Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX HSM DC AF Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens & Opteka Battery Pack Grip & 2 EN-EL3e Batteries (3400 mAh Total) & Filters & Accessories for Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera

Photo Zone

We all know that zoom lenses are compromises regarding speed and performance but we expect fix-focals to perform better than that. Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX HSM DC may perform pretty good in absolute terms but for a fix-focal the lens disappoints a little. The center performance is exceptionally high but the borders are not all that impressive. The other image parameters such as distortions, vignetting and CAs are Okay but nothing to rave about. So at the end of the day the only differentiator is its ultra-large aperture – it’s up to you whether this is good enough compared to classic 28mm or 35mm lenses. READ FULL REVIEW

Other Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX HSM DC AF Reviews

Ken Rockwell

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. 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. READ FULL REVIEW

Digital Picture

A fast aperture lens always garners attention and the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens is no exception. Photographers wasted little time in making this lens one of their favorites. Adding a relatively low price point, fast HSM autofocusing, small size and good build quality to the fast aperture puts the 30 f/1.4 in its own class. At 2.97″ x 2.3″ (75.5mm x 59mm)(DxL) and 15.2 oz (430g), the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens is relatively small and in the medium-light weight class. The 62mm filter diameter is somewhat unusual (some of Sigma’s non-EX zoom lenses share this size). Build quality is very nice. If you like Sigma’s standard slightly-speckled matte finish, you will like how this lens (and its included hood) feels. Mounted on a 1.6x body, this is a very nice handling lens. Sigma’s HSM (Hypersonic Motor) internal autofocus is very nice – reasonably fast and very quiet. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens is somewhat soft wide open and steadily improves to quite sharp at f/2.8. Corner sharpness trails center sharpness by a stop or two. Bokeh from the 8-blade aperture is nice. Colors are decent, contrast is good. CA (Chromatic Aberration), though not absent, is very well controlled. Flare is well-controlled. READ FULL REVIEW

SLR Gear

All in all, Sigma seems to have done exactly what they set out to do with this lens, namely provide a fast, high-quality “normal” lens for DSLRs with APS-C sized sensors. It’s well built, delivers good results optically, and is a (reasonably) affordable lens to own. If you’re a Canon owner and really don’t need either the build quality or fast f/1.4 maximum aperture of this lens, you could save yourself some money by going with the excellent Canon 35mm f/2.If you do need f/1.4 though, this lens from Sigma is a great option. READ FULL REVIEW

Photo Review

A very fast prime lens that covers a ‘normal’ angle of view and is designed for ‘APS-C’ format DSLR cameras. Sigma’s 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM lens is solidly constructed and available in mounts to suit all popular brands – including Olympus and Panasonic. On the Canon EOS 40Dand 400Dcameras we tested it on, this lens equates to a 48mm lens on a 35mm camera – which is close to a ‘standard’ viewing angle. It cannot be used on DSLRS with ‘full frame’ sensors because it vignettes at the corners of the frame. READ FULL REVIEW