The brand-new Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art Lens for Sony E and L Mounts is the fifth addition to the Sigma “Art F1.4” lens lineup. The series of lenses — designed for Sony Mirrorless cameras — is known for offering high-quality images on prime lenses at apertures as wide as f/1.4. The lineup includes lenses between 20mm and 85mm, and this new 50mm f/1.4 lens fills a gap at one of the most popular focal lengths. Just like the other lenses in the lineup, the 50mm lens promises high performance and image quality in a compact and slim package.
Key Features of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Lens:
- 50mm focal length
- f/1.4 maximum aperture
- Compatible with Sony E-Mount and L-Mount cameras
- Weighs 24 ounces and just over four inches long
- 72mm filter size
- HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) AF system
- Manual aperture ring with click/de-click and lock switches
- 14 lens elements in 11 groups, with three aspherical lenses and one SLD glass element
- Switches on lens barrel for intuitive operation
What’s New About the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Lens
This lens is the first in the Sigma Art lineup designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras to use HLA Autofocus. HLA, or High-response Linear Actuator, allows the lens to focus quickly and quietly with high tracking performance. This results in a lens that is highly effective for both photography and videography.
A very wide maximum aperture of F1.4 is advantageous for shooters for multiple reasons. Most notably, it provides excellent bokeh that is a signature of the Sigma Art f/1.4 prime lenses. Even at f/1.4, this lens offers incredibly high image quality that goes from corner to corner. For low-light or night photographers, sagittal coma flare has been minimized to guarantee the highest quality image, even when shooting with the aperture wide open. And of course, having a maximum aperture of f/1.4 means that you’ll be able to gather as much light as possible.
In addition to these impressive specs, this lens feels great to use. The Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4 was designed to offer high performance in a slim and compact body. Its lightweight, compact nature gives it an excellent feel on the body of your full-frame mirrorless Sony camera. On the barrel of the lens, you have the option to use a Focus Mode switch, an Aperture ring click switch (to turn the click on/off), an Aperture ring lock switch (to prevent unintended operation), as well as an AFL button to assign a function from the camera.
Who Should Buy the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Lens?
The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN|A was designed to complement the impressive size and specs of Sony E-Mount and L-Mount cameras. Any Sony shooter should have this lens on their radar, regardless of what you shoot.
For photographers, the impressive image quality paired with the maximum aperture of f/1.4 is certainly something to get excited about. If you shoot portraits, you’ll love the soft bokeh when stopped down, as well as the additional light you’ll be able to bring in. Night photographers will be able to capture much higher quality images at f/1.4. With the Sigma 50mm lens, you can drop the aperture rather than raising the ISO. This ultimately means higher quality images with beautiful bokeh.
In addition to the features mentioned above, this lens has some impressive autofocus features for videographers. The HLA Autofocus system promises high speed and quiet autofocus with great tracking performance. This, combined with the beautiful bokeh and highly versatile 50mm focal length, result in an excellent choice for videographers.
Comparable Sigma Lenses
This lens was created to fill a gap in Sigma’s Art lineup for mirrorless cameras. Prior to this lens, Sigma’s series contained a 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 85mm lens. Each of these lenses are very similar in build and features. Since all the lenses are prime lenses, the 50mm filled a gap of a highly popular focal length. All kinds of photographers and videographers will find great use from each lens in the lineup depending on the scene you want to capture.
The 20mm and 24mm f/1.4 lenses are certainly more popular among landscape and night photographers. A maximum aperture of f/1.4 means that night photographers can avoid ramping up the ISO. Instead, they can use the aperture to gather more light. In addition to the wide aperture, the 20mm and 24mm focal lengths lend themselves well to landscape photography, where photographers aim to capture a wide-angle scene.
The 35mm and 85mm — and presumably the new 50mm — will be most popular among portrait photographers. A longer focal length, paired with a wide aperture, will result in some amazingly smooth bokeh that will make portraits look fantastic.
The Sigma Art Lineup is known for having high performance lenses with excellent optical quality. The new Sigma 50mm F1.4 is no different. Whether you’re a professional photographer that needs the highest quality images from a compact and lightweight lens, or a newcomer trying out the Art series for the first time, you should consider adding the Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art Lens to your kit.
Finally, check out these photos taken with the lens:
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