Lens shootout: Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN vs Sony GM vs Nikon Z / Leica SL3

#Sigma50mmf12 #Sony #Leica #Nikon
Ready for the ultimate 50mm f/1.2 lens showdown? Today, I'm comparing the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN, the Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM, and the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S as well as how it performs on the Leica SL3. Also included is the Megadap ETZ21 Pro mounted to the Z9.
Will take a look at:
Sharpness: Which lens delivers the most detail wide open and stopped down?
Autofocus: Testing speed and accuracy for stills and video.
Build & Handling: Which feels best in the hand?
Whether you're a Sony, Nikon, or L-mount shooter (Leica SL3), this video will help you decide which of these premium 50mm lenses is right for you.
Sigma 50mm f1.2 DG DN Lens: bhpho.to/3UnWCRS
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Camera: Nikon Z8 bhpho.to/4b3WNYj
Nikkor S 105 f2.8 Micro bhpho.to/3UnmD3I
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Display Cabinet: Terravault
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[@patricktobiasz532]

Great Video Bobby! I have both Sony and Nikon Cameras. I was thinking of buying the E mount version of this lens and adapting on my Z8 and using more natively on my A7111. Question will I get decent action shots with it using the Z8? Will the autofocus do a respectable job at 20 frames per second? Thank you sir!

[@btonelli]

@@patricktobiasz532 I’ve used the megadap adapter with some good success so I think you will be okay. It’s a good option

[@laurapodrasky9687]

Thank you for the review. I have the SL Summilux and use it on my SL3 and it is becoming my favorite combo. I rarely stop it down.

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching. The SL Summilux is a fantastic lens to this day. It’s meant to shoot wide open so that’s the best way to use it :)

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Hello Bobby, This 50 is really appealing. But how does it compare to the Leica 50mm f/1,4 SL Summilux ? what would be your recommendation over these 2 50mm if budget is not an issue? On a pure poetic point of view...

[@btonelli]

Working on that comparison actually

[@ericshutter5305]

Need the Sigma on (native) Z-mount :)

[@btonelli]

Hopefully someday soon

[@roscot40]

@@ericshutter5305 that’s a no-brainier purchase squire and you’re spot on. I will definitely be buying one, if it makes it across… along with the Tamron anniversary 35 1.4.

[@georged3553]

Not apples to apples, but what about the Sigma 50 1.2 vs the 50 Summilux-SL?

[@ApertureViews]

The real question everyone wants answered.

[@btonelli]

Will try and borrow an SL Summilux to compare

[@thierry1491]

I have the Sigma 85 1.4 and 35mm 2.0. Limited tests on my newly received SL3. Love them. Great results. A bargain compared to Leica lenses. I also got the 14-24 from Sigma which I will test for the next two weeks during my vacation. Next one will be the Sigma 70-200 ;-). Thanks for your reviews because you are one of the guys who got me into Sigma leases 🙏🏻

[@btonelli]

Most welcome! Glad I could help

[@muhammedyusufkurt4367]

@thierry1491 I have exactly the same lenses but with the SL2 😊

[@raksh9]

As soon as I saw the announcement, I came to your channel because I just knew you would have a review!

[@btonelli]

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the video

[@I922sParkCir]

If you have to shoot it all day at an event, would you say this one or the Sony f1.4 GM is the way to go?

[@btonelli]

Tough choice. If you need the half stop more than this but the Sony 1.4 is a solid lens and optically very close to the 1.2 Also depends on your ability to carry the equipment for long periods of time

[@孫振新]

I was at the Porsche Singapore Classic too watching Svensson winning the playoff. With the 50mm you have to get pretty close to him against the crowd to get that shot. The bokeh from f1.2 blurring out the people in front and behind is nice. ❤

[@btonelli]

Thanks. Yes I was walking past as he was signing autographs so was lucky to snap a shot. Btw great playoff!

[@caffeinatedcameras]

I sold all of my Canon RF to go sigma EF and no regrets. Got a few of the Sigma F2 contemporary for my SL2S and they’re wonderful. The 70-200 and the 500mm are very very tempting - Sigma is crushing it

[@btonelli]

Indeed. The f2 are really good lenses. This one is quite special I would say

[@tonyh4266]

Hi, I’m going to get this lens for my Z9 & Z8, I already use the megadapt. I love Sigma Primes, 20mm f1.4, 85mm f1.4 70mmx200mm f2.8 and now this beauty too. Happy days!! Thank you for the review…… TonyH

[@btonelli]

Awesome choice!! The adapter works well with it. Hopefully Sigma makes native Z mount primes soon

[@emeryfred]

megadap is not a good choice. average quality, firmware upgrade issue, awfull services. and 50 1.2 S is so great with real look, not as banal sigma rendering

[@btonelli]

@@emeryfredworks well for me and updates were relatively easy to do.

[@sromrell]

Again your example photos are stunning. Do you have presets that you offer.

[@btonelli]

Thank you. I’ll be coming out with some soon

[@tobiashupf]

It's crazy how beautiful the pictures are with the SL3...

[@btonelli]

Wait till I show images from the 50 1.4 SL Summilux

[@georged3553]

@@btonelli When is this video coming? You know I have the Lux and the APO. Just got the 50 1.2 to try today, but I'm really curious to see your images as well.

[@Evrce]

@@georged3553 price and weight aside, which of the three do you like the most

[@frankfeng2701]

Great for L mount. Okay for E-mount. 85 1.2 would have been great for both mounts.

[@btonelli]

Yes agree. I think we may see that from Sigma if they keep pushing the boundaries like this

[@sithbk0075]

I really liked Sigma 85mm 1.4 art series for my Nikon F/Z mount. Now I also have 85mm 1.4 to pair w my Leica SL2s and it produced stunning images. I’m waiting for Sigma to offers their art line lenses for Nikon Z mount. I tried Megadap adapter to use with Tamron 35-150mm 2-2.8 and never got the adapter to work. Megadap sent me a replacement and it still failed. Must be their first gen Z adapter.

[@btonelli]

Yes the first adapter had issues. The new ETZ21 is actually quite good! I’ve recorded a video here on the channel with it no issues. Also works with the latest firmware. If you get it make sure you have a couple micro USB cables to use for the updating process. It’s quite picky which cable it likes or doesn’t

[@jamesjackson4264]

But they make that lens for Nikon now.

[@tatjanapodsibjakina3136]

@@jamesjackson4264really? ❤

[@dirk.4711]

How is it at F2.0 vs. the Sigma 50/2.0?

[@btonelli]

Sharper than the Sigma 50 f2

[@thoaibox]

I'm honestly considering this lens for my nikon ZF with the adapter over the native nikon simply due to the size Thanks for actually showing it on the Z mount!

[@btonelli]

No problem! It works well and for the size definitely one to consider

[@shlawchablaas]

I got the ZF and use it with the Nikkor 50mm 1.2 S, and I have to say the ergonomics are my least favorite thing about it. It’s ok 2 handed, but uncomfortable 1 handed with any grip setup I have tried so far (body only, Smallrig, JJC). On the Z6 by contrast I have always felt the ergos were fantastic, even with the 50 or 70-200mm S. IQ-wise though, stunning lens, I highly recommend it in every other respect.

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

I was wondering about the Sigma vs Nikon Z and I found your video. It seems to be a great lens to adapt to Nikon Z, much cheaper than the Nikon one. Your voice sounds like you put a very heavy noise reducer filter on it.

[@btonelli]

Yeah there was an issue with the audio file. I tried multiple times to fix it but not sure what happened. Even re-recorded the video. Since then been working on settings to try and fix the issue. Hopefully the next video is better

[@A1000Truths]

So I rented this lenses and returned it in a day. Not because it’s bad but simply because it’s large and heavy which I anticipated. Paired with the SL3 it’s a pretty heavy setup. Seriously prefer the Sigma F2 lenses for size and weight along with/ image quality

[@btonelli]

With the SL3 it’s definitely a bigger setup but the image quality is there and I prefer it to the Sigma 50mm f1.4

[@sanjayvijayanathan5038]

Very interesting - thanks! Counter intuitively - I just picked up the sigma 50mm 1.4 DG DN , understanding that the 1.2 was the champ and what I had intended to pick up when I walked in the store. my ‘easy photo’ go bag is a peak 5L sling, with a7r4 and a Tamron 28-75 2.8,and a 70-180 2.8, with a Sony 50mm 2.5 G - and that combo works for me. On the rare occasions I need a wider aperture I figured the 1.4 would be fine factoring a £100 discount making it 60%of the cost of the 1.2. Also thanks, I love seeing content from Singapore (and Malaysia)

[@RobertFalconer1967]

The Sigma 50 f/1.2 on the SL3 seems like a very appealing proposition. Does Leica have any equivalent glass for L mount (I haven't been paying close enough attention to L mount releases)? One of the things that Leica (and Nikon, actually) are known for is maintaining color consistency across most of their glass within a given system. This has a lot to do with the integrated coatings they select. Having not experimented with contemporary Sigma glass, I don't know if they're being as meticulous in this regard, but all their other metrics are pretty stellar, there's no denying it. If Sigma starts making native Z mount glass things will get very interesting, indeed. No bad systems today.

[@btonelli]

Hi Robert, the only fast aperture lens that Leica has is the SL Summilux which is stellar optically. A bit slow on AF but the IQ is there. Sigma has come a long way from years back and the color consistency is there with this lens especially. Will try and borrow a SL Summilux to compare if possible.

[@RobertFalconer1967]

@@btonelli To my knowledge Leica has never made anything like an 85mm f/1.4 (to say nothing of f/1.2), and not in L-Mount. Closest they came was the Summilux-M 75mm f/1.4, I think, which was an Ernst Leitz Canada optic from back in 1990, if memory serves.

[@btonelli]

They did make the R mount 85mm f1.4 which can be adapted. Its optics so resemble the 75 Summilux in some ways but maybe slightly sharper. F1.2 was only the Noctilux of 1966 but since then never a modern 1.2.

[@RobertFalconer1967]

@@btonelli Ahhhh, the Leica Summilux-R 80mm f/1.4, from 1980-2009. Didn't actually know about that one. Very cool. Thanks for the heads up.

[@btonelli]

@@RobertFalconer1967 no prob. The R mount has some fans but not many M users tried them

[@rogerdodger689]

Yep. They’re sure on fire!

[@btonelli]

Yes. Really creating some great lenses as of late

[@jliang70]

Another very good review. I have many Sigma lenses for both Sony and Canon EF mount. On the Sony E mount I have 24, 28, 40, 85 and 105mm F1.4 primes. And another 5 primes on EF mount. Sigma prime lenses generally represent the best performance/buck and in term of their build quality as good as many first party lenses, I actually prefer their build quality over some of the GM lenses. In Australia we generally pay a pretty fair price for Sigma lenses and sometimes even cheaper than the rest of the world. I picked up 28mm and 40mm F1.4 two years ago for about 764 Australian dollar each (about $500 US dollar), Sony limits the burst rate on third party lenses to 15 frame/sec, but for a lens like this I doubt I will be firing off 30 frame/sec. 15 should be plenty for most , just out of curiosity does Z9 also impose burst rate on third party lenses ? My EF mount lenses are generally use to complement my Fuji GFX system, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm and 135mm Sigma cover the GFX sensor very well. There is also another F1.2 series of lenses on the horizon from Viltrox lab 35mm F1.2, 50mm F1.2 and 85mm F1.2 but on E and Z mounts.

[@btonelli]

Thanks! Good to know on pricing in Australia. Here in Singapore they come in quite reasonable and many stores will offer some discounts when asked. From my experience the Z system doesn’t limit the performance of the camera with third party lenses. So far everything is okay. Hope Sony changes this mindset going forward. I understand they want to sell their lenses and they will, but limiting performance feels a bit wrong in some ways

[@dunknmoj]

Wow! You really have awesome cameras! Would love to try that soon. ❤ Thanks for the amazing videl

[@btonelli]

Thanks for watching!

[@iamhassan9943]

Thank you for continuing to test on L Mount. Just so you know, we are out there (In my best X-Files voice 😅). And appreciate your work!

[@btonelli]

Hahaha yes indeed. Will be a great lens for the L Mount cameras

[@Anatol19066]

Sigma lens is good but.. i gonna keep my Canon 1:0.95 50mm . It works great on SL2s and will do its job on GFX100-2..

[@btonelli]

Also a good lens!

[@jliang70]

Canon 50mm F0.95 does not cover the Fuji GFX sensor as well as Sigma DG HSM 50mm F1.4, I have this one for GFX-100S it covers the sensor completely. I also tried Light Lens Lab Elcan on GFX, Elcan works well for most of head shots as the vignette only starts to appear after focus distance reach 1.5 meters. Sigma DG HSM 50mm is pretty cheap on the 2nd hand market I picked up for about $400.

[@btonelli]

@@jliang70good to know on the 50mm f1.4. Still to this day a great lens from Sigma.

[@aiseurnae5976]

The 50mm S Pro is also excellent.

[@btonelli]

Agree. Love that lens

[@roscot40]

It’s big for a 1.4… but it’s a lovely optic. I almost got an S1R when they came out on the strength of that beast.

[@seanbrucemedia5695]

Absolutely! I own the S Pro 50 and am hopeful for a couple of high quality S Pro 50 f1.4 vs Sigma Art 50 f1.2 photo & video shootouts!

[@btonelli]

@@seanbrucemedia5695 I have the lens with me so I can do it. I’ll try to get the SL Summilux so I can do a three way comparison

[@seanbrucemedia5695]

@@btonelli Wow!! Thanks! That's gonna be a gorgeous buffet of 3D Pop & Silky Bokehliciousness! LOL! Can't wait!

[@LOLA6ifyable]

Seems like a great lense , I own the Nikon 50 1.2 Love it , but why did it have to be so big ???? (mount? ) I'll wait a bit and see if they relase it to Nikon , but I won't hold my breath, enjoy Sony / L mount users :)

[@btonelli]

Yeah Nikon needs to work on making smaller lenses haha, but optically they are fantastic.

[@jliang70]

@@btonelli Are they following the Sigma? Remember Sigma's 40mm and 105mm F1.4, two lenses which were known to be near optical perfection at the time but build like little bazooka, but their quality still stand after 6 years.

[@btonelli]

@@jliang70perhaps. I know Nikon prides themselves more on optical performance vs size for quite some time, but do feel they could reduce the size of the 50 a bit.

[@halvorevensen1840]

That Nikon looks like a 70-200 🤣

[@btonelli]

Haha yeah. It’s a big lens!

[@roscot40]

It’s enormous, but across the board performance IQ wise (only), its optics are unbelievable. Sony 1.2 GM is fantastic but it only beats the Nikon on Autofocus. This Sigma looks like an amazing option and Z and RF mount users are going to be jealous for a good while.

[@jaegerschtulmann]

@@roscot40and sharpness too. The Nikon only beats it on vignetting and focus breathing.

[@roscot40]

@@jaegerschtulmann … and distortion and LOCA (albeit slightly for the latter). I’d argue the mount and coatings are the reason here. Always the FE mount Achilles. The Nikon’s biggest failure (along with weight) is slow autofocus. That was their crime here. Both exceptional lenses, but one is better for strict reproduction, while the other is a more versatile portrait carry around lens.

[@jaegerschtulmann]

@@roscot40 agree on the coatings, on distortion it is pretty much irrelevant unless you shoot architectural photography in which case it’s better to have a tilt-shift lens. Size matters (pun intended) nobody wants to carry this massive lenses anymore, it seems that even sigma has finally realized that making smaller lenses with a few compromises is better than making an optically perfect lens regardless of size. Nikon glass on the other hand is getting bigger with the exception of those very nice new telephoto zooms. Canon (no comments, their glass is slower, heavier, bulkier and now the lesser performing lens out of the competition) anyways, good times!

[@TheDka1]

Great video.

[@btonelli]

Thank you 🙏

[@rendermanpro]

It's is not BENEFITS of the Sony's lenses, it is artificial BS limitation of firmware. Two big difference.

[@LIGHTHUNTER.D]

At least it’s more practical than that fisheye

[@btonelli]

Haha yes

[@donaldstuckey9096]

I would argue that this is a very bad comparison. It would have been better to test the Sony on a Sony camera.

[@btonelli]

Why then get in camera correction. We see the lenses for what they are which is actually very good on its own

[@robertbrody4032]

No Z mount yet! Booooo!

[@btonelli]

Hopefully soon

[@MarttiSuomivuori]

This is the kind of review I try to avoid. All emotion, no data. Sorry, but there is too much of fluff already.

[@btonelli]

@@MarttiSuomivuori there is plenty of examples to showcase the strength of each lens. If there is emotion that’s because I find photography and gear exciting.

[@sandb1867]

Great lens, too much gush.

[@btonelli]

Not understanding

[@ilaion11]

Are you kidding us right now? Where on Earth have you ever heard of "in camera longitudinal chromatic aberration control"? Nowhere, you just made that up because it is not possible to correct for this type of chromatic aberration in camera. What you can correct for is only lateral chromatic aberrations.

[@btonelli]

Hmm perhaps you want to rewatch what I said. I never said in camera longitudinal Chromatic Aberration. I just said in camera CA.

[@ilaion11]

@@btonelli but what you presented in the image with the red Porsche was green LoCas not lateral chromatic aberration.

[@btonelli]

@@ilaion11 your merging the two points when they aren’t the same. I said it’s easy to correct after I mentioned in camera CA control. Perhaps you may want to retract your statement as you put it in quotation marks when that isn’t what I said.

[@ilaion11]

@@btonelli ok, if you say you didn't referred to them las lateral chromatic aberrations, then so it is! I would still point out that although easy to correct, the correction is not easy on the image. If it happens to have objects of the same hue in the image, they will get desaturation on the edges and I never use defringe tool unless I have no choice being too evident. It's always preferable to have a well corrected lens in this regard.

[@btonelli]

Thanks. With Lightroom it’s fixable even with other colors in the area. Just mask and use the new color select tool if needed and reduce the saturation on each area. Reality is all three lenses have CA in some ways. Only APO lenses show much less CA overall and none of the three I have in the video are that. The average person won’t even know but if you are using these lenses for commercial purposes then post production is necessary regardless as many things need to be cleaned up.

[@peetje28021970]

First, lol

[@btonelli]

Thanks!!

[@5un50utPr05]

Disliked when I saw a Nikon

[@btonelli]

Why?