MINI TESTS
SPECIFICATIONS
Focus length: 50mm Mount: Leica L, Sony E Image coverage: Full-frame Aperture: F/1.2-16 Aperture blades: 13, rounded Construction: 17 elements in 12 groups, 4 aspherical elements Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 40cm/15.8in
Filter size: 72mm Dimensions (lxd): 81x108.8mm/3.2x4.4in Weight: 745g/1.6lb
some extreme backlighting, such as a subject’s hair, and you may see some fringing. But that’s to be expected. This lens is all about smooth bokeh – and it delivers. The out-of-focus areas are smooth with nice circular highlights, though they do start to bend into an oval cat’s eye shape at the extreme of the frame. As does Sony’s G Master, by the way. In fact, the look, feel and performance of both lenses is pretty much identical. You would have to do controlled lab tests between both lenses to see any difference at all. So if you want the ultimate fast 50mm AF prime for your Sony, you now have a genuine choice between two very similar optics. The Sony version unlocks the fastest frame rates when shooting stills, but the Sigma lens is significantly cheaper. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 A superfast AF prime built to be the bokeh king Pros: Incredibly similar to the Sony, except cheaper Cons: Sony firmware limits stills frame rate
(High-response Linear Actuator) motors to reduce lens size without compromising performance. And the motors having to move lighter lens elements makes focusing faster, quieter and more accurate. That’s important with such a fast lens that a lot of buyers will use wide open or close to it, for the creamy bokeh and shallow depth-of-field. Using eye AF tracking with an f/1.2 lens wide open is a revelation. It just stays locked on the subject, which is a big worry off your mind when shooting. What’s most important is that the image quality is superb. It is bitingly sharp in the centre, with a tiny bit of softening towards the edges when shot wide open. Colours are accurate and control of flare and all nasty fringing is excellent. Provoke it with
Sigma USB dock to change settings. We used the Sony version, though, which will be the most popular. Sigma does offer a mount conversion service, so if you change systems you can pay to have the lens mount changed. You certainly can’t do that with a genuine Sony lens. According to Sigma itself, the optical construction and focus group arrangements significantly suppress focus breathing. Focus shift is also minimised, creating a natural shift look when recording video. These are important features that make a difference. It’s not perfect, as for that you’ll need a dedicated manual focus cinema lens. But for most users, it’s not an issue. The lens features a floating focusing system that uses dual HLA
BOKEH BONANZA It’s addictive to shoot every scene wide open to see the cinematic look (top right and top left)
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