hey guys,

anyone using the sigma 30mm f1.4 for video? i checked one in the store and the manual focus ring felt a bit "cludgy". wondering what your experience has been...

i know sigma has some issues with af alignment on canon bodies but this would be used for video so manul focus only.

thanks!

karl

Lot's of threads/posts on this.

Here's one to get you going:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eos-7d-hd/482634-sigma-30mm-1-4-a.html

And another:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eos-7d-hd/483381-sigma-50mm-1-4-vs-canon-50mm-1-4-a.html

Hope that helps.

hi andy,

not looking for a specific comparison between the sigma 30 and the canon 28 (that's been played to death everywhere). my post was asking about how well the manual focus worked for people shooting vids.

specificially, the manual focus feels a bit rough - are people that are using it for video having trouble pulling focus or is it something that's working well for everyone?

k

Karl,

The Sigma 30 1.4 is on my camera all the time. I actually like the stiffness of the focus ring, It's very precise and intuitive. The 30 was on my camera almost exclusively during a 4 day film shoot for a commercial I shot.

Great low light lens. The only thing the lens misses is VR/IS. Tough to shoot handheld wide open. Great look though.

Daniel Weber

yeah you are right, it is a little stiff, I would rather a much smoother focus ring like some other lens but I can still focus pull with it, you need a stable rig so that when you pull focus it won't move the camera, despite that short coming, it is still my go to lens for low light work.

Affordable and reasonably sharp wide open. Focus gets a bit iffy at F1.4 so the stiffer focus ring (mine has it too) works out - I don't especially like the really loose ones like on some Tamrons. I usually stop down to 1.8 so the depth doesn't get too obnoxious. Hard to beat as a 50mm equivalent. No alignment issues, and focuses reliably but not as fast as an L series.

Great thread/inputs, as I myself am about to purchase this lens.
Could someone very quickly look over look over these two links and tell me if there is any difference, besides the price? I usually purchase from BH but with a lower price and a hood thrown in, I might go with Adorama.

BH
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Can 300101 B&H

Adorama
300101G Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM AutoFocus Standard Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras - Gray Market (http://www.adorama.com/SG3014EOSG.html?utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Shopping%20Site&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=gbase)

They both have a hood but go with Adorama for sure, they are just as reputable as B&H, $39.00 can to for your protective filter, I bought tons of stuff from both company.

They both have a hood but go with Adorama for sure, they are just as reputable as B&H, $39.00 can to for your protective filter, I bought tons of stuff from both company.

Thanks - will do.

Hey Karl, this is a quote from 'the-digital-picture.com" in review of the lens...

"The manual focusing ring is smooth but somewhat stiff. The stiffness is not all bad as your hand will likely be holding the lens by/near this ring - If it turned too easily, you might produce OOF (out of focus) shots. AI Servo performance including accuracy is good. "

thanks guys... great input. i've tried a couple with different feeling focus mechanisms. i guess i'll just try the specific lens i'm buying before taking it. that way i can make sure it's good!

Great thread/inputs, as I myself am about to purchase this lens.
Could someone very quickly look over look over these two links and tell me if there is any difference, besides the price? I usually purchase from BH but with a lower price and a hood thrown in, I might go with Adorama.

BH
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Can 300101 B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381615-REG/Sigma_300101_30mm_f_1_4_EX_DC.html)

Adorama
300101G Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM AutoFocus Standard Lens for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras - Gray Market (http://www.adorama.com/SG3014EOSG.html?utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Shopping%20Site&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=gbase)

If you're in NJ, Adorama will charge you Sales Tax.

Just wanted to say I've been shooting a wedding this evening with the 30mm on the camera 90% of the time and still is. No way I could have done it tonight without it.

for very low light weddings (ie candle light) i use the sigma 30mm 1.4 on my 550d, and my samyang 85mm 1.4 on my 7d

It's fine focusing for video. I find it in some ways better than the 50mm 1.4 since that lens is a bit on the loose side

been using ths 30 1.4 for quite a while now; it's wonderfully sharp stopped down a bit and has great smooth bokeh.

My focus ring started messing up after a few months; the rubber ring would turn, but I could feel that it was detached and wouldn't change focus as it should have, and if I just ran it back and forth, it would "catch" again and start focusing. This is annoying as I'd be shooting and then have to stop to make sure the focus ring has caught. I dunno if this is a common problem, but it seems to have gone away..for now.

Anyways, great lens. :)

I just used the Sigma 30mm 1.4 a lot on my latest short project, mostly stopped down to 1.8 or 2.0, because there was just too much light to use f1.4 even at ISO 100 (and I don't yet have any ND filters for this lens). If you're working with daylight and/or professional video lighting, you might want to invest in an ND filter or two, or you'll never be able to use f1.4 :)

The look of the lens is great, the bokeh is much nicer than that of the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 (the other lens I used on the short).

Focus pulling is a little stiff, but goes well when you have a stable rig or tripod. The only issue I have with focussing is that the ring, being an HSM ring, has no end-points. You can just turn it further as long as you like, but the focus itself of course stops at its end point.
I had to do a quick turn from 2 meters to the closest setting yesterday, while moving the camera in on a hand - I missed the shot at least 5 times because I couldn't feel the end of the focus, so I moved the camera in to 20cm, but the focus was still at 30cm.
However, I don't want to complain too much, usually it doesn't matter, and the HSM AF is really fast for taking stills.