Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Art

Zogger · 24 Apr 2014 at 10:10

Thought I would see if there was any appreciation for the little sibling of the 35mm. Obviously it won't pack the punch of the 35mm but nor will it destroy my shoulder with the extra 200g weight or my wallet with the extra £300 price tag.
Intended for crop bodies (like my 60D) giving a focal length around 50mm in full frame equivalent - but also will still work on a full frame camera (albeit the corners probably won't be great!)

It's a bit of a niche product and there seems to be very little stock around at the minute, so I had to order from a smaller chain instead of the usual big guns, but received this yesterday and looking good so far.

I was surprised at how heavy it felt. It claims to be lighter than the 17-70 but it certainly feels heavier to me. edit: I weighed it - they're not lying! it's just an illusion..

I had feared that wide open it might be as soft as the nifty fifty but at 1.6 the softness is noticeable but perfectly usable for most purposes - didn't try 1.4 that much.

Here's a test shot.. nothing special

Mini Canopy by TheRealZogger, on Flickr

Anyone else use this?

englishpremier · 24 Apr 2014 at 11:19

Is that just the old lens repackaged or is it actually a totally new lens?

RIZZEE · 24 Apr 2014 at 11:28

Didn't even know they did an art series for the 30MM

Zogger · 24 Apr 2014 at 11:28

it's a new lens, like all their other lenses in the new series I believe.

englishpremier · 24 Apr 2014 at 11:43

So it is. Seems it's been missed by a lot of the main review sites. Everyone was probably too excited by the 35mm monster. I wonder how much an improvement it is over the old on in the borders and extreme corners.

mrk · 24 Apr 2014 at 16:04

It's probably not been missed but rather passed because of the 35mm taking the pole position in interest and because the new 30mm is for APS-c sensor cameras only just like the previous one.

Seems like it should be a decent lens though. I've used a friend's old Sigma 30mm 1.4 and it had lots of CA and other artefacts on a 7D but it seemed fine for the price point. I'm sure this new one will eliminate those optical flaws from the old model and bring it up to speed with what people demand in a modern lens giving crop sensor shooters something that works well for their pockets and girl strength arms

macuser · 5 Dec 2014 at 08:23

Hi Zogger, sorry for the thread revival but how you getting on with this Lens? Seriously thinking about getting one. I'm assuming its a big upgrade over the Nikon 35mm f1.8.

Phal · 5 Dec 2014 at 08:29

The 18-35mm F1.8 is also worth a look for this focal range but its a bit more expensive

macuser · 5 Dec 2014 at 08:34

Probably no need for both them then as I already have the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8? I really wanted a lighter alternative for indoor shoots.

Phal · 5 Dec 2014 at 08:44

macuser said:
Probably no need for both them then as I already have the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8? I really wanted a lighter alternative for indoor shoots.

Not sure how the two lenses compare weight wise but if you want something small and light...

EF-S 24mm STM is good and cheap

F2.8 could be faster but for the size/price then meh! If you do a lot of indoors stuff then some IS might be nice too

macuser · 5 Dec 2014 at 08:50

Sorry should have said I'm using a D7100

Phal · 5 Dec 2014 at 09:01

Hah

well in that case I have no idea if Nikon have anything suitable so stick with the Sigma and do a few weights? lol

englishpremier · 5 Dec 2014 at 09:35

The Nikkor 35/1.8 is cheap and much sharper corner to corner, but I guess if shooting at 1.4/1.8 then you're not looking for corner sharpness.

macuser · 5 Dec 2014 at 12:43

Sold my Nikon 35mm f1.8 a while ago on MM, regret doing that ever since. Wasn't sure what the Sigma 30mm f1.4 benefit would be over the Nikon 35mm or the Sigma 18-35mm.

Correct in thinking the corner sharpness is not really an issue for me as it will be used mainly for portraits and pics of friends and family.