30D and Sigma 30/1.4?

Hello. I've only been into photography for about a year and am now getting more

serious. I've had my mind set on the 30D toyed with the idea of a 40D, but would

rather save the money and invest in lenses.

 

I was only going to purchase the body. Since i've heard the kit lens isnt all

that great. But for the price i guess it's not supposed to be.

 

As a first lens I was looking at a Sigma 30/1.4. I just wanted to stick with a

prime lens and really learn the camera.

 

Any thoughts on this combination for a newb such as myself?

 

 

 

~Cheers

I have the 40d and the Sigma 30 and will never part with it. The lens is amazing and on the 1.6 crop sensor it works out to be about 48mm which is a very natural length. I also have the 17-55 F2.8 IS but in low light, indoor situations the sigma is what I need to get the job done. I would highly recomend this lens.

-RZ

Thanks. Do you have any other recomendations? Do you think (for a semi-beginner) there is a need to get the 40d over the 30d?

I have the 30D and can tell you that my sister who has a 20D lusts after it. I think the now discounted price of the 30D is enough of an incentive to avoid the 40D. Yeah, I'd love to have a 40D. But the saved money will finance some serious glass.

I have the 17-55 IS as well, it is wonderful and lives on my camera. I do keep the Sigma 30mm f/1.8 on my "seriously consider buying" list.

 

Right after I buy the 70-200 f/4 IS.

The sigma 30mm is one fine lens. Mine had some front focus issue (about 1 inch front focus).

I shipped it back for repair, got it back in 3 days. Here are the test photo, all wide open and

hand held.<div></div>

I have a Rebel XTi and the Sigma 30mm F1.4 and absolutely love it. It was the only lens I took with me on a recent trip to Italy and it did a great job capturing all of the sites ... including those were lighting was less than ideal. Mine too suffered from the front-focusing issue -- sent it to Sigma and had it repaired (though mine took a lot longer than 3 days!).

 

I recently purchased the 70-200 F4L IS that David mentioned. It's a nice compliment to the 30mm for my purposes. In the near future, I'm hoping to acquire a Canon 10-22mm Ultra-wide angle.

 

If you poke through the recent forum posts, you'll see that folks seem to like the Canon 24-105 L as their carry-everywhere lens. Something else to consider...

 

Happy shopping! :)

Both 20D and 30D are fine cameras, and there are some improvements in the 30D, but the real upgrade is the 40D. I'd choose between the 30D and 20D on price (used).

 

Instead of the Sigma, you might also want to consider the Canon EF 35mm f/2 or the 28mm f/2.8 as a "normal" lens.

 

For an equivalent of a short telephoto on the D series, also get the ca. $70 EF 50mm f/1.8. It makes a very nice portrait lens.

Similar to Robert, I have both the Sigma 30mm 1.4 and the Canon 17-55mm 2.8 IS

(though I have a 30D, not the 40D), and the 30mm is what stays on my body almost

exclusively.

 

I'm most comfortably at the 50mm (equivalent, of course) fixed range, as that's what I

learned to shoot on with my old AE-1 film camera. 2 stops of "real" additional light is a

huge, huge plus as well, as the IS on the 17-55 keeps the frame from moving but does

nothing to stop the subjects in it from moving. The Sigma does.

 

Having used the 40D (brother owns) and the 20D (girlfriend owns), I'd say the 30D is

definitely worth the money if you want to save a few bucks. 30D + the Sigma 30mm 1.4 is

a killer combo.

Wow.. Thanks to all for the huge response.. and a lot of information to chew on. Now is just a matter of deciding..i've been trying to decide between new and used...which lenses to buy...

 

Does anyone think the Sigma 30mm 1.4 is overkill for a beginner.. i mean i dont want to buy crap glass.. but would it be better to go for two not as nice lenses as to one?

I tested a used Sigma 30mm F1.4 lens on my 40D camera. The tests proved the lens was sharp wide open or stopped down, and the lens had accurate focus.

 

I think the 30mm F1.4 is a fine lens. I have taken many nice low light photos. It does not have a problem with flare, and produces imges with nice color and contrast.

 

Is it as good as my Canon EF 35mm f1.4? No, but not far off.

 

The Sigma is an excellent buy for a fast prime lens in my opinion.

I have the 40D and the Sigma 30 1.4, I really like it especially chasing my 20 month old around the house.

 

I like the sharpness wide open.

 

Have a look see....straight out of the camera raw->jpeg conversion.

Take a look at these:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00NnwI

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00O2w4

 

I can give nothing but high praise for the Sigma 30mm/1.4; go for it!

"Does anyone think the Sigma 30mm 1.4 is overkill for a beginner.. i mean i dont want to buy crap glass.."

 

Then don't buy crap glass, problem solved. :)

 

Sigma 30/1.4 is a fast normal lens for 1.6x crop bodies, I can't see how that is an overkill.