Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM |Art: First Look

The Sigma 50-100mm 1.8 DC HSM | Art is the latest addition to the art line. This designated crop sensor lens is the second lens to incorporate a constant 1.8 aperture through its entire focal range, with the 18-35mm 1.8 | Art being the first. My first impression with this lens (and this seems to be a common one for the Art line) is how solid it feels in the hand. The Global Vision lenses tend to have a more robust feel and weight to them than previous Sigma lenses, something I like in a lens. I am not the most gentle with my gear so it’s nice to have gear I know will stand up to the wear and tear I put them through.

I took the 50-100mm 1.8 DC HSM Art out for a few days to gather some images and showcase its strong points. This lens is for crop sensor cameras and I did my testing on a 70D. First thing I do when I get a new lens is plug it into my laptop with the Sigma USB DOCK, just to make sure its firmware is current. It’s a free software, Sigma Optimization Pro, and it takes 2 minutes to check this. If you are not familiar with the USB Dock, it allows you to connect any Global Vision lens to your laptop to update its firmware and do focus calibration. You can also do customization on lens performance for a few other lenses but for more info visit this page. Sigma was the first to pioneer this technology and give photographers more control over their gear.

So first thing’s first. Image Quality.  Simply put, we have another stellar Art lens here. Is it sharp? Beyond sharp.

I spent 2 days photographing this lens at F1.8 to push it, and not only did it hold its own but it surpassed my expectations again and again. The 50-100mm on a crop sensor makes this lens a 75-150mm, a sweet spot for portraits photographer. Being that I am more of a landscape and street shooter, I did my best to showcase the pure quality that this lens produces. We’ll be sure to get this in the hands of some talented portrait photographers to show its strong side on that front next. With the 9 blade rounded diaphragm, this lens creates creamy and dreamy bokeh and that 1.8 aperture allow the subject to be isolated.

Hiking through some trails on Mount Rainier, I found the tripod collar to be incredible useful and perfectly balanced with the 70D on my black rapids strap.

The 50-100 would be a great choice for those lifestyle and environment portrait photographers out there. Focusing on the 70D was flawless, no micro adjustment needed at all, it was quick and accurate. Close focusing on this lens is 37.4 inches, but please keep in mind that is from the image sensor, not from the front of the lens.

All in all I’m really excited to spend more time with this lens doing some portrait work as well as some video work. We will update the post with more imagery as it comes in.