Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM 50mm
The 14-element optical design with three ED and one aspherical element delivers exceptional sharpness and suppresses aberrations even at its bright f/1.4 maximum aperture. Its robust, weather-sealed metal build and smooth, ring-type HSM autofocus system offer a premium handling experience that belies its price point. This lens is best for portrait and studio photographers using Nikon F-mount DSLRs who demand critical image quality and shallow depth of field control without the cost of first-party optics.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong social proof (88th percentile) 88th
- Strong optical (81st percentile) 81st
Cons
- Below average macro (26th percentile)
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 128 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Prime |
| Focal Length Min | 50 |
| Focal Length Max | 50 |
| Elements | 14 |
| Groups | 11 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 |
| ED Elements | 3 |
| Coating | Super Multi-Layer Coating |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/16 |
| Min Aperture | f/1.4 |
| Constant | Yes |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9 |
Build
| Mount | Nikon F |
| Format | full-frame |
| Weather Sealed | Yes |
| Weight | 0.8 kg / 1.8 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 77 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | HSM |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 400 |
| Max Magnification | 0.18x |
vs Competition
| Spec | Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM 50mm | Tamron Di III 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD | Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 | Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR | Sony G Master SEL70200GM2 | Meike 50mm F1.8 Full Frame STM Auto Focus Prime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 50mm | 18-300mm | 28-200mm | 16-85mm | 70-200mm | 50mm |
| Max Aperture | f/16 | f/3.5 | f/4 | f/3.5 | f/2.8 | f/1.8 |
| Mount | Nikon F | Fujifilm X | L-Mount | Nikon F | Sony E | Panasonic Sigma L |
| Stabilization | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | true | false | true | false | true | false |
| Weight (g) | 815 | 92 | 413 | 59 | 1045 | 297 |
| AF Type | HSM | VXD linear motor | Autofocus | AF-S | XD Linear Motors | STM |
| Lens Type | prime | zoom | macro | zoom | telephoto | prime |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM 50mm | 54.8 | 44.8 | 43.7 | 25.7 | 80.6 | 49.5 | 34 | 88 | 35.6 |
| Tamron Di III 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Compare | 98.1 | 75 | 96.3 | 88.4 | 73.5 | 76.9 | 99.2 | 83.1 | 80.5 |
| Panasonic LUMIX S S-R28200 Compare | 54.8 | 77.8 | 73.8 | 89.5 | 90.9 | 71.4 | 95.7 | 75.5 | 99.4 |
| Nikon NIKKOR AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Compare | 54.8 | 75 | 98.4 | 59.8 | 64.1 | 76.9 | 94.3 | 88 | 92.2 |
| Sony G Master SEL70200GM2 Compare | 98.1 | 90.8 | 33.3 | 33.1 | 87.2 | 83.8 | 79.4 | 94.8 | 80.5 |
| Meike 50mm F1.8 Full Frame STM Auto Focus Prime Compare | 85.5 | 95.9 | 71.3 | 96.2 | 57.2 | 93 | 34 | 52.7 | 80.5 |
Price
Value & Pricing
Amazon.ca 1 offer From CA$1,199
B&H Photo 1 offer From CA$1,276
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
