I am looking to add a longish normal lens to my micro 4/3 stable. I have 14mm to 40mm equivalent covered, and a great 90mm equivalent lens. Does any one have experience with the sigma 30mm and would be willing on commenting on its performance.
Lovely lens on the NEX as is the 19mm Sigma. If you can still find the old design DN lenses, they are much cheaper then the rebadged and repacked ART series. The 30mm ART lens seems to have the exact same formular. There was no need to upgrade it because it is a stellar lens already.
I don't have the 30, but I have the 19/2.8, and it is a surprisingly good lens. I hear the 30 is as good or even a little better. The 19 is very sharp, even at f/2.8. It's one of those lenses I feel I shouldn't like, but I do.
I find that I love the FL of this cheap lens and use it all the time. If you aren't after a fast aperture, this lens is very useful and capable. I guess the flare is kind of like the Panasonic 20 (which I'm not that thrilled with), but otherwise, it is very well behaved. Fast focusing.
Because of DoF considerations, I typically go to a tripod before going for faster aperture, so I don't feel limited by this aspect of the lens. Overall rendering is very pleasant -- bokeh pretty good (don't mean trying to get ultra shallow DoF, mean, when I shoot a clost object at f5.6 that the rendering of the softer background is pleasing to me eye).
It is noticably sharper across the frame than either my P14 or O17/2.8. It's not as sharp as my O45. CA is better than my P14 or O17 as well.
My only complaints are the sometimes green geometric flare patterns (O17 does not do this) and that the lens is probably bigger than it had to be for m43.
Again, it is my most used lens.
Also, my last time out shooting it, I accidently dropped it onto the sidewalk. Had it broken, I wouldn't have been as heartbroken as I would have been with a P/L 25!
Tom