The comparisons you do are by far the most helpful/informative side by sides I've seen. No gimmicks, no BS, just informative and very easy to watch/listen to. Thanks mate! Am picking up the Sigma 50mm Art second hand, so help you out by buying through affiliate link so dropped you a few $$ via the support link. Appreciate you work!
This was an exceptionally good comparison/review, and I say that having watched all of the major RUclips photography channels. You even made the resolution and focus analysis technically engaging without a test chart with all those patterns on it. That Sigma ART lens is a winner.
I'm somewhat new to photography but I've watched a lot of product reviews and comparisons. This should be a textbook example on how to do a short, concise and very informative review. A joy to watch.
The most comprehensive, straightforward and sensibly conscise video comparison on these two lenses out of the other five vids I've seen. Nice job. Thanks.
Your review was spectacular. Most camera reviewers read spec sheets and press releases or discuss strengths and weaknesses without concrete real world examples. Your video is extremely professional and well produced and I learned something having watched it. Thanks for taking the time to create valuable and stimulating content. Being a Nikon user, I would like to see you use your abilities to talk about what you see as the advantages and disadvantages of the Sony, Canon, and Nikon systems as well as the mirrorless Olympus and Fujifilm offerings.
Superb. No annoying talking heads or funny mannerisms, hairstyles, T-shirts. No showing off the expensive studio and it equipment, no name-dropping, no poorly disguised allusions to how great and successful you are. No bias to any brand (i.e. no fanboyism!). Just good, useful information, presented in a clear and interesting way. And although the Sigma lens seems to be the winner on most of the things tested we can still decide in favour of the Canon (lighter, weather sealed) when what we want most is a beautifully blurred background and maximum subject-separation. For landscapes and cityscapes, we can use a slower (and cheaper!) lens that is better corrected at smaller apertures but that would be necessary only if it made any difference at the sizes we print or display.
It's an awesome lens for bokeh, no doubt about that, and it's actually better on mirrorless, IMHO, since the direct focusing is more reliable with that shallow depth of field.
Good Comparison, thank you very much. My thoughs as i own the 85mm 1.2 and use it 85% of the time, at least: - Noise: doesn´t matter - Resolution: my 85mm 1.2 is cristal clear in the center, anything else doesn´t matter. Maybe i was just lucky. If you spend the extra buck because of 1.2 instead of 1.4 you (should) use it at 1.2 nearly all the time...if you use it at 1.4 mostly you bought the wrong lens. - Sealing: Matters! - Weight: Doensn´t matter - Vignette: lol i even like that, i add more in post - bad borders: doesn´t matter, this is no landscape or architecture Lense after all...and if you want to use it for that Stop 8 and Tripod are mandatory anyway. For my style it even helps if the center is the most importend section. - Bokeh: Next to sharp center the most important point. - Price: Does matter!
Great review. You have quite the presentation. I have a Sigma 1.8 which I love. Thinking of selling the Canon lenses I have and get this the 1.4 I appreciate your efforts here!
Wow! it's 9 years later and you blow most lens review channels out of the water. This was a breath of fresh air, most lens reviews are just weekend cheer leaders for what ever lens they found on ebay recently that they can write a review about. I swear you could put a trash kit lens from the 2010 in front of them and they would celebrate it and pull buzz words out their ass like film-like and "it has character".
This is the cream of reviews Matt. Thank you for not wasting our time. Subscribed for that fact alone! One question - in the later comparisons, you’ve listed both sides as Canon. Was that in error? You have Canon 50mm f/1.4 on the left and Canon 50mm f/1.2L on the right. Just curious. Thanks again for a STELLAR video. - David
Hey David, Glad you liked it :-) Yes, this video was my first attempt at using chunks of previous videos as templates to speed up production, and it led to all sorts of errors like that. I fixed some of them and re-published the video (which is where the (fixed) part of the title came from, but I didn't catch everything. Back when this was published, RUclips had a feature that allowed me to overlay the correct camera names, so I didn't need to upload a new copy, but that feature has since been disabled. Oh well :-) You probably got the general idea.
Matthew Gore - Thanks for answering back so quickly:) Yup, got the idea right away! I’m sold either way. Please keep the content coming if you can. Between you and Mark Bone, I’ll be up and running in no time. Thanks again Matt!✨
This is one of the best lens reviews i've ever seen. I am a Sigma fan. I am now glad to see that Sigma beats Canon with most of the conditions and specs including much less price. I just discovered your channel but i will also watch other reviews in a short while. I can simply say i will recommend this review to all my friends who are insisting Canon is much more better than Sigma. I use sigma 35mm 1.4 art and 35mm is incredible lens for weddings, landscape or Daily Street photography. Once again thanks for this helpful review.
Great review - I'm looking seriously at the Sigma (my first non-Canon L lens), so I was a little concerned, but your review clearly shows that the Sigma is better.
This was bloody brilliant. Have been trying to find a replacement for my nifty fifty 1.8, because it's softer than the results of a particularly spicy curry, and the detail you go in to has helped convince me (after my own in-store test shots with it too, versus Canon's ~£300 1.4) that the Sigma is definitely a good deal at the price it's at now. Thanks for being so thorough!
Another problem many review forgot to mention, sigma is actually darker than canon at the same aperture ISO shutter speed, about 2/3 stops maybe. Probably due to its lens coating.
Thanks for this excellent and detailed review. I like your systematic approach the review, a good pace to the commentary and clear crisp graphics on screen. The only thing I would change would be to see the vignetting examples individually rather than both at once, it's hard to focus on the detail on the two screens. This video is the best lens comparison of these two lenses I have seen. Thanks again!
IMPORTANT! The Canon is actually longer than 50 and the Sigma is a true 50. Most big brand 50mm lenses are actually 51.something millimeters because that's just one of those photography things handed down from the past when 50mm lenses weren't precisely 50.
Great comparison video, I own the Sigma and gave my nifty fifty away. Sigma 50 is an amazing lens but is heavy as you pointed out. Thought about changing to a larger 1.2 aperture but this video has convinced me to continue bearing the weight. Sigma garners quite a few compliments on it’s appearance and the magazine quality photos. They can make an everyday pic look like a professional photoshoot product.
Mark Nakib Thanks Mark! You're one of 8 people who have supported my channel since I've started accepting fan funding. It's an elite group :) And it's already been a big help... I'm working on my next video now. All my gratitude - Matt
Well, personally, you've had a hand in 3 lens purchases already for me. You've saved me probably over $1000, so it's the least I can do. I wish I had more than $5 to give but I'll try to keep it coming in the future as long as you keep putting out such quality stuff.
I have the sigma since three years and used it for a lot of jobs, extremely sharp lens, but it's too heavy (I use 50mm as my main lens for 95% of my pictures) and often has an unimpressive rendering, lacks a lot of pop and micro contrast. It's an old lens and everything but I find the Canon 50mm 1.2 to have a lot more character and microcontrast, I'm going to switch between the two. Then, if your main purpose is shooting landscapes wide open ok maybe sigma is a better choice, but for portraiture (and shooting people in general) there's no competition between the two. And, sigma 50mm is often inconsistent in focusing, at least my copy but I read that it's a really common issue, more likely than not.
You just saved me hundreds of dollars!!! Thanks for putting so much time and effort into your reviews, they really help make it very clear that "L" might just stand for "Loser"
You do a fantastic job sir! Thank you for sharing! I've been on the hunt for a good 50mm going from Canon's 1.2 to the 1.4 for faster focus, then the Tamron 45mm and I'm getting my 1.8 fixed this week. I think I might have to try out the Sigma. Every photog needs a good, reliable 50!
Very nice comparison. Really appreciate. But a lot of people use 50mm for indoor portraits where the sharpness matters in the subject area only. It would have been great to see some indoor portraits comparison. But thanks a lot for the nice comparison.
Reggie Brown I actually think Christopher Frost's testing of resolution leaves something to be desired. He takes one frame at a certain focal length and f-stop, and judges both center and corner sharpness from that same image, without refocusing for the corners. So if he tests a lens that has field curvature, that lens may actually be capable of better resolution than his results show.
Matthew, thanks for your review again I was thinking to get the canon 50mm f 1.2.....until i watch this now....Should i go for Sigma? Great video. Plus the Sigma is about $400 cheaper? Thanks!
+LOLA'S STUDIO Unless you really don't like the bokeh on the Sigma (some people don't, I guess), I'd go with the Sigma. It's very sharp, and the AF is pretty fast and reliable. Not much wrong with it, except that it's big and heavy for a 50mm lens.
+Matthew Gore I like the bokeh on the Sigma more hahaha and yes most pix from the Sigma lens are sharper than the Canon....But yes it is bigger and heavier.......but that is $400 diff....Thanks again for your quick response.
Clipped bokeh circles and onion rings are not exactly attractive in terms of bokeh so I'd take the Sigma over the Canon 1.2 any day. There's also no point having soft backgrounds if nothing is particularly sharp in the photo, which seems to be the case with the Canon lens.
For a super fast prime, nobody wants to shoot at f8. In fact, if you are at f8, chances are you should be using an ND filter. Their core reason to be is for portraits or other similar concepts where you are isolating the subject at all costs. IMO, YMMV. Of course there are exceptions, but at f8 why choose the Canon f1.2 L over the f1.8 STM? There is no logical reason. On the other hand, the reasons for choosing these lenses over much cheaper options are really art reasons. It is incredibly difficult to measure such things. So we focus on the measurables. But ask Julia Trotti why she loves the Canon f1.2. And she's no dummy. And the usage also comes into play for specialty things like astrophotography where the Sigma atomizes the Canon into lens dust. Having barked and complained and whinged like a petulant child, I still enjoyed your review and found it useful.
The comparisons you do are by far the most helpful/informative side by sides I've seen. No gimmicks, no BS, just informative and very easy to watch/listen to. Thanks mate! Am picking up the Sigma 50mm Art second hand, so help you out by buying through affiliate link so dropped you a few $$ via the support link. Appreciate you work!
Thanks Nathan :-)
This was an exceptionally good comparison/review, and I say that having watched all of the major RUclips photography channels. You even made the resolution and focus analysis technically engaging without a test chart with all those patterns on it. That Sigma ART lens is a winner.
bro this is how you do a review. You killed this shit man, appreciate the time you spent on this!
This is the best lens reviewer I ever seen! So informative!
Him and Christopher Frost are my favorites.
I'm somewhat new to photography but I've watched a lot of product reviews and comparisons. This should be a textbook example on how to do a short, concise and very informative review. A joy to watch.
The most comprehensive, straightforward and sensibly conscise video comparison on these two lenses out of the other five vids I've seen. Nice job. Thanks.
Your comparison of image sharpness and quality is very nice and clear. I really appreciate that. Great video.
Your review was spectacular. Most camera reviewers read spec sheets and press releases or discuss strengths and weaknesses without concrete real world examples. Your video is extremely professional and well produced and I learned something having watched it. Thanks for taking the time to create valuable and stimulating content. Being a Nikon user, I would like to see you use your abilities to talk about what you see as the advantages and disadvantages of the Sony, Canon, and Nikon systems as well as the mirrorless Olympus and Fujifilm offerings.
Matthew, your comparison is flawless!
It is just another perfect review of yours.
Thanks a lot.
Best lens review I have ever watched, technical and evidence based. I usually don't comment on videos but had to let you know.
Cheers,
Superb. No annoying talking heads or funny mannerisms, hairstyles, T-shirts. No showing off the expensive studio and it equipment, no name-dropping, no poorly disguised allusions to how great and successful you are. No bias to any brand (i.e. no fanboyism!). Just good, useful information, presented in a clear and interesting way. And although the Sigma lens seems to be the winner on most of the things tested we can still decide in favour of the Canon (lighter, weather sealed) when what we want most is a beautifully blurred background and maximum subject-separation. For landscapes and cityscapes, we can use a slower (and cheaper!) lens that is better corrected at smaller apertures but that would be necessary only if it made any difference at the sizes we print or display.
My R6 and the canon 50mm 1.2 L really gives unique pics. The bokeh is legendary.
It's an awesome lens for bokeh, no doubt about that, and it's actually better on mirrorless, IMHO, since the direct focusing is more reliable with that shallow depth of field.
You forgot to mention the main selling point of the cannon at least for me : Weather Sealing
Good Comparison, thank you very much.
My thoughs as i own the 85mm 1.2 and use it 85% of the time, at least:
- Noise: doesn´t matter
- Resolution: my 85mm 1.2 is cristal clear in the center, anything else doesn´t matter. Maybe i was just lucky.
If you spend the extra buck because of 1.2 instead of 1.4 you (should) use it at 1.2 nearly all the time...if you use it at 1.4 mostly you bought the wrong lens.
- Sealing: Matters!
- Weight: Doensn´t matter
- Vignette: lol i even like that, i add more in post
- bad borders: doesn´t matter, this is no landscape or architecture Lense after all...and if you want to use it for that Stop 8 and Tripod are mandatory anyway.
For my style it even helps if the center is the most importend section.
- Bokeh: Next to sharp center the most important point.
- Price: Does matter!
ive watched a looot of lens/camera reviews but this was so far the best, in depth, on point review ive ever watched
Great review. You have quite the presentation. I have a Sigma 1.8 which I love. Thinking of selling the Canon lenses I have and get this the 1.4 I appreciate your efforts here!
Due to videos like these, you are my go to guy for lens comparisons. Thanks for this!
Thanks, John, glad you find them useful!
Hey, Matthew. Nicely put together and presented video. Thanks, Man
Seriously the best review I've ever seen. I wish all reviews were this good
Thanks buddy. Really detailed comparison. Couldn't wait to see your next 1635IS review.
Wow! it's 9 years later and you blow most lens review channels out of the water. This was a breath of fresh air, most lens reviews are just weekend cheer leaders for what ever lens they found on ebay recently that they can write a review about. I swear you could put a trash kit lens from the 2010 in front of them and they would celebrate it and pull buzz words out their ass like film-like and "it has character".
Your reviews are better than some of FStoppers. Great work!
Thanks!
This is the cream of reviews Matt. Thank you for not wasting our time. Subscribed for that fact alone! One question - in the later comparisons, you’ve listed both sides as Canon. Was that in error? You have Canon 50mm f/1.4 on the left and Canon 50mm f/1.2L on the right. Just curious. Thanks again for a STELLAR video. - David
Hey David, Glad you liked it :-) Yes, this video was my first attempt at using chunks of previous videos as templates to speed up production, and it led to all sorts of errors like that. I fixed some of them and re-published the video (which is where the (fixed) part of the title came from, but I didn't catch everything. Back when this was published, RUclips had a feature that allowed me to overlay the correct camera names, so I didn't need to upload a new copy, but that feature has since been disabled. Oh well :-) You probably got the general idea.
Matthew Gore - Thanks for answering back so quickly:) Yup, got the idea right away! I’m sold either way. Please keep the content coming if you can. Between you and Mark Bone, I’ll be up and running in no time. Thanks again Matt!✨
The best comparison I have ever seen on these two lenses.
This is one of the best lens reviews i've ever seen. I am a Sigma fan. I am now glad to see that Sigma beats Canon with most of the conditions and specs including much less price. I just discovered your channel but i will also watch other reviews in a short while. I can simply say i will recommend this review to all my friends who are insisting Canon is much more better than Sigma. I use sigma 35mm 1.4 art and 35mm is incredible lens for weddings, landscape or Daily Street photography. Once again thanks for this helpful review.
Wouv... No shitting around, just pure necessary info.. Congrats man.... What a good review...
I can't tank you enough for making such a perfect video
The age of watching reviews that absolutely suck has ended. Thank you for this review, it definitely determined what I am going to purchase.
Great review - I'm looking seriously at the Sigma (my first non-Canon L lens), so I was a little concerned, but your review clearly shows that the Sigma is better.
This was bloody brilliant. Have been trying to find a replacement for my nifty fifty 1.8, because it's softer than the results of a particularly spicy curry, and the detail you go in to has helped convince me (after my own in-store test shots with it too, versus Canon's ~£300 1.4) that the Sigma is definitely a good deal at the price it's at now. Thanks for being so thorough!
Same!
the reviews you do keeps everything real and authentic to the lenses!
Another problem many review forgot to mention, sigma is actually darker than canon at the same aperture ISO shutter speed, about 2/3 stops maybe. Probably due to its lens coating.
Dxomark shows Sigma transmission at 1.8 and canon at 1.5
Thanks for this excellent and detailed review. I like your systematic approach the review, a good pace to the commentary and clear crisp graphics on screen. The only thing I would change would be to see the vignetting examples individually rather than both at once, it's hard to focus on the detail on the two screens. This video is the best lens comparison of these two lenses I have seen. Thanks again!
Really great video, seriously man.. fantastic
u just got a new subscriber! best comparison video I have watched
Thanks James! It was a fun one to make :-)
thank you, this is the best sigma 50 1.4 art review video on youtube
thank you for a very informative and precise review of these two lenses!
just purchased the Sigma 50mm, thanks for the great review!
Hey Josh, glad you found it useful :-) Enjoy the new lens!
Really phenomenal work on this review. Continue on with this format, please.
IMPORTANT! The Canon is actually longer than 50 and the Sigma is a true 50. Most big brand 50mm lenses are actually 51.something millimeters because that's just one of those photography things handed down from the past when 50mm lenses weren't precisely 50.
Very competent and complete review, well done!
wow!!! very nicely done!!! very informative and helpful!
Thank you so much Matthew for the helpful and informative comparison video! God bless, good luck and keep creating!
Very nice explanation.
Hey man, that was a great review and very helpful. Thanks for helping me decide.
Glad it was helpful!
Now, in 2021, Canon 50mm 1.2 focuses just great with R-cameras!
And its picture is better to my eyes.
One of the best video on lens comparison. To the point. Thanks.
Great comparison video, I own the Sigma and gave my nifty fifty away. Sigma 50 is an amazing lens but is heavy as you pointed out. Thought about changing to a larger 1.2 aperture but this video has convinced me to continue bearing the weight. Sigma garners quite a few compliments on it’s appearance and the magazine quality photos. They can make an everyday pic look like a professional photoshoot product.
WoW your reviews are just the best!
Your stuff is very helpful and I really appreciate it! Keep at it, for all of our sakes!
Mark Nakib Thanks Mark! You're one of 8 people who have supported my channel since I've started accepting fan funding. It's an elite group :) And it's already been a big help... I'm working on my next video now. All my gratitude -
Matt
Well, personally, you've had a hand in 3 lens purchases already for me. You've saved me probably over $1000, so it's the least I can do. I wish I had more than $5 to give but I'll try to keep it coming in the future as long as you keep putting out such quality stuff.
So glad you included night shots mate.
Very thorough review great work!
Respect, this video is all I ever wanted. You keep at it.
Very informative about the distortion ,very nicely explained !
2022 see again thank you
Brilliant take. All plausible doubts answered. Thank you.
This video is amazing!! Great job! You deserve way more subscribers!
Insane video comparison! Very very well done, thank you!
Glad you liked it :-)
Thanks, Matthew! Good job!
I have the sigma since three years and used it for a lot of jobs, extremely sharp lens, but it's too heavy (I use 50mm as my main lens for 95% of my pictures) and often has an unimpressive rendering, lacks a lot of pop and micro contrast. It's an old lens and everything but I find the Canon 50mm 1.2 to have a lot more character and microcontrast, I'm going to switch between the two. Then, if your main purpose is shooting landscapes wide open ok maybe sigma is a better choice, but for portraiture (and shooting people in general) there's no competition between the two. And, sigma 50mm is often inconsistent in focusing, at least my copy but I read that it's a really common issue, more likely than not.
Found your channel through /r/photography. Fantastic, to the point, lens comparison/review. Thank you.
great presentation in your videos man, thanks for the info
Excellent comparison! Very informative and well-produced. Earned a subscriber in me! :)
The best explanation I've ever seen
You have done it so simply. amazing job.
such a wonderfully detailed video!!!
Brilliant, concise and informative review!
+Joseph Campos Thanks!
You just saved me hundreds of dollars!!! Thanks for putting so much time and effort into your reviews, they really help make it very clear that "L" might just stand for "Loser"
The best review of Sigma Art 50 ever .. thank you !
You do a fantastic job sir! Thank you for sharing! I've been on the hunt for a good 50mm going from Canon's 1.2 to the 1.4 for faster focus, then the Tamron 45mm and I'm getting my 1.8 fixed this week. I think I might have to try out the Sigma. Every photog needs a good, reliable 50!
Oh and I'm from Seattle as well! www.nakean.com
All of the reviews are super accurate, will done!!!
great information. stuck between these two but i've come closer to a decision thanks to this.
Awesome!! Congrats for the great work.
Thank you for yr reviews very well made and to the point
I'm in the market for a new lense and this review was really helpful. I appreciate it.
this is incredibly helpful 🙏🏻 thank you so much
Please keep posting, excellent review!
Awesome job dude!
hi Matt, waiting for rewiev of Tamron 15-30
Very nice comparison. Really appreciate. But a lot of people use 50mm for indoor portraits where the sharpness matters in the subject area only. It would have been great to see some indoor portraits comparison. But thanks a lot for the nice comparison.
You and Christopher Frost make the best lens review videos!
Reggie Brown I actually think Christopher Frost's testing of resolution leaves something to be desired. He takes one frame at a certain focal length and f-stop, and judges both center and corner sharpness from that same image, without refocusing for the corners. So if he tests a lens that has field curvature, that lens may actually be capable of better resolution than his results show.
wrong
Thank you. Can you throw in a nifty-fifty into your comparison?
why did it switch at 8:44
Read the video description :-)
@@MatthewGore thanks, bought the sigma, couldnt be any happier
Nice review but weather sealing forgotten (pros for cannon)
Very nice comparison. Thanks Matthew :)
this is so good, really in depth
Agree, very nice review!
Matthew, thanks for your review again I was thinking to get the canon 50mm f 1.2.....until i watch this now....Should i go for Sigma? Great video. Plus the Sigma is about $400 cheaper? Thanks!
+LOLA'S STUDIO Unless you really don't like the bokeh on the Sigma (some people don't, I guess), I'd go with the Sigma. It's very sharp, and the AF is pretty fast and reliable. Not much wrong with it, except that it's big and heavy for a 50mm lens.
+Matthew Gore I like the bokeh on the Sigma more hahaha and yes most pix from the Sigma lens are sharper than the Canon....But yes it is bigger and heavier.......but that is $400 diff....Thanks again for your quick response.
I have owned the canon 50mm 1.2 and i would say definitely go with the sigma!
i have and sigma and canon on sony a7sll ///sigma good for contrast image/not for art/// bokeh is absent/////canon is art.and best for me
Clipped bokeh circles and onion rings are not exactly attractive in terms of bokeh so I'd take the Sigma over the Canon 1.2 any day. There's also no point having soft backgrounds if nothing is particularly sharp in the photo, which seems to be the case with the Canon lens.
Best review of anything tech. brilliant
Takes a soft portrait lens, tests it on sharp cityscape and forest :D I'd take the canon 50 1,2 any day for portraits and people! )
this is so cool! thanks, mate! very useful! couldn't understand if I should buy Sigma, but now the decision is made.
This is the best comparison of two lenses I ever saw...very helpful statistics! Thanks a lot !
Wow i love the photo comparisons
Excellent review .
For a super fast prime, nobody wants to shoot at f8. In fact, if you are at f8, chances are you should be using an ND filter. Their core reason to be is for portraits or other similar concepts where you are isolating the subject at all costs. IMO, YMMV. Of course there are exceptions, but at f8 why choose the Canon f1.2 L over the f1.8 STM? There is no logical reason. On the other hand, the reasons for choosing these lenses over much cheaper options are really art reasons. It is incredibly difficult to measure such things. So we focus on the measurables. But ask Julia Trotti why she loves the Canon f1.2. And she's no dummy. And the usage also comes into play for specialty things like astrophotography where the Sigma atomizes the Canon into lens dust. Having barked and complained and whinged like a petulant child, I still enjoyed your review and found it useful.
excellent comparison- many thanks
You're videos are top notch!
great review really happy i watched this now before buying a new 50mm
Great review dude, earned a subscriber. Gonna get the Sigma 50mm 1.4 for my A7R, wish me luck with the focusing haha
Very thorough! Thank you so much!