Thursday, May 29, 2014

SIGMA 50mm f/1.4 Art Series vs Canon, Nikon, Zeiss Otus, Sony & Fujifilm Comparison (Review Part II of II)

SIGMA 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Series
SIGMA 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Series

If you’ve been a long time reader of my blog then you know I was pretty much a SIGMA hater for many years. The SIGMA 35mm Art series changed all that and made me start to look at their products differently. If you read the first part of my review, then you know that I actually like this lens quite a bit. However, the inevitable question becomes – with all the great 50 – 56mm lenses on the market, how does it compare? While this is no super scientific comparison of every possibility, it is a reasonable (albeit anecdotal) comparison that I performed with what I’ve tested thus far. Take away from it what you will, but I’ve seen enough here to form my personal opinions based on what my eyes see from these results. You are free to disagree, but hopefully you’ll enjoy the data presented.

My Favorite SIGMA 50mm Shot
My Favorite SIGMA 50mm Shot (edited)
Canon 1D X 1/4000 sec at f/2.8, ISO 200 (min ISO due to Highlight Tone Priority)

While I’m sure pixel peepers will probably find other images in the gallery that are technically more interesting than this shot, this was one of my personal favorites from my two weeks with this lens. This shot was taken without the aid of a flash or reflectors so I had to do a little post-processing work to save it (see the unedited original). However, it’s been one that has been well received because I think it tugs at the heartstrings of parents. The vibrant colors and sharpness which were possible due to a great starting point of the RAW image captured using this lens.

Methodology

All RAW images were converted using the 2012 process and Adobe Standard profile

The bookshelf comparison images in this article have all been processed identically using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 from their original RAW image file. In the Camera Adobe Standard Raw – some exposure adjustments, but nothing else – no profile corrections. No lens corrections or white balance adjustments were made.

Default sharpening and noise reduction were used as shown here:

Default sharpening and noise reduction were used

Exposure Adjustments

All of images in this test were shot under identical conditions of the same subject there are variables which can cause the aperture priority setting of the camera to render some images brighter and some darker than others. When the exposures vary in brightness it is harder to accurately compare them so some images have been adjusted in Lightroom to have a relatively balanced exposure using the same camera settings of f/5.6 at ISO 100.

The SIGMA 50mm had a -0.25 exposure adjustment to help balance its image with the rest of the shots in this series. The Nikon 50 needed a -1.00 exposure adjustment, and the Canon 50 needed a +0.50 exposure adjustment. Both the Zeiss Otus 55mm and Sony were unmodified from their in-camera RAW exposure.

About the sections that follow

For each of the comparison sections that follow there is a screen capture taken at 100% with the SIGMA 50 on the left and the comparison image as the Candidate on the right. These are the RAW images being compared as if you were looking in Lightroom on your display. If you click the image you can see the 100% version that I captured from my system.

Below each image is a brief discussion of my opinion (you are free to disagree) of the results and links to the original image that is being compared on the right. CLICK HERE to download all of full-size images below that have been RAW converted to JPEG as previously discussed.

All images in this article are Copyright © Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may download and review for your personal use, but you must delete them when done. Printing, editing, storing, republishing, rebroadcasting or modifying in any way is strictly prohibited.

vs Canon 50mm f/1.2L 

SIGMA 50mm vs Canon 50mm f/1.2L
Click to see a larger version of the above image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the SIGMA 50mm image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the image on the right

This one isn’t much contest, the SIGMA 50 blows away Canon’s best that cost $600 more (before rebates and sales). This is my own personal lens that I purchased in December (for the 3rd time) and recently had serviced by Canon, so I’m definitely feeling buyers remorse for this lens again. Yeah, it’s a good lens and it does f/1.2, but it’s getting a little long in the tooth by today’s standards!

vs Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4

SIGMA 50mm vs Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4Click to see a larger version of the above image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the SIGMA 50mm image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the image on the right

Given the fact that the Otus manual focus ONLY Zeiss lens cost $3000 more, I’m not seeing enough of a difference to justify the cost of the Otus (or you could say the SIGMA 50 is a phenomenal bargain). However, to my eyes I see the Otus as definitely being marginally sharper in the center and definitely better overall across the whole spectrum of apertures – especially at the edges. Yes, I do think the Otus is better, but not $3000 better – more like $300 better when you consider image quality. Construction-wise, the Otus is phenomenally better but it’s also big and heavy which could also be considered a negative. At the end of the day though, if you want the absolute best (especially for Nikon D800/D800E users) and can afford the price then Otus is the way to go.

vs Nikon D4s 50mm f/1.4G

SIGMA 50mm vs Nikon 50mm f/1.4GClick to see a larger version of the above image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the SIGMA 50mm image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the image on the right

Again, I think it’s no contest here – the SIGMA 50 on the Canon 1D X definitely bests the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G (on a D4s). However, in this case the Nikon is about $500 cheaper so the question becomes a matter of what more do you get for the extra money. Personally I found the SIGMA 50 to be much faster focusing and consistently sharp across the entire aperture range which makes me think the smart money is on the SIGMA 50. I think the SIGMA 50 will hold its value much better and be a lens that works nicely with newer sensors in the future, whereas I consider the 50mm f/1.4G to be a reasonable bargain alternative. D800 series users should probably for the SIGMA 50 as the superior resolution will no doubt be more noticeable.

Others for Fun

It’s impossible to do exact compares for the following due to different sensor sizes and focal lengths, but just for fun I included these comparisons I did for my own personal curiosity. I figured you might enjoy seeing them too, but strictly speaking these are apples to oranges comparisons. 

vs Fujifilm X-E2 56mm f/1.2 R

SIGMA 50mm vs Fujifilm X-E2 56mm f/1.2RClick to see a larger version of the above image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the SIGMA 50mm image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the image on the right

As a lens, I think the Fujifilm 56mm f/1.2R is probably sharper but I think the sensor is superior on the 1D X. As a result, I don’t think this lens compares as favorably as it would if I could do an apples to apples comparison of both lenses on the same camera body. It’s clear the Fujifilm lens is just about as sharp with the X-E2 sensor, but I think a better sensor would make this lens look even sharper.

Please note that the color difference was because I used the Adobe Standard Camera Calibration Profile in Lightroom 5.4 RAW processing to treat all images as equal as possible. If I had I chosen the Camera PROVIA/STANDARD profile with a white balance adjustment I would get a warmer tone image like you see from most of the others in this article. Here’s where you can change that setting for your own photos:

Camera Calibration PROVIA/STANDARD Profile

vs Sony a7R Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 ZA

SIGMA 50mm vs Sony a7R 35mmClick to see a larger version of the above image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the SIGMA 50mm image
CLICK HERE to see the full size version of the image on the right


Now this is the most invalid comparison, but since the a7R is one of the sharpest high resolution sensors I’ve tested I couldn’t help but take a peek at how it compared. I didn’t have the 55mm, but I did have the RAW image from the super sharp 35mm that I tested. In this comparison, to my eyes, the Sony is sharper. To be fair I didn’t scale the image down to a matching size which has some impact on the results. Feel free to ignore these results, but for me this just reminded me how good the a7R image quality and lenses are.

The takeaway here should be that if you like the SIGMA 50 results you are seeing, then you’ll probably like the a7R with the 55mm f/1.8 ZA which is rumored to be at least as sharp as the 35mm for a price that is competitive with the SIGMA 50.

Bokeh

Once you get below f/4 people start wondering how great the bokeh is for a given lens, and this one is definitely buttery smooth as you can see below. I slightly over exposed these images to help make the dark background objects pop a little more. The shots below allow you to see the progression from wide open at f/1.4 to completely stopped down at f/16. It’s especially interesting to see the green dot turn into the oven clock LED at f/16! It’s also noticeable at the extreme apertures that there is some mild, but generally acceptable vignetting.

Click any of the images below to see the in-camera JPEG shots (unmodified – processed from RAW in-camera):


f/1.4

f/1.8

f/2.8

f/4.0

f/5.6

f/8

f/11

f/16

 

Conclusion

Overall I think the Internet buzz might have exceeded reality a bit, but it’s a fact that the SIGMA 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is a fantastic lens. If I had the spare cash I’d probably get one of these – it’s that good.

If you’ve used SIGMA lenses in the past and been disappointed, then let me assure you that this is NOTHING like the SIGMA lenses of old. This is a high quality lens that is built like a Zeiss and reminds me more of that level of quality than older SIGMA lenses. In fact, when I hold this in my hand next to my Canon 50mm f/1.2L I feel that the SIGMA is better built – and that’s something I NEVER thought I’d ever say about a SIGMA lens.

Yes, SIGMA you’ve made a believer out of me – the new silver dot Art Series lenses are are great stuff and worthy enough for the best of photographers – even those with unlimited budgets. What’s more, they are also still a reasonable value for what you get too!  As a result, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this lens.

Where to order

Click here to learn more or order any of the FOUR camera mount versions of this lens on the the B&H web site. My friends at Amazon have it available here, and Adorama has it available here.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these articles/reviews:

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

SIGMA did loan this lens to me for two weeks so that I could share my opinion of it with you. I was not compensated in any way for this work.

NOTE: This site requires cookies and uses affiliate linking to sites that use cookies.

If you enjoyed this article, please support future articles like this by making a donation or saving money by using my discount coupon codes. Either way, your support is greatly appreciated!

This blog is intended for freelance writing and sharing of opinions and is not a representative of any of the companies whose links are provided on this site.

The opinions provided are of Ron Martinsen alone and do not reflect the view of any other entity

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

REVIEW: SIGMA 50mm f/1.4 Art Series–Is it really as great as everyone says it is? (Part I of II)

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Series

Last December I was floored so much by the SIGMA 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Series lens that I declared it “The best SIGMA I’ve ever tested”. When I first put the new 50mm Art Series in my hands this past January at CES, I knew that this wasn’t just another SIGMA – this was a lens that was going to get some attention.

With an outstanding build quality that makes you think Zeiss instead of SIGMA, people immediately started to try to compare this lens to the instant legendary Zeiss Otus 55m f/1.4 – the sharpest lens I’ve ever tested. However, would this $949 lens not only blow away its Canon and Nikon equivalents, but would it also give the $3990 Otus a run for its money?

SIGMA was generous enough to let me borrow this lens for two weeks so I could give it some real world testing and see what I think. While I wish I had more time with it, I think I’ve got a handle on what you get with this lens, so read on to see what I think.

Getting Started

SNAGHTML22144414
SIGMA Optimization Pro 1.2

Right after I got the lens, I do what any geek would do – I ripped open the box and started shooting with it! Immediately I noticed that something was off because my playback AF point was showing I hit my desired target yet my focus was way off in the captured image.

Fortunately I had the SIGMA USB dock (pictured below) that I could attach to the lens and start calibrating it using my Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid. After about an hour of futzing around at different distances, I finally settled with +7 across the board.

Sigma USB Dock attaches like a lens cap for focus adjustments and other advanced feature access
Sigma USB Dock attaches like a lens cap for focus adjustments
and other advanced feature access

The cool thing about the SIGMA dock is that you can actually choose to do corrections at four different distances as indicated on the lens, which I experimented with, but ultimately I took a conservative approach and kept all of the values the same.

After my +7 adjustment I ended up with this which was as close to perfect as I could get without the lens giving me decimal point level precision adjustments.

Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid
Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid
SIGMA 50mm After +7 Adjustment

While I’ve never had a lens that needed this extreme of an adjustment before, this was a one time fix that seemed to have things sorted out for the rest of my review. As a result I deleted my original images and moved on with this newly calibrated setting. Of course, this is only applicable to those who autofocus, and your lens/camera combo may not require this or any other adjustment.

Real World Test Shots

During my limited testing, I ended up with over sample shots taken with a Canon 1D X. The full gallery is located here, and all are in-camera JPEG’s with zero post-processing. You may download and pixel peep the images, but please delete them when you are done. You may not print, edit, or redistribute the images in any way as they are copyright ® Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

All shots were handheld unless otherwise noted. Any handheld shots < 1/50 sec at the amazing Chihuly Garden and Glass were done using this technique to respect the no tripods rule at this amazing exhibit.

Click the images below to view the original in-camera JPEG’s for your personal viewing usage:


Canon EOS-1D X, f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/1000, ISO 800, No Flash

Make no mistake, this is no sports lens but the autofocus isn’t glacially slow like most 50mm primes. While it couldn’t get the same keep rate as a 70-200mm, it did make for nice images with its keeper frames.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/1.4 @ 50 mm, 1/800, ISO 100, No Flash

Whenever I get my hands on any lens that goes below f/2.8, I start getting obsessed with the wide open aperture and this was no different. f/1.4 exhibits a little vignetting that goes away at f/1.8, but it’s still plenty sharp and has creamy bokeh.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/200, ISO 100, Studio Lights

Some say 50mm is the portrait lens, but I much prefer a more flattering 200mm like this. However, this did prove to be a super sharp lens that picked up every little detail on this models face (also featured on my Nikon D4s Review).


Canon EOS-1D X, f/2.8 @ 50 mm, 1/100, ISO 250, No Flash

Yeah, this lens has plenty of sharpness and delicious bokeh so it was a lot of fun to shoot with.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/2.8 @ 50 mm, 1/160, ISO 200, No Flash

Is there such a thing as too much sharpness? My wife thought so but that’s what skin softening products like Portraiture are for right?


Canon EOS-1D X, f/16 @ 50 mm, 1/125, ISO 200, No Flash

Even though I was using a camera with a optical low pass filter, I had no qualms with stopping this lens down to f/16 to get the depth of field I wanted for a shot. It’s plenty sharp so it can handle it.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/200, ISO 200, No Flash

Can you spot the bee? You should be able to as this lens is razor sharp and so is anything in focus!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/1000, ISO 200, No Flash


Canon EOS-1D X, f/8 @ 50 mm, 1/400, ISO 200, No Flash

This lens will have you seeking out textures to see how awesome it is at faithfully capturing all the detail of your subject.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/16 @ 50 mm, 1/60, ISO 200, No Flash

I often found myself sacrificing the better shot for the shots that showed off more detail because this is one super sharp lens!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/800, ISO 200, No Flash

Yes, this lens made me obsessed with textures and found myself taking pictures of way too many!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/4 @ 50 mm, 1/2000, ISO 400, No Flash

When I first glanced at my camera and saw this shot is when I started to wish I didn’t have to return this lens. I was very happy with the results I got during my testing. This is definitely an awesome lens!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/500, ISO 200, No Flash

I constantly found myself thinking – wow, there’s detail in this shot that my naked eye wasn’t picking up which made me start to think it was time to go see the optometrist again – ha, ha!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/2.8 @ 50 mm, 1/4000, ISO 200, No Flash

Bokeh this smooth


Canon EOS-1D X, f/2.8 @ 50 mm, 1/1000, ISO 2000, No Flash

Even at ISO 2000, there’s so much sharpness from this lens that little bugs and veins on this leaf are super crisp


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/200, ISO 640, No Flash

This was another shot that just made me say wow and appreciate what a great lens this is. I definitely have no hesitation recommending this lens to someone who wants a super sharp 50mm.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 1/640, ISO 200, No Flash

This level of sharpness with its wonderful bokeh make it super easy to convey what your subject was in your image – even before you do your post-processing. This is what you want from a great lens!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/9 @ 50 mm, 1/160, ISO 200, No Flash, (on my back on the floor)

What you usually get with a great lens is great contrast, and I was definitely pleased with my out of camera results with this lens


Canon EOS-1D X, f/9 @ 50 mm, 1/50, ISO 200, No Flash

Again, 50mm is a tough focal length for me but I frequently found myself


Canon EOS-1D X, f/9 @ 50 mm, 1/80, ISO 200, No Flash

I found myself having a love affair with f/9 for its balance of sharpness and depth of field. I never felt compelled to use a different aperture for more sharpness. I shot what I wanted for the shot and knew it would always be razor sharp. There’s no lens in my bag right now that gives me this level of confidence!


Canon EOS-1D X, f/11 @ 50 mm, 1/200, ISO 200, No Flash

Over and over again I was very pleased with the color as much as I was the sharpness that I got from this lens


Canon EOS-1D X, f/16 @ 50 mm, 1/100, ISO 200, No Flash

50mm sucks when you really need a wide angle, but again I was very happy with what f/16 pulled off here in terms of sharpness on the Space Needle


Canon EOS-1D X, f/11 @ 50 mm, 1/200, ISO 200, No Flash

f/11 provided super crisp detail on the leaves here yet provided just enough bokeh on the Space Needle to make it clear that the leaves were the subject – exactly what you want from a good lens


Nikon D810 SIGMA 50 mm Art Series @ f/16, 1/200, ISO 100


Nikon D810 with SIGMA 50mm Art Series @ f/16, 1/200, ISO 100

Nikon D810 with SIGMA @ f/1.8, 1/2000, ISO 100
No Flash, Cloudy White Balance, Silver Reflector

By now you probably realized that, yes I really did love this lens. It offers excellent color and contrast on top of sharpness that is practical in the real world from f/1.4 to f/16. I stopped thinking about sharpness and just thought about the aperture that I wanted for a shot because I knew I’d have a sharp shot with great color and contrast no matter what aperture I chose.

Visit http://photos.ronmartblog.com/lens/sigma/50mmart for a full gallery of images I took during my review.

Bookshelf Test

As is the tradition on this blog, I did a series of shots on my tripod with mirror lockup using the 2 second timer to see what f/1.4 – f/16 would like against a static subject.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/1.4 @ 50 mm, 1.3s, ISO 100, No Flash

f/1.4 has super shallow depth of field, but it is razor sharp in the center


Canon EOS-1D X, f/5.6 @ 50 mm, 20s, ISO 100, No Flash

f/5.6 is where things get crazy sharp from edge to edge

100% Crop at f/5.6
100% Crop at f/5.6 shows that this lens is very sharp, but some softness still shows up on the The Hobbit. See my next installment to see how this compares to other lenses on the market.


Canon EOS-1D X, f/16 @ 50 mm, 25s, ISO 640, No Flash

f/16 exceeded 30 seconds at ISO 100, so I took the easy way out and boosted the ISO to 640 to avoid a bulb mode exposure. With that said, the sharpness is excellent with the added benefit of great depth of field (look at the front of the shelf) so I had no hesitations using f/16 whenever I wanted maximum depth of field.

Compared to the Canon 50mm f/1.2L, Nikon 50mm f/1.4G & Zeiss 55mm Otus 

CLICK HERE to see my next installment for my comparison.

Conclusion

I provide the rest of my conclusion in part II, but if you are wondering if this is a lens that’s worth ordering I’ll be brief – YES. This lens really is worth the hype because it’s an excellent lens at a price that’s much cheaper than the Canon f/1.2L or Zeiss Otus 55mm, yet it offers performance that would make you wonder why should you pay more?

Yes, it’s isn’t cheap and personally I feel 50mm isn’t a very exciting focal length so I don’t think people should be rushing out to get it just because it’s sharp. For some the outstanding Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Series Lens will make more sense, and for others longer focal length Art series that are inevitable might be worth the wait. However, if you find yourself spending a lot of time at 50mm then yes, this is the lens should be on your short list of lenses to consider.

Come back for the final part of my review where I show how it compares to Canon, Nikon, Zeiss and a few others just for fun. 

Learn more about this lens available for SIGMA, Canon, Nikon and Sony/Minolta mounts at http://www.sigmaphoto.com/product/50mm-f14-dg-hsm-a.

Where to order

Click here to learn more or order the the B&H web site. My friends at Amazon have it available here, and Adorama has it available here.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these articles/reviews:

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

NOTE: This site requires cookies and uses affiliate linking to sites that use cookies.

If you enjoyed this article, please support future articles like this by making a donation or saving money by using my discount coupon codes. Either way, your support is greatly appreciated!

This blog is intended for freelance writing and sharing of opinions and is not a representative of any of the companies whose links are provided on this site.

The opinions provided are of Ron Martinsen alone and do not reflect the view of any other entity