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Compared to...This review is the start of a series looking at a number of 50mm primes, including those which we use for the test shots in our camera reviews. We're also taking the opportunity to compare the brand new Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM with those older 50mm F1.4s, to see if the benefits of modern computer-aided lens design and manufacturing techniques translate to a tangible improvement in optical quality, and specifically whether the Sigma meets its design goals of reduced optical aberrations and vignetting. Side by sideBelow you can see four fast standard primes side by side; from left to right (and largest to smallest), the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM, Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM, Nikon AF-Nikkor 50mm F1.4 D, and the Pentax smc FA 50mm F1.4 (the other currently available equivalent, the Sony 50mm F1.4, is practically identical in dimensions to the Nikon). The most striking aspect of this comparison is the sheer size of the new Sigma; it's distinctly bigger than the Canon (previously the largest in this class), and simply dwarfs the petite Pentax. This is fundamentally a reflection of the monstrous optical unit in the Sigma, which is designed to minimize vignetting at wide apertures; the front element is fully 60mm in diameter, compared to less than 40mm on the other lenses. The relative weights reflect these sizes (the Sigma tips the scales at 505g, more than twice the Pentax's 220g) and in turn the prices correlate with those weights; in this case you're literally paying for all that glass. However the downside is that this super-sized new kid on the block has rather lost the discrete, low-profile philosophy that many prime shooters love.
Specifications compared
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