The picture quality, especially the macro is simply AWESOME! See for yourself :-) https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/108728270996253120217/albums/posts/6098445883769623970?

Sigma's 50mm f/2.8 EX DG has the shortest focal length and lowest price of the four macro lenses in the company's current line-up. Designed for use with full frame digital SLR cameras, it can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors, where it covers a similar field of view to a 75mm...

I use this product ...for close up shots of non moving object, but this lens can be use for portrait photography, or even landscape...take it as a essential prime lens with very good macro capability.

Consistent Output; Durable; Easily Interchangeable; Lightweight; Rugged; Strong Construction; Value low light

Auto focus noisee; Slow Focus

A nice lens with decent image quality and reasonable price. As a Macro lens it suits the needs. Sharpness and contrast are on the very good side. Gives a macro rendition of 1:1

Image sharpness is very good even for a tendency for excellence, Contrast is very good, The best point for this lens is its price; Compared to similar products, lenses from the camera manufacturers are much more expensive

Inner construction; The focus limiter is very fragile and might disengage/break from first attempt of engaging it, Lens hood is screw on and whenever attached the lens cap cannot be used, creating an inconvenience, The focusing ring rotates when on AF

A recommended lens for begginers in macro but it does have limitations!

Good build quality and good value for money

Sigmas claims not met and a slow auto focus

A competitively priced, digitally optimised lens......

Well priced and sturdy enough lens; full-frame imaging circle

Image quality is not as good as some others

I use this lens mostly for macros of inanimate objects, on a Canon 400D, and it does exactly what it said it would do. It can function as a regular 50mm, or it will focus on objects as close as half an inch from the lens. The focus is understandably slow, since it has to cycle through a wide range.

Consistent Output; Lightweight; Sharp Focus

Incompatible hood and cap; Slow Focus

Gary Wolstenholme reviews Sigma's 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro lens.

Good value for money; Excellent sharpness when stopped down; Compact size; Low distortion

Could be sharper at maximum aperture; Short working distance can make it difficult to light your subject

The optical construction is made of 10 elements in 9 groups without any special elements. The aperture mechanism has 7 aperture blades. Typical for most true macro lenses the lens features a floating system which corrects aberrations down to the max. magnification of 1:1 at a min.

I purchased this lens based on reviews I had seen on other web sites and I do not regret it. The lens focuses quickly in AF mode and in manual focus, it focuses as smooth as an AF lens I've used does.