Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC A-mount lens review by QuietOC
 QuietOC#39919 date: Aug-12-2017 | |
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| sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Canon EF 28 F1.8 USM Sigma 28 F1.8 HS & EX DG Minolta MD & AF 28 F2 Sony FE 28 F2 Canon EF 28 F2.8 IS USM Minolta/Sony AF 28 F2.8 Neewer 28 F2.8 Sigma 30 F1.4 DC DN C & EX DC Sigma 30 F2.8 DN Art Sony DT 30 F2.8 Macro SAM Neewer 32 F1.6 Zeiss 32 F1.8 Touit Rokinon 35 F1.2 Neewer 35 F1.2 Fotasy 35 F1.6 APS-C & Mini Kaxinda 35 F1.7 Tamron SP 35 F1.8 USD Minolta MD 35 F1.8 Sony E 35 F1.8 OSS Sony DT 35 F1.8 SAM Minolta AF 35 F2 Tamron 35 F2.8 OSD Rokinon AF 35 F2.8 Minolta MC 35 F2.8 Vivitar 35 F2.8 |
| price paid: | 150 USD (used) |
| positive: | Long focus throw Stationary filter threads Decent petal hood Soft case |
| negative: | CA Barrel distortion Inconsistent quality Focus shift Slow, noisy unit focus Corner shading (less than 35 F1.8) Octagonal aperture Inaccurate focus distance encoder Lacks Lens Compensation Valued higher than the DT 35 F1.8 |
| comment: | 30 mm is a nice focal length on APS-C especially for smaller Canon sensors. Sigma has a couple of newer 30 mm F1.4 lenses one for SLRs and one for mirrorless which have better reviews. On Sony APS-C sensors these are roughly equivalent to a 45 mm F2 on full-frame. This lens is much bigger than the diminutive Minolta MD Rokkor 45mm F2, but much smaller than the Tamron SP 45mm F1.8. It is slightly larger and heavier than the older Sigma 28 F1.8 High-Speed or the Canon EF 28 F1.8 USM. It is also much larger and heavier than the Sony DT 35 F1.8 SAM. "MADE IN JAPAN" My first copy was a factory refurbished lens sold by Adorama on eBay. It looked to be in mint condition with all the original packaging and accessories. The second copy was used from a large eBay seller. The hood on this copy didn't fit tightly. The third used copy from an individual is much better. The simple unit focus design moves all the glass together inside a stationary outer barrel just like other simple primes. It only only moves a few mm from infinity to closest focus. The minimum focus distance is quite long. The first copy definitely couldn't get very sharp wide-open. The images actually shift in one direction when focused which probably indicates some alignment issue. The second was much better and didn't show any odd shifting, but it was still difficult to find the ideal focus point. The image quality would benefit from stopped down focusing. It is performs similarly to the Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM, but without the first-party benefits of that lens. The corners are a bit better on the Sigma. Close focusing is very limited compared to the DT 35 mm F1.8. |
; 24MPrating summary
- total reviews: 50
- sharpness: 4.61
- color: 4.68
- build: 4.52
- distortion: 4.56
- flare control: 4.52
- overall: 4.58