![]() ![]() I’m not the kind of guy who spends his days shooting charts in labs at various apertures to test Chromatic Aberration and that sort of junk (I’m one of those photographers who gets out there and…actually photographs things), and I’ve never noticed an issue with any halos, artificats, or miscellaneous “stuff” in my shots. In addition to sharpness and auto-focus, the lens has great contrast and color rendition straight out of camera, and the bokeh is fantastic (more on the bokeh below in the comparisons to other lenses). The only time I’ve had an issue with this lens’ focus is in dimly-lit or low contrast situations where every lens has issues. It grabs focus quickly and holds it in a death grip like a genetically modified giant anaconda constricting a medium-size elephant. It has a built-in Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), so it can auto-focus with even entry level Nikon DSLRs, and the auto-focus is fast, quiet and, accurate. No lens is going to be tack sharp at f/1.4, and this lens is no exception, but it’s still very sharp–sharp enough that most of my non-landscape shots with this lens have been taken wide open.Īs for auto-focus, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 performs like a champ. This lens is sharp wide open, and incredibly sharp between f/2.8 and f/10. I actually loved this lens so much in my that I purchased a second copy after my first was dropped and busted! Here’s why…Īssuming you do end up with a copy of this lens that doesn’t have a focus issue, you will find yourself with an absolutely fantastic lens. This lens is exclusively for crop sensor cameras, so if you shoot full frame, you’re out of luck. Difficult to say how prevalent (as those who have problems are more likely to speak up than those who don’t), but it wouldn’t surprise me if 5-10% of the copies of this lens have an issue. I haven’t had problems with either copy of the lens I’ve had, but the reports of this problem are widespread enough that I know it is a real problem. It’s important to do several test shots with this lens as soon as it arrives if there’s a problem with it, any authorized retailer will exchange it. If the copy of this lens you get has a problem with that, it should be easy to spot, as whatever you focused on won’t be in focus, and something in front of or behind it will be instead. ![]() The big issue with this lens is focusing–that it front or back focuses. While quality control is a real issue with this lens (making it a very poor candidate for purchase on the resale market since it’ll be difficult to return a copy you buy there), its performance is so spectacular that it absolutely is worth the “hassle.” While a lot of people drink the Kool-Aid for the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (or “Dirty Thirty” as its fans call it), nearly as many people have dismissed the lens, citing its quality control issues as making it not worth the hassle. Early reports on the Art version suggest that it’s a tad sharper than the original version. I haven’t owned the “Art” version (nor do I intend to), so this review concerns the original version and all sample photos in it were taken by me with this version, which is now available at a discount. ![]() It has been so popular that Sigma re-released the lens as part of its new “Art” line in 2013. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens has a bit of a cult following (especially for Disney photography), with many people contending that it outperforms its Canon and Nikon counterparts. ![]()
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