Is the Sigma 50mm 1.4 REALLY soft at 1.4?

AlanU wrote in post #15049488
Bobby,

Most people that had issues were probably 1dmk3 owners. That lens didn't play nice with a large batch of 1dmk3's due to the crappy sub mirror assemblies in the body.

Could be. Bu I remember it was mix of 5d and other cameras.

AlanU wrote in post #15049488
Bobby,

Most people that had issues were probably 1dmk3 owners. That lens didn't play nice with a large batch of 1dmk3's due to the crappy sub mirror assemblies in the body.

It wasn't just the one lens which was a problem on the 1DMk3's which had the problems. it was any lens.
And the problem wasn't the 'crappy sub mirror assemblies' as much as a batch of out of true rubber buffers which didn't allow the AF sub-mirror to come to rest in the same position every time - but the effects weren't good anyway......

nope, this lens is lens is sharp at 1.4

here's obligatory dog pic

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/itaemo/80221043​76/

I have had a love/hate relationship with my Sigma 50 1.4 since I bought it 2-3 years ago for use on my 5D Classic. I chose it over the Canon because of the huge front element. I thought it looked good and made me look more professional! LOL

I have no problem with the sharpness. Sure it is slightly less sharp at 1.4 than it is at 2.8, but that is true of all lenses that I've tried. I use it for indoor portraits which don't have to be razor sharp. I need good bokeh and I always get it.

My main complaint has been inconsistent focus, but I believe a lot of this can be blamed on the imprecise autofocus system of the 5D Classic. Sometimes the Sigma/5D combo would give me perfect focus at 1.4 and sometimes it would front focus enough to spoil the shot. The performance would vary from time to time, so I never knew for sure what to expect. When it worked, I loved the images.

I just got a 5D Mark III for its more advanced autofocus system. The first lens I tried on it was my Sigma 50. I am happy to report that the Mark III drives the Sigma much faster and more accurately. I dialed in +2 on the MFA and my focus point at 8 feet stays within the depth of field, even at 1.4. I think I'm really going to enjoy my Sigma on the new camera.

In retrospect, the 5D classic is not a great camera for someone who likes to buy third party lenses and shoot them wide open. You might get lucky or you might not and there is no micro focus adjust system to fine tune things.

Just to be complete, I should also state that my favorite lens on the 5D - the one that was always sharp and focused really well, was a cheap Tamron 28-75 F2.8 that I bought used for $250. The term "crap shoot" comes to mind when describing how the 5D works with various lenses. I think in general that Canon lenses are your best bet for focus accuracy, but even those have some variability as members of this forum have complained about many times.

Good shooting,

Mike

Good points Mike.

Let me contribute mine, I took it with a T1i so the IQ is pretty bad... was took at 1.4 anyway, and focused on the chocolate edge.

Nice cake.

bobbyz wrote in post #15056244
Nice cake.

LOL, you hungry? . Well, at 1.4, it gives me amazing bokeh.. but also quite soft too...

In my experience, both are pretty soft wide open, but stop them down a bit and they are tack sharp.

I would NEVER buy a Sigma 50mm f1.4 secondhand, it can only mean one thing! People who have a good copy would never, ever, sell it, it's that good. Mine is bitingly sharp even at 1.4 and focus accuracy, speed and consistency are excellent.

ChrisSearle wrote in post #15073082
I would NEVER buy a Sigma 50mm f1.4 secondhand, it can only mean one thing! People who have a good copy would never, ever, sell it, it's that good. Mine is bitingly sharp even at 1.4 and focus accuracy, speed and consistency are excellent.

That is a really good point. Shall we say adverse selection

If you get it soft, first thing is send it to sigma for calibration, then check it if that fix the issue... if not, sell.

ChrisSearle wrote in post #15073082
I would NEVER buy a Sigma 50mm f1.4 secondhand, it can only mean one thing! People who have a good copy would never, ever, sell it, it's that good. Mine is bitingly sharp even at 1.4 and focus accuracy, speed and consistency are excellent.

Lol This. Though, I may sell mine for the new 30 1.4.

i've had four copies of this lens, all bought second hand. the first was phenomenal, but regrettably sold it in favor of another focal length. the second and third were horrendous -- horribly soft, even with manual focus. the copy i have right now is very sharp wide open, but the AF can be hit or miss. when people talk 'good copy' or 'bad copy', it's never been so relevant as it is with this lens.