sigma 30mm F1.4

[LightBright]

Ive been away for awhile, due to photo school stuff but I’m back. Wondering, what is your guys/girls opinion on the sigma 30mm f1.4 on a a700 body? I was looking at sample picks that were shot with this lens and the results are amazing. They say it has really low resolution on the edges and a extremely sharp center, some see this as a flaw, but others and I are loving the sample images because of it! However, I hear sigma has a rough reputation for sending out defective lenses. But, the photo's the sigma takes, must be worth trying to get a non defective version. Thats what i think anyways

If I do decide to get the sigma 30 1.4 lens, it would be a slow Procces to obtain it, cause my photo classe's are seriously draing all my cash lol. Great too, next im takeing photo 3, 4x5 view cameras! O NOOOO!!! :cryin: But basicly the way im doing things is, saving enough for one lens getting that one and going to the next. This way i can build my collection, but still go to school.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/sigmaprimes/pool/

[Anbesol]

Well, the low res on the edges matters really if you plan on attaching it to a full frame body. I looked at it for a while (but stuck with a 100mm prime instead), and the resolution does fall down pretty rapidly outward from center, but that was wide open. Its resolution performance across the diameter of the lens goes up pretty quickly going closing down even 1-2 stops. Paired with the A700, remember you're pulling through the sweet spot. The few flaws that exist on that lens are only really noticable on a full frame. The DOF is razor thin wide open, but if you've ever seen f1.4, this isn't a surprise.

It looks like a damned good lens, i've seen some very pleasant looking bokeh and color from it, and it is damned well priced at $350-$400. From all I've gathered its one of the very best performance/cost ration in a wide prime.

[LightBright]

Perfect lens for me than. I dont plan on useing it on a full frame body in the near future so im good. I know what u mean about the sharpness of f1.4. I have a pentax f1.4 tauckmer lens, and its super hard to get even the center in sharp focus. And thats how it is with most f1.4 lenses and if I decide to sharpen the center and the rest of the frame I could just close down 1 or 2 stops. Since its a f1.4, closeing down to get sharper pictures would still allow me to shoot in low light with a relitivly decent hand held shutter speed. Very neat lens! I cant stop thinking about it I think it will be a big step up from my 18-70mm sony kit lens.

[Anbesol]

yeah, I wouldn't ever shoot at 1.4 unless intentionally going for the soft focus.

HUGE step from the kit lens. You'll love the blazing fast AF and the bright viewfinder especially...

[NoKnees]

I would imagine it would just blow away the kit lens....

It's a good size for the crop sensors, more like a 50mm for the FF cameras... I think it'd be a good replacement for my old Super Tak f1.4 as well, especially with the yellow casting of the old coatings on that lens... Never mind the AF.. ;)

Still, its hard to spend money on new lenses that would be nice to have, vs Need to have...

[LightBright]

Yeahhh! Its on the way! Just ordered the sigma 30mm f1.4. Alongside with a -3.0 dioptor eye piece and a lcd screen protector. I think I have to wait on the angle finder for now. O but im so excited!!! Ill post some test pics when it comes. Yes HUGE step from kit lens. Personally I can’t stand the 18-70mm, it drives me nuts! And I have such a hard time manually focusing with it cause it never looks sharp in the first place and its so fiddley.

"I think it'd be a good replacement for my old Super Tak f1.4 as well, especially with the yellow casting of the old coatings on that lens... Never mind the AF.. ;)"

Heh, that yellow might look kinda cool But a real downer if you dont intend it.

[NoKnees]

Cool, look forward to hearing how ya like the 30mm...

As for my yellow lens, it has it's moments... Definitely adds a warmer vintage look to the shots. It does have it's moments...

[Anbesol]

How does your white balance respond to the yellow hue?

[LightBright]

Well its been awhile now and my Sigma 30mm lens still didn’t come yet. They say its on back order, I really want it now lol! However I just sent adorama a complaint because the rest of the packages they sent to my address were poorly packaged. They put a total of 10 items in a very very long thin box that smelled like lens cleaner. I opened it, lens cleaner was everywhere! And the worst part is, is that they didn’t fasten any of the items, including the heavy 6" and 3" clamps which I bought 3 of each. Those heavy items smashed up my filter box but the filters themselves are fine, thank god! Who in the right mind places cheep heavy clamps and optical equipment in a long box that is going to be tossed around? I just hope adorama takes good care of my lens when it gets back in stock O man am I pissed. All ive heard were good reviews about adorama.com and I get to be the few unlucky buyer.

[LightBright]

It took more than 2 weeks to get here but its finally here. Its a really sweet lens. Can’t say much about it other than its very sturdy and well designed from the outside. I will try to post some test pics when I have time. But it dramatically changed everything about my alpha. One thing to note, this lens is about 1 inch shorter than the 18-70mm lens but the lens hood is rather huge, no biggie, I read that this big of a lens shade is necessity for the 30mm since it has trouble with flare.

I am loveing the fast auto focus, surprisingly quite as well....

[LightBright]

I uploaded some quick snap shots around the house with the 30mm. All were shot with -1 saturation on standard creative style in the menu, jpeg xfine files.

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

Again just some weak snaps here and there no big deal. But this lens is a real joy to use.

[NoKnees]

Not bad... Some of the shots look a hair shaky (low shutter speeds) though which might be causing the photos to look a little less sharp than they can. I understand they were just some quick test shots, so it's understandable...

Lens looks like it has great potential though.

[Anbesol]

Light - can you post up bigger bokeh shots? Show us what that thing can do at 1.4!

[LightBright]

Thanks NoKnees Ya it was hand held, but even at f1.4, I was getting a real slow s/s due to very dim light (iso 100). I will soon do some more test shots, but this time I will do it with more patience and control over the scene.

"Light - can you post up bigger bokeh shots? Show us what that thing can do at 1.4!"

Will do Anbesol! :thumbsup: I will also do some more test shots with better lighting. The bokeh looks awesome. That’s the main reason for me buying the lens. I think the aperture iris is an Octagonal one. It looks really nice even when it becomes more apparent when stopped down. I live in a nice city, I think it would be a great bokeh test.

[LightBright]

Heres some more. Dont know how it looks on other screens but here goes...

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

Heres some bokeh shots, but I did them to ask a question. Notice that when the bokeh is in the middle of the frame at wide open f1.4, its very round, but when I shoot the same bokeh on the side of the frame the lights become lemon like. Is this normal? I kind of like it but am just wondering if it is normal.

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

compare the above to this one bellow

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

heres some more heh.

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...&ppuser=276662

I will be doing some more bokeh shots cause the ones above were for a question.