Sigma Imaging (UK) Ltd

	Practical Photography ‘This lens could easily find its way into a professional kit bag and wouldn’t be out of place, thanks to its impressive performance. The large aperture of f/1.4 means that you get a clear bright viewfinder image, making it a good choice for dim interiors and other low light photography.’ ‘As you’d expect from a prime lens and especially a fast aperture model like this one, the overall image quality is excellent. It’s up there with the best in this category and you certainly won’t be disappointed with your results. Those who like big lenses that ooze prestige will find the Sigma lens right up there street.’

	Digital Photographer ‘…on an APS-C sized sensor it’s equivalent to around 80mm. This has long been considered an ideal ‘portrait’ focal length because it produces a more flattering perspective than shorter focal lengths, yet still lets you work in the average-sized room. The build quality and handling of this lens are really good - easily as good, in fact, as camera makers’ own brand optics.

	DP Review ‘The Sigma 50mm F1.4 has arrived to undoubted excitement and anticipation; it has the potential to redefine the quality obtainable in this popular class of lens through the use of modern optical design and manufacturing techniques. The 50mm F1.4 is a member of Sigma’s premium’ lens line, and build quality feels genuinely excellent. This new lens essentially redefines its class, and for once the results really live up to the marketing hype; compared to previous designs, we see significantly improved sharpness at large apertures and substantially lower vignetting due to that the oversized lens barrel. Chromatic aberration has been impressively minimized, and distortion is low – in optical terms there’s simply little to fault.'

	British Journal of Photography ‘Radical new designs for lenses don’t arrive very often. This lens is the first major redesign of its genre for half a century, and it looks like no other 50mm f/1.4 ever made. At f/1.4 the centre of the image is not only focused perfectly at any distance, it’s critically sharp, resembling the best results at f/8 from high-end zooms. At full aperture it’s better than any other previous lens I’ve used. In return for living with the weight, you get the first 50mm f/1.4 that is as sharp centrally at f/1.4 on full-frame 24 million pixels as at any other aperture. Sigma set out to build a lens that would, in turn, build it a new reputation. The company appears to have succeeded.’

	Master Digital Photo ‘The Sigma is a radical design… all the glass in front of the iris has been enlarged in a funnel-like shape which grabs light over its 46.8 degree angle of view on full frame, and delivers it efficiently to the corners of the frame even at full aperture. Vignetting from the new Sigma is the lowest I’ve ever seen, with an area of bright, even illumination covering a larger circle than any other 50mm f/1.4. The image at f/1.4, is, quite simply, perfectly sharp in the centre. There is barley any detectable trace of spherical aberration, the usual curse of a fast standard lens. It does not need stopping down at all to secure a high contrast, crisp image as good as many lenses yield at f/5.6.’

	Amateur Photographer ‘The main point of interest is how the big the 60mm front glass effects vignetting. As the figures show, the improvement over the Nikkor lens is dramatic and immediately visible in full aperture shots. Autofocus is fast at 405ms from infinity to closest. The HSM motor kept AF noise very low at 23dB over 35dB background. Sigma have made its point and provided an important tool for poor light imaging, even if it does entail a considerable weight over more traditional designs. While admiring the classic qualities of the Nikkor lens, the unusual tonal richness given across the frame by the Sigma optic at full aperture has an undeniable appeal.’

	Digital Photo ‘Your certainly get a lot of glass for your money, with a huge front element, making it the largest and heaviest lens in our test. The construction matches its size – it’s very solid with a metal lens mount so should take some serious use. The focus ring is excellent, providing a sure grip and a firm action throughout. Sigma’s f/1.4 is top dog when it comes to pic quality – especially on full frame D-SLRs. It’s built like a tank, and though it’s expensive and twice the weight of others you certainly get your money’s worth.’

	RPS Journal As you’d expect from a fast aperture prime lens, the image quality it produces is excellent. Who would have imagined a few years ago that the 50mm lens would be back, reinterpreted as a cutting edge piece of kit?

	Digital Camera ‘The Sigma prime is impressively sharp even at its maximum aperture; in our tests it gave slightly better performance than the Canon f/1.4. The lack of distortion and overall optical quality are noticeably better. Good attention to detail even when shooting wide open leads to even greater sharpness at f/2.8 and smaller apertures, winning out over the Canon 50mm f/1.4 in our tests. This Sigma is proof, were it needed, that ‘third-party’ lenses can be a good investment.'

	What Digital Camera ‘Automatic focusing is quick, accurate and works internally, without disturbing the focus ring. Resolution testing produced the classic ‘aerofoil’ profile. This is a remarkable performance that is all the more impressive because it was sustained through multiple tests that included off centre focusing. This lens is priced above the norm but delivers results that are similarly elevated. As it is available in a range of lens mounts, the greatest number of photographers have access to its immense power.'

	PhotoPlus ‘It’s substantially larger and 215g heavier than the Canon, but the Sigma’s build quality feels rock solid. Like tha Canon, the Sigma also features whisper-quiet, rapid autofocus complete with full-time manual override, thanks to its advanced Hyper Sonic Motor system. Sigma manage to deliver a little more contrast when shooting wide open. This really gives it the edge over the Canon lens but, on the other hand, it costs about £90 more to buy, even though it does come with a ‘free’ lens hood and carrying pouch. On balance, the Sigma does just about enough to justify the extra outlay.'