Which prime lens?

AWBbox

AWBbox

AWBbox

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Hi all,

A few months ago I got myself a Canon 600D and I've been having lots of fun with it, I upgraded from a very old bridge so this is the first proper DSLR I've owned.

I currently have a single telephoto lens but I would like to get a nice prime with a big aperture for shooting indoors and in low light. The two lenses I have been considering are:

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

Friends of mine who are more experienced than me have made recommendations for both lenses and I'm sure they're both decent, however I hoped I might be able to benefit from the experience of you guys as well. Which lens do you think I should pick and why? Or is there another one that you think I should consider?

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 
I've got the Sigma 30mm f1.4 and I love it. The build quality is great and it's a really nice lens to work with. Can't really compare the two though as I don't own the other, although I did have the 50mm 1.8 and I much prefer the focal length of the 30mm.

Sorry I can't be of more help other than saying get the Sigma. :)
 
Glad to hear you can vouch for the Sigma too AntiHero! One thing I heard was that the optics in that lens improved significantly since it first started being made. This might be rubbish, but I got told that the version with the older optics had a texture of white flecks on the black body, the newer (better) version is just dark black. Had you heard anything about this? What colour is your lens?
 
While I've not used either lens (I also have used 50mm 1.8 on both crop and full frame), one thing that jumps out is that you plan to use the lens indoors. Given the crop factor of the 600D, it would take the Canon 50mm to 80mm and you might find that a bit tight indoors. The Sigma would be 48mm when factoring in the crop which you might find a little more useful indoors.

I guess it really comes down to what you plan on shooting indoors but I think the Sigma might be a little more flexible since you can always get closer to your subject if you require a tighter shot.
 
If you mean the finish on the lens exterior then yes the new finish (what I have) is much nicer than the older finish which was prone to flaking off/getting marked easily.

Having owned Sigma lenses with both the old and new finish to them, I have to say that the new finish is a massive improvement over the old, even if just for looks.

Also I can't vouch for any improvement in the optics having only owned/used the new version of the lens.

If you have any other questions about the lens ask away and I'll try to help :)
 
AntiHeroUK said:
I've got the Sigma 30mm f1.4 and I love it. The build quality is great and it's a really nice lens to work with. Can't really compare the two though as I don't own the other, although I did have the 50mm 1.8 and I much prefer the focal length of the 30mm.

Sorry I can't be of more help other than saying get the Sigma. :)
Click to expand...

Pretty much this.

I bought the 50mm 1.8 first, and used it a couple of times. Sold it after that because I find it too long for my usual casual shooting.
 
The Canon 50 f1.8 is a great lens for the price, but it like others have said it's a little long on a crop. I'm probably going to replace mine with a shorter prime, or perhaps I'll get rid of my kit lens and get a faster zoom like the Tamron 17-50 f2.8.
 
Note that the sigma won't work on a full frame camera if you plan to upgrade. That might not be a big deal for you though.
 
I have access to both with onyl having the 30mm recently purchased by my colleague, had my first play yesterday. The sigma feel better in the when using it. I havent really shot anythnig worthwhile as i only had a little play.

With the 50mm1.4 its a great little lens, doesnt suffer too badly with CA etc not like the 85mm 1.8 which is roughly the same price bracket. The front element does extend with this and can be quite weak if knocked as reported by other users. Its essential to have a hood and make sure its stored away with the lens retracted fully.

so a quick summary, if you are going full frame any time soon go with the canon 50mm 1.4 or even the sigma 50mm 1.4 which is reportedly sharper. If you are planning on staynig with crop factor for a while then the sigma has better framing and better build. cant comment on optical quality just yet till i see some images done.
 
Get the Sigma 30 1.4 now, if you want a lens for portraiture then get the canon 50 1.8 on top of that, then if you ever make the shift to full frame, sell the Sigma and Canon and get a Sigma 50 1.4 or Canon 50 1.4.

The 50 length while usable on a crop, certainly isn't an ideal indoor focal length.
 
I had to decide between the Nikkor 35mm 1.8 and the Sigma 30mm 1.4 pretty much every review said to go with the Nikkor.

Similarly for the cannon the Canon 28mm f/1.8 EF recommended over the Sigma. From my reading anyway.

There were too many scare stories of front focusing and slow focusing for on the Sigma for my liking.
 
I've got the canon 50 f/1.4 and it's probably my most used lens! I tend to use it as my day to day general walk around lens. At 2.8 I find it very crisp and sharp.

Only downside for me is the fact I use it on a 450d with a crop sensor so it's apparant focal length is probably closer to 80mm! It does feel a bit too long in some situations unfortunately and is pushing me to look at wider lenses (or a new full frame body :D!)
 
get either a 24mm f1.4 or a 30-35mm prime lens. personaly dont get a 50mm on a cropped body as you may find it too long on most general cases and on others too short for a tele lens. donr forget, your camera body is a crop
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone, it's raised a couple of points I hadn't considered till now. I think at this stage I'm probably going to go for the Sigma but I don't think I'm going to be able to afford it till after Christmas, so I'll have some more time to mull it over at least :)
 
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