Nikon 50mm upgrade?

[Raymond Lin]

If you want crisp and punchy at 1.4, as opposed to soft and dreamy, get the Sigma Art.

Not that soft and dreamy isn't attractive, and some users actually exploit that to great effect, but crystal clear it isn't.

I want to get the Canon 50L so I can have best of both worlds for this very reason.

 

[HoppyUK]

I want to get the Canon 50L so I can have best of both worlds for this very reason.

Canon 50/1.2L is no great shakes wide open either! It's just a bridge too far IMHO, where disadvantages outweigh advantages in several areas over what a really good 1.4 can do (sharpness wide open, focus shift, clipped bokeh highlights, AF speed, size and weight, cost). Canon is rumoured to be bringing out a new 50/1.4, and not before time, that I suspect will be right up there with your new 35/1.4 II. But right now, the 50/1.2 can't hold a candle to it

Sigma have got the premium 50/1.4 market to themselves ATM, unless you fancy an Otus

 

[snerkler]

You must have some high standards! Most lenses on my screen 1:1 look all as bad as each other!

Well, I will look forward to your 1.4g results. You have some 1.8g shots so comparisons are always good!

I didn't say it looked good, just better than I was expecting and I was less 'meh' than the f1.8

If you want crisp and punchy at 1.4, as opposed to soft and dreamy, get the Sigma Art.

Not that soft and dreamy isn't attractive, and some users actually exploit that to great effect, but crystal clear it isn't.

Yep, I know the Sigma's the best (if you can get it set up right with the dock etc which is still a bit hit and miss) but it's not a lens I'll use too much therefore I'm not sure I can justify the cost. Plus there's the weight issue. I don't have an issue with weight as such as I already have a lot of heavy lenses, but one of the pros of using primes is it being lightweight.

 

[woof woof]

Canon is rumoured to be bringing out a new 50/1.4, and not before time, that I suspect will be right up there with your new 35/1.4 II. But right now, the 50/1.2 can't hold a candle to it

Sigma have got the premium 50/1.4 market to themselves ATM, unless you fancy an Otus

The fact that Canon's 50mm's have been relatively weak has been an amazement to me since the introduction of the old non art Sigma 50mm f1.4 (which I bought and loved on my 5D.) At that time I also had the Canon 50mm f2.5 which I'd read was Canon's sharpest 50mm, it was a good lens but hampered by slow focusing and the f2.5 aperture. I hope that they can get their act together and bring out a competitive 50mm f1.4/1.8 if only for those who refuse to look at the Sigma and insist on buying something with a Canon badge on it.

 

[woof woof]

I didn't say it looked good, just better than I was expecting and I was less 'meh' than the f1.8


Yep, I know the Sigma's the best (if you can get it set up right with the dock etc which is still a bit hit and miss) but it's not a lens I'll use too much therefore I'm not sure I can justify the cost. Plus there's the weight issue. I don't have an issue with weight as such as I already have a lot of heavy lenses, but one of the pros of using primes is it being lightweight.

Do they still make the old non art 50mm f1.4? I was very happy with mine and had no focus issues on my 20D or 5D.

 

[snerkler]

Do they still make the old non art 50mm f1.4? I was very happy with mine and had no focus issues on my 20D or 5D.

I'm not sure, but I'd buy used anyway. TBH I had a lot of issues with the 85mm f1.4 non art I had with regards to front focussing massively (tried 4 copies) after which I vowed never to get another Sigma that wasn't compatible with the dock. Even with the dock I'm still hesitant.

 

[woof woof]

I also had the 85mm f1.4 and guess what... no issues Until I went to Sony that 85mm was the best lens I'd ever used but now I think that the Sony 55mm and possibly the 35mm f2.8 edge it out and maybe the Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 is up there too but maybe these lenses look so good at least partially because of the newer sensor/camera tech, I don't know.

Anyway, I've just Googled "Sigma 50mm" and the only old ones I can find are used and it's not listed on Wex so maybe they don't make it any more.

 

[TheTimeChamber]

I have had all three versions of the 50mm lens in the time I have had camera (1.8D, 1.4D and 1.4G), I have sold all three versions as I am never really happy with the images I get with it. Wide open, they don't really perform as I would expect, but this is an opinion I have formed after owning the Sigma 24mm f1.4 Art