Sigma 30mm f1.4

[Jean Dantes]

Hey guys, I stumbled along this lens today:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-30mm-f-1.4-EX-DC-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-30mm-f-1.4-EX-DC-HSM-Lens-Review.aspx)

I’m beginning to wonder if I should grab it over the Canon EF 28mm f1.8. From the reviews I've read so far, it seems as though the Sigma is sharper then the Canon. It's designed specifically for APS-C sensors, so it won't be usable on FF camera is I do get one someday. But that isn't a major concern for me right now. Here are some links for those that may be interested in this lens:

http://www.focalplane.net/canon28sigma30/ (http://www.focalplane.net/canon28sigma30/)

http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/28v30

http://www.flickr.com/groups/12662231@N00/ (http://www.flickr.com/groups/12662231@N00/)

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/298-sigma-af-30mm-f14-ex-hsm-dc-test-report--review (http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/298-sigma-af-30mm-f14-ex-hsm-dc-test-report--review)

Would love to know what do you guys think of this lens!

[soarprod]

I picked one up for my new 7d - tested it briefly on a friends 40d and I'm impressed so far.

[Jean Dantes]

Awesome! Would love to see your results! :)

[matt s.]

This was my main lens when I was shooting stills with a Nikon D50. Awesome glass!

[ydgmdlu]

Looks like you've found your lens. You can get it for $100 USD less than the Canon: http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=sigma+30mm+%281.4%2C+f1.4%29+canon&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_sop=15&_dmpt=Camera_Lenses&_odkw=sigma+30mm+%281.4%2C+f1.4%29&_osacat=0

Now you'll have more money to spend on other things, on top of a better lens for your purposes.

[Jean Dantes]

matt s, will you be using the Sigma on a 7D (if you are thinking of getting the 7D that is)?

Thanks for the link ydgmdlu! :) I actually tracked it down on ebay Australia :) It's $180 cheaper then the Canon ($500 vs $680). It comes with a two-year warranty too. I still have a two to three week wait till the 7D actually comes in store. So I guess from now till then, I'm gonna keep comparing the Sigma 30mm f1.4 to the Canon 28mm f1.8, right now the Sigma is winning though. Hopefully someone will upload some video shot with 7D + Sigma. I wish I could test this glass out, but where I live in Sydney is rather remote from any Camera stores...so everything I buy has to be bought online...

[DrBlaz]

How sharp is at f1.4?


Mr Ken Rockwell didn't like it, but he never likes sigma lenses:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/sigma/30mm-f14.htm


I just found this:

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/298-sigma-af-30mm-f14-ex-hsm-dc-test-report--review?start=1

the border sharpness seems to be very bad till f5.6 , those numbers are really bad, may be is a tester error.

[mhood]

I bought the Canon 28mm 1.8 EF USM for my "normal" and the Canon 50mm 1.4 EF USM just because of the universal glowing reviews. I figure both have a 58mm filter, I can get one variable ND and my low light bar room needs will be pretty much covered.

[matt s.]

Jean I dont own any of my dSLR gear anymore but have been following the 7d thing pretty closely.

[Boz]

I'm totally getting one of the Sigmas when I can afford it. I'm not too worried about edge sharpness because I don't think it will be a huge factor at HD resolution (as opposed to 5K still resolution). There are plenty of great pics out there that have been shot with this lens. I'll take the extra light over the sharpness especially at the $400 price tag.

[Jean Dantes]

I'll take the extra light over the sharpness especially at the $400 price tag.

Most of the reviews said the Sigma was sharper anyways. So I guess it's a win/win.

[Boz]

Most of the reviews said the Sigma was sharper anyways. So I guess it's a win/win.

Just to clarify, I was talking about edge sharpness, where the Canon lens has a slight lead. It seems center sharpness is similar between the two lenses with maybe the Sigma being slightly sharper. Either lens is great, but i'll take the extra light the Sigma provides, especially when it's about $100 or so cheaper than the Canon. :)

[snicky]

How about Sigma 28mm F1.8 macro? It's cheaper and able to focus closer than 5 cm. Unfortunately, I cant find any proper review of this lens :(

[commanderspike]

How about Sigma 28mm F1.8 macro? It's cheaper and able to focus closer than 5 cm. Unfortunately, I cant find any proper review of this lens :(

I have this one for a Nikon mount and I used it on the GH1 via an adapter.

The macro mode is wow-amazing.

It's a great lens for the money. I intend to use it via an adapter on my 5DM2... I take it the Nikon AF mount 28mm DG EX Macro will cover the full frame?

[snicky]

I have this one for a Nikon mount and I used it on the GH1 via an adapter.

The macro mode is wow-amazing.

:evil: Can you upload some stills or video?

[Jean Dantes]

Just wondering, has anyone put this lens on a 7D yet?

[el presidente]

Ive got one on mine...

I bought a tokina 11-16 2.8, sigma 30mm 1.4 an old cheapo 18-55mm lens (from my old 300d) and nikon 50mm 1.4(still waitin for adapter to arrive from ebay.).....I really like it, it can have real problems auto focusing...not that im bothered...its also a bit noisy(as in loud) when whippping focus but I got it for £250 2nd hand

[Luis Caffesse]

Just wondering, has anyone put this lens on a 7D yet?

I bought one when I picked up my 7D body last week - I have to say that so far I love it. Haven't been able to really put it through the full paces - but I'll be using it on a gig in the next two days so I should be able to come back with some more details after this shoot.

I can tell you this - having a 1.4 spoils you really quickly.

[el presidente]

especially after you come from 35mm adapter land.

[Luis Caffesse]

especially after you come from 35mm adapter land.

I didn't even think about that but you're absolutely right.

[mhood]

I wonder how it compares with the Canon EF 28mm 1.8 USM that I bought?

[jrod81]

now the canon 28mm will have the stabilization right? does the sigma???

[jrod81]

by the way, this is my lens choice for "normal" as well, but first i plan to get the 17-55mm at 2.8 by Tamron

[ydgmdlu]

Neither the Canon EF 28mm F1.8 nor the Sigma 30mm F1.4 have image stabilization.

[mhood]

true dat

[Alvise Tedesco]

Ive got one on mine...

I bought a tokina 11-16 2.8, sigma 30mm 1.4 an old cheapo 18-55mm lens (from my old 300d) and nikon 50mm 1.4(still waitin for adapter to arrive from ebay.).....I really like it, it can have real problems auto focusing...not that im bothered...its also a bit noisy(as in loud) when whippping focus but I got it for £250 2nd hand

I'm planning similarly, tokina, sigma 30 and old AI/AIS I already have.
different focus direction problem aside (maybe a reverse gear to engage/move away on my Redrock ff?), I read Sigma 30 1.4 can have a stiff focus ring.
How do you find focusing that lens on 7D compared to the Nikkor 50 on a 5D?

[el presidente]

Focusing is never easy when fully open. I have a ff but im trying to be able to get by without using it. This lens would take a ff...its not stiff tho but it doesnt have an actual stop at either end(shouldnt really matter just be careful)..to compare between this and an older lens...much less distance from 1 to infinity...but I dont have a 5d...shouldnt make a difference should it?

[Alvise Tedesco]

Focusing is never easy when fully open. I have a ff but im trying to be able to get by without using it. This lens would take a ff...its not stiff tho but it doesnt have an actual stop at either end(shouldnt really matter just be careful)..to compare between this and an older lens...much less distance from 1 to infinity...but I dont have a 5d...shouldnt make a difference should it?

Thanks. Yea, no difference. The big difference (I think, yet to try actually) beeing that less distance from 1 to infinity (comparing a 7D+30@f2 vs. similar 5D+50@f4).
Cheers

[Jean Dantes]

I bought one when I picked up my 7D body last week - I have to say that so far I love it. Haven't been able to really put it through the full paces - but I'll be using it on a gig in the next two days so I should be able to come back with some more details after this shoot.

I can tell you this - having a 1.4 spoils you really quickly.


Would absolutely love to see how this goes with the 7D, Luis!!

Please upload some footage if you get a chance too!! :)

[Jean Dantes]

I've read here and there that this lens had to be recalibrated for a handful of people. How do you know if your lens isn't focusing correctly 100%? Is there any sort of test one could perform?

[ydgmdlu]

I've read here and there that this lens had to be recalibrated for a handful of people. How do you know if your lens isn't focusing correctly 100%? Is there any sort of test one could perform?
The old-fashioned way of focusing, and still the preferred method by professionals, is to use a measuring tape. If the focusing mechanism (auto or manual) on the lens is calibrated correctly, then the distance marks on the lens barrel should correspond perfectly with the distance marks on the measuring tape.

[Jean Dantes]

The old-fashioned way of focusing, and still the preferred method by professionals, is to use a measuring tape. If the focusing mechanism on the lens is calibrated correctly, then the distance marks on the lens barrel should correspond perfectly with the distance marks on the measuring tape.

Wow! Awesome! Thanks for that ydgmdlu! I hope I get a good one that doesn't require calibration!

[ydgmdlu]

Testing the autofocus accuracy is even less tedious. All that you need to do is let the lens settle to a point that it considers focused, and then check the display. If it looks obviously soft, then the autofocus is off. It could be slightly off, even if the image doesn't look soft. So you would then switch to manual focus and see if you get the image even sharper. Focus assist really helps here.

[Jean Dantes]

Ahhhh, I see. Does the 7D have focus assist? Or do we have to wait for something like Magic Lantern?

[Jean Dantes]

Also, for those that are interested in the Sigma 30mm f1.4, here are two Flickr groups dedicated to images photographed with the lens:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/sigma30mm/pool/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/sigmaprimes/pool/

[iniosante]

I've got the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and shot some footage on the 7d with it this past weekend. I'm editing with clients in the office today but I'll try to put something together and upload a link for yall to take a look at before this evening. Good lowlight image with excellent bokeh.

Ash
www.iniosante.com

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks so much iniosante!! That will be much appreciated!!

[Boz]

I've got the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and shot some footage on the 7d with it this past weekend. I'm editing with clients in the office today but I'll try to put something together and upload a link for yall to take a look at before this evening. Good lowlight image with excellent bokeh.

This lens is on the top of my 'buy' list, so I'm really looking forward to your post. :)

[USLatin]

So how's the manual focus? This lens sounds like an interesting alternative to a 35mm.

[iniosante]

Apologies on the delay, had client's in a frenzy today. I'll get some footage up first thing in the morning-

Ash
www.iniosante.com

[ydgmdlu]

Ahhhh, I see. Does the 7D have focus assist? Or do we have to wait for something like Magic Lantern?
Yes, there's a focus assist feature. It's a basic feature of all DSLRs. Basically, it's the 5x and 10x zoom that's easily accessed via a button on the top right hand corner of the rear of the camera. It's labeled with a magnifying glass icon.

[USLatin]

Apologies on the delay, had client's in a frenzy today. I'll get some footage up first thing in the morning-

Ash
www.iniosante.com (http://www.iniosante.com)

Along with a short review of the focus ring? :D

[Jean Dantes]

How's that upload coming along iniosante ;)

[iniosante]

Uploading to Youtube as I type this. I'll include some thoughts on the Sigma with a link to the video-

Ash
www.iniosante.com

[iniosante]

Here is the link to the video on youtube I shot FOR FUN last Friday night... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKZQjA5KnRw

My thoughts on the lens? I love it.

I've never been a fan of the standard 50mm field of view, it always looked too 'normal' to me. This lens feels perfect on the 7D: its light, inconspicuous and super fast. Prime lenses can't be beat. As dark as the room was I never would have considered using another consumer grade camera to shoot with. But at f/1.4 the camera sees much brighter than my eye does. The bokeh from the eight-blade aperture is buttery. I shot the video iso 1200 but if I were to do it again I'd crank it up to 2000(+) and adjust the contrast in post and grade it using Magic Bullet- which I did not use as I knew yall wanted to see the footage ungraded. On a side note, I don't know if I would feel comfortable going much wider than 50mm with the 7D without SOLID SUPPORT & IS. This was shot without a tripod or support- completely handheld, didn't even use my Z-Finder. It was tough to control the shake. So you need to watch yourself with movement as this camera will amplify all of it. The Sigma 30mm is a bit soft wide open, which you can see from the video, and the focus wheel is pretty tight and continues to spin to eternity without a hard stop.

I needed a fast lend so it was between this and either the Canon 24mm f/1.4L or the 34mm F/1.4. The 24 & 35 are sharper to be sure but for the money, dad-gum, I'm digging the Sigma.

I have a short that I'm shooting later this week using the 30mm under controlled conditions with slowmotion which I'll post when its cut. I've got other lenses so I'll shoot more stuff between clients as I can and get it up for yall to see. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll field them as I get them.

Cheers-

Ash
www.iniosante.com

[Luis Caffesse]

Attached are two stills from a shoot we just did this morning -
Two 7Ds, one with the Sigma 30mm, the other with the Canon 85mm (which is a SWEET piece of glass by the way).

But I have to say, not that I had any serious doubts, but after today I am fully sold on this Sigma 30mm. I think it's going to get used quite a bit in the weeks to come on any interview I shoot.
We've been going over the footage for the past hour or so - and so far it looks great.

[mhood]

Why the Sigma 30mm over the Canon EF 28mm 1.8 USM?

[matt s.]

That footage and those stills looks good!

I owned one of these when I had a Nikon D50. This was a couple years ago and then there were some definite QC issues with the lens and many in Flickr groups have stated that they went thru a few different lenses until they found a "good" one. Since then I think Sigma has upped their QC. It was an awesome lens and I pretty much never took it off the camera. If I ever get one of these 7D's I would definitley consider picking up another one of these for sure.

[Luis Caffesse]

Why the Sigma 30mm over the Canon EF 28mm 1.8 USM?
The Sigma is a 1.4, and low light performance was more important to me than being slightly wider.

(That - and the place I got my 7D body had the Sigma in stock.)
:)

[iniosante]

From the lenses I've used, Canon's 28mm seems softer at all apertures than the Sigma 30mm- if that's the look you're going for, bravo. The Canon uses a 7-blade aperture compared to the Sigma having an 8-blade aperture... there is a difference in bokeh, it's not much but you notice it side by side. As Luis mentioned the Sigma is faster with better lowlight and a shallower DOF. The Canon is a tad wider but its negligible on a crop frame.

The QC issues with the Sigma 30mm revolve around it's auto-focus system. However this is a non-issue shooting video because you are required to manually focus with the 7D (at least for now).

Ash
www.iniosante.com

[USLatin]

So the focus ring is nice? I don't mind if it spins forever or if it is a bit too dampened, so long as it is accurate. Would you say this is the case?

(BTW, not that it matters at all, but the HVX doesn't have a hard stop)

[iniosante]

So the focus ring is nice? I don't mind if it spins forever or if it is a bit too dampened, so long as it is accurate. Would you say this is the case?

Yes.

[And you're right about the HVX... I had a hard focus ring on the one I had a few years ago and forgot it wasn't standard.]

[Jean Dantes]

iniosante, thanks so much for doing this!! Truly, truly appreciate it!! Great video!! Catchy song too! :)

Would love to see what you could do with shoulder-mount and your Z-Finder!

So is the "spin to eternity without a hard stop" gonna be a major problem? And is the focus ring so tight that a follow-focus would have a hard time moving it?

Thanks again!!!

[jsauce]

great video. great music. i really like this lens and what you did with it.
do you know anything about the 20 or 24mm sigmas???

[USLatin]

So is the "spin to eternity without a hard stop" gonna be a major problem?

It shouldn't matter unless you are setting marks on a FF's disk and while shooting you go past the closest focusing distance or past infinity, at which point the marks would be useless and you'd need to measure them again. However you can continue focusing with a screen or with the small focusing scale (if you can see it).

[iniosante]

USLatin is correct. Its not so tight you cant use a follow focus- but it is tighter than most lenses.

jsauce & Jean Dantes- thanks for the kudos. I haven't used the sigma 24 but I have used the 20... good underrated lens. Pretty sharp. You can find them on ebay for cheap too. Buy some used lenses and experiment till you find the field of view you shoot the most in then resell what you don't use the most. I find I shoot the majority of the time around the 11mm range, 30mm, 80mm, and somewhere around 200.

Ash
www.iniosante.com

[jsauce]

thanks. good advice, from what i've seen of the 24 it looks good (theres a couple sample vids on youtube). the 20 is a bit more expensive. i love that both of them give you a macro capability.

[Jean Dantes]

I still have my heart set on this 30mm Sigma, but I've become rather paranoid as of late because I have read that some buyers here and there had to get their lenses recalibrated, and that Sigma has quality control issues. Maybe my eyes are just trying to find negative things...really don't know if I should fork out the extra $200 and get the Canon EF 28mm f1.8. Not because I think it's a better lens, but simply for the sake of "quality control" and not having to deal with recalibration. Being a novice to all this, I wouldn't even know where to begin going about recalibrating my lens...

[Stephen Mick]

Get the Sigma 30mm f1.4. Don't listen to the haters. Just get it as "local" as you can and make sure there's a 15-day return policy, or at the very least, that the place you buy it from is an authorized seller.

Saving some cash buying over the internet is good for some things, but if you're worried about getting a problematic lens, better to be safe than sorry.

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks for the reply SM :)

This is as local as I can get:

http://www.digidirect.com.au/camera_lenses/sigma/dc_lenses_for_digital_slr_cameras/sigma_af_3014_ex_dc_hsm

http://www.digidirect.com.au/camera_lenses/canon/wide_angle/canon_ef_28mm_f18_usm_camera_lens

Turns out the Sigma is a bit more (the "$200 less" price I said above was from ebay sellers in Hong Kong, so don't really wanna be buying from Hong Kong if there are quality control issues), but I guess you're getting a faster lens. The Sigma has been out for a while, perhaps the quality control issues have been ironed out?

Being a complete novice to DSLR/VDSLR, I was wondering how I'd go about knowing if my lens is "good" (as in, doesn't need to be recalibrated). Perhaps someone in the store could hep me?

[emdubya]

There a few minor issues with the Sigma I've noticed. I had to dial in about +15 using the focus adjustment to get mine to focus accurately at distances more than about 5 feet. Also there's some pretty severe CA when you're shooting wide open, but I think that's pretty common with fast wides. Other than that, the lens is great!

[Michael Olsen]

I had to dial in about +15 using the focus adjustment to get mine to focus accurately at distances more than about 5 feet.

You mean using AF?

[Jean Dantes]

Some footage I found that was shot on Sigma 30mm f1.4 and Canon 7D:

http://www.vimeo.com/7128026

[andrew00]

How much DOF control can you get on these? I.E. At what point does it go to infinity.

I had a Sigma 20mm I think it was and I needed more control, it was at loop too soon!

[Jean Dantes]

Another Sigma 30mm f1.4 test:

http://www.vimeo.com/7204297

[USLatin]

Those helped me realize that this lens is hands down a no-go. Unless you have very nice support. But even then you are asking for it a little.

And without support, even with IS, a 30mm is too long for the 7D. The form factor coupled with the jello that is still very present under the wrong circumstances make it very hard to get clean images.

But with IS and a support rig, you should be golden with this 30, and get a lot of light. It looks nice and the price is right.

There is an IS version coming out, right? Any idea of the estimated cost and ETA?

[Kholi]

Those helped me realize that this lens is hands down a no-go. Unless you have very nice support. But even then you are asking for it a little.

And without support, even with IS, a 30mm is too long for the 7D. The form factor coupled with the jello that is still very present under the wrong circumstances make it very hard to get clean images.

But with IS and a support rig, you should be golden with this 30, and get a lot of light. It looks nice and the price is right.

There is an IS version coming out, right? Any idea of the estimated cost and ETA?

Please have a look at the Stabilization thread. I've already been telling people that you need to get the weight up and a shoulder rig, but finally someone (Papa) did it and his shouldermount work @ 105mm is COMPLETELY acceptable. Anything 85mm and below is cake, man.

IS is not necessary, but decent weight or stabilizationi s.

[Jean Dantes]

IS = image stabiliser?

[Jean Dantes]

IS = ?


Anyone?

[Kegan]

Yes, IS = image stabilizer/stabilization

[Jean Dantes]

Some of this was shot with Sigma 30mm f1.4:

http://www.vimeo.com/7197831

[Jean Dantes]

Another 7D video shot with the Sigma 30mm f1.4:

http://www.vimeo.com/7528497

Looks a bit noisy though...wonder what ISO they used?

[johnhafner]

I love all the sigma prime lenses. I have the 20mm, this very 30mm and I am ordering the 50mm in a few weeks. They have great contrast pop and color detail. Sharp even wide open. They are a great value compared to Canon primes.

[Jean Dantes]

Hey John, do you have any videos uploaded that were shot with the 30mm f1.4?

[alpi69]

Just got mine and it rocks. I will upload some film later this week.
The only "problem" is the eternal focusring, but the focussing as such is good, not too light and not too hard.

Fits good to my 85mm/1.4 and the 17-50/2.8.

[Jean Dantes]

Awesome, look forward to your uploads!

Also, what did you mean by "eternal focusing" ?