Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM -SIGMALUX- [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

BigBlueDodge

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 13:12

Well, the Sigma 50 1.4 is starting to hit the streets, so rather than spread images all over the place, let's go ahead and start posting them here. The "Sigma Announces 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM" thread hit 50 pages before we started seeing sample images. Let's keep this thread focused on images. If you want to talk about the lens itself, there is 50+ pages in this thread that discusses the lens from every different angle.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=471381

petsnpeeps

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 13:19

Okay... this was shot at f/3.5 because my brand new 5D is FRONT FOCUSING!!!!!!!!!! Sorry :o

Camera: 5D
Aperture: f/3.5
Speed: 1/1250
ISO: 100

Straight out of camera... oh, I did convert to jpeg... not me, the image... oh, and the 100% crop... very cloudy...

BigBlueDodge

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 13:21

Is #2 a 100% crop of #1, or another picture just closer up?

BigBlueDodge

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 13:22

Taken from the "Sigma Announces 50 1.4" thread..

This gentleman was one of the first to start posting samples of the Sigma 50 1.4, with comparisons to other lenses. This was our first "real" look at the lens

http://210.238.185.197/~maro/lens_test.html#50mmF1.4

Maro did not compress the images, so the page takes some time to load (he puts images for all of this lens on it). Have patience

petsnpeeps

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 13:33

Is #2 a 100% crop of #1, or another picture just closer up?
It's the flower in the center.

petsnpeeps

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 13:41

Put the lens on my 40D to compare with my sigma 30mm 1.4 - Looking at that image and others I took, the 50mm has better tone and stuff. Looks more like the images out of the 5D.

The left pic is the 30mm... Had to step back about 6 ft with the 50mm... Not my car...

Croasdail

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 14:10

Does look a smidge contrastier....(sp?) (word?)

BigBlueDodge

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 14:45

Hmm, the 50 does look it produces richer colors over the 30 1.4. I can tell the difference in the yellow of the vehicle.

ed rader

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 14:52

Hmm, the 50 does look it produces richer colors over the 30 1.4. I can tell the difference in the yellow of the vehicle.

i can get the same results from the same lens in back-to-back pictures. i'd have to seee waaay more pictures before i'd even begin to draw any conclusions :D.

ed rader

condyk

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 14:56

Looking at that image and others I took, the 50mm has better tone and stuff. Looks more like the images out of the 5D.

If you look at the light and shadows on and around the vehicles then seems the available light was very similar while you took the images. The subject and background all seem richer and more naturally saturated with good sharpness and contrast. Seems you got a nice lens there.

Nick_C

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 14:59

kcbrown

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 20:50

Remember guys & girls & whoever :cool:

Always ALWAYS try & post samples with 100% crops as well, posting rescaled images is fine for checking out contrast & colour, along with viewing the entire scene, BUT we arnt interested in the photo itself but the lens, so we really need to see the level of sharpness & to check for abberations, this cant be dont with a full frame resized image, we NEED 100% crops..

And not just that, we need those 100% crops to be from both the center of the frame and, if the shot's taken with a full-frame caerma, from the edges/corners (edges/corners from a crop camera won't mean all that much since the lens is designed to be used on a full-frame camera).

Ideally, someone with a 1DsmkIII will put this lens on it, put it into live view mode, and zoom into an edge or corner and manually focus on that spot until it's as sharp as possible, then take the shot wide open and show the results. That'll show what the lens is capable of in the edges/corners.

Live view might not be very useful for a lot of people, but it's a lens tester's dream. :-D

dbdors

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 22:09

If you look at the light and shadows on and around the vehicles then seems the available light was very similar while you took the images. The subject and background all seem richer and more naturally saturated with good sharpness and contrast. Seems you got a nice lens there.
The shadow under the car on the 50mm image looks much sharper. Like the sun was brighter and beaming straight down. The 30mm image look more like a cloud passed over and diffused the light.

ed rader

28th of June 2008 (Sat), 22:17

The shadow under the car on the 50mm image looks much sharper. Like the sun was brighter and beaming straight down. The 30mm image look more like a cloud passed over and diffed the light.

yep. a little cloud movement could easily explain the difference. like i said i would never make such an assumption with so little info.

ed rader

Chez Wimpy

29th of June 2008 (Sun), 01:17

5D + Sigma 50/1.4
http://flickr.com/photos/ophof/sets/72157605862678357/

the thread on dpreview:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=28436082

also:
20D + Sigma 50/1.4 (100% crops vs 50/1.8II on page 2)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/86658347@N00/

thread on dpreview:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=28290916

BigBlueDodge

29th of June 2008 (Sun), 01:45

Chez,

Your samples look really good. How much post processing is in them vs how much is straight out of the camera?

Mediation

29th of June 2008 (Sun), 03:30

ooOOhhh I want!

wonder what it looks like on a 1d :) And I wonder how it performs in low light. In terms of AF.

Chez Wimpy

29th of June 2008 (Sun), 04:41

Chez,

Your samples look really good. How much post processing is in them vs how much is straight out of the camera?

I only shoot RAW, so... :cool:

The crops type shots (map comparison, flower pictures, abandoned apartment door) were all done with flat levels and the default curve in ACR, sharpening as noted. All the "real" pictures were adjusted for white balance, crop, exposure, curve, vignetting the works. They are representative of what I got when shooting with intent to display.

jesusdelallata

29th of June 2008 (Sun), 08:04

Very impressive so far. I love my Canon 50mm f1.4, but I've never been impressed with it's performance under f2. It might be time for a change.

05Xrunner

29th of June 2008 (Sun), 13:16

ooOOhhh I want!

wonder what it looks like on a 1d :) And I wonder how it performs in low light. In terms of AF.
Ill let you know on Wed ;) cant wait for mine to come in

BigBlueDodge

30th of June 2008 (Mon), 23:31

Excellent. I will look forward to your review.

tenoverthenose

30th of June 2008 (Mon), 23:52

I would love to see an image with the sun in frame to see what the flare looks like wide open <hint to owners>.

I'm keeping a close eye on this thread.

Chez Wimpy

1st of July 2008 (Tue), 00:22

I would love to see an image with the sun in frame to see what the flare looks like wide open <hint to owners>.

Click through on this picture to see the effects of stopping down (5D with Sun in frame)
http://bbs.kakaku.com/bbs/10505011993/SortID=7939174/ImageID=70925/

BigBlueDodge

1st of July 2008 (Tue), 23:30

Anybody else got this lens? Would love to see some more real world pictures.

Dorman

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 07:09

Soon, mine is out for delivery this morning. Vacation + new lens = awesome!

Nick_C

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:26

Soon, mine is out for delivery this morning. Vacation + new lens = awesome!

Vacation + new lens that back focusses = nightmare!

lol ;)

Nah im sure you will get a good copy :p

keegsmeister

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:33

manutd101

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:40

Okay...correct me if I'm wrong, but I just searched eBay on the pricing of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and its coming up at around 610AUD (~580USD?), while Canon's f1.4 is around 350 bux. Isn't the Canon better?
Look here (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/560577-USA/Sigma_310_101_Normal_50mm_f_1_4_EX.html) on BH. It's $500 there, and its an EX lens, so it is designed to be Sigma's equivalent of a L. Explains (kind of) the price difference.

j00sten

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:45

Okay...correct me if I'm wrong, but I just searched eBay on the pricing of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and its coming up at around 610AUD (~580USD?), while Canon's f1.4 is around 350 bux. Isn't the Canon better?

The sigma has HSM (aka ring USM) and has a lot more glass than the Canon w/ a filter size of 77mm. The build quality is Sigma's EX line, which is their "L" line equivalent. It should have better CA control w/ the aspherical element inside it, and early reports say it has better contrast and sharpness as well. Check out the disscusion here for some details:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=471381

Dorman

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:47

Vacation + new lens that back focusses = nightmare!

lol ;)

Nah im sure you will get a good copy :p

Wow way to put a damper on things! :)

Nick_C

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:50

Yes in terms of spec on paper, the Sigma should be a lot better than the Canon, it certainly looks a lot better, the Canon looks kinda toyish compared to the Sigma.

AngryCorgi

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:52

Okay...correct me if I'm wrong, but I just searched eBay on the pricing of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 and its coming up at around 610AUD (~580USD?), while Canon's f1.4 is around 350 bux. Isn't the Canon better?

Spec-wise, It would be difficult to say the canon was better in performance. Theoretically, the Sigma should at least smoother\faster AF (and hopefully as precisely) than the Canon 50/1.4 owing to the ring-type HSM. The bokeh samples going around look smoother on the Sigma too, though the sharpness is still up in the air. I have not seen any samples of the sigma online so far that have been notably better than some of the canon's I've seen. The canon is a better value, probably, but I would not conclude that it is a better product, at this time.

Nick_C

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 09:53

Wow way to put a damper on things! :)

YEP!! :D

Dorman

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 10:08

YEP!! :D

Don't flame the product just yet, I'm hoping it doesn't have the issues that the Sigma 30mm had, so I remain optimistic so far.

Nick_C

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 10:13

Don't flame the product just yet, I'm hoping it doesn't have the issues that the Sigma 30mm had, so I remain optimistic so far.

hehe no I was only messing with ya ;)

I hope it does perform well, I have never truly liked the 50mm f/1.4's build, its always prevented me from buying one, but up until now its really been the only lens if you wanted a good 50mm.

The Sigma looks a LOT cooler!! :cool: providing its optics are up to scratch it should be a real winner & good competition for Canon, which is all good stuff, bad for them but good for us :D

05Xrunner

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 16:40

ooOOhhh I want!

wonder what it looks like on a 1d :) And I wonder how it performs in low light. In terms of AF.
well here it is on a 1D..please dont mind the pic. I took it with my camera phone. I will try and get a better pic of it on the body with a real camera soon
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/0702081701.jpg

Dorman

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 17:27

I received my copy today - my initial review and some sample images (not worthy of being in the sample image thread) can be found in the ongoing Sigma 50mm F/1/4 thread. Just an FYI.

Nick_C

2nd of July 2008 (Wed), 17:33

well here it is on a 1D..please dont mind the pic. I took it with my camera phone. I will try and get a better pic of it on the body with a real camera soon

Looks pretty large considering its on a large camera!

Mediation

3rd of July 2008 (Thu), 04:47

Thanks for that :)

woo looks like a nice bit of glass!

royv

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 03:28

This thread needs more pics! :D

Mine will be here around thuesday..can't wait!!

condyk

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 03:34

well here it is on a 1D ...

Man, that is huge :evil: i dunno if that will fit in my Peli case. I only got one possible space for it :cry::cry:

grego

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 03:44

Excited to see what Sigma's 50 can bring after seeing the 30 in action.

condyk

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 04:40

Excited to see what Sigma's 50 can bring after seeing the 30 in action.

Well I am a big 30mm fan but it won't fit the 5D and mk II N, so I just ordered the 50mm as found it at a decent UK price. Should be here middle of next week and I will of course give a full review with images ;-) But if it ain't sweet and sharp wide open on the 5D it's goin' back.

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 04:42

At least they made it FF compatible rather than all this reduced image circle nonsence :p

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 04:45

Well I am a big 30mm fan but it won't fit the 5D and mk II N, so I just ordered the 50mm as found it at a decent UK price. Should be here middle of next week and I will of course give a full review with images ;-) But if it ain't sweet and sharp wide open on the 5D it's goin' back.

Cant wait to see test images with it on the 5D, especially border crops, I never got the 50mm f/1.4 because I didnt like the optics, lets hope this is better.

condyk

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 04:52

Cant wait to see test images with it on the 5D, especially border crops, I never got the 50mm f/1.4 because I didnt like the optics, lets hope this is better.

The Canon 50mm is very decent. I had two copies and both good wide open and no CA issues. Focus is also nippy enough. I see some have issues though. The Sigma is gonna be interesting at the borders what with that huge 77mm element on the front and the feeling that the borders may be effectively cut off from the sensor. We'll see, but if that's the case then they should be good. I actually bought it from around your way Cornish ... Bristol Cameras. Trouble with those guys is whether they got the stock to back up the online shop :rolleyes:

grego

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 05:16

Well I am a big 30mm fan but it won't fit the 5D and mk II N, so I just ordered the 50mm as found it at a decent UK price. Should be here middle of next week and I will of course give a full review with images ;-) But if it ain't sweet and sharp wide open on the 5D it's goin' back.

I have heard that the Sigma 30 will work on the 1.3 crop which is making me consider it finally. So that's good news for me!!

My complaint on the 50 1.4 is it has micro usm and it will hunt where the 85 1.8 will not. The crappy thing is the canon 50 1.4 was built after the 85. Shame on Canon for not sticking in the USM.

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 05:36

The Canon 50mm is very decent. I had two copies and both good wide open and no CA issues. Focus is also nippy enough. I see some have issues though. The Sigma is gonna be interesting at the borders what with that huge 77mm element on the front and the feeling that the borders may be effectively cut off from the sensor. We'll see, but if that's the case then they should be good. I actually bought it from around your way Cornish ... Bristol Cameras. Trouble with those guys is whether they got the stock to back up the online shop :rolleyes:

Yes I travel past bristol quite a lot, yes you do have to make sure they actually HAVE the item in-stock, when my brother wanted the 18-55IS they were out of stock for about 3 months solid.

Its good Canon have included HSM on their 50mm, I dont think many would be considering it otherwise.

05Xrunner

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 08:09

I have heard that the Sigma 30 will work on the 1.3 crop which is making me consider it finally. So that's good news for me!!

My complaint on the 50 1.4 is it has micro usm and it will hunt where the 85 1.8 will not. The crappy thing is the canon 50 1.4 was built after the 85. Shame on Canon for not sticking in the USM.
but you cant really go past f5.6 or you start to get really dark and black corners

Dorman

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 08:26

Looking forward to seeing some more images from this lens. *hint hint*

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 08:50

Looking forward to seeing some more images from this lens. *hint hint*

Me two! so long as people post 100% crops (ideally from centre & border locations), without them its useless.

Dorman

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 08:51

Me two! so long as people post 100% crops (ideally from centre & border locations), without them its useless.

Mine has gone back - I blame you for jinxing me. ;)

condyk

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 08:57

Looking forward to seeing some more images from this lens. *hint hint*

As soon as the thing arrives I'll be shootin' ;-)

Me two! so long as people post 100% crops (ideally from centre & border locations), without them its useless.

Yeah, yeah, but that is so boffinesque and for geek-man types only. Way too left brain for me to handle sensibly. That's wot we need the 'Rukles for innit? Though he seems off the rails lately with the 40D fps thing and then the 150-500mm AF thing :rolleyes::confused: I will just shoot some things and if I like the shapes, colours and stuff then I'll keep. Maybe if I am in the right mood or on some kinda calming medication I can try it for ya :-)

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 08:59

Mine has gone back - I blame you for jinxing me. ;)

Oh dear :p

hamtheman

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 13:20

I just got this lens and I'm in LOVE!

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/IMG_0535-1.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/IMG_0537-1.jpg

grego

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 13:42

but you cant really go past f5.6 or you start to get really dark and black corners

Yeah, but from 1.4 to f4, you cover a good range for a low light prime. It is at least good where you would want a fast low light prime.

condyk

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 13:46

I just got this lens and I'm in LOVE!

Shots please :evil:

Yeah, but from 1.4 to f4, you cover a good range for a low light prime. It is at least good where you would want a fast low light prime.

I love the 30mm but I'd rather a 35mm 2.0 on a 1.3x.

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 13:52

Id take the 35L over the Sigma anyday... but thats in another league entirely.

Hey "hamtheman" looking nice on the 5D, its a pretty large piece of glass, does it feel quality? smooth focus ring, that sort of thing?

hamtheman

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 14:00

Yup when I picked it up for the first time I was amazed at the build quality, as good as L in my opinion.

Nick_C

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 14:03

Yup when I picked it up for the first time I was amazed at the build quality, as good as L in my opinion.

What's the focus ring like to turn, is it nicely damped like what we are used to with our L lenses?

I have tried Sigma EX lenses in the past but it was a while ago now, I cant remember how smooth the focus ring was now.. they say the brain is the first thing to go with old age :D

hamtheman

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 14:04

Shots please :evil:

Nothing worth posting yet. :oops:

condyk

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 14:26

Nothing worth posting yet. :oops:

:lol::lol: Ok dude ... better quality than quantity anyway eh?

05Xrunner

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 17:08

couple shots from today with it
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/Phipps/KH5V0657.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/Phipps/KH5V0673.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/Phipps/KH5V0674.jpg

dbdors

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 18:03

05Xrunner, those are very nice. Are they cropped any? What was the aperture? And have you noticed any of that "glowy" CA from high contrast shots?

I'm still saving my pennies, but I plan to get one of these later this year.

05Xrunner

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 19:28

they where shot at 2.8 and not cropped. no I dont have any of that glow effect. mine is nice and sharp at 1.4

Dorman

5th of July 2008 (Sat), 20:45

they where shot at 2.8 and not cropped. no I dont have any of that glow effect. mine is nice and sharp at 1.4

Your shots look GREAT. Congrats on an excellent copy!

Nick_C

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 03:37

Your shots look GREAT. Congrats on an excellent copy!

Lets hope you manage to get a good copy now ;)

Dorman

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 09:24

Lets hope you manage to get a good copy now ;)

I'm not planning to buy a 2nd one.

Nick_C

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 10:12

I'm not planning to buy a 2nd one.

Once bitten eh! :p

Dorman

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 10:44

Once bitten eh! :p

Once bitten on this model, bitten several times previous, and didn't learn my lesson! It wouldn't be as bad if I wasn't buying internationally and getting dinged with shipping/tax/exchange rates and losing out - it's a real hassle to return internationally, and unfortunately retailers in Canada just aren't competitive with the US pricing.

That being said, I still think this will turn out to be an awesome lens just like the Sigma 30mm did, just a shame on the QC lottery really (and yes I realize this isn't just limited to 3rd party)

Nick_C

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 12:35

Once bitten on this model, bitten several times previous, and didn't learn my lesson! It wouldn't be as bad if I wasn't buying internationally and getting dinged with shipping/tax/exchange rates and losing out - it's a real hassle to return internationally, and unfortunately retailers in Canada just aren't competitive with the US pricing.

That being said, I still think this will turn out to be an awesome lens just like the Sigma 30mm did, just a shame on the QC lottery really (and yes I realize this isn't just limited to 3rd party)

Yes I know what you mean, I have found much better prices elsewhere, here in the UK everything is rather expensive, but I got stung with import duties a while back & wouldnt buy from overseas again, especially not lenses, any savings can soon be wiped out with the cost of returning the lens.

Also these companies nowdays dont have the quality control of older days, its anything just to get the goods out the door, WE are the quality control now :-(

hamtheman

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 12:56

Ok here is an Image that I just took with it (only normal raw sharpening)

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/IMG_0628.jpg

100% crop
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/Picture18.png

I'm SOOOOOO happy with this lens.

condyk

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 13:12

... here in the UK everything is rather expensive, but I got stung with import duties a while back & wouldnt buy from overseas again, especially not lenses, any savings can soon be wiped out with the cost of returning the lens.

Also these companies nowdays dont have the quality control of older days, its anything just to get the goods out the door, WE are the quality control now :-(

I agree. You do the maths and it is rarely worth it. In the past when the HK guys were just entering the market then things were very different. Now I can often buy local using shopping mastery at better prices than HK suppliers. Kerso is good when rebates are around but otherwise you have to do the maths again and savings can be quite small. Sure, against Jessops you will save but otherwise it'll be small at best if you're clever.

I picked up my 50mm via Bristol Camera at £315 which is better than HK. No one over there is showing VAT/Duty free pricing so buying that route you'll likely pay £60 more adding VAT/Duty/Collection on top.

As to QA I agree again. I'm pretty convinced issues with 24-70's, 30's and 100-400's (and maybe a few others) are largely batch related, they don't test, and we are the QA team :rolleyes:

Ok here is an Image that I just took with it (only normal raw sharpening)

I'm SOOOOOO happy with this lens.

Lookin' good Hammy.

Urskog

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 13:41

Hmm I wonder if I should get this or the 30mm. Both seem to produce sharp shots.

condyk

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 13:47

Hmm I wonder if I should get this or the 30mm. Both seem to produce sharp shots.

Having used both FF and crop bodies I would recommend the 30mm on a crop and the 50mm on FF ... I can't recommend this lens yet as I ain't tried it, but 50mm on FF is very nice as a general use walkaround style lens. i find it a tad too long on a crop body.

Urskog

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 14:36

Having used both FF and crop bodies I would recommend the 30mm on a crop and the 50mm on FF ... I can't recommend this lens yet as I ain't tried it, but 50mm on FF is very nice as a general use walkaround style lens. i find it a tad too long on a crop body.

Yeah 30mm is a perfect walkaround lenght on my Xti. It will also make a perfect set together with my Tokina.

Anders Östberg

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 15:14

This thread must hold the record for "Image archive thread with fewest pictures". :)

Show some more pictures please, especially comparisons to EF 50/1.4 if you have 'em, I'm looking for excuses to hit the button over at B&H.

05Xrunner

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 15:51

these are shot at 1.4 and USM applied Amount 100, Radius 2.0 Threshold 0 typical amount
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0709.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0709crop.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0710.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0710crop.jpg

Nick_C

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 17:05

Not too bad for centre crops, how about the borders though?

Anders Östberg

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 17:12

Hmm, where was the focus point in the second shot? Is there possibly a slight back-focus, the text "ultrasonic" and the rear lens cap are sharper then the distance scale and the "85mm" text.

syntrix

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 17:38

Hmm, where was the focus point in the second shot? Is there possibly a slight back-focus, the text "ultrasonic" and the rear lens cap are sharper then the distance scale and the "85mm" text.

This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7”) and has maximum magnification of 1:7.4. It creates a very attractive blur, even when a small aperture is used.

Do you think that was 17.7" away from the camera's sensor?

edit: doh' that was the crop!!!!! Still something to take note of ;)

sadatk

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 17:40

these are shot at 1.4 and USM applied Amount 100, Radius 2.0 Threshold 0 typical amount
[IG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0709.jpg[/IMG]
[IG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0709crop.jpg[/IMG]
[IG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0710.jpg[/IMG]
[IG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0710crop.jpg[/IMG]
And without usm? ;)

kcbrown

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 17:52

these are shot at 1.4 and USM applied Amount 100, Radius 2.0 Threshold 0 typical amount
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0709crop.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a224/05Xrunner/KH5V0710crop.jpg

Nice. Notice that you can see a hint of that famous Sigma green tint along the left edge of the 85mm (which is slightly out of focus) and along some of the edges on the left hand side of the 100-400. It's subtle, but it looks to me like it's there.

So given what we've seen so far, it looks to me like this type of CA may be a fact of life with this lens...

I've got one on order from Amazon and it should be arriving in a few days. Should be fun. :-)

05Xrunner

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 18:12

Nice. Notice that you can see a hint of that famous Sigma green tint along the left edge of the 85mm (which is slightly out of focus) and along some of the edges on the left hand side of the 100-400. It's subtle, but it looks to me like it's there.

So given what we've seen so far, it looks to me like this type of CA may be a fact of life with this lens...

I've got one on order from Amazon and it should be arriving in a few days. Should be fun. :-)
No that would be called a 150w Metal halide 20,000k light on my reef tank on that side.

You pixel peepers are ANNOYING. I mean if anyone posted these from a 50L..You would be in the corner playing with yourself saying they are soo good. But since they are from Sigma or a 3rd party you people just try to Find anything you can to cry about and say its no good. I dont pixel peep, I dont view at 100% ever and I dont ever have a photo i keep that I dont add USM to so one without it doesnt mean anything to me. I posted 100% of it at 1.4 and I am done. I will use the lens and be happy and thats it. maybe if others did that they wouldnt be soo strung up over 100% this and that and try to find any fault they can to compalin about.

kcbrown

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 18:35

No that would be called a 150w Metal halide 20,000k light on my reef tank on that side.

Wouldn't that look blue, not green, though? (EDIT: I looked even closer and you're right: it's the light. My mistake! The color is slightly bluer than the green fringing I was talking about)

But if it's just the light that I'm seeing, then even better!

You pixel peepers are ANNOYING. I mean if anyone posted these from a 50L..You would be in the corner playing with yourself saying they are soo good.

Maybe others, but not me! I'm an equal opportunity pixel peeper. :-D

But since they are from Sigma or a 3rd party you people just try to Find anything you can to cry about and say its no good.

No good? I didn't say that at all, actually. Every lens has its flaws, claims of fans notwithstanding.

No, from what I've seen, this Sigma actually looks like it's an outstanding lens. It's why I have one on order.

And I think the bokeh is astonishing. You'll be able to isolate your subject better with this lens than just about any other, because the bokeh is so buttery smooth. I expect the subject will pop out of the frame with this lens. (EDIT: and, in fact, it does precisely that in your test shots)

Believe it or not, it's possible to be a pixel peeper and still keep the results of doing that in perspective...

Nick_C

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 18:49

There isnt anything wrong with pixel peeping, some can go overboard checking each & every image they take, but viewing 100% crops is especially important on new lens purchases, sure you can say the hell with that, im going out taking some real world images, but you cant be 100% sure you dont have either a front/back focus problem, which may be very slight, or a softer than normal copy.

I dont think anyone was saying those crops you posted were bad, infact I think the Sigma is looking like a winner, but if you dont like pixel peeping then maybe you shouldnt post 100% crops in the first place.

05Xrunner

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 18:51

I posted those 100% crops just to show that the lens is good and can deliver wide open performance. That was my contribution. So now any other pics I post from it wont have any 100% crops with them.

Nick_C

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 18:56

Personally I think these lens sample threads are pointless without 100% crops along with the full frame image, because people view these to get as much info about the lens before they purchase it, the only way to tell sharpness & CA is on 100% crops. I have some images from my 50mm f/1.8 M42 lens, scaled down & put on here they would look fantastic but that is so far from the truth, the scaling down process only masks up all its faults.. so people dont see it for what it really is!

hamtheman

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 21:46

Ummm, do I have a problem?

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/IMG_0661-1.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/Picture19.png

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/IMG_0660.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/Picture18-1.png

05Xrunner

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 21:51

how close where you and did you use a tripod

hamtheman

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 21:55

2 and 1/2 feet away and no but my camera was on the desk.

05Xrunner

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 22:12

i say try again on a tripod..see what happens. maybe it teetered as you pressed the shutter use a timer to

farrukh

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 22:29

I posted those 100% crops just to show that the lens is good and can deliver wide open performance. That was my contribution. So now any other pics I post from it wont have any 100% crops with them.

Whats special there that Canon 50 1.4 can't do?
So far my conclusion is that this lens is just ring HSM, rest is worst then Canon.

farrukh

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 22:30

Ummm, do I have a problem?

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/Picture18-1.png

Yes your lens has a problem. no matter how bad focus, that glow there is not acceptable, send it back.

05Xrunner

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 22:32

Whats special there that Canon 50 1.4 can't do?
So far my conclusion is that this lens is just ring HSM, rest is worst then Canon.
be sharp at 1.4...go back to a canon 1.4 thread. as you read in the title..SIGMA 50mm 1.4 It didnt say ANYTHING about comparing canon to sigma. Please go away

sadatk

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 22:33

No that would be called a 150w Metal halide 20,000k light on my reef tank on that side.

You pixel peepers are ANNOYING. I mean if anyone posted these from a 50L..You would be in the corner playing with yourself saying they are soo good. But since they are from Sigma or a 3rd party you people just try to Find anything you can to cry about and say its no good. I dont pixel peep, I dont view at 100% ever and I dont ever have a photo i keep that I dont add USM to so one without it doesnt mean anything to me. I posted 100% of it at 1.4 and I am done. I will use the lens and be happy and thats it. maybe if others did that they wouldnt be soo strung up over 100% this and that and try to find any fault they can to compalin about.

I have two sigma lens and love them. it's not nice to assume!

farrukh

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 22:36

be sharp at 1.4...go back to a canon 1.4 thread. as you read in the title..SIGMA 50mm 1.4 It didnt say ANYTHING about comparing canon to sigma. Please go away

Sorry, didn't really mean to quote you specially, skip the first part.

kcbrown

6th of July 2008 (Sun), 23:09

Ummm, do I have a problem?

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/Picture19.png

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i62/hamtehman/Picture18-1.png

I wonder: might your copy be ever so slightly frontfocusing? What happens if you place the focus halfway towards one side of, say, the 70-200? If you do that, we'll be able to see the entire depth of field. If it's a frontfocusing issue then part of that depth of field will be tack sharp. If it's some other type of defect then even the sharpest part of the field will still be hazy.

Chez Wimpy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 00:50

Yes your lens has a problem. no matter how bad focus, that glow there is not acceptable, send it back.

"Glow" unacceptable even if its characteristic of bokeh? The shot is front focused, nothing more, nothing less. AF one, then MF bracket a few... on a TRIPOD :rolleyes:

BEEEsH

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 00:53

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:13

Here's one to start with, at f/2.8
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99689767/original.jpg

kcbrown

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:16

Here's one to start with, at f/2.8
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99689767/original.jpg

Wow. Really nice. The background just melts away, and the colors look great!

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:18

More to follow in a few minutes.

JoHowdy123

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:28

This glass looks very exciting. I am looking foward to see some more real world photos!
I very well may be replacing my canon 50 1.4!

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:44

All of these are wide open: f/1.4

resized full image
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799785/original.jpg

100% crop
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799788/original.jpg

resized
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799872/original.jpg

100% crop
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799873/original.jpg

resized
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799875/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799876/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99799877/original.jpg

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:46

More, wide open: f/1.4

At dusk
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99800010/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99800012/original.jpg

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:48

Wide open, f/1.4

Resized full image:
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99800013/original.jpg

100% crop:
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99800014/original.jpg

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:52

I also have a comparison page on pbase showing the performance of
five different 50mm lenses on Canon 1.6 crop bodies.
The Sigma and Canon 50/1.4 lenses are there:
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/50compare/

JoHowdy123

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 01:53

Mediation

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:01

wowee.

Can't wait to see someone use this lens on people shots :)

blackshadow

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:05

I'm looking forward to seeing some high ISO low light shots with a 1D Mark III from this lens.

kcbrown

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:09

wowee.

Can't wait to see someone use this lens on people shots :)

Yeah, this lens looks like it was made for portraits.

You know that "pop" that people talk about the 5D having? Those 30D shots by trumpet_guy have that same feel to them. And that is very, very cool.

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:29

I rarely look at images on a 100% ~> scale, but on your 100% there appears to be a touch of CA. But on the original photo, it is non noticeable.
On the flower shots, i am highly impressed with the corner sharpness! It is refreshing to see that. That is one of my largest complaints with my canon!
This glass is impressing me more and more!

Well, corner sharpness is pretty good, but this is not a full frame body,
so I can't say anything about performance at the corners on full frame.

I did notice that if I shoot a flat target the edges don't sharpen up
quite as fast at narrower apertures as they do on the Canon 50/1.4
and I think this might indicate field curvature in the lens. Someone
else on fredmiranda.com mentioned this.

Still, a great lens. I would perhaps still chose another 50 for use on
flat targets at moderate distance.

See the comparisions at www.pbase.com/tswen/50compare/ (http://www.pbase.com/tswen/50compare/)
to see what I mean.

The fredmiranda.com discussion thread is
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/661966

condyk

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:30

I also have a comparison page on pbase showing the performance of five different 50mm lenses on Canon 1.6 crop bodies.

Interesting ... the 1.7 and 1.8 are out of it but not sure which I prefer of the Zeiss, Canon and Sigma. All seem to show strengths at different apertures. I'm almost thinking overall I'd go Zeiss, Canon, Sigma in that order and mainly because the Zeiss is the most consistently decent, while the Sigma seems to be better at bigger apertures and the Canon is kinda in between like a 'safe bet'.

But then I see the shots hand held and also think on the building shot especially you're focused on the tree which could be moving and so I dunno how much I'd trust the test and that could be why the results seem so inconsistent. The Sigma is definately behind the field at 8.0. I like the wall shots though Trumpet' ... ya can't help wonder who the hell left that gate in the wall like that :-)

kcbrown

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:37

Well, corner sharpness is pretty good, but this is not a full frame body,
so I can't say anything about performance at the corners on full frame.

I did notice that if I shoot a flat target the edges don't sharpen up
quite as fast at narrower apertures as they do on the Canon 50/1.4
and I think this might indicate field curvature in the lens. Someone
else on fredmiranda.com mentioned this.

Yeah, I remember reading about that. A bit unfortunate, but I suspect it won't have much of an effect for most shooters. Someone who wants to shoot a flat surface from edge to edge can probably also stop down enough to make the field curvature a non-issue.

One comment about the Canon f/1.4 and the CZ f/1.4: both look to me like they might have been backfocused ever so slightly in the f/1.4 shots. The background behind the frame you were shooting appears to have a bit more detail for those lenses than the Sigma does, while the Sigma shows a sharper subject towards the center than both the Canon and the CZ. If you were autofocusing the Sigma, that means it nailed the focus, which is very good news indeed!

The Sigma appears to destroy the Canon f/1.4 in corner sharpness...

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:39

Interesting ... the 1.7 and 1.8 are out of it but not sure which I prefer of the Zeiss, Canon and Sigma. All seem to show strengths at different apertures. I'm almost thinking overall I'd go Zeiss, Canon, Sigma in that order and mainly because the Zeiss is the most consistently decent, while the Sigma seems to be better at bigger apertures and the Canon is kinda in between like a 'safe bet'.

But then I see the shots hand held and also think on the building shot especially you're focused on the tree which could be moving and so I dunno how much I'd trust the test and that could be why the results seem so inconsistent. The Sigma is definately behind the field at 8.0. I like the wall shots though Trumpet' ... ya can't help wonder who the hell left that gate in the wall like that :-)

That grating on the wall is decorative. There are more of these on the
same wall. It's a newer outdoor shopping area.
It makes a consistent test for my lenses, though. Good for testing
CA, color, resolution peformance.

Yeah, the shots of the distant apartment building were meant as a rough
test of far-field performance -- kind of a landscape test, at typical landscape
aperture. Those shots need to be redone, as they were done at different
times of the year, and the angle of the sun is inconsistent. Also, I should shoot
them square onto the building, so the focus is consistent. Just pick the portion
of the shot that is most in focus in each image and compare those.

As for these shots being handheld, yes that will introduce a minor amount
of softness, but not much. I'm pretty steady, and on some of the shots,
where the sun angle is correct, you can even make out the detail of the
window screens, so I think the test is reasonably good.

The Sigma excels wide open and at closer distances. I think the Canon
beats it resolution-wise in a landscape setting. It seems like this Sigma
is optimized for portrait/bokeh-critical work wide open.

Regards,
Tim

Chez Wimpy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:42

How many people who actually bought this lens are using it . . . OUTSIDE of their room?

:-P I tried, but as much as I wanted to like it my copy suffers from a horrible case of 1.6x focal length multiplier making it all but impossible to enjoy. What was Sigma thinking?!? They should have at least waited till the 5Dmk2 was in the stores... until then its back in the bag with mine :p

trumpet_guy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:46

One comment about the Canon f/1.4 and the CZ f/1.4: both look to me like they might have been backfocused ever so slightly in the f/1.4 shots. The background behind the frame you were shooting appears to have a bit more detail for those lenses than the Sigma does, while the Sigma shows a sharper subject towards the center than both the Canon and the CZ. If you were autofocusing the Sigma, that means it nailed the focus, which is very good news indeed!

In all of these shots, I used a combination of autofocus with manual tweaking,
and on some lenses I shot many shots at wide open to get best focus.
It's hard to judge critical focus at f/1.4 on a 30D. :(

You might be right on backfocus, but this was about the best I could do,
handheld. I could not set up a tripod there without alerting security and
probably being asked to leave. :(

condyk

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:46

The Sigma excels wide open and at closer distances. I think the Canon
beats it resolution-wise in a landscape setting. It seems like this Sigma
is optimized for portrait/bokeh-critical work wide open.

Yeah that's what I'm thinking too ...

I'll test mine against my Pentax M SMC 50mm 1.4 and 1.7 when I get it. They are both great lenses, especially the 1.4 if ya talkin' Bokeh. it's beaten off all comers the last two years ;)

kcbrown

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 02:52

In all of these shots, I used a combination of autofocus with manual tweaking,
and on some lenses I shot many shots at wide open to get best focus.
It's hard to judge critical focus at f/1.4 on a 30D. :(

Yeah, I know that from experience myself. I think you're just going to have to upgrade to a 40D. ;-)

You might be right on backfocus, but this was about the best I could do,
handheld. I could not set up a tripod there without alerting security and
probably being asked to leave. :(

They don't want you taking shots of their walls in case it reveals their trade secrets or something, huh? :-)

Sigh.

Well, regardless, I think the tests were quite revealing. The Sigma does appear to have some field curvature (you should be able to take a shot to actually see this -- just shoot a textured flat surface at, say, a 45 degree angle, and look at where the focus field ends up from edge to edge. A flat focus field would look like a straight line).

kcbrown

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 03:02

But then I see the shots hand held and also think on the building shot especially you're focused on the tree which could be moving and so I dunno how much I'd trust the test and that could be why the results seem so inconsistent. The Sigma is definately behind the field at 8.0.

I'm not so convinced about that. The Sigma appears to me to be about as sharp as the Canon, when looking closely at the same areas of the building he shot. The color in the Sigma shot is cooler, though, and perhaps a little less vibrant. Whether that's because of the lens or because of the difference in shooting conditions I can't really say.

Nick_C

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 04:05

How many people who actually bought this lens are using it . . . OUTSIDE of their room?

j/k

When my lens arrives I'll post some actual real world shooting results . . . of people and stuff . . . outside.

These threads are all about showing what a lens can achieve, technically, sharpness, CA, colour, contrast etc... thats why you see lots of test shots of various items, hopefully with 100% crops.

If people just post their resized shots of landscapes, sunsets, portraits etc.. thats fine & all but this isnt about showing your images, it should be all about the lens.

If I posted a resized image of some beautiful scene from one of my poorest old 50mm M42 lenses, everyone would say it looks very good (as good as any L lens), sure it does resized for the web, but so does a P&S image, my old Powershot Pro1 had an L lens & resized for the web they looked great, but larger prints were a different story altogether, but they are liking the actual image content, NOT the lens as such, the flaws of the lens can only be truly seen by zooming in on the image, which also comes across in large prints, resized "real world" images on here mask up any lens abberations, which I for one would NEED to see fully before I buy this lens.

condyk

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 04:16

Nick_C

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 04:35

I'm not sure if 'archive' threads are strictly about that Nick. I go along with much of what you say but in reality I am happy to see any shots posted because you can still tell if an image looks good and deduce something of the lens quality when you see enough of them, despite a number of variables and despite not seeing all the dirty little secrets of 100%.

So I don't want people to not post shots because you'd prefer to see 100% crops. My only real world interest is images for the web and print at A4 and any thing else we see here is a luxury.

No I agree, people should still post up whatever they have, but IF they can provide a 100% crop then all the better.

Its not that im obsessed with 100% crops, its just I dont see any other way of revealing flaws in a lens, flaws which may sway somebody's decision one way or the other, on well known established lenses such as the 24-105L thread, its no longer essential to keep seeing 100% crops, you know by now what its capable of & you can see mtf charts & whatnot, but this lens is so new its the perfect opportunity for people to post crops here & see what it can REALLY do!

condyk

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 04:43

... people should still post up whatever they have, but IF they can provide a 100% crop then all the better.

I got my Cornell ISO 12233 chart all ready to go man ;)

I got this off Bristol Camera today:

'We have printed off your order and will update you should there be any delay or when the parcel has been dispatched.'

I specifically requested they tell me if NOT in stock for delivery so they ain't said they ain't got it so fingers crossed I get the dispatched email later today.

Nick_C

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 04:46

I got my Cornell ISO 12233 chart all ready to go man ;)

I got this off Bristol Camera today:

'We have printed off your order and will update you should there be any delay or when the parcel has been dispatched.'

I specifically requested they tell me if NOT in stock for delivery so they ain't said they ain't got it so fingers crossed I get the dispatched email later today.

haha good man, I like it :D

Yes lets hope they dispatch today then, their website doesnt say its out of stock but as we both know that means diddly squat!! :p

Chez Wimpy

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 09:26

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/parts/image_for_link/143911-8800-12-2.html

This example from the 1Ds3 at f1.4 (from the dcwatch review) shows the extent axial CA will show up in "real life" shots. The bike highlights are slightly green fringed away from the camera, and purple this side of the DOF.

While the f1.4 is reasonably sharp and "gauze-free" in some shots,
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/parts/image_for_link/143917-8800-15-2.html
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/parts/image_for_link/143919-8800-16-2.html

in others I could swear this was the Canon 50/1.4 we were looking at :cry:
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/parts/image_for_link/143916-8800-15-1.html
http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/parts/image_for_link/143908-8800-11-1.html

Rhinotherunt

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 09:33

http://Ryan-McGill.smugmug.com/photos/327270853_BHMaX-O.jpg
http://Ryan-McGill.smugmug.com/photos/327270812_CAjD2-O.jpg

In2Photos

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 09:37

There is a lot of talk in here, and not many pictures. The Archives are setup for images, often people's best shots, taken with a particular lens. I would like to keep it that way. I understand that this lens is a hot topic and for good reason. But I would like to keep the discussion part in the other thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=471381)
or in a new thread if you are experiencing problems or have concerns.

Nick_C

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 09:51

You won't hear another peek out of me Mike, I promise ;-)

BrantG

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 11:44

BrantG

7th of July 2008 (Mon), 11:45

I'm looking forward to seeing some high ISO low light shots with a 1D Mark III from this lens.
I'd 2nd that. I could do the tests, if only I had the lens. :p

trumpet_guy

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 03:22

f/2.8; 1/8000 sec.
http://www.pbase.com/tswen/image/99915805/original.jpg

kcbrown

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 06:59

Well, my copy came in today.

And it's not right. It exhibits some sort of fringing when focused properly (for maximum detail) between f/1.4 and f/2.2. At f/2.5 the fringing is pretty much gone. I focus for maximum detail in live view at f/2.8 (while holding the DOF preview button down), so I know the focus at that point is dead on (any movement of the focus ring at that point results in loss of detail in live view, so it's very precise). If I let it autofocus, it eliminates the fringing but the resulting image is soft (the fringing reduces contrast and the autofocus is probably going for maximum contrast). So it appears some element is slightly out of place or something.

So I guess I'll try ordering another one and return this one if the second copy is good. If neither is good then I'll keep whichever one I figure Sigma will be able to fix more easily and return the other one, then send the one I kept to Sigma for warranty repair.

I'll be happy to post sample 100% crop images showing this in action if you guys are interested...

Nick_C

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 07:05

kcbrown

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 07:48

Bummer! :(

And even worse, Amazon (where I ordered mine from) is out of stock. So it'll probably be just as fast for me to send mine off to be repaired as it will be to wait for Amazon to get it back in stock.

I have an 18-50 that's exhibiting some frontfocus and backfocus (depending on focal length and distance to the subject) so I suppose I can send them both in one shipment...

05Xrunner

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 07:51

yea just send that to sigma...no reason to buy 2 and return one. I am sending mine to sigma today to fix the back focus issue. Easier that way then I know it should be all good to go when I get it back.

kcbrown

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 08:14

So do you actually fill out the warranty card when you send your lens in? Or do you fill out a copy? Or just send them a copy without filling it out?

05Xrunner

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 08:21

i filled out the card..but I think as long as you just have the receipt in the box then thats good enough as well.

kcbrown

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 08:47

One other question: how smooth is the focus ring for you? The focus ring on my Sigma 10-20 is buttery smooth, but the one on my 50 is a bit stiff, to the point that you can't feel the damping.

Robert Loblaw

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 08:50

I would ask the moderators to please revert back to the original title of this thread. The tone of this thread is really more like a "first impressions and review" discussion, not an archive of photographs.

The Sigma 50 f1.4 has just been released, and only a handful of people have one. Consequently, there are very few real-life photos in the first 10 pages of this thread. Most of it is dominated by speculation and discussion and excitement, usually without actual photos. And of the few actual photos on this thread, most of them are of the "test photo" variety. Test photos of license plates and shrubs and batteries and such. There is nothing wrong with that (I do find them informative).... but I was always under the impression that the "-=Archive" threads were usually for real-life photos that are as enjoyable as they are informative.

I would suggest waiting until the Sigma 50 f1.4 has been widely available, before starting a proper -=Archive thread where people can pool their samples. Years from now, when people access this thread to see what the Sigma 50 f1.4 is like... it'd be unfortunate to have them wade through 10 or 20 pages of boring test photos before getting to the real meat of the thread.

royv

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 10:07

Mine arrived today, a very impressive lens. But I'm still not certain on a few things. For example THIS (http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/3875/caproblemxu9.jpg).

Sharpness seems to be very very good. Here's a 100% crop (http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/293/crop1ow9.jpg) of the image below, no PP whatsoever of course. It was taken wide open. The little white spots are rain drops btw.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2652958578_ccbdb44351.jpg?v=0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7369492@N04/2652958578/)

One other question: how smooth is the focus ring for you? The focus ring on my Sigma 10-20 is buttery smooth, but the one on my 50 is a bit stiff, to the point that you can't feel the damping.

Yup, same thing here.

Dorman

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 14:46

Mine arrived today, a very impressive lens. But I'm still not certain on a few things. For example THIS (http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/3875/caproblemxu9.jpg).

Sharpness seems to be very very good. Here's a 100% crop (http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/293/crop1ow9.jpg) of the image below, no PP whatsoever of course. It was taken wide open. The little white spots are rain drops btw.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2652958578_ccbdb44351.jpg?v=0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7369492@N04/2652958578/)

Yup, same thing here.

Congratulations, my copy had the same green fringing only worse, and was not properly focusing. Back it went.

condyk

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 16:41

Ok, so the 50mm is here. it's not too big but makes the Canon look like the childs version. Not too heavy but heavy enough. Good build. Not that impressed with the AF speed but man does it lock easily. No CA or green snotty aberation either. no front or back focus just some shake from me. Had very little time to test so these just a quick shoot and PP for a first look. I have done some more 'serious' test shots on the tripod but ain't got time to even look at 'em just now.

http://www.buzzdns.com/1dmounted.jpg
At 1.8
http://www.buzzdns.com/box1a.jpg
At 1.4
http://www.buzzdns.com/box2a.jpg
At 1.4
http://www.buzzdns.com/dell.jpg
At 2.8
http://www.buzzdns.com/ganesh2p8.jpg
At 1.4
http://www.buzzdns.com/linn.jpg

Mr. Clean

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 16:43

Frick that's impressive Dave. Great samples.

condyk

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 16:50

Cheers mikey man ... the two box shots where literally as I took the lens out the box just in the background there, strapped it on the 5D and snapped. then I went on walkies around the lounge for 30-40 seconds and that was it. The test shots I did go 1.4 to 8.0 on tripod with remote shooting a boring test chart. I thought I'd just upload the sample jpg's totally unprocessed in full size for the peepers.

jrsamples

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 17:20

I guess I missed this until now... is that a silver ring instead of a gold ring around the barrel? Just curious...

j00sten

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 17:39

I guess I missed this until now... is that a silver ring instead of a gold ring around the barrel? Just curious...

It's a gold ring. If you notice the shot was done in B&W ;)

Great sample shots btw. I'm looking forward to your test shots. My copy had the same results as Dorman's, so no point in posting up here. I'm sending it out for a second one, and if that has the same issue, I'll be sending it to siggy for a pick me up.

Here's the only pic I got worth posting from it. It's ISO 800, 1/50, f/1.4 using manual focus w/ 10x on live view.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/2632441733_e05147a052_b.jpg

05Xrunner

9th of July 2008 (Wed), 18:16

Ok, so the 50mm is here. it's not too big but makes the Canon look like the childs version. Not too heavy but heavy enough. Good build. Not that impressed with the AF speed but man does it lock easily. No CA or green snotty aberation either. no front or back focus just some shake from me. Had very little time to test so these just a quick shoot and PP for a first look. I have done some more 'serious' test shots on the tripod but ain't got time to even look at 'em just now.

Mine is on its way to Sigma now..they said they would have it back next week cause I need it next Sat.
Are you sure no back focus..my lens seemed perfectly fine from 3feet and closer..but when I got out to 6feet and further back with the lens. it backfocused like crazy.