It has a nicely ribbed, slightly rubberized texture. The next bevel moves into the slightly wider focus ring.

The HSM (Hypersonic Motor) allows for full time manual override. The first bevel flares from the lens mount section into the area of the distance window and the single switch that controls focus (Auto/Manual). The lens has four distinct bevels that flow into a wider section as you move towards the front element. On the bottom of the barrel is an 014 which clearly and obviously states the year of manufacture (bravo for simplicity!) An elegant little silver circle with the letter A (for ART) rests next the focus distance window. Less obvious is a very small sized serial number in a grey text that is only obvious under close examination. The lens has small white text on one side that says, “Made in Japan”, an understated SIGMA brand on the top, and then the lens designation and filter thread size near the distance window of the top of the barrel. Yes, the lens is essentially all black with some small white print in a few points, but the blend of textures keeps the lens from being at all monochromatic or boring. The “flocked” finish is a thing of the past (good riddance, I say), as is the gold ring that seems almost garish now when presented with this sleek, understated new design. There is a very pleasing blend of glossy, matte, and ribbed surfaces that has both a modern yet elegant design. I will confess to having spent some minutes just looking at this lens and admiring it. Sigma not only dramatically improved upon their older design them (which frankly I was not a huge fan of), they have designed some of the best looking modern lenses, period. A few of these categories are admittedly vague (what exactly makes a lens “Contemporary”?), but there is no arguing with the direction the design team has taken with the lenses designated “Art”.

Sigma adopted a completely new company philosophy and design ethos a couple of years ago with its three pronged approach of “Art”, “Contemporary”, and “Sport” lines. The most recent addition to the “ART” series is the 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens, and it is, in most ways, a winner. They completely revamped their global vision and have begun producing lenses that are achieving both critical and commercial success, not to mention putting a huge amount of pressure upon Canon and Nikon. At some point the brain trust in the corporation realized that being a third party manufacturer didn’t mean always having to produce a cheaper, inferior product. Sigma has been on a tear in the past two years.

Sigma lens serial number check