NOT satisfied with my new Sigma 50mm f/1.4

Hulum

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I recently bought my first standard lens. I heard the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 was better than the Canon 50mm f/1.4. I was excited and couldn't wait to take sharp photos in low light conditions.

But when I started to use f/1.4 I noticed none of my pictures were completely sharp. Yes, I know the DoF is extremely low/short at 1.4, but there should still be a sharp spot in focus. It's like there is a white blury layer on top of the lens.

The Canon lens produces noticeably brighter images too.

If you compare the two lenses you will notice. I know the Sigma's bokeh, focus ring, and weight (i like heavier lenses for better hand held pictures) is better, but for me sharpness and brightness is the most important.

Please check out the link below, it's a side by side comparison of the canon and sigma, you can clearly see that the canon's pictures are far more sharp and less "white blury".

canon 50mm f/1.4 vs sigma 50mm f/1.4 Photo Gallery by Peter Dumont at pbase.com

I took it to the store, and they checked the focus at the lab, and they said the focus was absolutely acceptable, nothing was wrong.

Here you can see the test photo , it is cropped. 50mm, f/1.4, 1/200s, ISO 100, One meter distance. And in my opinion, it's not really sharp.
$IMG_9749 - Kopi.JPG


I am really not sure whether to try to return it (careful use for 3 weeks), or just be happy with it. It's more expensive than the canon too (about 100$)! Hope you have some advice - experience, maybe I had too big expectations for this lens? Maybe it performs better than the canon at higher apertures?
 
I'm going to go with the fact that canon make canon lenses for canon cameras so I buy and use canon. but for your test the DOF is so shallow that by the split second you focus and press the shutter bottom your focus would have moves from you subject slightly, so try the some test by using a tripod, I have a 50 and it took me maybe 2 months to use it right, just keep practicing
 
I'm going to go with the fact that canon make canon lenses for canon cameras so I buy and use canon. but for your test the DOF is so shallow that by the split second you focus and press the shutter bottom your focus would have moves from you subject slightly, so try the some test by using a tripod, I have a 50 and it took me maybe 2 months to use it right, just keep practicing
Hmm, you may have a point there. My test was on a mount, with a remote shutter, in a lab, so I'm sure the focus wasn't moved.
 
I recently bought my first standard lens. I heard the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 was better than the Canon 50mm f/1.4. I was excited and couldn't wait to take sharp photos in low light conditions.

But when I started to use f/1.4 I noticed none of my pictures were completely sharp. Yes, I know the DoF is extremely low/short at 1.4, but there should still be a sharp spot in focus. It's like there is a white blury layer on top of the lens.

The Canon lens produces noticeably brighter images too.

If you compare the two lenses you will notice. I know the Sigma's bokeh, focus ring, and weight (i like heavier lenses for better hand held pictures) is better, but for me sharpness and brightness is the most important.

Please check out the link below, it's a side by side comparison of the canon and sigma, you can clearly see that the canon's pictures are far more sharp and less "white blury".

canon 50mm f/1.4 vs sigma 50mm f/1.4 Photo Gallery by Peter Dumont at pbase.com

I took it to the store, and they checked the focus at the lab, and they said the focus was absolutely acceptable, nothing was wrong.

Here you can see the test photo , it is cropped. 50mm, f/1.4, 1/200s, ISO 100, One meter distance. And in my opinion, it's not really sharp.
View attachment 32452


I am really not sure whether to try to return it (careful use for 3 weeks), or just be happy with it. It's more expensive than the canon too (about 100$)! Hope you have some advice - experience, maybe I had too big expectations for this lens? Maybe it performs better than the canon at higher apertures?

This lens shows longitudinal chromatic aberration, which is what is causing the magenta fringing in the foreground out of focus zones, and the green fringing in the background out of focus zone. The "focus" appears DEAD-ON. There is a slight, overall veiling, which is that overall light "haziness" that one can see. And you know what??? This kind of lens performance is almost exactly what MOST high-speed lenses look like when shot wide-open on a test chart at near minimum focusing distance. An overall softness of the image, that veiling, that slight haziness at wide-open aperture? Many very fine lenses exhibit those exact kinds of behavior under identical conditions. The longitudinal chromatic aberration??? MOST high-speed lenses will exhibit that when shot at wide-open aperture in this type of test chart situation. The solution??? Close down a stop. And perhaps boost the contrast in post to minimize the veiling effect. Or simply just stop shooting test charts. Shoot a scene in a cafe or at a street fair, at 10 to 25 feet, and these obvious test-chart optical "defects" will be mostly... invisible.
 
Thank you! That was good to hear, and what's funny is that I wasn't aware of thechromatic aberration before you told me!
 

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