Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-24-2007, 11:15 AM   #1
Veteran Member




Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: West Virginia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 338
Sigma 30mm 1.4 DG HSM

Anyone have any experience with this lens? Gets good reviews but seems quite large and heavy ................. I use a K100D.

Actually, it is the 'EX DC HSM 30mm 1.4' lens..........sorry.


Last edited by John Kovarik; 12-24-2007 at 11:33 AM.
12-24-2007, 06:12 PM   #2
Pentaxian
Abbazz's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Jakarta
Posts: 667
I have bought this lens a few months ago but I don't use it much. It's not a bad lens, it's just not very well suited to my shooting. Wide open, the lens is sharp in the middle and rather soft at the edges. When stopped down to f/5.6 it becomes very sharp in the center of the field but the edges never attain perfect sharpness. The lens has a very pleasant roundness in rendering the out of focus areas. Alas, it also tends to exhibit bad purple fringing around every light source or specular reflection in the picture. Even when stopped down to f/8, a tree photographed against a bright sky would have its leaves surrounded by an ugly purple halo.

This mixed-bag performance makes the lens not very appealing to me. It's not well suited for architecture and landscape work or street photography because of the soft edges and purple fringing. It could be usable for portraiture or photographing social gatherings but only for centered subjects with controlled lighting to avoid purple fringing.

Instead of the Sigma 30/1.4, I would recommend the Pentax FA 31/1.8 Limited or, cheaper, the FA 35/2. Both lenses are smaller that the Sigma and offer better image quality, or at least image quality more even across the board.

Cheers!
12-26-2007, 05:37 PM   #3
Pentaxian
Abbazz's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Jakarta
Posts: 667
To illustrate my point, here are some sample photographs taken with the Sigma 30/1.4. Please note that this is not a scientific test, but I think it's a fair reflection of the lens performance as I see it.


Wide open (full picture resized). Even when scaled down, the purple fringing remains visible.


Wide open (left side detail - 100% size)


Wide open (upper right corner - 100% size). Image is quite soft in the corners.


F/5.6 (full picture resized)


F/5.6 (left side detail - 100% size). F/5.6 but still some purple fringing


F/5.6 (upper right corner - 100% size). Image is still not very sharp in the corner.

The Sigma 30/1.4 is not a bad lens: it has very good performance in the center of the frame and great bokeh. It is just not very well suited to my style of photographs.

Cheers!

Last edited by Abbazz; 12-26-2007 at 07:37 PM.
12-27-2007, 03:39 PM   #4
Veteran Member




Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: France
Photos: Albums
Posts: 804
Look at photozone

Have a look on the test of this lens at
PhotoZone
THis lens is tested vs other Pentax lenses, results are balanced. Sharp on the center, weak at the edges, CA is present.
The alternative is to invest in the 31mm f1.8 limited. Costs money but everybody agreement to declare is as a great lens.

Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
30mm, hsm, k-mount, pentax lens, sigma 30mm, slr lens
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
The Sigma 30mm HSM doesn't exist for Pentax correct? konraDarnok Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 6 10-01-2010 04:20 PM
Anyone used Sigma 70-200 non-HSM AND HSM? which is faster AF? Arpe Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 10 03-24-2010 04:28 PM
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM opianstate Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 13 09-24-2009 07:56 AM
sigma 30mm vs. pentax 30mm jay legere Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 6 02-01-2008 04:15 PM
Sigma 30mm F1.4 Ex Dc Hsm pentkon52 Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 7 12-29-2007 06:16 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:51 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top