[Mistral75]

SLR Gear just published the review of the Sigma Art 50 mm f/1,4 EX DG HSM made by Imaging Resource:

Sigma Lens: Primes - Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM "A" (Tested) - SLRgear.com!

They are totally convinced by the lens: :

"The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art is the most exciting lens we're likely to review this year. All competing lenses from Canon and Nikon fell short when compared to the resolving power of the 50mm Art. We haven't (yet) tested the very best from Zeiss, but we are confident Sigma will trounce it in one key area: price. This difference is likely to be a yawning chasm. Our expectation for pricing on this lens is for something at least a bit less than Canon's 50mm f/1.2 L, which goes for $1,700; despite a variety of rumors and no official price for the Sigma yet, we're expecting it'll be less than that.. Even if the price is 'merely' even with the best of Canon and Nikon, this lens is easy to recommend. Put simply: it trounces any similar model available for less than $4,000. If it comes in significantly cheaper than the best of Canon and Nikon, Sigma will have made a friend of every full-frame shooter in the land."

[Class A]

SLR Gear just published the review of the Sigma Art 50 mm f/1,4 EX DG HSM made by Imaging Resource:

Sharpness appears to peak at f/2.8 already!

That's amazing.

[Na Horuk]

I think this is actually good for Pentax. It will force Canon, Nikon and Sony to make bigger lenses to compete with the IQ, while Pentax can scoop up the "compact" niche (while retaining 95% of the IQ and maybe having more rendering "character"). And if you want the big Sigma, you can still get it in K-mount. It complements the Pentax lineup without competing against it directly (since the Pentax 50mm lenses are so different). Nikon and Canon are in a bit of trouble, though, since this Sigma is directly competing against their large top-tier 50mm lenses (and arguably, beating them).

[rawr]

Looks like a great lens, but not for me:

- heavy (810g)
- big (77mm filters)
- expensive (US$1500+)

Still, you have to admire Sigma for building a great fast prime lineup.

[ElJamoquio]

Looks like a great lens, but not for me:

- heavy (810g)
- big (77mm filters)
- expensive (US$1500+)

Still, you have to admire Sigma for building a great fast prime lineup.

Where are you getting those numbers?

Spec on the web is 470g and MSRP of $800... the Pentax DA* honestly should be shaking in it's k-mount. The sigma is a little larger and a little heavier, but the major difference is 'only' WR...

[Aristophanes]

Where are you getting those numbers?

Spec on the web is 470g and MSRP of $800... the Pentax DA* honestly should be shaking in it's k-mount. The sigma is a little larger and a little heavier, but the major difference is 'only' WR...

There is no official weight spec yet:

50mm F1.4 DG HSM | A | Sigma Corporation of America

The older version is 505g:

50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM - Standard Prime Lenses - SigmaPhoto.com

The Art version has more glass (13 in 8 vs 8 in 6) and 30% longer. There was an earlier posting on another forum that it would weigh 810g. A Sigma Art glass will definitely be much heavier than its less robust version.

The thing is HUGE for a 50mm. I expect it to be $799.

Sigma's tech strategy is simply to throw more glass in and darn the weight.

Didn't we have this before in camera history? We went from f/1.4 to f/1.7 to f/2 with a few big glass f/1.2 versions thrown in, and always the bigger glass simply stopped selling because it was......big. History repeats.

[scratchpaddy]

Where are you getting those numbers?

Spec on the web is 470g and MSRP of $800... the Pentax DA* honestly should be shaking in it's k-mount. The sigma is a little larger and a little heavier, but the major difference is 'only' WR...

The 470g weight you mention was a mistake made by DPReview. Look at the review @Mistral75 linked to above. They say 810g. Sigma's own official number is 815g, listed on their global website:

Art | 50mm F1.4 DG HSM

The $800 price you mention was also a mistake, made by Sigma's Belarus dealer. They have since removed the price, and said it was incorrect. Since then, an Australian dealer has listed it at $999 AUD, and they're accepting pre-orders. That could be a mistake, too, but the $790 originally shown in Belarus is officially a mistake.

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Last edited by scratchpaddy; 04-05-2014 at 07:09 PM.

[ElJamoquio]

Fair enough. The weight definitely seemed too good to be true.

[rawr]

Where are you getting those numbers?

Just look at the specifications tab of the SLRGear review. And the discussion.

Closest Focus 40cm / 15.7 in.
Magnification Ratio 0.18x / 1:5.6
Filter Size 77mm
Dimensions
(Length x Diameter) 99.9mm x 85.4mm / 3.9 in. x 3.4 in.
Weight 810g / 28.6 oz

[thibs]

I think this is actually good for Pentax. It will force Canon, Nikon and Sony to make bigger lenses to compete with the IQ, while Pentax can scoop up the "compact" niche (while retaining 95% of the IQ and maybe having more rendering "character"). And if you want the big Sigma, you can still get it in K-mount. It complements the Pentax lineup without competing against it directly (since the Pentax 50mm lenses are so different). Nikon and Canon are in a bit of trouble, though, since this Sigma is directly competing against their large top-tier 50mm lenses (and arguably, beating them).

Well Canon/NIkon shouldn't be too happy and so should be Zeiss and Voigtlander (and Leica somehow).
Sigma wants to be seen as an Optical Manufacturer with a big O and it seems to work.
Most younger people know about Sigma but a lot less about Leica/Zeiss/Voigtlander and Sigma keeps building its image.
Well done IMO.

[JimmyDranox]

I have some manual lenses, 28mm/2.8, 50mm/1.4, M 50mm/2, and for me, is a pain to use it, because are so small. Even with DA 35mm/2.4 I'm feeling unsecure, cause I don't have o lot of lens body to make a good grip on it. I'm feeling OK with my Sigma 50mm/1.4 HSM, and other lenses that are bigger. So, everything depends of the size of your hands. Yes, 810g is a big weight, but is easy to handle. At least, for me.

But a price of 800-1000$, is much easy to handle that 1500.

[D1N0]

Apparently it will be about $1000,- (or €850) http://photorumors.com/2014/04/09/sigma-50mm-f1-4-dg-hsm-art-lens-price-and-...tus-comparison

[JimmyDranox]

I've downloaded the test photos made by Imagine Resources, and my conclusion is that Zeiss Otus has a small advantage in contrast. Studying the pictures at 3:1, I have seen that at extreme corners, Sigma 50/1,4 Art is a little better at CA. In fact, Sigma CA is almost invisible, even at 3:1, but can be seen in Zeiss Otus.

Exceptional lenses both. But Zeiss has no AF, is much heavier, and if this price of Sigma is right (1000$), the choice is simple. I hope it will come in Pentax mount too.

[Cannikin]

Quite a lot of discussion about how great this lens is, how it's going to affect the market possibly in Pentax's favor, how it's going to compete with Pentax lenses...

... for a lens that's not even coming to K-mount.

[baldeagle21b]

Quite a lot of discussion about how great this lens is, how it's going to affect the market possibly in Pentax's favor, how it's going to compete with Pentax lenses...

... for a lens that's not even coming to K-mount.

Half don't know that, and the other half only wants to discuss meaningless statistics. Ain't it grand?