Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens price set below $1,000

Sigma has officially announced the price and release date of its new 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens for full frame cameras.

Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show 2014, the new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens has been well-received across the world. Photographers have been eager for a long time to find out its release date as well as its price.

These feelings intensified a few days ago when the first Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens review was posted. The verdict has been clear: this product trumps both the Canon and Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lenses. Furthermore, there are good reasons to believe that it is nearing the optical quality of the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4.

One rumor has said that Sigma will launch its lens in late April for $800, while another one has said that it is coming in June for $1,000. Well, if you combine the two speculations, you will get very close to the official information. According to the Japanese company, its new Art lens will become available by the end of April 2014 for a price of $949.

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens price and release date finally official

The price and release date of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens have become official: late April for $949.

Several sources have revealed that Sigma will finally announce the availability details of the 50mm f/1.4 Art lens on April 11. The day has come and it is a bearer of good news, as the price does not go over $1,000.

Its biggest rival will be the Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon T* lens, which is available for $3,990 at Amazon. Another important competitor will be the Nikon 58mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor lens, which is priced just a little under the $1,700 mark at the same retailer.

The Japanese corporation will release the optic in Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Sigma mounts for only $949 this April. It has been designed for full frame cameras, although it will work with APS-C sensors in some cases, too.

More info regarding Sigma’s new 50mm f/1.4 Art lens

The MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) chart of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens.

The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens features an optical design made out of 13 elements divided into eight groups, including aspherical and SLD (Super Low Dispersion) elements.

It provides a magnification of 0.18x and comes with a floating focus system. Additionally, the Hyper Sonic Motor drives the focus system, while the Super Multi-Layer Coating cuts down reflections in order to nullify ghosting and flare.

This lens supports the Sigma USB dock, allowing users to tweak their product and to install firmware updates. Moreover, it is covered by the Mount Conversion System, should users decide to change their camera type.

At the time of writing this article, B&H PhotoVideo was the only retailer offering the lens for pre-order at the manufacturer’s suggested price.