The images this lens captures are super crisp and sharp, rivalling that of the f1.4 GM, focusing is fast, accurate and silent, and at a fraction of the cost.
The wide aperture of this lens creates great separation between your subject and background. The bokeh produced as a result is good, but tends to be more catseye than perfectly round, and does have sharp edges rather than a nice smooth blur.
If considering this lens or the f1.4, I believe you would be hard pressed to justify the additional spend. This lens is almost on par with the 1.4 in almost every regard.
The most notable drawback is the lack of weather-sealing. If you’re someone who does tend to shoot out in the rain a lot, you will probably destroy it.
All in all, this lens is worth every dollar, and can save you a lot of your hard earned money if you need a great lens of this focal range.