After using the Sigma 30/1.4 for a few months I thought I might post a few comments for anyone interested.
On the XT, I have found that very low light AF needs a bit of help with my f/1.4 lenses. I assign AF to the * button and use AI servo focus. This improved AF accuracy dramatically with my 50/1.4 and 30/1.4. I use the center AF point only and recompose. I let the servo hit focus a few times, and after some practice I can see when focus is dead on, even in the XT's small viewfinder.
The 30/1.4 is very sharp at f/1.4. Noticeably sharper than my 50/1.4 and 85/1.8 wide open. The Sigma's color and contrast beat the other 2 primes until about f/2.8. After that the Canon primes have slightly better saturation.
On a 1.6 crop the 30/1.4 is a very addictive focal length IMO. This is the first lens I have had in 30 years that I am comfortable with if I could only leave one lens on my camera. Unfortunately, I haven't been anywhere exotic since buying this lens and I'm feeling camera cabin fever.
I highly recommend the Sigma for 1.6 crop users who want to leave the flash in the bag when shooting candids in low light. At $380 it's real bargain even if you might move to FF some day.
Here's some snapshots from last week shot between f/1.4 and f/2...
Hey Sal, thanks for the review! Like many other 1.6 crop users, I'm starting to feel the need for a "normal" range lens, and it's good to know there are some less expensive but still good choices out there.
Nice shots. It's nice to have a fast 50, but that's really tight for indoor shots. Something wider is really useful, especially on a 1.6x body. Thanks for these samples. I'll have to look into this lens.
I love this lens on the 20D. unfortunately i sold my 20D for the 5D :-( so this lens isn't an option any more (don't ask to buy it, it's sold long ago).
Evolution wrote:
Thanks for the info Sal. Those are nice pics by the way. What was the aperture on the dining room shot? DOF sure does look pretty wide for f/1.4-f/2.
Also, I've seen a lot of people mention shifting AF control from the sutter release to the * button. What advantage does that offer?
The dining room shot was at f/2 to increase the DOF. It's funny that I'm getting used to thinking of f/2 as stopped down with this lens.
Using the * button let's me use AI Servo for focus, then release the * button (and continuous focus) and recompose the framing after using the center AF point. This workaround is working flawlessly for me in very low light.
Sal Baker wrote:
The dining room shot was at f/2 to increase the DOF. It's funny that I'm getting used to thinking of f/2 as stopped down with this lens.
Using the * button let's me use AI Servo for focus, then release the * button (and continuous focus) and recompose the framing after using the center AF point. This workaround is working flawlessly for me in very low light.
Ah... I hadn't thought of that. Impossible to center-focus in AI Servo mode and recompose with the shutter release. Maybe I'll give that a try with my low-light primes as well. Does it typically best lend itself to DOF covering the corners and other areas away from the AF points? Or is center-point AF on the sub-f/2 primes so much better than the edges that it pays to use this method even when composing a shot where the subject is on one of the other AF points? Or is it more dependent on the camera than the lens?
The problem with the off-center AF points on the XT and 20D is that they don't "see" vertical AND horizontal detail. The AF points to the left and right of center can only focus on horizontal detail, and the AF points above and below center can only focus on vertical detail. The center AF point can focus on both.
If your subject is off-center and has horizontal edges of contrast, the left (or right) points would probably be more accurate. But I have found that I can shoot more quickly if I'm not messing with AF point selection and worrying about vertical or horizontal contrast zones. Using the center AF point and recomposing yields the overall best results for me.
I agree with Sal. This is by far my favorite lens for social settings, like dinners, get togethers, and street shooting. Its compact and allows you to get away without a flash.
Great review!! I know my next two major purchases will be this and the 85mm f/1.8. I've been wanting the 30mm for a while because it's just the perfect focal length on a 1.6x body and given the price, who culdn't resist an f/1.4? I know a lot of peopel rave about the 50mm, but I absolutely hate it! All too often I found that it just wasn't either wide enough or long enough. If I didn't use it so much for macro stuff with my extension tubes, I'd have gotten rid of it long ago.
My 30 1.4 came in as I was going to a family get together. To "make or break" my feelings towards this lens I took the camera and this lens only. I wanted to see how frustrated I would get with only 1 lens and see how bad I would miss my 24-70 L.
Not at all.
I enjoyed the lens the whole night and was the most comfortable I have been with a lens in years. I could shoot a whole wedding with this lens.
Here is the gallery all done by a lens 2 hours old:
