Sigma turned more than a few heads when it hinted its 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($949) lens was poised to perform in the same league as the Zeiss Otus 55/1,4. Sigma's older 50mm F1.4 EX DC HSM was a good lens, but it lagged behind the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G ($462.85 at Amazon) in sharpness, especially at the edges of the frame. Now that we've gotten our hands on a production sample and put it through its paces, it's clear that the new lens is a huge step forward from the older Sigma optic. It outperforms the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G at wider apertures, and while it's not an example of pure optical perfection like the Zeiss Otus, it's not that far off and it's a quarter of the price. Like its wider sibling, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($679.95 at Amazon) , it earns high marks and our Editors' Choice award. Design Make no mistake, the 50mm F1.4 ($948.99 at Amazon) is on the large side for a standard-angle prime lens. It measures 3.9 by 3.4 inches (HD), weighs 1.9 pounds, and uses b...

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM doesn't quite achieve the optical perfection of the $4,000 Zeiss Otus, but it gets close at a quarter of the price.

Incredibly sharp; Minimal distortion; 15.7-inch close focus; Available for several camera systems

Big; Depth of field scale isn't that useful; No optical stabilization; A little pricey; Dim corners at wide apertures

We've been very impressed by Sigma's recent 'Art' line lenses, such as the ultra-fast 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM and the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM . The 50mm F1.4 DG HSM continues in a similar vein, but if anything it surpasses its illustrious stablemates.

Stunning image quality - super sharp; minimal CA and practically no distortion; Impressive flare resistance; Generally attractive rendition of out-of-focus backgrounds; Fast; silent; and accurate autofocus; Excellent build quality

Large and heavy for a 50mm F1.4 prime; Relatively expensive for its class; No weather sealing

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art is distinctly large, heavy and expensive for its type. However this is more than made up for by its fast silent autofocus, solid build quality, and absolutely outstanding optics. Overall it stakes a very serious claim to be the best autofocus 50mm prime on the market right now.

Full frame users looking for the sharpest possible images, even when shooting at large apertures;

Anyone who shoots a lot in damp or dusty conditions;

Until recently, if you wanted a fast quality prime you had to buy from your camera manufacturer. Those days are gone with Sigma now creating quality lenses that are matching, and even surpassing, the quality of the big hitters.

There have not been many Sigma lens announcements that generated the anticipation that the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens announcement generated. The 50 Art Lens was announced not long after the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 Distagon T* ZE Lens arrived, delivering a not-before-seen high level of...

Im glad that Sigma has started to support sony with there lens lineup. Definitely a lot faster than using an adapter but definitely not as fast as a native Sony lens. Now to some that might not matter as much as it all depends on your style.

I use this on my Canon 6d. This is by far the sharpest lens I've ever used. It doesn't focus as sharp on the outer edges. When you use your outer focus points, it struggles to keep up with Canon's L series lenses.

Bokeh; Focus Response; Quality build; Sharpness

Blurry On Edges; Heavy

I have multiple canon lenses most with L rating. Depending on usage this sigma art lens blows them all away. A few months ago I took the photographs for my daughters wedding using only this lens on full frame camera. Excellent results. It stays on one of my cameras all the time now.

"I mainly use my Canon mount lenses for wedding videography but I'm a photography enthusiast as well. This lens produces gorgeous video and photographs paired with a 5D Mark iii. I have a lot of glass, including Canon L glass, but I keep reaching for this lens the most often.

Had two bad copies so far, both inconsistent focusing especially at apertures from F1.4 to F2.8. Using a high quality, sturdy tripod, taking photos of the exact same thing will result in front focus in one, back focus in the next, and maybe one (or two if I'm really lucky) sharp one out of 5...