This is not a lens I would have considered except that I was offered it at such a bargain price that I could not refuse. I have been nicely surprised. I find that having more flexibility in aperture makes a prime lens like this more useful than a mid-range zoom such as the 24-70 f/4 that it has...

Wide aperture Fast focussing Solid build Excellent IQ overall Versatile Pleasant to use

Corners are not so sharp as some alternatives Quite big and heavy compared to alternatives No Image Stabilisation Not weather sealed

One of the nicest things about Sigma lenses is that they come with a padded pouch, instantly suggesting that the manufacturer feels the lens is worth protecting. Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 is no exception, boasting an enormous front element and a .

Imposing presence

Distinctly heavy

. I truly enjoyed shooting with that lens and if I was in the market for an 85mm prime, Sigma would get my money. An 85mm lens is great for portraits but I, like many other people, find 50mm to be a more useful focal length for everyday shooting.

Now, with the advent of the APS-c cameras, the long popular 50mm focal length takes on double duty as a portrait length lens of approximately 90mm on most of the small chip cameras.

Well, it took two tries to get a properly operating one. The first had serious issues; If I micro adjusted for shooting in the portrait range, it was way out at about 30 feet. If I micro adjusted for 30 feet, it was way out in portrait range.

Dreamy bokeh; sharp right from wide open

AF issues

Unlike other full format 50mm f/1.4 lenses it features a massive front element (77mm filter thread) and it takes advantage of an aspherical element and both aspects are pretty unique design decisions for a 50mm f/1.4 lens.