Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art review by CameraLabs: “excellent quality across the frame”

Preorders: Sigma 50mm lens at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, FotoErhardt, Fotokoch, WexUK.

CameraLabs tested the new Sigma lens and concluded:

In a market flooded with standard lenses, the Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art makes a compelling case for itself, delivering excellent quality across the frame, attractive rendering and fast focusing, all in a solid, weather-sealed barrel at a reasonable price. Owners of Sony and Panasonic mirrorless cameras should be very happy.

Crucially it also slots comfortably between existing options, providing a taste of the high-end without breaking the bank. Sure, Sony’s 1.2 G Master and Panasonic’s 1.4 Pro may slightly out-perform it in some respects, and in the case of the Sony, boast a slightly brighter aperture too, but Sigma’s now made it much harder to justify spending over double on them.

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If you’re coming from the other-end, the Sigma will deliver a step-up in sharpness and especially rendering over budget models, although it feels churlish to complain too much about lenses costing as little as $200. These entry-level models are also not only more affordable, but smaller and lighter too, making them more attractive particularly when paired with more compact bodies.

Sony owners also still have the option of the old Zeiss 55 1.8 which costs a tad more and boasts excellent sharpness – albeit not the most attractive rendering – in a surprisingly compact barrel.

As I said at the start, there’s no shortage of options around this focal length, but I’d now go for the Sigma over the 55 Zeiss unless size was a critical decider. Also keep an eye on prices of the original 50 1.4 Art for DSLRs, as bargains may be had, especially in the used market.

Ultimately with most 50mm lenses either targeting budget or premium buyers, the Sigma 50 1.4 DG DN Art becomes a welcome mid-range alternative at a price point with relatively few direct rivals. We’ve waited a surprisingly long time for the native mirrorless successor to Sigma’s classic for DSLRs, but it’s finally here and doesn’t disappoint.

Sony 7rV images added to Dpreviews comparison tool: “ahead of its full-frame rivals”

Dpreview advanced their ongoing A7rV review and added the images within their Studio scene comparison tool. They write:

The a7R V shows a comparable level of detail to that of its immediate predecessor, putting it ahead of its full-frame rivals but behind the likes of Fujifilm’s GFX 100S. There appears to be no low-pass filter, so there’s a risk of aliasing and false color in high-frequency, high-contrast details. It’s a little noisier than its rivals, which becomes more apparent at very high ISOs.

Excellent sharpening means the JPEGs make the most of the detail difference between the a7R V and its full-frame peers whereas, conversely, sophisticated noise reduction helps reduce the noise differential between models. JPEG color is good too, as our real-world shots attest. Magentas aren’t as saturated as those of Canon, and there’s a slight hint of peach to pink ‘skintones,’ while the mid blues are richer than the other cameras here, giving a punchier look to daylight skies. Oranges appear a touch more saturated, which could explain why the yellows lean slightly that direction, rather than green, but these differences are within the realms of the margin of error that 1/3EV exposure steps give, when trying to match lightness between cameras. The critical thing is that real-world use bears out the positive impression we got from our test scene.

Sony A7rV store links:
In US at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, FocusCamera, BeachCamera, Buydig.
In EU at Fotokoch, Amazon EU, FotoErhardt, Calumet DE, WexUK. ParkCameras UK.
In Australia at CameraPro, Camerahouse, Sony.

Digging deep into the Sony A7rV AI Subject Recognition

Most of the camera reviewers did not have enough time to explore this subject recognition in any depth during the initial review period.
This video tutorial sets out to explain how to navigate the myriad of Sony settings for AI Subject recognition. This will allow A7RV owners to further understand the camera’s AI Subject Recognition and help them to optimise the settings to suit their own photographic workflows.

Sony A7rV store links:
In US at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, FocusCamera, BeachCamera, Buydig.
In EU at Fotokoch, Amazon EU, FotoErhardt, Calumet DE, WexUK. ParkCameras UK.
In Australia at CameraPro, Camerahouse, Sony.