Real user opinions of the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 on 400D

[matthew_greenwood]

I'm looking for a low light lens for indoor pictures for my 400D, mostly for

family pictures and parties. Having owned the 50mm f/1.8 and finding it just a

bit too long i'm considering the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. I've read quite a few

reviews on the internet and there seems to be a variation of opinions of the

quality of optics in this lens and i was wondering if any of the users here had

any real experiance of using it for the kind of things i want it for? I

wouldn't use it much for other uses as i have other lenses to cover outdoor

work.

 

My other option of the Canon 28 f/1.8 seems to have a few more negative reviews

for sharpness wide open and poor CA so i'm edging towards the Sigma as any

future full frame compatibility doesn't worry me. Also the f/1.4 with the sigma

is very attractive for creative DOF shots! The loss of one stop is putting me

off the 35mm f/2. The L series around this focal length are out of my budget.

 

I'm aware there have been similar discussions but i would like to hear from

people who are using the Sigma for indoor work and print out up to around A3

size, are you happy with it?

 

Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

Regards, Matt......

[ulrich_brandl]

I own the Sigma 1.4 30mm on a 20 D and I am very happy with its image quality. You shold not worry too much about test results showing some softness in the corners if shot wide open. In real life all the things you shoot are rarely in the same plane. Especially if you shoot at f 1.4-2.0 it is normal (and often desired) that parts of the picture are soft. The center sharpness is good even at f 1.4. Stopped down to f 5.6 the lens is sharp from corner to corner, no difference to my 24-105mm L. Its construcion and auofocus is far better than the 35mm f 2.0 - and it is one full stop faster.

 

Yes - it is not exactly the near perfect lens that a planar type 50mm can be on full frame. But IMHO it is one of the best available options on 1.6 x crop cameras.

[gary van schaick]

Matt,

 

I've been using the 30MM F1.4 on a D200, D2X and Fuji S5. I like it particularly on the S5.

 

I get great results shooting candle light ceremonies. I also use it to shoot the first dances using no aux light or perhaps just the light from the videographer

 

Go for it, it's a great lens

[rainer_t]

-- "I'm looking for a low light lens for indoor pictures for my 400D, mostly for family pictures and parties."

 

The Sigma is an excellent lens for this. The only trouble I had with it was focussing issues ... I had to go through several copies of it to find one that focusses consistenly ok. (That was on a 300D body ... the 400D body has better AF). Still, I recomend to test the lens before you buy, or to buy from a store with a good return policy.

 

Between the EF 28/1.8 USM and the Sigma 30/1.4 EX DC, I would go with the Sigma, if you intend to stay with crop bodies for a while (or if you sell the lens when you upgrade the body). The Canon has advantages (it handles fullframe and it has slightly faster AF), but especially for low light, 2/3rds of an f-stop are helpful anyway. Also, the Canon seems a bit more sensitive for straylight/contralight.

[manuel_zamora_morschhaeuse]

<p>There is not much more to add. I used this lens on a 30D and liked it very much. As others have said, wide open the corners are soft, but this poses no problems most of the time. I sold the lens for nearly its full price after my move to the 5D, so there should be no big loss for you if you do the same one day. </p>

 

<br />

<a href='http://zamora.de/pb/index.php?showimage=184'><img src='http://zamora.de/pb/images/20070604222820__mg_0795-bearbeiten-900.jpg' border=0></a><br />

Canon EOS 30D + Sigma 30mm/f1.4 at f2.0, ISO 3200<br />

[ronald_moravec1]

Lots of people have complained it does not auto focus properly. The fix is not an exchange

because you get another bad performing one, but send it to Sigma under warantee.

[manuel_zamora_morschhaeuse]

While I cannot comment on the autofocus capabilities of the 400D, my copy performed flawlessly on the 30D. Most of these problems can be related to a poor autofocus implementation in the body, for example like in the 350D/Rebel XT, where many focus errors occur in low light situations. These errors are more visible with fast primes used wide open because of the very small depth of field...

 

But Ronald is right, when you find problems, send the lens to the manufacturer (Sigma, but this is true for Canon, Nikon, Tamron, you name them) for calibration and do not exchange it in the shop.

[matthew_greenwood]

thanks all for the responses, looks like i'll be getting the Sigma. Cheers.