to report that I did not have the dreaded front or back focus issues others have had. The lens is sharp with good contrast, delivers a wonderfully smooth bokeh when opened right up, feels and looks good on my 5d full-frame, and has a build quality the knocks the Canon 1.4 into a cocked hat. Yes it's quite heavy, but not uncomfortably so; and yes it is bigger than the Canon 1.4, but only by 1.5 inches in length with hood attached, so not that long really. I think the build is as good as any L series Canon lens, and I currently use the 24-105 most of the time, though not being a scientist I wouldn't argue the point about the quality of the optics. That said I can see this lens playing a big part in my future photography trips. Well done Sigma.

I've owned this Sigma f1.4 for the past 6 months and taken loads of photos in varying situations.

Good points as I see it:
+This is a great portrait lens on 1.6 crop camera, even in situations you might reach for the flash (indoor birthdays, christmas etc...)
+IQ is especially good in everything other than harsh direct sunlight;
+Colour reproduction is very good, saturated and crisp;
+The bokeh is absolutely outstanding, creating arty portraits with buttery-smooth backgrounds;
+The build is very good, focus ring has no play and is mechanical but quite smooth;
+The overall size and weight impart a feeling of solidity and balance very nicely on Canon's xxD range;

-Focusing wide open is good 90% of the time but I accept that at very close DOF (f1.4 at less than 2 foot) the lens autofocus may yield focus inaccuracies (use f1.6 in poor light and it is better).
-Colours are really good but mild fringing in very high contrast situations;
-Stopped down for landscapes (f8+), this lens is wiped out by Canon's 17-40 and 10-22 across the board for sharpness and overall IQ.
-Have to carry more lens.

Overall it's money well spent if you're after a top portrait and low-light lens.

This is my first non-canon lens. I was a little apprehensive at first
but went with the Sigma as a lot of web reviews indicated the lens was
sharper wide open than Canon's equivalent. I did notice some talk on
forums about focus issues but figured I would take a chance anyway.

The good points of the lens are its build quality - it feels solid in
your hand and has weight to it. Compared to Canon's 50mm 1.8 there's no
comparison, but then this lens costs about 5 times more so it's to be
expected. It's finished really well AND you get a really well padded
lens case and lens hood in the pack - these items alone explain the
price premium over Canon's 1.4 effort. The focus ring is not 100% smooth
but far from being poor. The AF switch is a little notchy and hard to
flick. Overall though it's good and you feel the lens would give many
years faithful service.

Now, I can't mention image quality without stating that yes, I copped
for a duff copy of this lens where it would focus in front of whatever
the focus point was actually pointing at. I like to do a lot of close up
narrow depth of field work and the lens couldn't cope, nearly every shot
was out of focus - more than 9 out of 10. I did tests using a ruler once
I had figured something was wrong and compared it to my cheapo Canon
50mm 1.8 and the Sigma lens consistently focused about 15mm in front of
where I wanted it to. The Canon nailed every shot and focused precisely
no matter which focus point I used. At close focus distances the Sigma
is yielding a DOF of probably 10mm - if that. As you can see 15mm of
error is impossible to work with on this scale and won't even get you
close to being in focus. So, what to do? I could always stop down and
yes this worked - smaller apertures lead to an increase in the DOF. But
hang on - I paid for a 1.4 lens and damn in I want it to work as one! I
even considered keeping this lens if I could focus manually but in all
honesty I couldn't - it looked in focus through the viewfinder but the
captured image was even more out of focus than the auto focus setting so
I have no idea what the heck was going on there.

And here's the killer - the actual images produced by this lens when
you're not up close and wide open are downright gorgeous - when you have
DOF to burn. Sigma has managed to create a wonderful lens and then gone
and hobbled the thing with dickey focusing. If you only ever used this
lens at distances greater than 5-6ft and closed down a bit you'd
probably never know - but then why invest nearly 4 ton in a 1.4 lens if
you're not going to use its key attribute? I put about 400 shots
through it at a wedding and gave up trying to use it wide open which is
what I bought it for. I went from being pleased with the lens to
thinking it simply can't do what I want within about 30 minutes. I lost
faith in it. Not a nice feeling when you're under pressure to perform
yourself. Anyway, I stopped it down rather than use a back-up lens but
like I said I paid for a usable 1.4 lens and some seriously narrow DOF.

Possibly other reviewers who get a decent copy will flame this review
saying I'm talking twaddle and they never have any focus issues. All I
can do is relate MY experience of the lens to you - I'm quite sure not
every copy will be bad and if you do get a good copy what I've said here
is essentially irrelevant. However, I am returning mine and going for
the Canon 50mm 1.4 whilst making you guys aware of the potential
problems with the Sigma. I was getting fed up of being Canon's be-atch
but it will have to remain that way for a while at least and definitely
whilst they are making the best lenses that work as intended.

If this lens worked correctly it would be a 5* buy. If you're willing to
take a chance and fish for a good copy you could potentially get an
awesome lens. But why bother when Canon can give you one that works
right out of the box for about 50-60 sheets less? Get yourself a lens
hood and still save 30-40 quid.

Because mine was essentially incapable of doing the kind of work I
wanted it to do reliably I am giving it only 2*. A huge disappointment.