SIGMA has announced a new full-frame 50 mm prime lens with a super wide F1.2 maximum aperture. The SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art lens will be available in L-Mount and Sony E-mount versions.
Wide maximum aperture
The headline feature of the new SIGMA 50 Art lens is its F1.2 maximum aperture. This is also the widest aperture available on a 50mm lens from SIGMA. With an F1.2 aperture, you will get a great low-light performance and easily obtain a very shallow depth of field. In addition, the new 50mm lens is the first from SIGMA to use a 13-blade aperture design. As such you will get a smooth, round bokeh in the out-of-focus parts of your image. Importantly, you switch the aperture to clickless operation for seamless exposure changes while filming.
Optical design
The new SIGMA 50mm Art lens is constructed with 17 elements in 12 groups. These include 4 aspherical elements. SIGMA also says that the lens has excellent correction of issues such as spherical aberration, sagittal coma flare and axial chromatic aberration. In addition, the lens has been designed to minimize flare and ghosting, as well as having a high backlight resistance. To help reduce overall weight, each lens element has been made as thin as possible while maintaining a high refractive index.
Autofocus
The new SIGMA 50mm Art lens features a dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) focusing system. With one group near the front of the lens and one group near the back, this provides stable optical performance from close to distant focus. SIGMA says that it also delivers quiet and accurate autofocus. The minimum focusing distance is 15.8 inches (40 cm). In addition, the lens has an internal focusing system, so the lens doesn’t change length when you focus. This makes it great for use on a gimbal.
Build
The new SIGMA 50mm lens is relatively lightweight, weighing only 26.3 ounces (745 g). It’s also compact at 4.3 inches (108.8 mm) in length and 3.2 inches (81 mm) in diameter. Despite this, the lens is still built to last, with a high-precision, durable brass bayonet mount. In addition to a dust and splash-resistant structure, the lens’s front element features a water and oil-repellent coating. This means the lens will stand up to filming in challenging environments. The SIGMA 50mm lens comes with a petal-style lens hood.
What we think
SIGMA’s new 50mm Art lens will win a lot of fans when it is released. Low-light shooters will love its wide F1.2 aperture, as will those seeking ever shallower depth of field. Wide open, focused on a subject 3 feet away, depth of field is razor thin at less than an inch. Hopefully, the dual HLA autofocus can keep up! The clickless aperture is also great for video, where the ability to adjust exposure smoothly is essential. While not a budget lens, the SIGMA 50mm F1.2 Art lens promises extremely high optical performance, at around $600 than Sony’s G Master equivalent. If you are in the market for a 50mm lens, you should definitely take Sigma’s new model for a test drive.
Availability
The SIGMA 50mm F1.2 DG DN | Art lens will be available from April 18, 2024. It will retail at $1,399.
