Is sigma 50mm 1.4 art is better than sigma 56mm f1.4 on apsc a6400 ??

[Arnab Ghosh]

I have sony a6400, and i want absolutely steller quality from my prime lense ( will use for portrait , street portrait category )  the options i can see is 

 

1. Sigma 56mm f1.4 for apsc 

2. Sigma art 50mm f1.4 for FE 

 

I might upgrade to full frame may be in next 4-5 years, not immediately,  will sigma art  50mm f.14 will provide better image on a apsc body than 56mm ? In both photo and video  ? 

 

As the 50 art costs 2X than the 56mm, i am a bit confused.. but it that will provide that better image / video quality i am ok to pay the difference. 

 

If anyone has used sigma 50mm art on APsc for photo and video please let me know.

[Pieter]

I haven't used the Sigma 50mm Art but I have used the 56mm extensively on my A6500. The 56mm really is a magnificent lens with only one downside, which is heavy pincushion distortion in RAW-files. Sharpness is exceptional straight from F/1.4.

Some considerations you should take into account:

 - The Sigma 50mm F/1.4 is an older fullframe DSLR-design adapted for mirrorless. The 56mm is a modern mirrorless design for APS-C. This means that the 50mm lens is truly enormous by comparison;

 - The Sigma 50mm F/1.4 is heavy as a brick (815 grams versus 280 grams for the 56mm);

 - The Sigma 50mm is optimized for fullframe, which means that it likely won't be able to resolve the fine detail required for an APS-C sensor;

 - Sigma is working hard to create new mirrorless versions (designated DC DN (APS-C) or DG DN (FF)) to replace old adapted DSLR designs (DG HSM)). These new designs tend to be smaller, lighter and optically superior. Sigma replaced the 85mm F/1.4, 24-70 F/2.8, 100-400 and is about to replace the 35mm F/1.4. So likely the 50mm F/1.4 is next on the list. If you go fullframe in 4-5 years, you can sell the 56mm at hardly a loss and the 50mm F/1.4 DG DN is likely released by that time (though expect a premium over the DG HSM version).

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Edited April 10, 2021 by Pieter

[XKAES]

The only thing heavier than the size and weight of these behemoths is the price tag!

[thebeardedgroundsman]

I have a 50mm Art lens which I find gives me high quality, with excellent resolution on both my A68 APS-c and my A99 ff.

It is very heavy for a standard/mid tele lens- but then it is designed for high optical quality rather than being a general purpose lens.

I suspect the Contemporary equivalent is nearly as good optically and is certainly smaller and lighter - and probably the better choice for an APS-C camera.