Sigma AF 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM

Great lens and value. 50mm F1.4 sharp wide open :-) This lens is awesome. I didn't expect it to be sharp wide open but it is. Fast focus and built like a tank. It's kind of heavy but I don't mind and I was debating to get the Canon but I'm glad I got this one because it's sharper. I used to have the Canon 50 f1.4 which is an older lens. Great lens but the Sigma color saturation and contrast is more appealing to me. Wide open it's awesome and I'm so glad I got this lens. Was thinking of getting the ART or L glass but they were way too much money for my budget.

Great...if you don't want to use it at f/1.4. *smh I bought the Sigma 50mm as I wanted to try an art lens without spending a ton of money. I do a lot of nature photography and wanted the opportunity to shoot in ambient light. After reading a number of reviews, I expected the lens to need some micro-adjustment. What I was not prepared for was the degree to which it was focusing short would exceed my Canon 7D's ability to compensate. This means I'm using it at f/2...not so great when you should have f/1.4. At f/2, however, I'm seeing good results. f/2+ is excellent. So, I'm giving it three stars. It is providing me with experience while saving up to buy the more expensive Canon model. BUT if I had it to do over again, I'd save my money.

Best for optics and price as long as you can get a good autofocusing copy I was weary to buy this lens due to many review of the autofocusing not behaving. I bought 2 copies to hope that one would work with my camera. I noticed within the two copies that one was softer than the other. The autofocus is also not super at low light situations. *** My previous Canon 50mm f/1.8 II had better autofocusing than this Sigma. This Sigma compared to my Canon that the focal length is slightly wider and it allows much more light, even at the same apertures. *** That said, when it is focused, it is extremely creamy background and wonderful contrast. There is a light color fringe but not noticeable and easy to adjust. *** The other concern is that it is fairly heavy. It can be hard to carry the camera and lens all day with no camera strap. This lens is significant to most small primes. *** I believe this lens is the best of price and quality. It has better optics than than Canon f/1.4 and f/1.8, on par to the L f/1.2, but at a third of the price. *** If you are concerned about the autofocusing, I would either buy multiple copies from a retailer that allows easy return shipping or mail it to Sigma for calibration. They do this for free within the warranty, which is a nice customer support.