Anyone with experience with the Panasonic Lumix S 50mm 1.4 vs. Sigma's new or old fast 50.

[AdjusterBrett]

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The Panasonic has always been a bit ridiculous priced (for the weekend hack).  If your a Canon or Nikon pro shooter - its in line, but for me - its always seemed pretty darn high.  Granted, in comparison to the BIG L offering - its a pittance, but I'm pretty open to say - I don't deserve $5K SL, I'm a cheapo used buyer - I've bought over 60 cameras - only two were new.  So I've had the beast (sigma 105/1.4) and currently have the DG DN 85/1.4.  I'm pretty darned happy with the Sigma (newer) products (DG DN) as they are about 1/2 the weight of the predecessors - and considering its hanging off the starboard anchor (Pana S1) or the port anchor (SL) - weight can be a factor.  HOWEVER - with the recent release of the Sig 50/12. - and at a price just a bit over a used lumix s 50/1.4 - I was hoping someone here can actually give some REAL WORLD view of the value of the panasonic glass in comparison.  I find YouTube and most written reviews to be somewhat biased.  I do too much low light stuff - so she would likely spend most of the time on the 'shoot in the dark' S1.  Really, all I'm looking for is a character comparison between the Pana 50/1.4 and the Sigmas (1.4 and 1.2), and even Big L if you have it.  This is one of those I've been toying with for sometime - a piece of glass I'm likely to keep (and close) for a long time to come.  I do gobble up vintage at a ridiculous rate (lots of catch and release), but I've always a few natives along for the ride for guaranteed keepers - so just looking for anyone who has shot her (Pana 50/1.4) side by side with any other fast L mount 50, would also (bonus) love to here a comparison between it and the lil panasonic 50/1.8 (which I have).  As always, appreciate the latitude of allowing a weekend warrior to ask such vague questions.

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[Babylonia]

Last year, just some comparison test shots made in a camera shop as for the Lumix 50mm / F1.4
And Sigma 50mm / F1.4 - So no real pixel peeping scientific tests.

Lumix 50mm is to bulky / heavy. But sure, the better lens by LoCa characteristics, sharpness maybe also a tiny bit better.
Bought the Sigma 50mm / F1.4 and happy with it.

If I knew within a year a new Sigma / F1.2 should arrive, I have waited for that one.
From what I see by comparison tests at YouTube, the amount of LoCA is just a bit less - at least as for the colours shown.
Different LoCA colour --> a tiny bit more neutral for 50mm/1.2 - but not less amount --- than 50mm/1.4
And sharpness of 50mm/1.2 used at F1.4  is just a tiny bit better than Sigma 50mm/1.4 used wide open.

The focal length of the Sigma / F1.2 is just some what shorter than 50mm
The focal length of the Sigma / F1.4 is just some what longer than 50mm

Really noticeable when you compare images. (So could be nearly 5mm difference ??)

So by these difference in focal length, the shown DOF by these lenses wide open,
(50mm/1.2 by shorter focal length - less DOF separation --- 50mm/1.4 by longer focal length - more DOF separation).
Practically you can hardly notice any difference between these lenses both used wide open (it is just 1/3 EV difference).
So more or less "the same" bokeh / DOF separation. Bokeh wise there is no reason to buy the 50mm/1.2 IMO.
(€ 500,- difference).

50mm/1.2 has less distortion "uncorrected"

I think as for today, the new Sigma / F1.2 is the way to go. Optics are corrected just a tiny bit better.
(About same weigh = just a tiny bit less than 50mm/1.4).

But as I have already the 50mm/1.4 I don't sell it, by the bigger money loss now selling the old one and buying the new 50mm/1.2

Edited April 25, 2024 by Babylonia

[Almizilero]

The Panasonic 50/1.4 was the only lens that was on par with the Leica APO when I tested it. At F/2, it was sameish to better than the APO, plus the additional possibility of F1.4. Yes, it is very expensive new, but much cheaper used. Often between 900 and 1000 EUR.

But there seems some lack of quality control. One copy was a beast (the one besting the APO), another was absolutely terrible and a third middle of the road. I guess the Sigma 50/1.2 will be the better choice these days.

[oculaii]

On 4/25/2024 at 1:23 PM, Almizilero said:

The Panasonic 50/1.4 was the only lens that was on par with the Leica APO when I tested it. At F/2, it was sameish to better than the APO, plus the additional possibility of F1.4. Yes, it is very expensive new, but much cheaper used. Often between 900 and 1000 EUR.

But there seems some lack of quality control. One copy was a beast (the one besting the APO), another was absolutely terrible and a third middle of the road. I guess the Sigma 50/1.2 will be the better choice these days.

Yes, the 50mm S Pro is one of the best lens I have ever used. My sample is excellent at f1.4, better than the Summilux SL and GM f1.2 I had. At F2, it is just crazy good, I never used the 50mm APO but I'm sure the S Pro is close if not as good.

But like you said, Panasonic quality control is very bad in my experience, maybe it is better now, but in 2020/2021 when I bought my first samples of the 24-70mm and 70-200mm S Pro, I was very disappointed.
I never had an issue with my 50mm S Pro (yet), but I have a friend who had some issues with its sample, a sort of fog inside. It seems this issue is well know with this lens and the 24-105mm before 2022; it could explain why some old copies are terrible.

[Geoff C. Bassett]

The 50mm 1.4 is an incredible performer and the fastest focusing L mount lens. If you can handle the weight it's an incredible lens and well worth it used.

 

[Ivar B]

On 4/26/2024 at 5:08 PM, Geoff C. Bassett said:

The 50mm 1.4 is an incredible performer and the fastest focusing L mount lens. If you can handle the weight it's an incredible lens and well worth it used.

 

Agreed. But many still demand the Summilux-SL 1.4/50mm at several times the cost and in many aspects not performing as well. Leica enjoys a very loyal customer base.

[tom0511]

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Am 30.4.2024 um 10:06 schrieb Ivar B:

Agreed. But many still demand the Summilux-SL 1.4/50mm at several times the cost and in many aspects not performing as well. Leica enjoys a very loyal customer base.

in which aspect would it not perform well? (besides weight and price) For my taste its one of the best lenses in the SL system.

 

Edited June 27, 2024 by tom0511

[Dr. G]

I currently have in my possession the 50mm APO Summicron-SL, 50mm Summilux-SL (both my own) and the Sigma 50 1.2.  If I have a chance, I'll head out on Sunday with a tripod and see if I can take some comparison shots at each aperture.

Edited June 28, 2024 by Dr. G

[egrossman]

I own 3 L-mount lenses: 35 and 75mm APO-Summicron and the 50mm Sigma f2 DG DN. Obviously the APO lenses are better (and far more expensive) but a the trade-off of much more weight. Don’t knock the Sigma. The lens is very sharp, light and inexpensive (I bought mine used, like new, for $450).

Erik

[Dr. G]

1 hour ago, egrossman said:

I own 3 L-mount lenses: 35 and 75mm APO-Summicron and the 50mm Sigma f2 DG DN. Obviously the APO lenses are better (and far more expensive) but a the trade-off of much more weight. Don’t knock the Sigma. The lens is very sharp, light and inexpensive (I bought mine used, like new, for $450).

Erik

This is going to be a very unpopular opinion, but I still believe the 50 APO is slightly behind the 35 and 75 APO in terms of image quality.  My 35 APO in APS-C mode for a 52mm equivalent on my SL3 produces very slightly sharper images than my 50 APO.  

[egrossman]

I own the 50mm APO-M so buying the SL equivalent didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

 

[Ivar B]

23 hours ago, tom0511 said:

in which aspect would it not perform well? (besides weight and price) For my taste its one of the best lenses in the SL system.

 

There is no doubt that it performs well, but it is not better than the competition. It is not as sharp in the corners as for example the Panasonic 1.4/50. You see photographs showing this in Sead Reids review of this lens and 3 other fast 50mm lenses. He writes that "In the corners, resolution is fair wide open, improves at f2.0 and then is generally good from 2.8...The only exceptions to that are the very far corners which remain a little soft". This is also evident in Leicas own MTF graphs, although I believe that these graphs show performance prior to software corections. The APO-SL 2/50 is in a different league, although many like the way the SL 1.4/50 draws.