Sigma 30 f1.4 EX DC HSM v. Canon 35 f2 Photo Gallery by lightrules at pbase.com

Sigma 30 f1.4 EX DC HSM v. Canon 35 f2

July 8 2005: Tested here are 2 favorites in the all-new Sigma 30 f1.4 and the classic Canon 35 f2.

*Another comparison http://www.whichlens.com/index.php?blog=5&title=sigma_30mm_ex_dc_f1_4_vs_canon_ef_35mm_f&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 *

comment |

lightrules		15-Dec-2006 19:00
Interesting you ask about the Canon 28 f1.8. I have one arriving next Wednesday (Dec 20) and will be doing a test between it and the Sigma 30. But for your reference, you should know that the Sigma (a properly focusing unit) is sharper than the Canon 35 f1.4 at the center of the frame with similar color output. So while I expect the 28 to be a fine lens, I would be surprised if it bested the EX. But I will post my findings once the test is complete.

Guest		15-Dec-2006 18:49
Have you ever tested a Canon 28 1.8 against the Sigma? I need to print 16x20s so am looking for the best image quality from my 30D?

lightrules		20-Sep-2006 17:16
Every lens has CA to some degree, especially these fast aperture lenses. That said, this EX lens is much better in controlling CA than the 50f1.8, and if you stop down to f2.8, you should see it really improve a lot. I wouldn't worry about it much unless you're seeing extraordinary amounts of it. As for ETs, you can use them but your focusing distance is VERY small. Enjoy this gem.

pirxthepilot		20-Sep-2006 16:51
i now have the 30mm! was only able to test a few shots, but i'm pleased so far. although there's one thing i noticed: i tested outdoors, and the CA seems to be more pronounced than on my 50mm f/1.8. is this due to the large aperture? i wasnt able to test CA stopped down, though. lastly, were you able to test this lens with extension tubes? doing macro with this lens must get really fun. thanks a lot jojo! i can't thank you enough.

lightrules		16-Sep-2006 16:57
AF in low light is good. It really more depends on your camera body. The 20D/30D bodies are better than the XT, for example. It should be very good though on the new XTi. But as for the lens, simply stellar glass.

pirxthepilot		16-Sep-2006 16:29
wow, i just love the quality of the sigma 30. how is the AF, especially in low-light? thanks!

Guido Schmidt		15-Aug-2005 22:17
Yes, the Sigma seems to be sharp, but it produces much more CAs than the Canon, especially stopped down to f5.6 (see Test2-LeftEdgeCrops and have look at the shadow on the right tree and the leaves in the upper left corner). Sharpness is not all.

Rich Young		10-Aug-2005 04:03
I emailed Sigma this morning. They called me back. Since the lens is less than a week old they suggested I do an exchange with store. Otherwise they will take it, check it out, and repair or replace. Will keep you updated. I really want this to work out. Back to the comets but I am just learning.

lightrules		09-Aug-2005 05:58
Yes, there are users reporting this specific issue: misfocusing at infinity at or near wide open. I will bet that Sigma will deny it is a "lens issue" and probably blame the camera body. But OTOH, there are users who are reporting no focusing problems whatsoever, so maybe Sigma has a point.

Rich Young		09-Aug-2005 05:55
I am noticing that on occasion the Sigma 30mm 1.4 has a focusing problem. Others on Fred Miranda have mentioned this too. I have contacted Sigma with the detail. Anyone else seeing this problem?

lightrules		07-Aug-2005 20:53
Hi Rich, thanks for visiting and asking a good question. Every lens has its pros and cons, and on the "cons" side of things, every lens, to some degree, suffers from optical constraints and "aberrations" (i.e., image defects due to lens design). Some common aberrations are: astigmatism, field curvature, pincushioning (teles) and barrel distortion (wides), chromatic type, spherical, lateral color, and coma. When a lens suffers from "coma", what you will notice upon close examination of the out of focus highlights are points that look like "tails" or "comets", from which the term is derived. Now, with the Sigma 30 f1.4, some users are reporting "coma aberration". While I'm not personally convinced this is a major issue with this lens, it is still too early to tell. Overall, the Sigma EX is a very good lens that has many more pros than cons. Not only optically is it very good, but the build, HSM AF with FTM, and overall handling is very nice. Best wishes.

richyoung		07-Aug-2005 20:12
Thank you for the web site. I know how much time and resources these test take. Can you explain the comment "Regarding the bokeh test, the 30mm appears to be suffering from coma, which is evident in the bokeh from the tree in the top-right corner. In situations where the bokeh is rendered in a smaller radius, the shape will begin to occur as a triangular/comet-trail shape." Looking at the pictures I don't see the comet-trail but I am new at this. Thaks, ...Ric

lightrules		12-Jul-2005 19:24
Regarding the bokeh of this lens, you make a good point, and it seems there are some people who have this lens that are concerned too. However, I'm not convinced that in this specific image ["Bokeh30"] this is coma or any kind of problematic bokeh issue per se; it seems to me this could easily be movement caused by a rush of wind. However, time will tell if this is truly a problem or not as more people get this lens and test it out.

hyperplanar		12-Jul-2005 19:04
Regarding the bokeh test, the 30mm appears to be suffering from coma, which is evident in the bokeh from the tree in the top-right corner. In situations where the bokeh is rendered in a smaller radius, the shape will begin to occur as a triangular/comet-trail shape. I'm no expert in lens design, but I do wonder why Sigma haven't noticed and attempted to compensate for this problem.

Powerdoc		09-Jul-2005 06:33
Thanks for this test. It show clearly that the new sigma 30 EX DC 1,4 is a fantastic lens. The most impressive thing with this lens is it's fanstatic bokey. I also own this lens, and I am pretty happy with it.

click on thumbnails for full image