Sigma 50mm f1.4 - SOFT?

Will hopefully be picking up the lens tomorrow if the seller is available (going to the Melbourne Grand Prix on Sunday so no time to pick it up then). I will then be able to compare copies and decide which to (hopefully) keep.

An example of how my lens was before sending for calibration.
This shot @ f/1.4 you can clearly see that the lens has focused well in front of the "0" on the ruler scale...giving the main focus chart a very soft appearance.

Thanks for sharing those images There is quite a difference there with the MA, but as you said, it's still not quite right. I believe if either of my two sigma's turn out to be good performers wide open, I will just sell the other one and get the better copy properly calibrated. However, I'm betting by the time I factor in the cost of calibration, I could have just purchased a brand new one from DC Xpert and had it calibrated under warranty for pretty much the same price. Perhaps I didn't think this out as well as I thought I had...

Anyway, hopefully the seller replies to my message and I can indeed pick up the second lens tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing the difference calibration makes

Unfortunately the seller is busy this weekend so they are going to post it on Monday. Oh well, horrible day for taking photos today here anyway.

UPDATE

New lens arrived. It came with a hood and the original case as well which was awesome
Here are two shots, both wide open at f1.4. I used centre focus point with my 30D in the centre of the mouth.

OLD
http://img11.imageshac​k.us/img11/869/img2542​qd.jpg

New one looks sharper but I have to look at it at 100% to be able to see the difference.

I don't have to, but perhaps that it because I already know what to look for

stang67 wrote in post #15738442
I don't have to, but perhaps that it because I already know what to look for

The old one was slightly de-centered but acceptable to non-peepers. The new one is better. The tell is in the letters "cartman" which is a bit below the center focus point. Micro adjust nor manual focus won't fix the first lens.

snake0ape wrote in post #15738504
The old one was slightly de-centered but acceptable to non-peepers. The new one is better. The tell is in the letters "cartman" which is a bit below the center focus point. Micro adjust nor manual focus won't fix the first lens.

That makes me feel delighted haha The new one of course would do even better with micro-adjustment, however I am happy with the result wide open in that particular example. I will take a photo of the focus chart later on to see the true difference. I would get my good Sigma calibrated, but I want to get a full frame DSLR for portrait among other types of photography, which I would use with the Sigma. So right now I don't see the point on getting the lens calibrated to a body I would only be using the lens with for the next few months or so.

Got mine back from CR Kennedy yesterday. Haven't had a chance to check it properly yet...hopefully over the weekend.

Interesting letter that was included with the Lens. "There is a difference between the focusing with Live View Focus and Non-Live View. You might want to let Canon check the camera focusing"

Well that's good news that you have it back now. Interesting that they said there is a difference in focusing through live view and through the viewfinder. Even if it's not 100% perfect, perhaps doing some micro adjustment will make it spot on in most instances.

stang67 wrote in post #15740782
...Interesting that they said there is a difference in focusing through live view and through the viewfinder. Even if it's not 100% perfect, perhaps doing some micro adjustment will make it spot on in most instances.

That's because the autofocus through the viewfinder uses a completely different light path than focus through live view. The only thing they have in common is that the light comes in through the lens. from the back of the lens onward it's different. Live view is about as perfect as you can get as you are using the image sensor itself.

That being the case, seems strange to use Live View for MA focus adjustments when most shots would normally be taken through the Viewfinder

I Like to Watch wrote in post #15741606
That being the case, seems strange to use Live View for MA focus adjustments when most shots would normally be taken through the Viewfinder

MFA does not work with LV. MFA is for VF-AF only. LV autofocus uses a different system.

I guess the trick is to use LV-AF as the baseline and adjust VF-AF to match that of LV.