Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Review L Mount

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Review L Mount:

The 50mm is, in my opinion, one of the most important, and useful focal lengths, which is also why it is my favorite to use.  For my type of work, which is mainly boudoir, and street fashion, this focal length is attached to my camera body nearly 100% of the time.  A 50mm with a wide open aperture of f1.4 is my number one choice when it comes to 50mm’s because I find it offers a nice balance when factor in image quality, size, and of course, light gathering capabilities.  I know many who feel the same, which is why I feel Sigma’s newly announced lens, the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art is so important, especially for the L Mount Alliance.  Thanks to Sigma, I was able to get a pre-release sample to test, and here are my thoughts on this new lens.

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Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Build Quality:

Since the 50mm f1.4 is an Art Series lens, which is pretty much the top end stuff from Sigma, it is built for professional use.  This means the build is excellent.  The 50mm f1.4 is very solid in the hands with a nice, dense feeling to it.  For those who do buy this lens, there is a very slight sound when the power is off but this is completely normal.  We’ve seen this in lenses from other manufacturers as well.  It’s due to the movement the focus lens, and not a malfunction.  Moving forward, there’s a high precision brass bayonet mount, and the lens has a dust and splash proof structure, so you can use it even when the weather isn’t ideal.  Furthermore, the 50mm f1.4’s front element has a water and oil repellent coating applied to it for added protection, which makes it even more suited to shoot in a wide range of environments.  Overall, there’s nothing to complain about here.  This lens is clearly made to handle the normal abuse that comes from daily use.

↑ Here’s the new Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art attached to the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5.

As for features on the lens, the barrel is equipped with a Focus Mode switch, AFL button to assign any function from the camera, and an aperture ring, which I personally love having.  I was a Leica M user for several decades before I switched to the SL system, and one feature I miss from my M days is a decent aperture ring.  It’s not something that you see on the current Leica SL lenses.  What’s great about the Sigma is that there’s even an aperture ring click switch to turn the click on and off.  There is also an aperture ring lock switch.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the ergonomics.  I have to say, Sigma did such a great job here.  The 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art does have a large maximum aperture along with professional build quality and autofocus.  Plus it’s an Art lens, so excellent image quality is important.  With all that said, for what it is, this lens is quite compact and light.  The amazing part is Sigma actually improved the optical performance of this lens when compared to their larger, 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art.

↑ Here’s a top view of the lens.

I am definitely impressed by the overall size, and weight of the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art.  The dimensions are 78.2 x 109.5mm / 3.1 x 4.3 in. with it weighing in at 670g / 23.6 oz.  It uses a 72mm filter.  In the field, it feels so well balanced even with smaller camera bodies like the Panasonic S5.  I actually had a really bad pinched nerve in my back while I was reviewing this lens, and I was still able to shoot with it.  I even went out for 6 hours straight one day with no rest or sitting down.  I was just walking, and shooting.  In other words, this is a lens that you can really take out, and use for extended periods.  It’s something you can grab, and just go explore.  It’s really useable, and very versatile.

Lastly, the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art also comes with a lens hood, and a zippered case.  The petal shaped lens hood is a twist on type that works good with no issues.  It helps with flare but I didn’t even really experience issues with this lens.  The lens hood does offer added protection in case of minor impact though.

↑ Here’s the lens hood attached to the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art.

↑ Here’s what’s included.

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Autofocus:

I’m also happy to report that the autofocus is top notch.  The 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art features the new HLA autofocus driver (High-response Linear Actuator) that was introduced in the 60-600mm DG DN OS Sports (lens review here), which not only offers quick autofocus but is also essentially silent in operation.  It’s also very accurate, and keep in mind that I was testing an early production lens as well, so it has beta firmware.

I am not an action photographer but I did get the lens around Chinese New Year, so I was able to try it during one lion dance performance.  The autofocus is impressive.  It is very efficient, and locks on to the subject quite quickly even at f1.4.

I was also able to do a model shoot one day, and again, this lens’ autofocus is so quick.  I was locking on so fast, and snapping that I actually had to remember to give the model some time to change facial expressions.  Normally, I don’t shoot that fast but I was testing this lens, and just wanted to see what it can do.  If you shoot a lot of people or portraits in general, the 50mm f1.4 can definitely keep up.  Keep in mind that all the photos I was shooting were taken at f1.4 as well.  I wanted to test the wide aperture setting with a person.

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Image Quality:

As for image quality, the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art lives up to its Art Series designation in every regard.  As I said, not only was Sigma able to shrink this lens down when compared to the older HSM version, image quality is actually improved as well.

↑ This was taken using f1.4 and 100 ISO.  The model is Elena (Instagram)

↑ This was taken near Zuccotti Park using f2.8 and 400 ISO.

↑ This was taken using f1.4 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s a photo taken using f4 and 1000 ISO.  These guys were moving fast, and as you can see, the autofocus was up to the task.

Let’s take a look at sharpness first, which is downright fantastic.  At f1.4 sharpness is everything you would expect from a top tier lens with even edges, and corners performing quite well.  As you stop down, sharpness overall improves a bit but it’s not something drastic that you’ll notice any difference in the real world.  The 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art is already so good at wider apertures.  I can tell you what I found to be the best f stop area to be around for optimal sharpness but the truth is, you can use this lens throughout the aperture range, and get incredible results.

↑ Here’s a photo taken using f1.4 and 100 ISO.

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

↑ Here’s another example taken with f1.4 and 100 ISO.

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

↑ This was taken using f5.6 and 100 ISO.

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

↑ I used f8 and 125 ISO here.

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

In addition, everything else about the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art is equally as good, in my opinion.  Color rendering and contrast are excellent.  Subjects have a nice depth to them, which is a trait we see in lot of high quality lenses.  I also did not experience any issues with unusual lens flare.  In other words, I found it to be highly flare-resistant.  There is some vignetting at f1.4, which isn’t out of the ordinary.  Stopping down by one stop to just f2 reduces it significantly.  As you continue to stop down, whatever slight vignetting is left disappears.  Overall, this is one seriously impressive piece of glass here.

↑ This was taken using f1.4 and 400 ISO.  The model is Elena (Instagram)

↑ I used f5.6 and 1000 ISO here.

↑ This was taken using f1.4 and 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken in South Street Seaport.  My settings were f8 and 200 ISO.

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Bokeh:

With it’s rounded 11-blade diaphragm, the bokeh rendering is also quite stunning.  The bokeh is buttery smooth and inviting.  It can melt away even the harshest of backgrounds, in my opinion, of course.  The way that this lens can isolate a subject is really nice.  The bokeh is not as shallow as Sigma’s 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art (lens review here) but the bokeh characteristics are very similar to me, and let’s just say I love the 85mm.

↑ I shot with wide open with 1250 ISO.

↑ Here’s another example taken wide open but this time, using 100 ISO.

↑ This was also taken using f1.4 and 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken using 800 ISO and wide open aperture.

↑ Here’s one more taken wide open but with 3200 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.
• Great autofocus.
• Image quality is superb.
• Bokeh is smooth and inviting.
• Priced well.

Cons:

• It’s difficult to think of any at this point.

Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens Verdict:

The Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art is one of the best 50mm lenses that I’ve tested so far from any manufacturer.  After using this lens, I can tell the designers put a lot into creating it.  When you add up the build quality, ergonomics, autofocus capabilities, and image quality, you’re getting a 50mm f1.4 that is pretty close to perfection.  It’s a lens that you can really live with and use on a regular basis.  At the same time, you can expect just amazing images as well.  The cherry on top here is the price too.  For all of this, the retail is $849, which I feel is reasonable given that this is a full frame, top tier lens with autofocus capabilities.

↑ This was taken using f5.6 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s one of the NYC Ferry taken using f4 and 100 ISO.

↑ This was taken using f8 and 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s one taken using f8 and 1000 ISO.

↑ This was taken using f5.6 and 640 ISO.  Love the bike rims :).

Sigma has been producing hit after hit for the L Mount Alliance, and the 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art is no exception to this rule.  This lens will check all the right boxes for someone who is looking for a professional level 50mm f1.4.  When I test a lens, I use it the way that I use my own lenses for work.  So who knows, maybe I’m not being so detailed but at least in my eyes, I can’t even find anything seriously wrong with the 50mm f1.4.  It was truly a treat to use this lens.  In terms of quality, it matches Sigma’s other amazing f1.4 mirrorless lenses in every way (I have reviewed them all btw, and you can find them here).  So, if you get the 50mm f1.4 along with their brilliant 85mm f1.4, their 35mm f1.4, and maybe their 20mm f1.4 for added versatility, you’ll pretty much have a system that will do it all, and do it extremely well for a price that won’t break the bank.

↑ This was taken using f4 and 200 ISO.

↑ Here’s one taken wide open using 3200 ISO.

↑ Here’s another wide open shot using 100 ISO.

↑ Here’s one taken with f4 and 1000 ISO.

↑ Here’s one last shot of the Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens.

So, if you’re in the market for a 50mm f1.4 lens for your L mount camera, take a closer look at this one.  In my opinion, you won’t regret it.  This is one of Sigma’s best lenses released so far.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review!  If you’re considering purchasing the Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art, and my review helped you decide, please help support this site by purchasing from the links below or any mentioned in this review.  It will not cost you anything extra. Thank you for your support!

Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art at B&H Photo

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