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LeeG
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Registered: May 11, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 218
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Review Date: Jul 5, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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On a Canon 50D...Beautifully smooth bokeh, fast and dead-on focusing, accurate colors, small form makes for comfortable street and candid shooting. Excellent price for a well made fast lens with a nice hood and case included.
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Cons:
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Only 1..Heavy chromatic aberration in bright light when shooting a very light colored subject against dark background, more so than with the Canon 35L 1.4. It's not often you would shoot under such extreme conditions with a fast lens but if you do, expect the purple fringe.
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I think many people debating a purchase of the Sigma 30mm 1.4 are concerned with getting one with focusing problems, that's why we read these reviews. No focusing issues with my Sigma, fast and accurate right out of the box. I've had this lens for just over 3 months and have been very pleased with the results. A+ product that's fun to use!
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 Jul 5, 2010
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ajt36
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Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Dec 15, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 47
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Review Date: May 25, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $385.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, f/1.4, 50mm FOV on 1.6x cameras
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Cons:
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62mm filter thread, a little heavy, HSM not as fast as USM
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From the reviews I read (here and elsewhere), this seem liked a better option than the Canon 28mm/1.4 to have a true "normal" FOV on a 1.6x crop camera... that is, IF I could find one without focus issues.
I really wanted to try the lens before I bought it so I was planning on buying it at my local camera shop. But I found a deal and bought this lens from a FM member on the Buy/Sell forum. He had sent it to Sigma for calibration with his Rebel XSI. Well, it seems to be calibrated quite well for my XSI, because the AF is spot on! It is fast (and quiet), but not as fast as Canon USMs I own. Still, it is a 30mm lens, so it doesn't have all that far to travel... no big deal.
Focusing is much better than my 50mm/1.8 II, which is where I am coming from. It has rarely hunted for me, if at all, in the brief time I've used it. The IQ is very good. Color and contrast are good. A little bit of PP brings things out nicely. It is very sharp, IMO, in the center even at f/1.4, losing only a little bit as you hit the corners. I don't seem to have to stop down much to really bring out the sharpness... maybe f/4... certainly by f/5.6. There is a tad bit of distortion on the corners, but nothing I can't live with.
It is on the heavy side, but it makes up for it in what seems to be a sturdy build, metal mount and additional features such as a usable focus ring and distance window (and remember I'm coming from a 50mm/1.8 II). You get a case and lens hood with it, which is nice too. The 62mm thread is kind of annoying. It is just another set of filters to buy. It seems like this lens could have been designed for 58mm to keep in line with Canon's other compact offerings.
I highly recommend this lens. I use my XSI as a compact and lightweight carry-around, and this lens gives me the FOV I've wanted that the 50mms just don't give you. I suspect I will keep this set-up for quite a few years as it just fills the need of not wanting to cart around my 5D, but not wanting to be stuck with the limitations of a P&S.
Samples from this lens on my XSI here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthony_t/4629797627/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthony_t/4629797579/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthony_t/4630399484/
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May 25, 2010
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packpe89
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Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Mar 5, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 443
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Review Date: May 17, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp, Speed, Size, Build
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Cons:
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Had to tune in AF
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I debated this and the canon 28/1.8 for a while, was just drawn in by the 1.4 and how sharp some of the samples I saw were. I was concerened about the af mis-focus issue, that seems to be somehwat prevelant with this lens, however since I knew I could try to dial it in on my 7d, I gave it a try. I did have to dial it in, so I try to only use it on my 7d and not the 40D, but on the 7d, AF (+6) is great, fast and accurate. It is very sharp, sharper at 1.4 than any 2.8 zoom i've ever had (70-200, 24-70 or 18-50), in fact rivals my 60efs macro wide open and pairs very nicly with this lens for a 2 lens travel or portrait combo. Has easily become my favorite lens.
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May 17, 2010
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rk-d
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Registered: Feb 26, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 81
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Review Date: May 13, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $440.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Exceptional sharpness at wide open - as sharp as any lens I've ever used at f/1.4 Very nice bokeh. Excellent color. Silent motor. Very good build quality. Good focusing accuracy. Includes hood and pouch.
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Cons:
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Not a fan of the satin finish. Focus can sometimes be stubborn to lock in poor light.
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I am shocked by the quality of this lens. Sharpness at wide open is as good as any lens I've ever used. Color and contrast are both excellent. Build quality is very good - though I am not a fan of the Sigma finish on the lens barrel. Weight and size are both ideal.
AF performance is average, but predictable. AF lock could be better in low light - the lens sometimes has a tendency to hunt, but when it locks, it's typically fairly accurate. I am using the lens on a 7D and it's perfect at +/-0. I've noticed no back/front focus issues.
Vignetting is minimal. CA is relatively non-existant for a lens like this. I have not been bothered by distortion.
I have been surprised by some of the test chart reviews of this lens. In real life use, I'm thoroughly impressed. This is a lens with wide open performance at the top tier of prime lenses, IMO. Excellent and highly recommended.
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May 13, 2010
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blassox
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Registered: Jan 31, 2008
Location: Italy
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 18, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Incredible center sharpness already @ f/1.4, fast autofocus, great bokeh. The only affordable price/performance normal lens (48mm equivalent on canon)
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Cons:
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Too soft at corners, even stopping down. Focus hunts a little bit too often in mid or low light
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As you can read in pro/cons this lens is awesome in 90% shots. The corner softness sometimes is annoying, in the rest of time helps to keep on eye your center subject.
The only real negative aspect is the HSM drive miss the correct focus for few millimeters in mid->low light conditions, but few mm @ f/1.4 with near subject is sufficient to make a wrong shot.
All in all is a near perfect lens.
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Feb 18, 2010
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Paulius
Online
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Registered: Oct 4, 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 17
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Review Date: Jan 18, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Built, focus, IQ, aperture, focusing ring, nice rendering.
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Cons:
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focus sometimes hunts
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This is my only lens now and by no means i feel "limited". The IQ it delivers - very good. It is nice and clear at 1.4 and at f2.5 in self portraits i can see facial defects that was not aware of...I still have to learn to control it better, due it has a slight learning curve.
For street, portraits and walk around - very good, if you like 50mm perspective 
I still have to learn to control it better, due it has a learning curve.
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Jan 18, 2010
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edwin_ac
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Registered: Dec 31, 2009
Location: Philippines
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Dec 31, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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A great normal lens in low light conditions, without using any flash.
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Cons:
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Dec 31, 2009
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CyranoB
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Registered: Nov 8, 2009
Location: France
Posts: 8
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Dec 13, 2009
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SMP_Homer
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Registered: Aug 23, 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 21, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $300.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light, fast, quiet, nice and sharp wide open
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Cons:
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No complaints here
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I was ordering an 85 1.8 when I noticed I'd get free shipping if I spent a few $$$ more... so I ordered this lens... it then sat unused/untouched for a few weeks. Once I mounted it on my 40D, I fell in love. It's by far my favorite prime, and my most used lens.
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Oct 21, 2009
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gusetee
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Registered: Sep 7, 2009
Location: Spain
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 2, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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low light performance, sharpness wide open, fast and quiet AF, sturdy built, bokeh, low vignetting, price
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Cons:
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extreme corner sharpness, little too much distorsion, coma
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This is a very good normal lens, design to be shooted in poor light conditions, to be better at the center than corners and to last a long time.
I have several lenses than include Nikon 50mm 1.4 AF-D, 50mm 1.8 AF-D, 28-105mm, 80-200 f/2.8 ... and the Sigma 30mm is by far the one I use most. Is better than the two 50mm in the center wide open and a little worst in the corners. Despite of it's defects is a very hard to beat tool in low light and a very good lens used in the rest of situations, perhaps except landscape photography if you shoot at f/5.6 or wider, because of corner softness.
It has neither visible flare or ghosts, nor the typical purple fringe you can find in the Nikon 50mm 1.4 and 80-200 both used wide open.
Color rendition is very similar to Nikon 50mm 1.4, while 50 1.8 shows a soft green cast that dissapears stopped down to f/2.0.
My biggest complaint is related to distorsion. It's, in my opinion, too much for a fixed focal lens. The good news are that is very simple to correct.
I find it a very good value for money, absolutely recommended.
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Oct 2, 2009
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MRS Fotografie
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Registered: Aug 15, 2009
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 15, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Bokeh, contrast, low light performance
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Cons:
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Chromatic aberration, build tolerances (tight lens barrel = friction and AF issues)
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Whether on a day trip or vacation and no matter how many lenses I carry, this lens is always part of my kit. I use it on a 40D and find that as a general purpose and/or low-light prime on APS-C it cannot be beaten. Its unique focal length is just right and the pictures it delivers always have a unique quality to them, regardless of the amount of light available. CA's can be visible and the edges get very soft at wide open apertures but the lens more than compensates for these shortcomings in other areas. This lens really does some fantastic magic with back-lit subjects and delivers superb colors and contrast and the creamiest bokeh ever. Sometimes when I'm stuck in a photographic rut, I'll leave this on and let this lens take me out of it.
I had some focusing troubles with my copy of this lens for a long time until I traced the problem to a too-tight fitting lens barrel. Having found out through the use of MF that it was not an optical problem I eventually (carefully!!!) put a little PTFE lube on the outside of the lens barrel using a cotton bud (the barrel moves in and out a few mm but never touches the UV filter) and this reduced the friction enough to solve the problem. This minor application of PTFE lube also reduced the slight scraping noise the lens barrel sometimes makes and AF is now tack on. I'm glad I endured and didn't swap it for a different lens alltogether because I surely considered it many times.
I would give it a 10 but the lens loses 1 point to the lens barrel friction problem and 1 point to CA's that can be visible in high contrast situations. Considering price, performance and creative potential however, this lens is a jewel.
Finally, consider getting a precision matte focusing screen for use with this and other bright lenses. I just put an EF-S screen in my 40D and found out immediately that it is vital to check DOF and correct focus with lenses f/2.8 and faster, something that will surely add to the enjoyment of my L-zooms and of course this litte 30 mm.
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Aug 15, 2009
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shinji_45
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 24, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 24
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Review Date: Jul 24, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $300.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast, light, i like the rubberized finish on the lens, beautiful colors, sharp on the focus area, beautiful bokeh.
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Cons:
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None for me, but for others might have AF issues.
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Got this used from Craigslist. For the price that i paid, this is a superb lens. I love the bokeh and the huge apeture, and most importantly i love the colors that it captures. I have the Canon 70-200 f4 non IS, and i love this lens more that that; dont get me wrong, the Canon lens is also sweet. I like the rubberized finish on the lens as well, but that is just my opinion.
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Jul 24, 2009
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