Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Review

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Review:

A 50mm to me is one of the most versatile focal lengths a photographer can have.  Just for my own work alone, I use a 50mm for 99% of it.  I’m being serious too.  It’s the one lens that many, including me, find indispensable, which is one of the main reasons why the market is filled with 50mm lenses to choose from.  Another great reason to buy a 50mm is that generally speaking, you don’t necessarily have to spend a ton of money to get a decent one.  If you’re in the L Mount Alliance like I am, you know there are already plenty of great 50mm lenses to choose from but now, there’s a new game changer in the market: the Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art.  Thanks to Sigma, I was able to get a pre-release sample to test, and here are my thoughts on this new 50mm.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If it helped, please consider purchasing from any of the links mentioned in this review, which in turn, helps support this site.  I get a small commission but it will not cost you anything extra.  Thank you!

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Build Quality:

Let’s first start off with the build, which being that it’s an Art Series lens, you can expect it to be excellent.  This is a very solid feeling lens in the hands thanks in part to it being assembled with high precision parts and TSC.  The 50mm f1.2 definitely has a nice, dense feeling to it.  There’s also a high precision brass bayonet mount for durability.  To protect against less than ideal weather, the structure of the lens is dust and splash resistant along with the front element also having a water and oil repellent coating.  Overall, the 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art is clearly designed for professional use.

↑ Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 with the new Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art lens attached.

In addition to it being well made, the Sigma 50mm f1.2 has plenty of features.  For instance, there’s a focus ring with a large rubberized grip for the times when you want to manually focus.  There’s also an aperture ring, which I still miss on my native Leica SL lenses after all these years, since switching to the SL system.  As some of you know, I was an M user for decades, and I just prefer having an aperture ring on the lens where I can make quick adjustments if needed.  The aperture ring on the 50mm f1.2 works great, and clicks nicely in third stops.  There’s also an aperture ring lock switch, and a click switch to turn the click on and off.  Lastly, there’s an AFL button to assign functions from selected cameras.

↑ The Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art lens in L mount.

In terms of ergonomics, the 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art is pretty much perfect, in my opinion.  Yes, I know it may look large but here me out for a second :).  When I first heard about the new 50mm f1.2, I was expecting to see something massive but it’s not much larger than Sigma’s own 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art.  and this to me is pretty amazing when you consider this is an Art series lens, which means it’s designed to produce the best images out there.  Plus, it’s clear that it’s built to handle professional use, and it’s autofocus.  The dimensions for the f1.2 are 81.0mm x 108.8mm/3.2in. x 4.3in.  It uses a 72mm filter with the weight being 745g/26.3oz.  In comparison, the f1.4 version’s dimensions are 78.2 x 109.5mm / 3.1 x 4.3 in. with it weighing in at 670g / 23.6 oz.  It also uses a 72mm filter.

↑  Here’s the Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art next to my Leica SL3 with the Summilux-SL 50mm f1.4 ASPH attached to it.

Sigma did a lot to try and keep the size and weight down on the new 50mm.  For one, a Dual HLA ((High-response Linear Actuator) is incorporated, which helps significantly reduce the volume of the lens without really losing any of the benefits like the high speed autofocus.  Second, the construction and mechanical design of the 50mm f1.2 are stripped down to the essentials.  For instance, each piece of glass is made as thin as possible.  The floating focus also helps maintain the lenses high performance all while shortening the length as well.  Because of these designs, this is currently the lightest lens in its class.

Bottom line is the 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art is something you don’t have to save for just those special moments when you need f1.2.  It’s a lens that you can carry around and use even as your daily.  In addition to the image quality being superb at different apertures besides f1.2 (which I will discuss further below), the 50mm f1.2 really isn’t that large or heavy.  I was walking around a lot with it, and it doesn’t feel much different than Sigma’s 50mm f1.4.

↑ Here’s a top view of the lens.

Accessories wise, there’s a petal-shaped hood included that locks in place.  In addition to assisting with flare, it provides some protection against minor impacts.  There’s also a zippered case that will fit both the lens and hood.

↑ The 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art with its lens hood attached.

↑ Here are all the included accessories.

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Autofocus:

I’m also happy to report that the autofocus is excellent.  As I said earlier, the 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art uses dual HLA-driven floating focusing with one group in the front of the lens, and the other at the back.  Focus breathing is down to a minimum, which is helpful for video.  Focus is also very smooth and downright responsive.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I initially received my pre-release sample (which has beta firmware by the way) but after using it, I can tell you that I am very satisfied with the autofocus.  It’s accurate, fast, and responsive even at f1.2.  As you can see, most of my images here are taken using f1.2.  You just point and click; it’s that simple, easy, and fast.  There’s no drama at all.  It’s worth noting that the manual focus ring can also be assigned to be linear or non-linear response on compatible L mount cameras.

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Image Quality:

Image quality is also downright impressive.  As of now, the 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art is one of my favorite lenses to come from any manufacturer.  It is my favorite 50mm from Sigma as well.  It is fantastic, and a big reason for this is the images that it can produce.

↑ Settings here were f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ The settings here were f8 and 1250 ISO.

↑ I took this photo with the lens set at f1.2 and the camera set at 100 ISO.

For one, the 50mm f1.2 is razor sharp.  In my opinion, it’s up there with the best lenses that I’ve tested.  At f1.2, it is tack sharp in the center with even the corners, and edges holding up quite well actually.  In other words, I can’t imagine anyone not being extremely happy with the shots that this lens can produce wide open.  Stopping down improves sharpness just a bit.  Another great feature of the 50mm f1.2 is it can truly be your only 50mm not just because it’s light and compact but because it also performs superbly throughout the aperture range.  You’ll really get great results no matter what aperture you choose.

↑ This was taken with 400 ISO and f1.2.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

↑ This was taken with f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

↑ This was taken using f4 and 1600 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

↑ This was taken using f8 and 250 ISO.

↑ Here’s a 100% crop of the photo above.

Other features that make this a top tier lens are great color rendering and contrast.  The Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art produces images with beautiful depth, and at least from what I’ve experienced, it is also highly flare resistant.  A lens like this is also expected to produce some vignetting, especially at large apertures but I found vignetting pretty well-controlled.  There is definitely some at f1.2, which is expected but stopping down to even just f2 reduces vignetting significantly.  By f2.8, it’s nearly all gone.

↑ Here’s a photo taken using f1.2 and 250 ISO.

↑ This was taken using f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken using f5.6 and 1000 ISO.

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Bokeh:

Overall image quality is outstanding but I’m sure a lot of you are considering purchasing the Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art for the thin depth of field and bokeh that it can produce.  Yes, having f1.2 means you have more versatility because you can shoot in very dimly lit situations but it also means you can throw that background completely out of focus, and isolate your subject.  I have to say, what this lens can do is pretty amazing.

↑ This was taken using 100 ISO and f1.2.

↑ This lens has great bokeh.  The settings here were f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ Heres another wide open shot taken with 100 ISO.

The bokeh that the 50mm f1.2 produces is breathtaking.  It is dreamy, smooth, and velvety.  With its 13-blade rounded diaphragm, which is a Sigma first, the lens maintains a circular bokeh effect even when the aperture is stopped down.  At f1.2, the transition from the sharpness of the subject to the beautiful blur of the background is pretty much perfect in my book.  This is a lens that makes me want to shoot everything at f1.2.

↑ The bokeh is ultra smooth.  This was taken using f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a wide open shot taken at a distance to demonstrate how the bokeh would look from farther away.  100 ISO was used.

↑ Here’s another shot taken using f1.2.  I used 125 ISO.

Pros And Cons:

Pros:

• Build quality is excellent.
• Dust and weather sealed.
• Size, weight, and overall ergonomics perfect for a lens like this one.
• Around the same size as the Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art.
• Excellent autofocus.
• Image quality is superb.
• Bokeh is some of the best out there.
• Priced well.

Cons:

• Hard to say since because currently, this is one of my favorite 50mm lenses.

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art Lens Verdict:

The 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art is, in my opinion, one of Sigma’s best lenses currently out.  As some of you know, I am a 50mm kind of guy, and this lens just checks all the right boxes for me.  The build is excellent, and for what it is, the ergonomics are also great.  The autofocus capabilities and, of course, image quality are also up there with what one would expect from a high end optic.  The price, while not cheap, is reasonable for what you’re getting: it currently retails for $1,399.

↑ This was taken using 125 ISO and f1.2.

↑ Here’s one taken with f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ Heres another taken with f1.2 and 100 ISO.

With the release of this new 50mm f1.2, I’m sure many will find it difficult to choose between it, and Sigma’s f1.4 version.  I don’t have the f1.4 in my hands as of this writing but I did review it a while back.  You can find the review here.  I remember the 50mm f1.4 being basically perfect when it comes to image quality.  I imagine it might have a slight edge over the f1.2 only because I think it is probably more difficult to make, and design an f1.2 lens vs. an f1.4 version.  However, when using both lenses in the real world, I found the quality of the images from both lenses to be very similar with the exception of the bokeh where the f1.2 clearly wins out for me.  So, if this helps, I’d probably go for the f1.2 version.  Scratch that, I KNOW I would go for the f1.2 version.

↑ Here’s another photo taken using f1.2 and 100 ISO.  The focus is fast, so you can really nail the shot even at wide open aperture.

↑ This was also taken at f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s one taken at wide open aperture with 100 ISO.

Don’t get me wrong, the f1.4 is an incredible lens.  I LOVE what it produces.  But both lenses are so close in size, and weight that it’s not like I will notice much of a difference if I choose the slightly larger and heavier f1.2.  As I said, I imagine the f1.4 might have a slight edge in terms of image quality but nothing to me that will be noticeable enough that it’s worth losing what the f1.2 aperture can produce.  Plus, if I wanted to then, I could also purchase the f2 version (review here) for something more portable, and the difference between the f2 vs. the 1.2 would be greater than the difference between f2 and f1.4.  With a retail of $1,399, the f1.2 is more expensive than the $849 f1.4 version.  However, a 50mm is a lens you’ll keep for a very long time.  It never needs to be replaced, so it might be worth it for some to pay the the extra, and get the one that may suit their needs best.

↑ Here’s a close up taken at f1.2 and 100 ISO.

↑ This last photo was also taken at f1.2 and 100 ISO.  I wanted to make sure I had a lot of photos taken at wide open aperture to give all of you plenty of samples.

↑ One last photo of the new Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art lens attached to my Panasonic S5.

So, if you’re looking for a new 50mm with a large aperture for your L mount camera, this might just be it.  On a technical aspect, the 50mm f1.2 is superb but as we all know, it takes more than perfect specs to make a lens truly great.  I feel this one by Sigma also has that added magic we all desire in a truly awesome lens.  As of now, the new 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art is my favorite 50mm from Sigma.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If it helped, please consider purchasing from any of the links mentioned in this review, which in turn, helps support this site.  I get a small commission but it will not cost you anything extra.  Thank you!

Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Art at B&H Photo