Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM EX--A Short Review

Almost any lens should be able to do a good job rendering an image like this, but here is where the Sigma 30mm f1/.4 excels. Unfortunately, this JPEG doesn't really do it justice. I bet you'd ooh and ahh if you saw the print, though.

I recently returned from a week-long vacation in New England, which allowed me to try out my newest acquisition: a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 prime lens. (When traveling, "light, fast and simple" is my motto.)

With my camera's 1.6X crop factor the effective focal length with this lens worked out to 48mm, which allowed it to perform the same function my 50mm f/1.4 would on a 35mm film camera. The main attraction for me was less the focal length than the fast maximum aperture. Neither the camera nor the lens have image stabilization, so fast apertures and high ISOs allowed me to maintain reasonable shutter speeds in low light. By "reasonable" I mean 1/30 second and above.

 

Hopefully, the gleam of these aluminum deck chairs is so alluring you don't notice the barrel distortion on the railing above.

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 did not disappoint. I could actually shoot at f/1.4 and expect high resolution and contrast, at least in the center. Corner resolution isn't great at maximum aperture, but then again, all it takes to significantly improve corner resolution is to stop down to f/5.6 or so. Also keep in mind that when you're shooting in low light the corners are often dark or not within the plane of focus anyway.

I was consistently impressed by how little effort it took to produce the types of images I like: sharp foregrounds with creamy, muted backgrounds; flat objects that are sharp from center to edge; high flare resistance, and colors that are nicely saturated but not garish. Other benefits include relatively compact size, sturdy construction, a focus scale, a full-time focusing ring that doesn't rotate during AF, and quick internal focusing. I definitely felt as if I was using a high-quality optic that could deliver the goods, come rain or shine.

I can't very well rave about how a lens reproduces colors and then show only black and white pictures, now can I?

But as with any lens, it's not perfect. Aim it at a strong, direct light source and it's prone to flare. Aim it at rectilinear subjects and you'll see slight barrel distortion. Aim it at evenly lit subjects at apertures wider than f/2.8 and you'll see vignetting. I consider these issues minor and fairly easy to correct; a fair sacrifice in exchange for the types of photos accompanying this review. Whether you feel the same way is, of course, up to you.

Comments

[iPetrov]

Its nice to know the sigma is an option. I'm a little reticent in buying it because of its size. Did it really felt "light" to travel with?

[Gordon Lewis]

"Light" is, of course, a relative term. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 weighs 430 grams, which is just under one pound. That's about double the weight of a kit lens such as the Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. On the other hand, the nearest comparable Canon lens, the 35mm f/1.4, weighs 580 grams. When you look at it that way, the Sigma is not only a bit lighter but a lot less expensive.

Personally, I would describe the weight of the 30mm f/1.4 as "medium." It's not bothersome on its own, or even mounted on a 1.5 lb. body such as the EOS 30D. Add it to a bag with three or four more lenses of similar or greater weight, however, and I'd think twice about traveling with that sort of weight on my shoulder all day. That's why I generally travel with only two prime lenses, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and a Canon 50mm f/1.4.

[Chris Klug]

How do you correct for the vignetting and the barrel distortion?

[Gordon Lewis]

I correct the vignetting by stopping down. By f/2.8 the light falloff at the corners is only .5 stop. By f/4 it's down to .3 stop. I don't worry about vignetting at stops wider than f2.8 because by then I'm almost always shooting in low light, where there's not much illumination in the corners of the frame anyway. As for barrel distortion, I use Photoshop's "distort" filter. It overlays a rectilinear grid on the image. You adjust a slider until the bowed lines match the grid, and you're done. I don't do this for all images, of course; only the ones where barrel distortion is obvious and I care enough to correct it.