Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

It's the perfect lens for low light, I started using it about two years ago and it changed the way my low light photos look like! Colors became natural and the flash turned into a fill flash if used at all.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I bought this lens today and tested it out in my low lit office, outside, and well lit indoor environments; so far I'm loving the results. I'm getting crisp & clear shots with excellent bokeh at low ISO and fast shutter speeds-- finally! I had to adjust EV value to correct the inaccurate metering light but that is not a big deal.

I get great results when I use manual focus; using the autofocus is pointless. It seems to always focus behind the subject. A bummer; but not a deal breaker as you could always send it to Sigma and get it calibrated for your DSLR. My 2cent.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I decided to buy this lens for several reasons.

1) I wanted a fast lens.
2) I wanted to try my hand at a prime lens.
3) The type of glass used & sample images were very appealing to me.

A lot of people say that this lens performs better around F/1.8- F/2.2 (CA/fringing prevalent at F/1.4) but I didn't really let that deter me. I have hardly noticed any abnormalities in my images and I am perfectly content with this lens.

I am using this more or less as a walk around lens on my Nikon D90. With the cropped sensor it's not as wide of a lens as I would like to have, but it does it's job pretty well, and I am really enjoying it for what it is!

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I needed a lens that could be used for events and daily use, and the 30mm 1.4 hit the requirements. The 1.4 f stop gives me so much more light and perfectly crisp depth of field. The only thing i found negative is that the Autofocus is a tiny bit slower than my Nikkor lens's. Other than that, it's perfect for the price.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

(Using a Nikon D90).It's a good lens but you will need to practice with it. At f1.4 sometimes is out of focus, at 1.8 to 2.8 takes better photos with great bokeh. Some body vibration when is focusing. Feels solid. Great for indoors low-light and portraits.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I was going back and forth between this and the 35mm f/2 and the 35mm 1.8. I decided to go with this one because I had enough time to return it if I needed to. I am SO glad I did! I got a good copy, and it is just beautiful to use. It feels great, the pictures look great, and it focuses pretty fast. Also, it doesn't make a lot of noise on the videos made with the D90 compared to all my other lenses. The only con is the focusing distance, but I don't think it's a dealbreaker

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

This lens is on my D300 about 90% of the time. It never disappoints. This was the first Sigma lens I owned that had focus issues. I bought it used and was very disappointed with the performance. I called Sigma to get a quote on servicing the lens and they said they would do it for free! Outstanding service from Sigma. The lens I got back was like a totally new lens. Wish QC was at the factory and not at my house. Focus was spot on and quick, and is very sharp at the center at f/1.4. By f/2, it is very, very good. It does overexpose by about 1/2 to 3/4 stops, but that is easy to fix. Color is well saturated and rendered wide-open. It is well-built and very rugged. This has become my most used lens when taking pictures of my kids, indoor or out. As much as I like my 17-55 f/2.8 Nikkor, this lens seems to always wind up on my camera.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I got this lens for indoor HS volleyball shots using a D300 camera. I was a bit concerned about the other posts raising issues with focus etc. I am delighted with the lens - the focus is crisp, auto-focus action is working just fine, and I am getting great stop action shots next to the court - wide open at f1.4. I would highly recommend this lens for indoor sports such as volleyball and basketball where you are close to the action.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I actually borrowed this lens from a friend and liked it so much I bought one for myself.
My primary use for the lens so far has been food photography and it has been terrific for this purpose

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

Main advantage of this lens should be speed of f/1.4 (low-light hand-held open-wide). But it has problems with AF system and that's very annoing especially open-wide of course when you have such little DOF.

In comparison with this Sigma, Nikkor 35/1.8 costs much less, has pricise AF and need cheaper 52mm filters. There's no doubt about choice between them.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I bought this lens because of f1.4, as everyone does probably. I tested it in low light and it's really awesome. It has excellent sharpness at f1.4. It's more expensive than Nikon 35mm f1.8 but in low lightning 1 stop means a lot.
Ken Rockwell says it has problem of auto focusing in infinity on Nikon D200. I have D300 and it DOES focus very well. When I aim on clouds or some far objects it sets the focus ring exactly on ∞.
If you shoot steel objects then you don't need this lens. Nikkor f3.5 VR lens will give you sharper images with much slower shutter speed because of its Vibration Reduction. But if you shoot moving objects like humans then VR does not play the main role and you DO need high shutter speed and this lens will deliver it to you.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

Maybe nothing deserves a 5 star rating, but this lens has made me very happy. I was so suprised just getting it out of the box how solid and substantial it felt....much larger than my Nikon 50MM-1.8. I have taken the sharpest pictures I have ever taken with this lens. Sharp at 1.4 and at 8.....oh man. I am puzzled by the problems others have had with focus issues. If someone stole this lens I would immediately buy another.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

If you are looking for a standard lens for your Nikon DSLR this is a great lens at a great price

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I bought the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM (Nikon) for low light, portrait and family photos. I have taken some great pictures and enjoyed the DOF opportunities that an f/1.4 lens allows. It produces very sharp images with great contrast. The focusing motor is quiet. It is well made, has a matt black finish and comes with a lens hood and nice case. A difference for me is that there is no switch for AF/MF as on other lenses. MF is done using the focus ring which works well.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

Very sharp on the Nikon D200, D300. Not consistent on the D90.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

The lens is sharp when there is sufficient light, but seems to have trouble focusing in less than ideal lighting situations. I use it mainly outdoors so it has worked great for me and the price is excellent.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

For night shots its super. The body its hard enough to resist at any shock. The results are unbeliveable. Makes light where there is´t any...
MUST HAVE

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I purchased this lens 3 weeks ago from B&H and was excited to use it. The lens had two issues. First. focus was close but a bit off front to back (focus on eyes and nose is tack sharp & eyes were a bit soft...) and the exposure was consistently 0.7 stop over. The exposure issue was easy to solve with EV -0.7 on the D300 but the focus in manual and auto drove me nuts. I called Sigma who explained that they may need to calibrate it for the d300 which they offered to do for me, but I decided to return the lens and wait for the Nikon AF-S 35 f1.8 to come out instead. [...].

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I have a Nikon D70 with a 18-70 and a 55-200 lens. This f/1.4 lens gives me a couple of extra stops and the 30mm (x1.5) gives me a little more room. I go to a lot of meetings with veterans groups and this lens I find superb as that, 'One lens for all occasions' purpose.

Comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Nikon Digital:

I've had this lens on my camera everyday for the past 3 weeks. It is sharp and fast. I am completely satisfied with it after taking hundreds and hundreds of pictures. Indoors or out, day or night this lens has not disappointed. The bokeh is soft and smooth. But be careful to lock onto the object or person of interest because at ƒ/1.4 it's easy to focus on the wrong plane. You might not notice it until you look at the image on your computer.