Out of Sigma's freshly reorganised lens line-up comes a new ‘Art'-branded 50mm f/1.4 with claims of superb design and image quality. Richard Sibley puts it through our rigorous testing procedure to discover what truth these rumours hold

We've been very impressed by Sigma's recent 'Art' line lenses, such as the ultra-fast 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM and the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM . The 50mm F1.4 DG HSM continues in a similar vein, but if anything it surpasses its illustrious stablemates.

Stunning image quality - super sharp; minimal CA and practically no distortion; Impressive flare resistance; Generally attractive rendition of out-of-focus backgrounds; Fast; silent; and accurate autofocus; Excellent build quality

Large and heavy for a 50mm F1.4 prime; Relatively expensive for its class; No weather sealing

This is one sharp and contrasty lens! Even wide open the central portion of the image is totally usable. Stop the lens down to f/2 and most of the frame is super sharp. From f/2.8 it's tack sharp from corner to corner. Colour and contrast are excellent too.

Wide aperture; super sharp; fast autofocus; good build quality

Behemoth

"I mainly use my Canon mount lenses for wedding videography but I'm a photography enthusiast as well. This lens produces gorgeous video and photographs paired with a 5D Mark iii. I have a lot of glass, including Canon L glass, but I keep reaching for this lens the most often.

There have not been many Sigma lens announcements that generated the anticipation that the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens announcement generated. The 50 Art Lens was announced not long after the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 Distagon T* ZE Lens arrived, delivering a not-before-seen high level of...

Sigma's 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens , which we reviewed in August 2008 has been joined by a serious alternative that complies with the high standards of the Art line within Sigma's Global Vision series of lenses.

This is an in-depth review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art prime lens that was announced on January 6, 2014 for Sigma SA, Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony A mounts. Ever since Sigma announced its new "Art" lens line, it has been releasing superb new lenses and updates.

I use this on my Canon 6d. This is by far the sharpest lens I've ever used. It doesn't focus as sharp on the outer edges. When you use your outer focus points, it struggles to keep up with Canon's L series lenses.

Bokeh; Focus Response; Quality build; Sharpness

Blurry On Edges; Heavy

Until recently, if you wanted a fast quality prime you had to buy from your camera manufacturer. Those days are gone with Sigma now creating quality lenses that are matching, and even surpassing, the quality of the big hitters.

Although zoom lenses are certainly versatile and convenient, they do have some drawbacks, including relatively small maximum apertures.