Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art

Is Sigma's new designed-for-mirrorless fast prime a worthy successor to its ground-breaking predecessor? Andy Westlake finds out

- Andy Westlake

When Sigma released its 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for full-frame DSLRs back in 2014, it redefined our expectations of how large-aperture primes could perform. By using a large, complex optical design, it delivered stunning levels of sharpness, and rapidly became considered a modern classic. Now we have a DN successor that's specifically designed for mirrorless cameras, the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art. It's fair to say that expectations are high.

Compared to its illustrious predecessor, the DN version sports an all-new design with completely revamped optics. Physically it's lighter but a little longer, and it now boasts an aperture-control ring and weather-sealed construction. It's available in Sony E and L mounts.

With its 50mm focal length, this is a general-purpose optic that's suited to a wide range of subjects. Its f/1.4 aperture makes it particularly well suited to shooting in low light, or in situations when you wish to isolate your subject against a blurred background.

At £849, the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN is considerably more affordable than either the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM (£1,499) or the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm F1.4 (£2,000), and it's not much more expensive than the Samyang AF 50mm F1.4 FE II (£599). On paper, it surpasses the Samyang, thanks to its aperture ring, and offers similar features to the Sony and Lumix lenses. So could this be the best-buy 'fast fifty' for full-frame mirrorless users?

Features 

Sigma has built the 50mm F1.4 DG DN using an optical design with 14 elements in 11 groups, including one Super-Low Dispersion (SLD) glass element and three aspherical elements to suppress aberrations. The aperture diaphragm employs 11 curved blades with the aim of delivering attractive bokeh, while Super Multi-Layer Coating suppresses flare and ghosting.