Amazon.com's Price: $439.00 as of 11/23/2009 00:53 EST
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Binding: Electronics
Brand: Sigma
EAN: 0085126300272
Item Dimensions: 49087095500
Label: Sigma Corporation
Manufacturer: Sigma Corporation
Maximum Aperture: 1.4 f
Maximum Focal Length: 30 millimeters
Minimum Focal Length: 30 millimeters
Model: B0007U0GZM
MPN: B0007U0GZM
Publisher: Sigma Corporation
Studio: Sigma Corporation
Features:- 30mm focal length
- 2 low-dispersion glass elements; glass mold aspherical lens element
- 45-degree angle of view
- 15.7-inch minimum focusing distance
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
This large aperture 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM lens is designed to match the APS-C size image sensors of digital SLR cameras. Two SLD glass elements are especially effective in the compensation of magnification chromatic aberration.Glass mold aspherical lens at rear group of lens reduces color aberration and provides high-quality image results. From 40cm (15.7'') minimum focusing distance to infinity, this lens creates very sharp images with high contrast.The HSM models provide quiet high-speed auto-focus shooting, as well as full-time manual focus. Large Maximum Aperture of F1.4 can perform superbly in a great range of applications, including snapshots, portraiture, indoor shooting and landscape photography.
Amazon.com Product Description:
Designed to match the APS-C size image sensors of Canon digital SLR cameras, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens is an ideal choice for a wide range of applications, including snapshots, portraiture, indoor shooting, and landscape photography. The 30mm lens relies on two special-low-dispersion glass elements and a glass-mold aspherical lens. Combined, the construction details correct for all types of chromatic and color aberrations. The lens is also equipped with a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) that supports quiet, high-speed autofocus, but also turns off should you prefer full-time manual focusing. Other features include a maximum aperture of f/1.4, a 62mm filter mount, and a one-year warranty.
Specifications
- Focal length: 30mm
- Maximum aperture: f/1.4
- Lens construction: 7 elements in 7 groups
- Angle of view: 45 degrees (SD format)
- Number of diaphragm blades: 8
- Minimum aperture: f/16
- Minimum focusing distance: 15.7 inches
- Maximum magnification: 1:10.4
- Filter size: 62mm
- Corresponding AF mounts: Canon
- Dimensions: 2.97 inches in diameter and 2.3 inches long
- Weight: 15.2 ounces
- Warranty: 1 year
Average Rating: 
Rating: -
Before starting the evaluation of this lens it's important to understand that this is the only auto-focus lens that is near "normal" on cropped DSLRs with max aperture below 1.8 and costing less than $1000. It is also substantially smaller than other lenses with such a focal range and aperture. It is therefore not surprising that this lens will come with a number of compromises and therefore will not be to everyone's liking.
The good thing about this lens that it is indeed F1.4 lens. It's quite sharp in the center right from F1.4. Stopped to 2.0 the center is excellent and most of the frame is good. At F5.6 even the far corners are good (but not excellent). In most situations the bokeh is pleasing making the lens suitable for portraits and subject isolation in general.
Besides the corner sharpness the main optical flaw of the lens is high chromatic aberrations, or colored fringes on contrasty edges. Most fast lenses (including for example Canon 50mm F1.4) have this problem (although often to a lesser degree) so I cannot blame Sigma too much. In addition the problem can be partly fixed in software.
The AF is fast the lens is quite compact and well built. Another nice plus is 3 year warranty.
Overall I'd happily give this lens 5 STARS if not for Sigma quality control. The first lens I've got was back-focusing. I've got it replaced by the seller. The second lens was misfocusing randomly in about 25% of the shots. I've sent it for calibration to Sigma and it returned both misfocusing and backfocusing. I've sent it again for calibration together with my camera, only to get it back to the original state ... still misfocusing randomly in about 25% of the shots. I've sent it once again to a different Sigma repair center, but the lens again was not fixed. At that time I've figured out the problem with my lens. It misfocused when focusing from a more distant to a closer point. I've called Sigma and managed to convince them to give me a replacement. At long last (6 months later) I have a lens that focuses accurately.
On the positive side of things the customer service was nice and it paid for all shipping of the lens to the center and back (except the first one).
Rating:  -
The Sigma 30 1.4 is a great lens. It is sharp wide open and AF is fast and quiet. This lens paired up with my 7D is a hell of a match. The only thing I wish it had was IS.
Rating:  -
I was drawn to the Sigma after having used Nikon's competing 35mm f/1.8 lens and hearing many comments to the effect that, in addition to its greater speed, the Sigma offered better bokeh and significantly better build quality. I also personally prefer the 30mm perspective for use as a "normal" lens on DX - so given the praise I'd seen for it, I bought a copy of the Sigma and have spent a fair amount of time using it, alongside the Nikkor, under a variety of shooting conditions.
The advantages noted for the Sigma do exist, and they do work in its favor. Nevertheless, I came away disappointed, and have gone back to using the Nikkor exclusively despite its minor drawbacks.
There are two primary reasons for my dissatisfaction, which combined to lead to a single effect: unacceptable image quality at large apertures. Let me first say that for my purposes, the only reason to use a fast prime lens is to use it at large apertures. In circumstances where I don't need a large aperture, I will keep one of several excellent modern zoom lenses on my camera, any of which offer sharpness and color rendition that matches or exceeds that provided by even good prime lenses. A good zoom gives versatility in terms of focal length, and I am not a purist in terms of equipment choice: I use what I feel to be the best tool for the circumstances I find myself in. The only time I find a prime lens preferable is when I need to use a large aperture, and consequently such a lens' performance at large apertures becomes by far its most important quality.
I was, unfortunately, very quickly disappointed with the Sigma's image quality. After subsequent fiddling, both in regular use and in semi-formal "testing," to determine the reasons for the poor sharpness, I realized there were two separate issues contributing to its mediocre performance: first, it focused inconsistently. This seems distinct from most focusing-related complaints here, as my copy didn't consistently front-focus or back-focus: those problems can apparently be fixed, at least on some samples. This lens simply wasn't consistent enough in its focus to hit its depth of field at wide apertures, a rather critical failure for a fast lens. Even among Nikkors, some lenses are better than others, and one big advantage of the newer AF-S Nikkors is that they tend to focus very consistently, if not always quickly: they will make the small adjustments necessary to keep the subject in sharp focus, even when depth of field is narrow, and they consequently provide a very large proportion of perfectly focused images. The Sigma, at least my copy, was not able to do that.
Second, exacerbating the focus issue, was a general lack of sharpness at large apertures even when focus was perfect. Whether the subject was a simple test chart or a real-life target, the lens' sharpness was just not very good as the aperture widened past about f/4. It was worst wide open, where I would characterize it as useable but fairly poor, and not, unfortunately, much better at f/1.8 or f/2. F/2.8 was better, but still markedly soft, f/4 was fairly sharp but still not on the level I expect from today's high-quality lenses. Along with the lack of sharpness at larger apertures came a lack of contrast - photos taken with this lens at f/1.8 were significantly less contrasty than those taken with the Nikkor 35/1.8, a typical side effect of poor sharpness as the colors run together within areas of fine detail, rather like a small-scale water color painting.
Were these performance issues significant enough to be noticeable on normal-size prints? At f/4, probably not. At f/2.8, maybe. However, there is no point, for me, in using a lens like this unless I can effectively use it at f/1.8 and below - and at those apertures, the lack of detail and contrast would keep me from using it except in shots where detail was simply not important - and yes, it would be noticeable even at ordinary print sizes, or displayed un-magnified on a computer monitor.
My conclusion, then, was that the lens did not meet my basic personal requirements for image quality. It does, however, have its good points, and in giving it a rating I consider it a three-star lens. It is genuinely fast, and its f/1.4 aperture can allow one to capture images that would simply not be possible with other lenses. It is reasonably sharp at ordinary apertures, and it is capable of producing colorful, contrasty images, the equal of even very good Nikkors - a probable testament to Sigma's use of high quality coatings. Its build indeed appears very stout; and if its focus feel is the typically high-friction, gritty feel of modern internal-motor lenses, then at least the focus ring is well placed, accessible, and easy to use.
A few miscellaneous comments that might be of importance to some users of this lens, and in particular some points of comparison to the 35/1.8 ... Read More
Rating:  -
I bought two sigma lenses and I loved them for about 6 months. Now both are broken and Sigma service sucks. Save yourself a headache and don't buy sigma.
Rating: -
Several reviewers have had misgivings about the 30mm's focusing accuracy. I was lucky, got a perfect copy that focuses like a dream on a D50 where it now resides permanently.
Most of my shots are taken within the 0.7m to 2m range, almost always @ 1.4 for the beautiful bokeh and subject isolation. For precise focusing mid-frame, the central AF point is perfect but if the subject is positioned off centre, the peripheral focus points yield superior results, at least in reasonable light. In low light, the peripherals tend to struggle, necessitating a focus and reframe approach or else manual focusing.
On close inspection, the Sigma suffers from vignetting and vertical CA's but not discernibly more so than other brands. It handles beautifully, focuses briskly in near silence with no external movements. Its lure is in the background blur that no other manufacturer offers at a similar focal length and price point. The quality control issue is a pity and one is well advised to buy only from sellers with a reputable returns policy like Amazon. Interestingly, the magnificent Canon 50/1.2L on FF has an equally iffy CV. In both cases, the prospect of a good copy resoundingly outweighs the hassle of returning a possible lemon. The Sigma has turned my D50 into an extraordinary visual instrument; for the magic it produces, I'd chance it again any day.
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