Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

The Greek

The Greek

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Chris
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Can't afford the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 so looking for alternatives, top of my list is the Sigma 30mm f/1.4.

Anyone with this lens, please give me your honest opinions, Do you regret buying or would recommend.
 
I used this lens for a couple of weeks and I thought it was fantastic. Fast focusing, sharp from F1.4, and almost too sharp at F2.8 (!), brilliant colours and contrast. My only gripe with it was that F1.4 is VERY bright and the 62mm filter size meant I could not use my filters from other lens. I would have no problems recommending this lens to anyone.
 
I had one but sold it when I bought a 5D.

Mine was impressively sharp at f1.4, gave good IQ, focused quickly and accurately and the HSM is lovely giving full time manual focus, compact and light and you get a hood and a case too. What's not to love? Well... the only gripe I really had was that the focus ring feels a little gritty to operate manually. I tried another in the shop and it was just the same so I suppose that's just the way they are. Other than that I thought that mine was great.
 
I also ment to add that there is supposed to be quite a lot of copy variation, so it if buying new it would be worth buying from a UK retailer. If buying used it may be beneficial trying before buying.

However I bought (and sold) mine via here. I inteded to replace my 18-50mm F2.8 with it, but I decided I would miss the wide end too much.
 
There may well be copy variation and there's certainly a lot of user error too so I'd urge anyone buying any wide aperture lens to make sure that it's the kit that's at fault and not their technique before they blame the kit :D
 
Fantastic lens, check out the dedicated Flickr group. I use this lens for well over 80% of the shots I take, it's my standard walkabout lens (on a 40D). It's the one lens I own that I have never considered selling (it's so good I have considered selling most of my other lenses and getting the 85mm to go with it).
 
Thanks Guys, hoping to buy new and not a gray import. So are some lenses sharper than others on the 30mm too.
 
Alastair said:
(it's so good I have considered selling most of my other lenses and getting the 85mm to go with it).
Click to expand...

I have the 50 and 85mm f1.4's and they're very good IMVHO. I'd give the edge to the 85mm though as I think it's slightly sharper at f1.4 than the 50mm, there is some CA in high contrast scenes with both but I think that's to be expected. The 85mm is a big heavy thing though.

TBH my APS-C camera is squeezed between my MFT and 5D but if I didn't have either of those I'd have kept the 30mm.
 
I bought mine second hand, and it hasn't left my camera in the last two weeks. There was a little bit of back focusing but the AF tune of my D7000 sorted that out and it is perfect now.

Super sharp, very happy with it.
 
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