Advice on prime

Hey all,

I've enjoyed shooting with my one and only prime - the nifty fifty, during the past few months that I've owned it. Although I like the sharpness and the low-light capabilities, I find that the focal length is not really for me, since I shoot indoors mostly, (therefore I can't move back far enough to get the shots that I envision). So, I've decided within this coming month or so, that I want to replace my nifty fifty for something that's a little wider. My price range is roughly 300 USD, but I could push it slightly, if need be. I don't mind buying used. Several lenses that I've looked at are:

1. Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - I've noticed the rave reviews that this lens seems to be getting. However, i've also heard of difficulty obtaining a good solid copy of the lens.

2. Canon 28mm f/1.8 - Looked at this one briefly. There does not seem to be as many people saying anything about this lens compared to the Siggy.

3. Canon 35mm f/2 - Same as the 28mm f/1.8

Thoughts?

consider the 85 1.8....

He says the 50mm is too long and you suggest an 85? Samyang/Vivitar is about to release their 35/1.4.

^Why would he consider the 85mm when he just said the 50mm wasn't wide enough for indoor use? Are you not reading the thread?

OP: I've used/owned all those primes - I'd pick up the Sigma 30mm in a heartbeat, that is unless you have plans to go FF VERY soon.

All good choices. Pick one and be happy.

if you shoot indoors A LOT, i would even recommend the sigma 20mm f1.8, which is about 35mm full frame, perfect for indoor events

Sigma 30 1.4 is a real nice lens. WORST case scenario, you send it is for a in warranty repair.

I had the 35 f/2, and it was a great lens... although a bit lacking at time for indoor low light shooting without a flash... I replaced it with the 35 f/1.4 ... this thing can almost see in the dark... I got a nice sharp copy...

If you can round up the cash... I'd go for the 35mm 1.4

The said budget is 300. 35L is nowhere even near his budget. I've owned the 35L AND 24L and the sigma is going to be close to performance for around the OP's budget.

I was going to pull the trigger on the canon 35 f/2.0 but decided to sleep on it.
Today, I saw the sigma 30 f/1.4.
Looks like a no-brainer.

canon 35 f/2.0 $300
Sigma 30 f/1.4 $400

BH photo price.

Anybody agree or disagree. I have 1d mkii. Want a 24-70L but I think this will hold me for a good while. Main use purpose is portrait and indoor.

The Siggy was designed for 1.6x crop cameras. I'm not sure if and how much it will vignette on your 1Dii.

Yeah the Sigma 30mm will vignette on your APS-H 1D, but it isn't too bad at all. Check out this old thread - it has samples of the Sigma 30mm from 1D users - looks really good. Take a look and see if that is acceptable to you.

A couple users I know of "bobbyz" and "picturecrazy" use the Sigma 30mm and own 1D bodies, so you might want to send them a message to see how they like it.

https://photography-on-the.net …hread.php?t=794​328&page=2

Thanks a lot for your input guys.

I do have plans to upgrade my body, but as of right now, I can't yet decide whether to stick with crop or go FF. I figured it might be a better idea to build my lens lineup first before I even begin to think about upgrading my body. My canon T1i seems perfectly fine for me now, although I could probably use a battery grip, but that's a whole 'nother story. So, I'm assuming my next body upgrade would probably be in about 2~3 years time.

For the owners of the Siggy 30 f/1.4, how many times, if any, did you have to return it to Sigma before finally getting a good copy? How did you know that the problem was because of the lens, and not due to user error? How do you test the lens for any defects? Thanks in advance

LittleFish wrote in post #11588113
Thanks a lot for your input guys.

I do have plans to upgrade my body, but as of right now, I can't yet decide whether to stick with crop or go FF. I figured it might be a better idea to build my lens lineup first before I even begin to think about upgrading my body. My canon T1i seems perfectly fine for me now, although I could probably use a battery grip, but that's a whole 'nother story. So, I'm assuming my next body upgrade would probably be in about 2~3 years time.

For the owners of the Siggy 30 f/1.4, how many times, if any, did you have to return it to Sigma before finally getting a good copy? How did you know that the problem was because of the lens, and not due to user error? How do you test the lens for any defects? Thanks in advance

0 times. It worked perfectly on my T1i, but needed microadjust on my 7D (but then every prime I have needed MA on my 7D so it is body issue).

Take a lot of samples and eliminate possibilities of user error. It is not easy to shoot at f/1.4, due to the VERY thin plane of focus - so keep that in mind. Mount on a tripod, use a remote cable OR tether to a computer/notebook OR use the timer, shoot at a contrasty/perpendicula​r target and place a ruler(or similar device) along the perpendicular target to see if there is any hint of back focus or front focus. Do a search for lens focus test, there are many methods -but also, shoot at real world objects at different apertures and different distances. You'll quickly find any focus issues if it is major.

Mine was great out of the box.