сигма 50 1.4 или никон 50 1.4

I don't like the Sigma rear lens caps: they are significantly more difficult to mount on the lens when you're in a rush or juggling equipment than are the Nikon caps.

Weight can be a factor with this lens on small, consumer DSLRs, as 17 ounces is close to what the camera itself may weigh.

The focus ring has a better, smoother feel than Nikon's, but has less precision with its quarter-turn range. Also, while you can kind of override autofocus manually, the lens will fight you on this much more than AF-S lenses do.

With a lens this simple, handling isn't exactly a deep subject.

The supplied hood is a petal type and can reverse mount on the lens. The pinch-front lens cap can easily be mounted on and taken off the lens with the hood on. The lens uses 77mm filters, a very large size for a normal prime.

The focus ring is moderate in size and easy enough to find at the front of the lens. Near to far focus takes just a quarter turn (and in the opposite direction of Nikkors). The lens has a distance scale with DOF markings for f/8 and f/16 for FX bodies (and at a looser standard than I'd use). On the left side (as you hold the camera) is one switch the controls focus (AF for autofocus, M for manual focus only). The lens does not have VR or an aperture ring (this last limits the number of older film SLRs that the lens can be used on).

I mentioned depth of field isolation, so let's put that into perspective. On a DX camera taking a portrait at 10 feet you have about a half foot of depth of field at f/1.4, slightly over a foot at f/2.8. At 20 feet it's about two feet versus four feet. Put another way, you can cut depth of field in about half with the extra maximum aperture range at normal shooting distances, should you so desire. Personally, I find that level of extreme isolation a bit much, but there are most certainly photographers that value it.

Of course, FX body users will find that 50mm is "normal." The D700 and D3 have such good higher ISO abilities that I'm not sure you need an f/1.4 50mm any more for low light shooting, but dedicated night shooters will probably be happy with the fast aperture.

The 50mm focal length provides 40° of horizontal angle of view on FX, 27° on DX. That 27° is pretty close to the 24° of the classic 85mm f/1.4D used on a film (or FX) body for portraits, thus my point about this being a good portrait length for DX. Just don't get confused and think that 50mm is "normal" on a DX body. It's not. It's a mild telephoto lens on DX.

Unlike the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G AF-S, the Sigma f/1.4 EX DG HSM packs some heft. Almost twice as much, as a matter of fact. At almost 3" long and with a 77mm filter ring at the front, this lens is dramatically bigger than the Nikkor. It's also heavier, weighing in at over a pound (about 7 ounces heavier than the Nikkor). Still, it's not a large lens, just larger than the most direct competitor. On a D60 or D5000 body the 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM adds substantial heft to the camera, though not enough to make for an unbalanced load. Personally, the Sigma feels "more right" on the front of a D60 than the Nikkor, about what you'd expect a portrait lens to be like. On a big D3-type of body, the Sigma balances nicely, but does make the body prone to tipping if you place it plate down on a flat surface.

Let me explain why a fast 50mm prime is still important in these days of zooms: for DX cameras, somewhere in the 50 to 60mm range is a perfect portrait focal length, and you generally want a fast lens to help provide control over depth of field (often you want to isolate a person you're taking a picture of from the background). An f/2.8 lens, or worse, a f/3.5-5.6 zoom, doesn't give as much flexibility at subject isolation. The older 50mm lenses use screw-drive autofocus systems that don't work on Nikon's lower-end models (D40, D40x, D60, and D5000). The Sigma 50mm HSM was the first to appear that provides autofocus with those consumer DSLR models, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G the second.

Before Nikon got around to updating their 50mm f/1.4, Sigma managed to sneak out their own version, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM. For a short time, it was the only fast fifty with an in-lens focus motor, though now it shares the table with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G AF-S.

50mm Sigma mounted on Nikon D60 DSLR

About 2.7" (68.2mm) long, 17.8 ounces (505g).

focus, 77mm filter size. Comes with petal hood, 9-blade aperture. Focuses to

AF/Manual switch, HSM lens focus motor, internal

Nikkor 50mm on left, Sigma 50mm on right.

An alternative to the Nikkor...

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Review

50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens Review by Thom Hogan