24Feb Canon 35mm f1.4 v.s. Sigma 30mm f1.4 head to head Compairson
I recommend the Sigma 30mm f1.4 quit a bit, but it always seems like when i do, the first response I get is “what about (insert lens here)”. Many people aren’t very comfortable with 3rd party lenses or they feel like Canon is the only brand for them.
Most of my lenses are canon, but there are a few in my collection that aren’t. Sometimes this is because Canon doesn’t offer a comparable lens, but sometimes I just prefer the 3rd party lens (in the case of the Canon 28mm f1.8 v.s. Sigma 30mm f1.4).
I always thought once I bought the Canon 35mm f1.4, that the Sigma 30mm f1.4 would be out the window. This didn’t really end up happening. I looked at the Sigma 30mm f1.4 and made up some elaborate story in my mind about how I might have to send my canon 35mm to the shop and if that happened the Sigma 30mm would save the day.
In truth I think the Sigma 30mm f1.4 is just a great lens for crop sensor cameras. Do I think the Sigma 30mm out preforms the Canon 35mm? No, but after spending a few nights pouring through footage, I came to the conclusion that the Canon 35mm f1.4’s performance probably isn’t worth $900 to most people.
At end of this video I make the statement “I own both, so I’m probably not a good person to talk to.” The main reason for this is that I couldn’t make a decision on which lens to let go.
I also have reviews up on both the Canon 35mm f1.4 and the Canon 28mm f1.4 so check them out if you are still on the fence about the Sigma 30mm f1.4.
Take a look at the video and let me know which lens you think looks better. It’s a tough call.
February 24th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
i dunno if missed it, but.. i think its very important to mention that the Sigma lens is designed for APS-C size (7D, 60D, T1i, T2i & t3i, etc) senors only and will not work on full frame sensors like a 5DmII… which is what the the canon 35mm 1.4L is desined and priced for, but it will work all canon cameras.
i appreciate your blog very much, keep up the great reviews.
February 24th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
I didn’t manage to mention the Crop Senor until almost 3/4 of the way through. Sorry about that. I get to rambling off all of the items I want to cover, sometimes I miss a subject or only hit it in passing.
Thanks John!
February 25th, 2011 at 9:45 am
How about just using something like a takumar or old fast prime for video? Both seem expensive for glass you could easily find comparable/if not better, and under a hundred bucks..
Do you use these for stills too? Any focusing issues with your Sigma?
February 25th, 2011 at 11:19 am
I haven’t adapted any Pentax mount lenses but I have had good luck with old Nikon Nikkor Primes. In fact I’ve got a video up comparing the Nikon Nikkor 35mm f1.4 to the Canon 35mm f1.4 so you might want to check that out.
I sometimes use the sigma for stills If i’m going to a bar or a place I don’t feel my Canon 35 would be safe or If I want a small handy lens when I’m using my smaller t2i.
The focusing is great on the 7d, but I will say my through away rate on the t2i is about 1 out of 10. I think that might just be the 9 point auto focus system as I’ve had the same results with canon lenses.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Try and find yourself a 50mm takumar 1.4
http://vimeo.com/search/videos/search:takumar%2050mm%201.4/c93c55cc
February 25th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
That vimeo link gave me an error page. But I did hunt down a video of it on the 5d. Looks like a touch of Vignetting, but the center sharpness looked pretty good. I bet on a crop sensor camera this could be a good deal. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the info!
April 29th, 2011 at 8:29 am
[…] do, but then I start thinking, “I could just burn 20 or 30 DVDs and use the money leftover to buy a lens or lighting gear“. Sure it’s easy to think that way and you might even get away with it […]
July 7th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
[…] Canon T2i does have a smaller crop factor of about 1.6, so that 30mm f1.4 sigma I use ends up working out to about 48mm on the T2i body. The smaller crop factor also means […]
July 2nd, 2012 at 8:06 am
[…] find out more about how the Sigma 30mm f1.4 stacks up against a full frame lens, you might want to check out this earlier post. The 30mm f1.4 is a great crop sensor lens for the price and still sees a lot of use in my lens […]