PDA

View Full Version : Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM

Pages : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
Coppatop85
23rd of March 2009 (Mon), 19:38
Just posted this in people, but they belong here too:

Was at my friends apartment the other night, and decided to bust out the sigma and give it a go in really low light. I just got it calibrated, and haven't used it much outside the realm of concert photography since then. Really happy with a couple of these, some of them I just missed the focus a bit, but it was my fault, not the lens.


Also, I am trying to shoot people more often -- I have been shooting for almost two years, and I almost never shoot people outside the realm of performing arts. Let me know what you think of these photos on that front too.

1. 3200 ISO
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v7/p515131185-4.jpg

2.
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v8/p267099596-4.jpg

3. f 1.4
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v8/p314767688-4.jpg

4. 1.4 and 3200 ISO
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v6/p441143677-5.jpg

5.
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v5/p306132110-4.jpg

6. Not the most flattering image, but I like it still.
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v6/p235741872-4.jpg


These probably don't belong here, but they were taken on the same night.

7.
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v7/p74624776-5.jpg

8.
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v6/p340485612-5.jpg
Jeff81
25th of March 2009 (Wed), 18:20
She's a week and a half old now. I don't use my 17-55 indoors anymore.
jdlloyd67
26th of March 2009 (Thu), 09:04
Beautiful shot and a beautiful baby!!!
Simply Ravishing
30th of March 2009 (Mon), 01:53
Just picked this up today... I am thinking it is a keeper!!

Mt Baker Ridge Viewpoint Park, Seattle Washington... I guess this park just opened and I found it completely on accident, pretty nice find I'd say!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3398027916_1a5f36ae25_b.jpg
pixel_junkie
30th of March 2009 (Mon), 01:57
^ That's awesome.
Simply Ravishing
30th of March 2009 (Mon), 02:22
Thanks, after seeing it at this size, it looks like it could use some straightening, about .5/1 degree counter clockwise...
Pauly_G
30th of March 2009 (Mon), 12:52
Nice night city capture - with an interesting sky.

I agree it might need a little bit of straightening - probably best to align the horizon with the sea / hill in the background in the centre of the photo.
e.omega
30th of March 2009 (Mon), 22:50
I love this lens. This was shot at f/1.4. I'm pleased with the sharpness even wide open.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3617/3399877905_d62aea8e2d.jpg

100% Crop

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj228/eoa05/IMG_5024-2crop.jpg
kavster
30th of March 2009 (Mon), 23:35
i love this lens!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3288193636_05fec94358.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3244930845_7510c0c067.jpg
Simply Ravishing
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 13:25
Another shot from the other night. This one is an HDR from Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3402231716_38d10e098f_b.jpg
Karizmatik
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 14:17
^ Very, very well done. Amazing, really.

I'm curious to how a long exposure on moving objects would go with HDR though? Or was this just a single exposure with some tone mapping?
KarlosDaJackal
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 14:38
Finally got mine back today from the guy I loaned it too, have to get used to ultra thin DOF all over again, took it out for a lunchtime walk

30mm - f/1.4 - 1/4000 - ISO100
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3401630939_962ecc7c26_b.jpg
Simply Ravishing
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 15:00
^ Very, very well done. Amazing, really.

I'm curious to how a long exposure on moving objects would go with HDR though? Or was this just a single exposure with some tone mapping?


It was 3 RAW files... I don't remember the interval between, probably -1,0,+1 or -2,0,+2... it worked out pretty well and I think it was far enough away and the motion was pretty constant so that it didn't mess up the HDR.
Karizmatik
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 15:06
It was 3 RAW files... I don't remember the interval between, probably -1,0,+1 or -2,0,+2... it worked out pretty well and I think it was far enough away and the motion was pretty constant so that it didn't mess up the HDR.

Definitely! Looks seamless. I didn't even realize that like you said, seeing as the cars were constant, the blurring would be, too - So yeah, that explains my initial confusion.

Again, great shot.
ppucci
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 21:49
These are a couple of ones I just took today... one is f/1.8 and other is f/16, just for the kicks...

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_9Q_wRHor270/SdLGNAzU1OI/AAAAAAAADKE/T201rDVFSQM/s640/IMG_7222.JPG

Mental note: ask the cleaning lady to pay more attention to the table top... :oops:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_9Q_wRHor270/SdLGNvdLOLI/AAAAAAAADKM/2bRm-X4Alsc/s640/IMG_7220.JPG
ppucci
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 22:12
Another shot from the other night. This one is an HDR from Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3402231716_38d10e098f_b.jpg

Do you have the EXIF for the original files?
Simply Ravishing
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 22:18
I do... but I'll need to look that up when I get home
John_TX
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 22:48
These are a couple of ones I just took today... one is f/1.8 and other is f/16, just for the kicks...



Mental note: ask the cleaning lady to pay more attention to the table top... :oops:



That's a dangerous statement if your wife/girlfriend occasionally cleans house! :p
Simply Ravishing
31st of March 2009 (Tue), 23:50
Do you have the EXIF for the original files?

All were shot in Aperture priority mode at F/10 and ISO 100

#1 2.5 seconds at 0EV
#2 .6 seconds at -2EV
#3 10 seconds at +2 EV
00dahc
2nd of April 2009 (Thu), 10:46
Just lurking around and I have to say this is one of my favorite images I've seen on this site. Excellent.

Another shot from the other night. This one is an HDR from Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3402231716_38d10e098f_b.jpg
Simply Ravishing
2nd of April 2009 (Thu), 12:38
Just lurking around and I have to say this is one of my favorite images I've seen on this site. Excellent.


Wow, thanks! :eek:
jdlloyd67
5th of April 2009 (Sun), 08:53
My first outing with this lens...the performance was excellent considering it was extremely sunny out.

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/blog_images/MountDoraMarina_small.jpg

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/blog_images/MadisonatLakeDora_small.jpg
droopy1592
5th of April 2009 (Sun), 16:56
Another shot from the other night. This one is an HDR from Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3402231716_38d10e098f_b.jpg


Oh man this is great
extremeugene
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 00:37
http://hypebeast.com/blog/staff/files/2009/04/happy-pay-tribute-to-your-ancestors-day-04.jpg
jdlloyd67
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 09:27
What's the minimum aperature on this lens? I was shooting on Saturday with it and I noticed that I could stop it down any more than f/16. Is this normal?
tkbslc
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 10:58
What's the minimum aperature on this lens? I was shooting on Saturday with it and I noticed that I could stop it down any more than f/16. Is this normal?

Yeah, sigma's website lists f16 as min aperture. It is not uncommon to have smaller min apertures when you have such large max aperture.
GeneMan88
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 10:59
What's the minimum aperature on this lens? I was shooting on Saturday with it and I noticed that I could stop it down any more than f/16. Is this normal?

Yes... the f-stop range is f/1.4-16
GeneMan88
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 11:05
Yeah, sigma's website lists f16 as min aperture. It is not uncommon to have smaller min apertures when you have such large max aperture.

Wait... isn't it a "larger" minimum aperture? f/22 is "smaller" than f/16 so really, it's a larger minimum aperture. Pretty confusing when the numbers run opposite direction of the physical size.
tkbslc
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 11:20
Wait... isn't it a "larger" minimum aperture? f/22 is "smaller" than f/16 so really, it's a larger minimum aperture. Pretty confusing when the numbers run opposite direction of the physical size.

Yeah, you are right. I wish we used fractions or ratios so that speaking of smaller or larger numbers and apertures made sense. If I had said 1/16 and 1/22, then it would have been more obvious that 1/22 is smaller.
runninmann
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 11:52
Yeah, you are right. I wish we used fractions or ratios so that speaking of smaller or larger numbers and apertures made sense. If I had said 1/16 and 1/22, then it would have been more obvious that 1/22 is smaller.They are ratios, but the numerator is the focal length.
tkbslc
6th of April 2009 (Mon), 13:07
They are ratios, but the numerator is the focal length.

I know, but they are still 1/f-stop x focal length. So using 1/16 for f16 would still make sense because the aperture is 1/16 x 30mm in size.

ANyway, back to sample pictures :) ....
dgoakill
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 13:10
how long does it take to get the lens back when shipped for calibration? I sent my lens two weeks ago to sigma's NY address as directed by their support enter. then a week ago I found out it was sent to a service center in AZ for parts. now going into the third week I found out today they are waiting for a part? which I find odd since the whole point of sending to another location was because that's where the part was supposed to be. Now they are telling me to check back next week.....at that point it will be 3 weeks from when sigma originally received the lens and not even shipped back yet...

with all the front / back focusing issues these lens are known for I would think that this process would be perfected by now.....:(
jbkalla
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 13:20
how long does it take to get the lens back when shipped for calibration? I sent my lens two weeks ago to sigma's NY address as directed by their support enter. then a week ago I found out it was sent to a service center in AZ for parts. now going into the third week I found out today they are waiting for a part? which I find odd since the whole point of sending to another location was because that's where the part was supposed to be. Now they are telling me to check back next week.....at that point it will be 3 weeks from when sigma originally received the lens and not even shipped back yet...

with all the front / back focusing issues these lens are known for I would think that this process would be perfected by now.....:(

I had the same problem. I shipped mine to NY, which was more expensive since I live in CO, but I wanted to make sure it was done correctly. The NY facility shipped to to AZ after a week or so, then AZ eventually shipped it back to me. I think it ended up being like a month or so total.
google
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 15:32
how long does it take to get the lens back when shipped for calibration? I sent my lens two weeks ago to sigma's NY address as directed by their support enter. then a week ago I found out it was sent to a service center in AZ for parts. now going into the third week I found out today they are waiting for a part? which I find odd since the whole point of sending to another location was because that's where the part was supposed to be. Now they are telling me to check back next week.....at that point it will be 3 weeks from when sigma originally received the lens and not even shipped back yet...

with all the front / back focusing issues these lens are known for I would think that this process would be perfected by now.....:(

Four weeks ago today for me and I'm still waiting for my lens to come back. I called earlier this week and they say I should be getting them back this week.
sth_
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 16:33
My lens finally arrived last week and so far it looks like it's a good copy. Sharpness is excellent, no issues with faulty aperture blades or stuff like that. The AF is a bit of a mixed bag: Using the center focus point on my 450d the AF is spot on most of the time but when using the outer focus points, it often locks focus incorrectly (misfocus visible in the viewfinder). But I don't know if this is the lenses fault or if the 450d's outer focus points generally don't like ultra-fast lenses (they work fine with my f/2.8 macro but f/1.4 is certainly more demanding). However, there is no general front or backfocus and the center focus point is usually spot on. In fact, I took some pictures at a party last weekend and was quite surprised by the focus accuracy at low light conditions. I expected it to perform worse after all I've read.


Two quick'n'dirty test-shots:
http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_8863-preview.jpg (http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_8863.jpg)
http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_8643-preview.jpg (http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_8643.jpg)


On the 450d:
http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_4607.jpg
Karizmatik
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 17:55
What kind/brand of keyboard is that? I want one!
gixxer
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 19:54
What kind/brand of keyboard is that? I want one!
Looks like Apple
Karizmatik
8th of April 2009 (Wed), 23:24
^ Well that narrows it down a lot for me if it looks like Apple.

lol. I know it looks like Apple, but I'm hoping it's PC-Compatible too.
sth_
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 08:22
It's an apple keyboard. Should work on a PC as well but the key layout is a bit different.
Karizmatik
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 08:36
^ Yes! But is there a name for it? Certain brand naming? "Apple Keyboard, Color: Coffee" or something like that? Haha.

For instance, I have a Logitech Slim Line Keyboard.

EDIT:

Ahh, I see -- All the Google ones I found were white / aluminum -- The WB or something is just off in your picture making the keys look coffee haha.
symby
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 08:45
Its actually called an Apple Keyboard.. :)

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB110LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg&mco=NDE4NDIyOA
extremeugene
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 09:04
Having messed around with my 30mm extensively, I've quickly gotten past any newbie fears I had of having a prime lens and plan to go down the prime lens route almost exclusively in the future.

For the price, definitely something worth trying out as I think that the price vs. ability to shoot at f1.4 are pretty damn good.
Karizmatik
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 10:19
Its actually called an Apple Keyboard..

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB...mco=NDE4NDIyOA

Haha yeah!

I just finished ordering myself one. $80 after shipping / tax :D
jbkalla
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 11:05
Actually, it was the "Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad." But the others are cool, too!
Karizmatik
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 12:18
^ Yeah that's the one I ordered. I was going to go for the bluetooth one but replacing batteries is annoying.
fayenatic
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 13:11
LOVE this lens. No PP:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3387067854_d0614282eb_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3386255205_5ab303e42d_o.jpg
jdlloyd67
9th of April 2009 (Thu), 13:21
Fayenatic...thanks for posting pics and getting this thread back on track. Enough about the keyboard guys! ;)

BTW...nice shots!
fayenatic
10th of April 2009 (Fri), 14:01
thanks!

here's another one from the same trip:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3387113080_3e37640d88.jpg
i enjoy the "restless" mood of the pic, as most of the students aren't doing any work haha
jdlloyd67
10th of April 2009 (Fri), 14:51
One from last weekend. Sort of a pseudo pano...

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/MountDora_Pano_small.jpg
4g63photo
10th of April 2009 (Fri), 18:10
Here is a shot with the 30mm on my 5D mk2. Too bad it was not made to work on FF. Otherwise I would keep this little guy.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b264/fernie94/IMG_7186.jpg
twins29
10th of April 2009 (Fri), 18:46
got mine this week but yet to take shots. hope i got a good copy.
Pauly_G
11th of April 2009 (Sat), 10:29
A couple from the morning's mountain biking....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3632/3431748062_d4919eedd5_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3386/3430934639_29e6c140c9_b.jpg
sth_
11th of April 2009 (Sat), 19:11
http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_8897-preview.jpg (http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/IMG_8897.jpg)
jbkalla
12th of April 2009 (Sun), 09:36
Mmmm... Coffee...

Great shot!
jdlloyd67
13th of April 2009 (Mon), 08:32
Here's one shot at a birthday party on Saturday. Shot @ f/1.8, no fill flash.

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/WaitingForCake_small.jpg
Simply Ravishing
14th of April 2009 (Tue), 01:10
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3438862407_bcf357fdd7_b.jpg
jdlloyd67
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 12:31
One more from the birthday party I attended last weekend. This lens is awesome!!!

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/AnnasCake_1small.jpg
St1ll
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 12:33
Any 100% crops at 1.4? How's the sharpness? How does this lens compare to the 35L?
Thanks!
KayakPhotos
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 13:07
Any 100% crops at 1.4? How's the sharpness? How does this lens compare to the 35L?
Thanks!

It's going to be close. The L might have the edge, but from what I've seen this lens is a better choice unless you just have the extra funds to afford the 35L.
St1ll
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 14:08
It's going to be close. The L might have the edge, but from what I've seen this lens is a better choice unless you just have the extra funds to afford the 35L.
Thanks; so is the sharpness good? I mean wide open...because If i'm gonna purchase this lens is to use it @ 1.4, otherwise I would keep using the tamron, that is great even at 2.8.
Does it worth the expense?? Because if the sigma gets good at f/2, or even at f/2.8, I don't think it would be such a good bang for my buck..
jdlloyd67
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 14:30
Your depth of field at f/1.4 will be so shallow that it will be hard to nail a shot exactly right and get the sharpness you expect. That shot I just posted earlier today was at f/2.0 and you'll see that the right eye is slightly OOF due to the shallow depth of field even at that aperature. The price difference between this and the 35L makes the decision between the two almost pointless. This lens will deliver and will not disappoint at the $400 price point.
Karizmatik
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 14:39
Your depth of field at f/1.4 will be so shallow that it will be hard to nail a shot exactly right and get the sharpness you expect. That birthday cake shot I just posted was at f/2.0 and you'll see that the right eye is slightly OOF due to the shallow depth of field even at that aperature. The price difference between this and the 35L makes the decision between the two almost pointless. This lens will deliver and will not disappoint at the $400 price point.

Who's to say that isn't the fault of the user though?

A lot of sample pics in this thread are posted at 1.4 to 2.0 that look great and have everything that should be in focus, in focus.

Not a jab, just staying.
sth_
15th of April 2009 (Wed), 22:18
Any 100% crops at 1.4? How's the sharpness? How does this lens compare to the 35L?
Thanks!

Don't know how it compares to the 35L but here are two uncompressed 100% crops. Both pictures taken with my 450D at ISO100. IMHO the center resolution is excellent even at f/1.4 and probably scratching the sensor limits of my camera when stopped down a little bit. As depicted in many reviews, borders are quite a bit softer than the center unless you stop down a few stops (the 35L will probably be better here), but I didn't find this to be a problem in any of the images I've taken so far (in images with shallow depth-of-field the borders are usually out-of-focus anyway).

f/1.4
http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/f1.4.png

f/2.0
http://photos.qhe.de/static/sigma30mm/f2.0.png
St1ll
16th of April 2009 (Thu), 02:53
Thx a lot guys! Yes, borders I guess are not that important because of the shallow depth of field. What about the "sigma sampling" problem? Do a lot of 30 1.4 come out with problems, or not?
S-S
16th of April 2009 (Thu), 05:25
my sigma 1.4 is very sharp wide open... just sayin
i really only shoot wide open
dgoakill
16th of April 2009 (Thu), 09:13
Thx a lot guys! Yes, borders I guess are not that important because of the shallow depth of field. What about the "sigma sampling" problem? Do a lot of 30 1.4 come out with problems, or not?

seems like it's a role of the dice. mine shipped with slight issues that got worse over a year. but that could have been my fault (may have bumped the camera or put it down to hard and knocked something out of whack) I get my lens back from calibration today, hopefully.
Pauly_G
18th of April 2009 (Sat), 11:55
Messing about around the house....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3452285033_9470ce3891_b.jpg
St1ll
18th of April 2009 (Sat), 12:15
Wow, the bokeh looks better than I thought it would!
Pauly_G
18th of April 2009 (Sat), 16:01
And one from this afternoon from the other end of the aperture spectrum....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3452898997_a3422dc7a8_b.jpg
jdlloyd67
18th of April 2009 (Sat), 21:06
And one from this afternoon from the other end of the aperture spectrum....

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3452898997_a3422dc7a8_b.jpg

Wow! What a great shot!!!!
Pauly_G
19th of April 2009 (Sun), 03:10
Wow! What a great shot!!!!

Cheers, although it can be pretty addictive using this lens with a large aperture, it also works great stopped down.
Simply Ravishing
20th of April 2009 (Mon), 02:29
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite lenses!!

Seattle Skyline w/ Mt Rainier from Kerry Park
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3458703774_90dea0b785_b.jpg
jdlloyd67
20th of April 2009 (Mon), 08:40
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite lenses!!


Wow that's a big statement considering you have quite an awesome selection of lenses. Nice to know the Sigma 30 stacks up against the other lenses. :)
fitzfitz
20th of April 2009 (Mon), 12:37
*sigh* I need to stop lusting after this lens...



and just rustle up the funds to buy it..
Simply Ravishing
20th of April 2009 (Mon), 15:16
Wow that's a big statement considering you have quite an awesome selection of lenses. Nice to know the Sigma 30 stacks up against the other lenses. :)


I just think I find 30mm a very useful focal length for what I do, and it's results are just as sharp, if not more so, than the 24-105...
S-S
20th of April 2009 (Mon), 19:38
i basically leave this lens on my camera all the time unless i have a specific need like more zoom or wider angle

it's my fave walkaround lens - and i leave it wide open all the time too

ive got currently canon 10-22, 17-55, 50 1.8, 70-200 2.8L, sigma 50-500, lensbaby composer and just sold 24-105L
Simply Ravishing
21st of April 2009 (Tue), 11:56
Taken from the Space Needle Observation Deck in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3463078038_1d3f75b3b6_b.jpg

As somebody who has lived in or around Seattle my entire life, I can't believe it took me 26 years to make it up there! If you ever make it to the Seattle area, it is well worth a trip up, although there are a few other observation deck options that cost significantly less and offer similar views. Anyway, enjoy
jdlloyd67
21st of April 2009 (Tue), 21:55
Taken from the Space Needle Observation Deck in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3463078038_1d3f75b3b6_b.jpg

As somebody who has lived in or around Seattle my entire life, I can't believe it took me 26 years to make it up there! If you ever make it to the Seattle area, it is well worth a trip up, although there are a few other observation deck options that cost significantly less and offer similar views. Anyway, enjoy
Wow! Simply awesome!!! Love the B&W touch too!!!
d1blet
22nd of April 2009 (Wed), 01:56
I really love this lens.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3412313112_099d31e841_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/3440251966_46a6b1f007_b.jpg
jimmyj83
22nd of April 2009 (Wed), 11:28
Just got this yesterday. Still haven't messed around with this enough to tell whether there's a focusing problem or if there's a min distance it can shoot (first time shooting with a prime). Shot these with my Rebel XS and I already forgot settings/aperture. Haha, sorry.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3463688083_cba461b1bc_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3617/3463688301_e2fb68d141_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3463688509_34dafaa8bf_o.jpg
egordon99
22nd of April 2009 (Wed), 11:49
EVERY lens has a minimum focus distance. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4's MDF is 15.7" (measure from the object to the sensor). Also, there is NO way you're going to get much more than a sliver of the paper (first photo) in sharp focus at that close a distance, even if you're shooting closed down a bit (mainly because of the angle of the paper relative to the camera)

This lens is excellent, but shooting large apertures can be tricky, so take your time with it, and don't assume you have a problem, that's how these nasty "My Sigma is broken, every Sigma must suck" rumours start :)

Still haven't messed around with this enough to tell whether there's a focusing problem or if there's a min distance it can shoot
jimmyj83
22nd of April 2009 (Wed), 12:01
EVERY lens has a minimum focus distance. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4's MDF is 15.7" (measure from the object to the sensor). Also, there is NO way you're going to get much more than a sliver of the paper (first photo) in sharp focus at that close a distance, even if you're shooting closed down a bit (mainly because of the angle of the paper relative to the camera)

This lens is excellent, but shooting large apertures can be tricky, so take your time with it, and don't assume you have a problem, that's how these nasty "My Sigma is broken, every Sigma must suck" rumours start :)


----

Sorry, poor phrasing on my part. I haven't figured out the min focus distance yet. Don't worry, I'm not one of those people who'll start badmouthing the equipment without testing it thoroughly. On the other hand, reading all these threads about focusing problems tend to make a new owner slightly paranoid :D. From what I've shot so far. This lens is simply amazing in low light. Here are some other shots:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/3463686355_4f86b76dda_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3464502522_f8cb7a8e33_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3463687413_b778ecd952_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3463687569_be6fa2f1f6_o.jpg
jdlloyd67
22nd of April 2009 (Wed), 19:46
Just grabbed this shot of my daughter about an hour ago in the kitchen using available light. Shot at f/1.4 @ 1/80, ISO 400

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/Madison_042209_small.jpg
cjm
22nd of April 2009 (Wed), 20:47
Nothing special. Just my cat taken at f1.4. Only her face is in focus in a dark room. Awesome!
Simply Ravishing
23rd of April 2009 (Thu), 21:58
Komodo Dragon at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle Washington

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/3469963760_6731be1a2e.jpg
Cassie
24th of April 2009 (Fri), 12:14
http://thompson-photo.smugmug.com/photos/519813721_egfHJ-L.jpg
Simply Ravishing
28th of April 2009 (Tue), 02:09
Taken tonight looking south along I-5 in Seattle. 9 shot HDR

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3481818637_dfa030d00e_b.jpg
extremeugene
28th of April 2009 (Tue), 06:44
^^^ sick pick and but sicker name haha
Simply Ravishing
28th of April 2009 (Tue), 12:00
^^^ sick pick and but sicker name haha


Haha thanks! Here are a few more from last night.

Looking North from the same location.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3482815213_f4098e7862.jpg


Taken from the dog park near the Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge on Beacon Hill in Seattle.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3483648992_1e05d5aa7e.jpg
Pauly_G
28th of April 2009 (Tue), 18:00
Some fantastic shots Simply
AlanU
1st of May 2009 (Fri), 00:54
I loved this lens on my xti and it stuns me again with th 50D. Incredibly sharp wideopen.

f/1.4, 1/2500, ISO 200

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo230/alan_u1971/Webpics/clothes_pins1024x768.jpg
John_TX
1st of May 2009 (Fri), 01:17
I love this lens as well, and I've got a great copy, right from the get-go!

It pains me to have to sell it and try to find a true 50mm since I moved up to a 5D Mk II. Canon, for some reason, thinks that since Sigma's 50mm is selling for $450, Canon should sell their old 50 for about $400 as well... :mad:

Life ain't fair I guess!
AlanU
1st of May 2009 (Fri), 01:46
I love this lens as well, and I've got a great copy, right from the get-go!

It pains me to have to sell it and try to find a true 50mm since I moved up to a 5D Mk II. Canon, for some reason, thinks that since Sigma's 50mm is selling for $450, Canon should sell their old 50 for about $400 as well... :mad:

Life ain't fair I guess!

John,

Congrats on the 5dmkII. It certainly sucks when we have so little to choose from in the 50mm category.

Just to make you feel better... at this moment in time the Sigma 50mm is aprox $679.99 CDN and Canon 50 f/1.5 is $448.00 CDN.

The Sigma 30mm is such a phenominal lens (if you find a good copy). This lens is incredibly sharp and puts my Canon 50 f/1.4 to shame when I compare it wideopen. My Canon 50mm is an excellent copy but the Sigma 30mm is noticeably sharper.
jdlloyd67
1st of May 2009 (Fri), 16:22
Just got back from a week down at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. Here's a pano shot of Downtown Disney's West Side stitched together from two images using this great lens...

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/Vacation_Panorama2_mini.jpg
Pauly_G
3rd of May 2009 (Sun), 18:10
A shot of a lovely little foal....only a week old!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3497984799_40856abe1f_b.jpg
Pauly_G
4th of May 2009 (Mon), 15:13
And one from today....spotted the bluebells whilst out cycling so had to go back and play today!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3501927386_f474b0ce29_b.jpg
Simply Ravishing
5th of May 2009 (Tue), 22:01
Me being a lame @ss at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival... I really couldn't help myself and was pretty disapointed I even did this, as you can tell by my enthusiastic facial expression.... haha

Taken w/ self timer
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3502688853_e3c528ec3b.jpg
pixel_junkie
6th of May 2009 (Wed), 19:10
http://www.emilkara.com/Costa Rica/resources/images/medium/IMG_0920.jpg
jimmyj83
8th of May 2009 (Fri), 11:11
really loving this prime

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3493682525_6cef3702a8_o.jpg
Pauly_G
9th of May 2009 (Sat), 15:58
Just can't stop taking pics with this lens...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3515704053_ed486daf99_b.jpg
Karizmatik
9th of May 2009 (Sat), 16:32
^ Nice! What car is that?
Pauly_G
9th of May 2009 (Sat), 16:58
Cheers. It's a BMW Z4 Coupe.
Depth
10th of May 2009 (Sun), 03:44
Basically my main lens now.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3543/3380111749_14f17fdd2b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3380111749/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3487215061_28defd33ca_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3487215061/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3403/3495142995_d8bb0a98ec_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3495142995/)
jon_ridley
10th of May 2009 (Sun), 10:31
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3504656199_224d4988d6.jpg?v=0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_ridley/3504656199/)


f/1.8
deletedpenguin
11th of May 2009 (Mon), 06:10
Wow, great photos here.

For those of you that have recently purchased this lens, are there still issues with the sharpness and build of the lens from Sigma or have those problems been more or less ironed out? (If that's even something they worry about.)
jdlloyd67
11th of May 2009 (Mon), 08:44
Wow, great photos here.

For those of you that have recently purchased this lens, are there still issues with the sharpness and build of the lens from Sigma or have those problems been more or less ironed out? (If that's even something they worry about.)
I've had the lens for about a month at the most. I haven't experienced any problems with the focus, sharpness or build quality. It's an outstanding lens!!!
X-Warrior
11th of May 2009 (Mon), 14:18
My lens is just fine. What I do know however since I got the 50D is that the 400D can't handle the required focus accuracy. Success rate has gone up significantly since the 50D. Wouldn't be surprised if many of the horror stories are in fact related to this.
.mark.
11th of May 2009 (Mon), 16:36
Wow, great photos here.

For those of you that have recently purchased this lens, are there still issues with the sharpness and build of the lens from Sigma or have those problems been more or less ironed out? (If that's even something they worry about.)

Hi, I picked one up today and all I can say is wow - it's awesome! I had massive reservations about buying a lens that gets so much bad publicity and really didn't want the hassle of returning it etc. This made me unwilling to order from the internet, and my local camera shop has just had some in so that made me feel a bit better about making it easier to return. I has planned to take my body down and test the focus etc but I checked with them and they said it would be fine to return it if there was a problem. I popped in on my lunch today and bought it and it's really meeting and even exceeding my expectations. I have a focus chart (the one like a ruler for testing for front/back focussing) and it's spot on.

Really nice lens and it's build quality is instantly noticeable (in a good way of course!) It's got a nice weight to it and it makes my 450d feel much more solid than say the kit lens.

Maybe I just got lucky but I would advise anyone who is holding back because of the scare stories to just go for it. If you got scared and put off doing things because of things you read you'd never leave your house!
deletedpenguin
11th of May 2009 (Mon), 18:44
Hi, I picked one up today and all I can say is wow - it's awesome! I had massive reservations about buying a lens that gets so much bad publicity and really didn't want the hassle of returning it etc. This made me unwilling to order from the internet, and my local camera shop has just had some in so that made me feel a bit better about making it easier to return. I has planned to take my body down and test the focus etc but I checked with them and they said it would be fine to return it if there was a problem. I popped in on my lunch today and bought it and it's really meeting and even exceeding my expectations. I have a focus chart (the one like a ruler for testing for front/back focussing) and it's spot on.

Really nice lens and it's build quality is instantly noticeable (in a good way of course!) It's got a nice weight to it and it makes my 450d feel much more solid than say the kit lens.

Maybe I just got lucky but I would advise anyone who is holding back because of the scare stories to just go for it. If you got scared and put off doing things because of things you read you'd never leave your house!

Thanks for the response. My issues are with service. Not Sigma's service per se, but I'd be ordering from BHPhoto (even with the AUD$ exchange rate, it's cheaper) in New York, and CR Kennedy the authorised Sigma dealer here in Australia is pretty bad about honoring the international warranty. So...if there were problems, I'd likely have to send it to New York to get it fixed. A long time without the lens.

Maybe I'm mistaken - I hope I am.
dank ink
14th of May 2009 (Thu), 19:39
I just got this lens a couple weeks ago, havent had much time to use it yet. Here's a quick shot from this past Sunday.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l276/DankInk/tigger1-8.jpg
20D, 1/125, f1.8, ISO 800
deletedpenguin
14th of May 2009 (Thu), 19:46
^ Wow, great DOF. I'm excited for this lens. I get my "hopefully sharp copy" next Wednesday.
dank ink
14th of May 2009 (Thu), 20:09
Yea I'm loving this lens so far. I bought mine used, but made sure it was still covered under warranty. Also, buying used, you know if it's working properly based on the previous owner's description (hopefully they're being honest) and examples.

I'm sure you'll love this lens. Good luck!
Karizmatik
14th of May 2009 (Thu), 20:12
Thanks for the response. My issues are with service. Not Sigma's service per se, but I'd be ordering from BHPhoto (even with the AUD$ exchange rate, it's cheaper) in New York, and CR Kennedy the authorised Sigma dealer here in Australia is pretty bad about honoring the international warranty. So...if there were problems, I'd likely have to send it to New York to get it fixed. A long time without the lens.

Maybe I'm mistaken - I hope I am.

Why not buy it in Australia then?
deletedpenguin
14th of May 2009 (Thu), 20:14
Why not buy it in Australia then?

Price - and I've got someone visiting next week from the States that can bring it with them. With free shipping within the US and no tax, it's enough of a difference for me to deal with the possibility of having to send it out for service at some point.
S-S
16th of May 2009 (Sat), 05:42
couple of random baby pics from today
St1ll
16th of May 2009 (Sat), 07:24
Those are beautiful!!
dynastysmartparts
16th of May 2009 (Sat), 11:18
Taken from the Space Needle Observation Deck in Seattle Washington.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3463078038_1d3f75b3b6_b.jpg

As somebody who has lived in or around Seattle my entire life, I can't believe it took me 26 years to make it up there! If you ever make it to the Seattle area, it is well worth a trip up, although there are a few other observation deck options that cost significantly less and offer similar views. Anyway, enjoy
mountain looming in the distance at top right adds a lot to it..great shot man
Coppatop85
16th of May 2009 (Sat), 17:59
Here's some from before my sister's prom:

1. @ 2.2
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v7/p82140652-5.jpg

2. @ f 1.6
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v2/p274751900-4.jpg

3. @ f1.6
http://www.coppatopphotos.com/img/v0/p82814061-4.jpg
Pauly_G
16th of May 2009 (Sat), 18:32
Was out walking in the Brecon Beacons today and what with the wind I ended up leaving this lens on for the full 6 hours and 13miles! Here's one of the better ones.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3536093981_b287382e59_b.jpg
tkbslc
17th of May 2009 (Sun), 02:18
I had a hard time deciding between this lens or the Tamron 28-75. I am SO glad I picked this one. Just go mine yesterday, and I am loving it already. I amazed at how this just destroys the backgrounds even at 30mm. Here's a few from my first 24 hours. Focus is very accurate, although tricky at f1.4-2.

Love how the background is just gone, only 3 feet behind her.
http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp241/tkbslc/lens%20samples/IMG_6746.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp241/tkbslc/lens%20samples/IMG_6756.jpg

100% crop AT F1.4!!
http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp241/tkbslc/lens%20samples/IMG_6756crop.jpg
Pauly_G
17th of May 2009 (Sun), 08:47
And a B&W conversion I processed this morning.....

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2363/3537794637_7bb1bbaf9a_b.jpg
pallopelle
17th of May 2009 (Sun), 12:43
Anyone happen to have photo of people that is taken 7-9 feet away?
Coppatop85
17th of May 2009 (Sun), 13:13
Anyone happen to have photo of people that is taken 7-9 feet away?

My post on the previous page, all the photos were in that range.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=7934235&postcount=1318

Here is a 100% crop of the last of those images.

100% @ F 1.6
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh2/Coppatop85/random/allieprom9100crop.jpg
Pauly_G
17th of May 2009 (Sun), 13:36
Took this also yesterday - range was probably 7-9ft....

f2.8
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2229/3536734414_34c404112b_b.jpg
deletedpenguin
20th of May 2009 (Wed), 01:00
Well, I got my copy, and after playing around with it and taking a few test shots (near and far), it seems like I got a good copy. A relief too - I bought it from B&H Photo in NY. It has travelled a long way.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3551/3547322605_7cff00ff18_o.jpg

1/125 at 1.4 ISO 100
deletedpenguin
20th of May 2009 (Wed), 07:32
Another from messing around with it today.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3547883045_0c26741f51_o.jpg

1/100 at 1.4 ISO 200
X-Warrior
20th of May 2009 (Wed), 13:04
See ? Nothing to worry about :)

And meh, why not post this one shot I put up on my website yesterday:

http://www.dvdpimages.com/images/misc/090518_0001.jpg
scottoliver
20th of May 2009 (Wed), 22:08
One test shot from today (just got my 30mm in the mail).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3549502983_3a7e36d580_b.jpg
nik.hisham
22nd of May 2009 (Fri), 11:39
Just got my copy yesterday. Very pleased with it.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3550873945_1ae8d6433c_b.jpg
deletedpenguin
22nd of May 2009 (Fri), 17:59
It's nice to hear that the good copy ratio seems to be getting better.
tkbslc
23rd of May 2009 (Sat), 02:40
Digging my lens a LOT. Just a quick snap of the kids playing:

EXIF: ISO 200, f1.4, 1/1000
lukeap69
23rd of May 2009 (Sat), 07:58
Another from messing around with it today.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3547883045_0c26741f51_o.jpg

1/100 at 1.4 ISO 200

Fantastic!
jimmyj83
23rd of May 2009 (Sat), 10:35
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3556123050_9c70f37559_b.jpg
Depth
24th of May 2009 (Sun), 05:24
Click the images to view the EXIF. ;)


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3626/3558794728_4c70b2bac1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3558794728/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3558796836_bb1695679f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3558796836/in/photostream/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3557987983_bcb5311952_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3557987983/in/photostream/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3558800050_d77ff7883d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3558800050/in/photostream/)
sandytrail
24th of May 2009 (Sun), 15:10
Loving this lens! Especially for indoor portraits!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joycenicholls/3559266899/
jbkalla
24th of May 2009 (Sun), 17:58
Loving this lens! Especially for indoor portraits!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joycenicholls/3559266899/


Nice capture, Joyce! That shot shows the artistic talent that I completely lack. Fantastic!
Depth
24th of May 2009 (Sun), 18:41
Shot wide open.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3560352991_4bbf5bfd8c_b.jpg
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3560352991/)
Jimmer411
25th of May 2009 (Mon), 00:10
I just placed my order today, will be here thursday I cant wait. Im really hoping that I get a keeper right out of the box. Ive now went thru every page of this thread 3 times.
deletedpenguin
25th of May 2009 (Mon), 02:07
I just placed my order today, will be here thursday I cant wait. Im really hoping that I get a keeper right out of the box. Ive now went thru every page of this thread 3 times.

I did the same thing when I bought mine.
Depth
25th of May 2009 (Mon), 03:17
Still can be sharp wide open.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3562395902_5ca8c173f1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3562395902/)
ppucci
25th of May 2009 (Mon), 14:53
is this a crop?

Basically my main lens now.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3543/3380111749_14f17fdd2b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/42504877@N00/3380111749/)
Depth
25th of May 2009 (Mon), 15:07
is this a crop?

Nope, no crop. :)
ppucci
26th of May 2009 (Tue), 08:02
Nope, no crop. :)

How far were you from the subject? How big is it?
jdlloyd67
27th of May 2009 (Wed), 08:41
Well I thought I got lucky and had a good copy of this lens. However, after a weekend of shooting with nothing but this lens I'm pretty sure it's focusing about 2 - 3 inches past my intended focus point. The two shots below are of my daughter and although it's hard to tell from the compressed images the focus point is behind her face whereas my focus point was directly on her nose. Both images have a very soft focus on her face.

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/Madison_SGI_1sm.jpg

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/Madison_Enjoys_The_Beach_sm.jpg

So, my question to those of you that have sent this lens in for servicing...how did you package the lens and do you need to contact Sigma first before shipping it to a service center?
nik.hisham
27th of May 2009 (Wed), 11:33
^^^ It looks like in the second pic, its focusing about an inch in front. Check out the little flowers on your daughter's shoulder as well as her hair sticking forward. Both areas are crisp in focus.

Just my observation. I'm wondering if you repeatedly half press the shutter release, say 3 times, would the lens edge closer to the intended focus point?

Nik.
dgoakill
27th of May 2009 (Wed), 11:35
So, my question to those of you that have sent this lens in for servicing...how did you package the lens and do you need to contact Sigma first before shipping it to a service center?

you don't have to contact them first, But I did because they have two service centers, one in AZ and one in NY. they may tell you to send it to one over the other.

I put the lens in the case that came with it and put that in a box with air filled packing bags. I filled out and included the warranty card and a copy of the original receipt. Also included a typed note detailing the issue (front focusing in my case) my contact info and return shipping info.

I sent it to the NY center which in turn ended up sending it to the AZ center because they said that's where the parts were. All told took a little over 3 weeks from the day I sent it until I got it back.

*edit - search for a focus chart and do some tests, also set up a little real world test using something small like AA batteries to check for sure. Enter your info into a DOF calculator so you can set up the batteries correctly. At 1.4 DOF is less than half an inch at a distance of 18 inches, this is a tricky lens to work with at first even when it is working properly. Keep in mind the min focus distance is around 40cm / 17 inches as well. I've noticed even after the calibration that this lens sometimes has trouble focusing using AF at any aperture. this could be in my case more of an xti issue than lens, but it seems to struggle occasionally more than my canon lens.
dgoakill
28th of May 2009 (Thu), 14:40
So I pulled this lens out to use the other day and noticed something that I hadn't before concerning the distance scale. I was shooting some street shots and using manual focus; setting it up using the distance scale as opposed to looking through the lens (I used to use a rangefinder for many years before going digital). Anyway, all of my shots were terribly OOF.

So today at work I set up an experiment to see what went wrong. I set up a tape measure and placed books at the same distances that are marked on the distance scale of the lens........WOW. all the shots were 1600iso f4.5 1/100.

setting the lens to AF and the center point, one shot. I aimed at the book at 2 feet. This image was blurry and the distance scale read 1.5 feet not the 2 feet that the book was placed. Next I did 3 feet, this time the shot was in focus but the scale of the lens read 2 feet instead of 3. Then I moved on to a book at 6 feet, the lens is only marked up to 6 feet and then infinity. well at 6 feet it read just past 3ft. a book at 10 feet read just past 6.......just to see I stepped back to 25 feet and the focus scale read half way between 6 and infinity. at 40 feet it read the same.

So I know why all my shots came out bad, but I've never seen such an inconsistent scale. Anyone else notice this with this lens. I mean it's way off and with no rhyme or reason. No other lens I've used has acted this way.
egordon99
28th of May 2009 (Thu), 14:43
I'm not sure that (1)The distance scales are supposed to be that accurate, and (2)If they are somewhat accurate, perhaps they are supposed to be a measurement from the subject to the sensor plane and NOT the front of the lens?

I've never relied on the distance scales except to see when I was about to "hit" the minimum focus distance.
Dick Emery
28th of May 2009 (Thu), 14:48
Butting in even though I do not own this lens yet. If it's not already been mentioned use this test chart to see if your lens is front or back focusing or is focusing on the correct spot. Use center point to focus. Just print out page 18 and put it on a very well lit flat surface and focus on where it says. A tripod would probably be a more accurate test obviously.

http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf
jdlloyd67
28th of May 2009 (Thu), 20:18
Hi guys!

Thanks for the tips on testing out my lens. I ran a test tonight and found that it is back focusing. So I'll be sending it to Sigma tomorrow. If anyone is interested in the results of my test you can view them here...

http://www.dldigitalimages.com/misc/Sigma30_focaltest.htm

Take care!
Dave