Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC HSM Art

If you use a crop body to do portraiture, street or abstract photography you need to read this blog.

In the last year or two Sigma has stepped up to the plate big time and have caused a shaking in the world of DSLR optics. Haters will still hate even after reading the blog, those who are willing to spend hard earned cash on the Sigma, oh wait, that is one of the pro’s of this lens. You don’t have to break the bank for it.

For many years the Canon 50mm f1.8 (nifty fifty) was the holy grail when it came to budget prime lenses. With its all plastic body and mount but good optics it was a very good buy for most. I am sure however that I am not the only one who found the nifty fifty a little too long on the crop sensor bodies.

The first generation Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM lens was already a good alternative to the nifty fifty and gave very good results with well controlled flare and very sharp from f2.8.

Primes have always been known for their sharpness over zoom lenses and have been a favourite with many of the best photographers around the globe. You either love the primes or you hate them. Once you have gotten used to them though, it is very difficult to be happy with a zoom lens. Yes, there are zoom lenses that are might sharp, but primes will always have the edge.

History has tended to be against Sigma for many years with quality control sometimes lacking in the past. Enter the new Contemporary, Art and Sports range. The 30mm f1.4 Art lens brings a whole new level of quality and bang for buck to the table. You have to wonder when looking at some the images taken with brand name lenses and compared to third party lenses, why there is often such a huge price difference. There will always be brand lovers and third party haters. Sigma however has bridged that gap in a mighty way. So much so that when comparing images shots with similars lenses, one has to really look closely to see the difference, and then the choice of lens really comes down to the wire. The question of is the difference really that great to warrant the extra cash for brand products?

I am in no way a photographer that wastes my time looking at the technical specs, the charts and all the rest. What matters to me is am I getting what I expect from the lens? Am I happy with the results I am getting? If I can answer yes to both of these, why should I worry about the rest. And now there are those of you who might say, “Yea but what about aperture blades, resultant bokeh etc etc? If the technical side of the lens cannot deliver an image where bokeh, sharpness, lack of chroma and all the other jargon is not acceptable, I don’t want it.

That said. If you are a crop sensor user, you simply HAVE to have this lens in your bag. It is light, quick to focus, accurate and does not break the bank. It has its con’s, a little chromatic aberration is present from f1.4 to f4.5 but not enough to prove a problem. Autofocus is great. There is a little vignetting wide open.

I don’t do video work, but many reviews praise this lens as a superb option for video.

With all my ramblings most of you have just scrolled down looking for the images.

So, here they are.

Enjoy.