Sigma 'Fast Prime' Fan Club

[Gdad]

For this thread we will consider 'Fast' to be at f1.8 or less- Please share your photo's and show what these lenses that criss cross brand loyalty can really do.

 

[Gdad]

I will start-


Sigma 50mm f1.4 by ~Life by the Drop~, on Flickr

 

[PoohJen]

Beautiful family and sounds like a nice lens!

I used my 50mm f1.4 for basketball this season as it is my fastest lens; but 30mm would've been much better at times! I'll keep it in mind! (and, I'm already a Sigma fan!).

Keep shooting and letting us know how you like it!

 

[Steve's Girl]

Doh ...

I had just composed a rather lengthy reply with lots of photos and got a "database error" and POOF! my reply was gone. So, I'll try to remember what I was saying...

I also have this lens. Below is a photo I took on Christmas morning in a pretty dimly lit room. I initially tried using a 2.8 lens but wasn't able to get anything worth keeping.

I find the focal length is very good for family and holiday things. I have also had very good success taking photos in my daughters' dance classes. I am able to use a fast enough shutter speed to get cart wheel photos in mid air without blur. Those photos are on an external hard drive. I will try to get them uploaded in the next day or so.

These were from our last WDW trip

I wasn't as happy with the distance photos such as the ones below, but that very well could have been user error.

My Spectro shots, I'm not so sure about. I think I can do better next time. I've had good results with my 50mm lens for Spectro, but this lens is a little different and I think I need more time to practice.

All in all, I've been happy with this lens. Due to the very shallow DOF, it is very easy to misfocus (is that a word?). This I know by experience! But it is so handy to have for low light, that I'm going to keep working at it and trying to improve my technique.

 

[TinksDH]

This lens is on my short list (which keeps growing BTW!) of lenses I want to add. I have the ubiquitous Nikkor 50/1.8, but like others have found it a bit long for indoor shots when using it on a digital body with the crop factor. I could see getting use out of the 85mm for more of an isolation shot, or the 30mm for getting in to the subject closer, but the 50mm just sits in my bag. Thanks for posting these.

 

[°O°Joe]

Yes indeed it is a fantastic lens - looks like you're having some fun with it, Jeff! I honestly think this lens is on the camera more than the Nikkor 18-135mm kit lens...

Here's a couple - although not the quality of Jeff's, I'm learning... I've also posted a couple Disney shots here and there taken with the Sigma 30mm f1.4 but I don't normally specify when.

In-laws' dog Payton:

f3.5 / ISO1600


Olivia playin' in the snow:

f1.4 / ISO1100


Thrilled to be shoveling and it took me 2 hours:

f1.4 / ISO1600


Cousin Andrew at Olivia's 7th b-day party

f3.2 / ISO800


Olivia turned 7 - and blew out the candles:

f4.5 / ISO400


$4 bottle of water:

f2.5 / ISO200


Cool wall at the City Museum in St. Louis - made of bread pans:

f1.4 / ISO1600

This lens really is a godsend for someone like me that isn't a fan of flash photography...

 

[Code]

Plus with the availability for Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony/Minolta, & Pentax DSLR's

And the always forgotten 4/3rds

I've had this lens for my Olympus E-510 since right before our Sept 07 trip and it has been lots of fun. I really prefer natural lighting in casual situations so it has gotten a lot of use at family gatherings.

One word of warning.. this lens is notorious for focus calibration problems (no matter the mount). Mine was front-focusing quite badly and I had to send it in for re-calibration. So if you're planning on buying one, test it beforehand if you can or right when you get it if you can't. (good test chart can be found at focustestchart.com)

Here are a few non-Disney samples (EXIF available on all of them)..

 

[Groucho]

This lens always sounded very tempting on paper, but it's sometimes knocked for having terrific image quality in the center but not so good as you go closer to the edges. Has anyone noticed that with their lens?

Hopefully it was just a few bad review samples, but it seems to be a common thread.

 

[Gdad]

Beautiful family and sounds like a nice lens!

I used my 50mm f1.4 for basketball this season as it is my fastest lens; but 30mm would've been much better at times! I'll keep it in mind! (and, I'm already a Sigma fan!).

Keep shooting and letting us know how you like it!

Thanks Jen- I have the 50/1.4 also but find the 30mm range much easier to work with. A little more latitude with composing shots and it seems like a less shallow depth of field wide open.

 

[Gdad]

I also have this lens. Below is a photo I took on Christmas morning in a pretty dimly lit room. I initially tried using a 2.8 lens but wasn't able to get anything worth keeping.

I find the focal length is very good for family and holiday things. I have also had very good success taking photos in my daughters' dance classes. I am able to use a fast enough shutter speed to get cart wheel photos in mid air without blur. Those photos are on an external hard drive. I will try to get them uploaded in the next day or so.

My Spectro shots, I'm not so sure about. I think I can do better next time. I've had good results with my 50mm lens for Spectro, but this lens is a little different and I think I need more time to practice.

All in all, I've been happy with this lens. Due to the very shallow DOF, it is very easy to misfocus (is that a word?). This I know by experience! But it is so handy to have for low light, that I'm going to keep working at it and trying to improve my technique.

What a great Christmas morning picture- thanks so much for sharing it. I think this lens will definately be in use around the holidays in our home. And my daughter is also in dance- so there is another use. I'm looking forward to seeing those.

 

[Gdad]

This lens is on my short list (which keeps growing BTW!) of lenses I want to add. I have the ubiquitous Nikkor 50/1.8, but like others have found it a bit long for indoor shots when using it on a digital body with the crop factor. I could see getting use out of the 85mm for more of an isolation shot, or the 30mm for getting in to the subject closer, but the 50mm just sits in my bag. Thanks for posting these.

I know what you mean about those short lists Mike- they just keep growing.

 

[Gdad]

Yes indeed it is a fantastic lens - looks like you're having some fun with it, Jeff! I honestly think this lens is on the camera more than the Nikkor 18-135mm kit lens...

Here's a couple - although not the quality of Jeff's, I'm learning... I've also posted a couple Disney shots here and there taken with the Sigma 30mm f1.4 but I don't normally specify when.

Thrilled to be shoveling and it took me 2 hours:

f1.4 / ISO1600

This lens really is a godsend for someone like me that isn't a fan of flash photography...

Joe I have seen your 30/1.4 pictures on the POTD thread and a few other places. I would say they are nothing short of amazing. Hopefully you will post some here soon. (Especially that Casablanca Great Movie Ride one!)

I had to smile at the one of you shoveling snow. Makes me glad I like in sunny Florida now. (My wife and kids have never even seen snow in their whole life- we really need to at least go on vacation somewhere that has some!)

 

[Gdad]

And the always forgotten 4/3rds

I've had this lens for my Olympus E-510 since right before our Sept 07 trip and it has been lots of fun. I really prefer natural lighting in casual situations so it has gotten a lot of use at family gatherings.

One word of warning.. this lens is notorious for focus calibration problems (no matter the mount). Mine was front-focusing quite badly and I had to send it in for re-calibration. So if you're planning on buying one, test it beforehand if you can or right when you get it if you can't. (good test chart can be found at focustestchart.com)

Here are a few non-Disney samples (EXIF available on all of them)..

Code- Sorry I left off the 4/3rds- that is the same as Olympus I guess? Anyway- I went back and edited my original post to (hopefully) include all.

Great examples of what this lens can do- The cat shot is my favorite!

As for the calibration problems- I have heard that also. If you buy one and it is not a sharp copy do not hesitate to send it to Sigma for calibration. From everything I have read they are very quick / easy to deal with / etc- and the corrected lens is perfect. Hopefully this was your experience.

 

[Gdad]

This lens always sounded very tempting on paper, but it's sometimes knocked for having terrific image quality in the center but not so good as you go closer to the edges. Has anyone noticed that with their lens?

Hopefully it was just a few bad review samples, but it seems to be a common thread.

Hey Groucho- I have not noticed this with the 30/1.4 but will pay attention. I did find this problem very obvious in the Sigma 10-20mm which I sold.

 

[°O°Joe]

If anyone is interested, I think Ken Rockwell sums it up pretty well in his review of this lens. The full review can be found here... I know some around here - from what I've read - aren't real fond of Mr. Rockwell. But he knows a heck of a lot more about digital SLR's - especially the D40 - than I do, so I listen to what he has to say for the most part...

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a special-purpose, fast, fixed normal focal length lens for digital SLRs. It sells for about $429.

This Sigma lens works well when used as intended for hand-held shots in dim light. It's lightweight and works fast and easy, especially with the Nikon D40 and D40x.

If you shoot Canon, forget this Sigma and get the superior Canon 28mm f/1.8 EF for less money.

If you need a full f/1.4 in a normal focal length for a digital camera (normal for a digital SLR is 28mm, not 50mm), can work around some repeatable autofocus inaccuracy and want to spend about $400, this is your lens.

It comes in versions to fit Canon, Nikon, 4/3 system (Olympus, Panasonic), Pentax KAF, Samsung, Minolta A AF, Sony A and Sigma cameras. I tried the version for Nikon. I presume the others are optically identical.

This Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens gives the same angle of view, and somewhat greater depth-of-field at the same aperture, as a 50mm lens does on a film camera.

No other maker makes anything identical to a 30mm f/1.4 for under $1,000. If you need f/1.4 in a lens of this focal range for under a thousand dollars, this is it.

If you have a Nikon D40 or D40x, this also is your lens because Nikon makes no lenses faster than f/2.8 which autofocus with a D40/x.

If you're not using a D40 or D40x, if f/1.8 or f/2 is fast enough in this focal length, or if 50mm (80mm equivalent) is OK, you can pay less and get genuine Canon or Nikon lenses instead. I'll cover this later at recommendations.

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is not a wide-angle and it doesn't work on film or full-frame cameras. I tried it, and the corners go black on full-frame. It easily covers 1.6x format Canon and Nikons. It might even cover 1.3x Canons like the 1D series, but I didn't try it. It's not rated to work with 1.3x cameras, so good luck.

Good News:

1.) A unique lens that works and handles well. It doesn't get in the way.

2.) Lightweight.

3.) Fast and easy AF, especially with Nikon D40 and D40x.

4.) Just grab the focus ring, even in AF mode, for instant manual focus override with no need to move any switches.

Bad News:

1.) Design flaw causes the manual focus confirmation light in my Nikons not to work properly during manual focus override. Furthermore, another defect causes my cameras to ignore my manual focus override in AF-C mode and revert to autofocus. These can be worked around by manually setting my Nikons to manual focus, which eliminates some of the usefulness of instant manual focus override.

2.) AF often focused slightly in front of my subject with my D200, potentially significant at the large apertures for which you buy this lens. I worked around this by pointing my AF sensors at something behind my subject if it was critical. This isn't a problem for real, live 3D subjects. This effect varies from sample to sample and camera to camera. It was fine on my D40.

3.). AF didn't focus beyond about 50' (20m) on my D200. I worked around this by setting focus manually using the accurate infinity mark on the focus scale. It was fine on my D40.

4.) Miscalibrated diaphragm lead to overexposed images. I worked around this by setting exposure compensation to -0.7 more than what I would use with other lenses.

5.) Single purpose: It doesn't zoom, and doesn't focus very close.

6.) Dinky-feeling plastic and rough manual focus feel.

7.) No infinity stop for astronomical use, but infinity mark was accurate.

8.) Optics not up to astronomical use, and not as sharp at smaller apertures as other slower lenses.

It does seem to have a couple more downsides than upsides, but this lens seems to make perfect sense to me, and don't regret this purchase one single bit. Also, I haven't really noticed any downside - to be honest. The overexposed thing maybe, but I always shoot -.7 exp comp anyway and adjust by looking at the histogram if needed anyway - so that's not an issue for me.

 

[°O°Joe]

Joe I have seen your 30/1.4 pictures on the POTD thread and a few other places. I would say they are nothing short of amazing. Hopefully you will post some here soon. (Especially that Casablanca Great Movie Ride one!)

I had to smile at the one of you shoveling snow. Makes me glad I like in sunny Florida now. (My wife and kids have never even seen snow in their whole life- we really need to at least go on vacation somewhere that has some!)

Thanks Jeff, I'm learning... but I'm glad you like them - I think I'm a little hard on myself sometimes.

Yeah - that snow was horrible, this winter has been brutal for us up here in Iowa - and it won't go away for some reason.

 

[°O°Joe]

And the always forgotten 4/3rds

I've had this lens for my Olympus E-510 since right before our Sept 07 trip and it has been lots of fun. I really prefer natural lighting in casual situations so it has gotten a lot of use at family gatherings.

One word of warning.. this lens is notorious for focus calibration problems (no matter the mount). Mine was front-focusing quite badly and I had to send it in for re-calibration. So if you're planning on buying one, test it beforehand if you can or right when you get it if you can't. (good test chart can be found at focustestchart.com)

Here are a few non-Disney samples (EXIF available on all of them)..

Code - those are all incredible shots - you are a great photographer... thanks for sharing!

 

[handicap18]

I have this lens and really like it.

Some may remember from my trip report after our last trip to the World. I had the front lens element fall off my 18-135mm lens in the morning while at EPCOT and I ended up using the 30mm f/1.4 almost exclusively for the rest of the day and into the EMH at night.

I've also used it around the house. Its a great focal length on a crop body. On Nikon it has the field of view of a 45mm lens which is very close to what the human eye see's at.

Here are some shots with it:

I found that wide open at ISO 1600 at night or with any image that has a lot of dark parts that I get a lot of extra noise. But at least I can get the shot.

 

[Groucho]

The Ken Rockwell quote reminds me that Sigma also currently sells a 28mm F1.8 lens. 2mm wider and only half a stop slower... but I don't think that lens has ever got especially good reviews, unfortunately, but can probably be had for somewhat cheaper. But it would be interesting to see a comparison of the two.

I do have an old Sigma 28mm F2.8 "Mini-Wide II" manual focus lens, but that one will probably be going up for sale pretty soon, as I just have too many overlapping lenses, and I have my 31mm if I want a fast prime in a similar focal length.

 

[Steve's Girl]

I have also had very good success taking photos in my daughters' dance classes.

I calibrated my monitor after I processed these, and they look a little dark to me. Add that to the "re-do" list.

of course, there's geeky mom over in the corner with a camera stuck to her face...

I took most of these at ISO 400 so I would be able to crop without too much noise. The top few were taken days after I got this lens and I think I can improve on those.