The Perfect Portrait Lens on a Budget
There is a new Sigma 30mm F/1.4 being release this year for APS-C or cropped sensor cameras. That means a mighty nice price drop on last year’s model! You can snag the Sigma for the rest of this year for only $289 over at B&H. Josh DeVries, a new writer for the blog here at Kinetic Bear, has first-hand experience with this fantastic lens. On a cropped sensor camera such as the Canon T2i, the Sigma 30mm has an equivalent focal length of 45mm on a full frame sensor camera, such as the Canon 5D Mark II or the Nikon D800. It’s not exactly a 50mm equivalent, but pretty darn close. The 50mm primes are great lenses on cropped sensors, but they tend to crop too much for many of us. So if you are looking for that great 50mm look on your cropped sensor camera, the Sigma 30mm is definitely the way to go without breaking your budget especially if you are just starting out.
Here is what Josh has to say about the Sigma 30mm F/1.4
I caught the so called “50 fever” in May of 2012, just 2 months into my photographic journey. Nearing a year anniversary on March third, the Sigma 30mm F/1.4 EX DC HSM is still my best purchase to date. I was sick of being shackled to my 18-55mm kit and needed something with a large aperture and most importantly: Bokeh. I rushed to the nearest camera store and picked up the Canon 50mm f/1.4 which, by the way, is a perfect lens too. Still, when I got home and started shooting I found myself having that churning feeling in my stomach that can be lovingly described as “regret”. I hadn’t understood the crop factor at the time and felt crammed. I feel a lot of beginners do this, so I held my head high and went back to the camera store. Now the search was on. I wanted something that would fit like a traditional 50mm on my cropped sensor and was built like a tank. I found solace in my Sigma. Since the day I removed it from its bubble wrap I never looked back. Weddings, concerts, seniors, couples, and my dog are just a few subjects that have been in front of this awesome lens. It’s crisper than new sheets and won’t let you down in low light. If you have the famed “50 fever” I prescribe the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM.
Photographs by Josh DeVries Using the Sigma 30mm F/1.4
Lens Mounts for the Sigma 30mm F/1.4
- Canon EF-S
- Nikon F
- Sigma
- Sony
- Pentax
Get the Sigma 30mm F/1.4 lens for only $298 at the B&H Website until December 31st 2013.
Let’s All Give Josh a Warm Welcome to the Kinetic Bear Team!
I am very very excited that Josh has accepted my offer to join the team and contribute to the website. He will be a big part of helpin all of us understand more about photography. He is just nearing his the end of his first year as a photographer so he is still aged as a beginner, but his wisdom and kindness speaks much louder. It will be great to have a fresh mind on the blog with his awesome personality. Hopefully he will inspire you just as much as he has inspired me. I look forward to seeing Josh share his thoughts, experiences, and techniques with all of us this year. The coolest part about this entire post, is that he took all of the photos himself. So awesome.
Great piece, and well timed! I noticed the Sigma last week on b&h and I’m really tempted to pick one up.
What’s the lens quality like at f1.4? Certain reviews I’ve read say it’s a little furry below f2.0.
Looking forward to seeing more of Josh’s work here :)
Thanks Ash! Josh uses the sigma religiously and I know that even with most lenses, at their maximum apertures, loss of sharpness can expected. I am not sure if its because of how immensely shallow the DOF is mixed with inaccurate focusing caused by the photographer or the glass itself. In most cases I try my best to stay towards 2.8 when shooting portraits. Shallow DOF can be a struggle, especially in video when dealing with moving subjects. None the less, the Sigma 30 is a great lens and I have heard from many others they love it and have seen the great work they have created.
Hi Ash,
Firstly, thank you for the kind words, I too look forward to becoming a part of this! To answer your question, I’ve had some of the sharpest photo’s I’ve ever taken on f/1.4. I find that the blurry-ness concern is not so much from the lens itself, but the user. When you’re that wide open, any movement from both the shooter or the subject can result in a slight softness. To remedy this I strongly recommend shooting with a tripod and using live view if your body allows for it. I have poor eyes myself and when I need my focus dead on (all the time) I find it useful to use that in conjunction with a steady object. Hope I could help, Ash. Thanks again.
Cheers,
Josh
Thanks guys, this is really helpful! Will probably put my order through tonight.