My say on the Sigma HSM DG EX 50mm F1.4 (Canon Mount)

- Never Stop Dreaming -

A while ago, I had settled for the Sigma 50mm over Canon L which was just too expensive, over the Canon 1.4 which I felt was more like a toy but in the end, the Sigma was simply a mix of pros and cons.

This is my first Sigma lens since I prefer to stick to Canon L after being blown away by the EF35L which is still my favorite lens in my arsenal. The overall construction is not bad but feels delicate as compared to the Canon 1.4 since the Canon feels like a sturdy plastic capable of abuse while the Sigma uses some kinda of coating.

The HSM motor is quiet which is neither good or bad since sound is not an issue for me. Looking into the lens at the grooves that the lens tread on, I feel that Canon 1.4 would be much simpler and confident to use. But I do like the huge 77mm large glass that the Sigma has over the tiny Canon 1.4.

AF speed on both the 5Dm2 and EOS 3 for the Sigma was a little slower as compared to the Canon 1.4. AF tends to hunt a bit in dark situations for both lenses though.

You can find pretty much in depth reviews on the net so I would not go thru that trouble but rather my personal opinion on this lens. Having shot both on film and digital, I would say that this lens is usable straight outta the box with subjects less than 3 metres from the camera. Anything beyond, out of focus shots are a definite. Had no such trouble with all my Canon lenses so this does disappoint me a little.

At 1.4, it's soft and subjective to CA which I believe is present to all other 50mm lenses as well. At 1.8 to 2.0, the Sigma is spot on and very sharp. This lens is usable in my opinion but wide open, it's really prone to out of focus shots. Takes practice though but this flaw can most definitely be worked around with some effort. I tried contacting Sigma about calibrating the lens but sadly they replied that they can only calibrate the lens to 1 camera body which I will pass.

Overall this quite a nice affordable 50mm lens that is very usable if you know how to exploit the flaws at wide aperture. I really would not compare this lens with Canon L lenses since they are of a different league. At the price, this is probably the best value for money 50mm lens.