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Sigma 30mm f2.8 DN

douglasf13

New member
Alphaman - let me know if you think the 19mm distorts too much for your taste. I am thinking of returning mine.

That's interesting. I don't really find the distortion of the 19mm to be an issue. It only needs a slight correction in raw. I'd imagine the only way to get a similar lens with less distortion would be to use a symmetrical M wide angle, but then you're left with all kinds of issues at the edges.
 

segedi

Member
To be fair, i was shooting some scenes with telephone poles so it wasn't really distortion as much as it was the inability to handle the angles.
 

alphaman

New member
I have to say that I hadn't noticed any more distortion than I would have expected in the sample shots I have seen, but time will tell ... Monday seems a little way off and I'm quite keen to put this lens through it's paces.
 

HeavyDuty

New member
mazor, the difference is: Sony start up = approx 3 seconds and Sigma start up = approx 9 seconds.

In a way it's splitting hairs and in a way it's irritating, however I've learned to live with it.

I wouldn't necessarily let it put you off getting one as optically its a very good lens and unless your shooting style demands very quick responses, I think its more of a minor issue than a major one.

UPDATE: see my next post!
I just tested my Sigma 30 on my Nex-7 several times, and it comes on in 3-4 seconds every time. I even tried removing the lens and taking the battery out, and it was still around 5-6 seconds. I wonder if our lenses are different, or if it's a camera setting difference?
My NEX-7 and 30 powers up in less than 3 seconds every time.
 

mazor

New member
Yeah, I should have been more clear above. My 3-4 second included locking focus with the AF.
thats plenty quick if you ask me. Don't think that is any different from using sony E-mount lens.

Just wish sony would improve their af algorithm especially for tracking, its absolutely useless, and hunts briefly everytime the subject moves closer or further. Single focus seems to be the only useful one.
 

alphaman

New member
Thanks for the feedback on the start up time. My copy was certainly a duffer! I sent the offending 30mm back and got a refund. Unless the 19mm I get on Monday proves equally useless (which I don't believe it will), I'll get another 30mm.
 

alphaman

New member
Update: Monday AM, the little 19mm has arrived and its just fantastic!

The issues I suffered with the now obviously faulty 30mm have not shown themselves with this lens and so I will certainly get another 30mm to be a companion to this lens.

The 19mm is a real gem, no flaws have shown themselves as yet except that perhaps the distortion could have been slightly better controlled, but then it is a 19mm. I have to say that my faith in Sigma has been completely restored.
 

mazor

New member
congrats alphaman, look forward to seeing some pics from this sigma lens.

Also yhas anyone compared the 19mm sigma against the 24mm sony with zeiss 24mm 1.8
 

lattiboy

New member
For $199 this lens is RIDICULOUS! This is wide-open, handheld in poor light. No sharpening of note applied. Straight import into LR. I honestly can't tell the difference between this and the Zeiss 24mm as far as detail is concerned. Astonishing! Also, the lens is tiny and quiet. I love it.

 

alphaman

New member
My replacement copy should arrive tomorrow, phew!

They are pretty thin on the ground in the UK, I think we must have gone NEX crazy in this country!
 

lattiboy

New member
So, to give a true idea of the sharpness of this thing here's a series of pictures I took in a dimly lit bar during an "Opera On Tap" performance here in Seattle.

Now, I THOUGHT I brought my 50mm f/1.8 and the 30mm f/2.8. Turns out I brought the 18-55mm kitlens and the 30mm (seriously, they look waaayy too alike with the hood reversed!) It was way, way too dark for the kit to do anything of interest, so I turned to the Sigma for all my shots. I was about 15-20 feet from the stage, so this was not an ideal situation for a 30mm lens.

I ended up "digitally zooming" by cropping the photos 50-70%. For reference, the third shot is cropped about 30-35% and I took all these from the same seat. I was astonished by how well they turned out. Especially considering I was shooting ISO16-3200 on all of these. This is one of the few times that "pixel peeping" sharpness has a practical application :)

1)


2)


3)


4)


5)
 

mrtoml

New member
Update: Monday AM, the little 19mm has arrived and its just fantastic!

The issues I suffered with the now obviously faulty 30mm have not shown themselves with this lens and so I will certainly get another 30mm to be a companion to this lens.

The 19mm is a real gem, no flaws have shown themselves as yet except that perhaps the distortion could have been slightly better controlled, but then it is a 19mm. I have to say that my faith in Sigma has been completely restored.
I just got the 30mm and 19mm and have exactly the same problem on the Nex 7. The 19mm is fine, but the 30mm is very erratic. It now won't focus at all unless I go into manual. 30mm going back to the store...
 

Irenaeus

Member
Just a note to thank you, Vivek, for writing so well about the Nex C3 + Sigma 30/2.8 combo and for all of you for making this thread so rich and inviting...

Your encouragement led me to buy one of each from two different sources and they finally came together late last week. Though I've not had time to do much but briefly review the images I made on the weekend, I'm extremely pleased with a big proportion of them. (Even my Dutch Great- Grandmother would be delighted, I'm sure!)

Most of those photos are of an adult baptism and of Commuion the next day, however, so they're pretty personal and I don't really feel free to post them. I'll make some others to share pretty soon, though, and will try to get over my block about posting and do so quickly.

So I think this one's a KEEPER! Once again, I'm grateful to you all...


On a slightly different note, I wonder if any of you have tried putting a Nikonos 35 onto the Nex C3 and, if so, what you thought of the image quality? I'll be going to a windy, wet and sandy part of Michigan pretty soon, have the lens (but no adapter, as yet,) and I should think that that combination (plus a generously sized zip lock bag) should work well in stormy weather.

Thanks for any advice, and all the best,

Irenaeus
 
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