I've had two copies of the Sigma 30mm 1.4. Both copies were soft at 1.4. This is a deal breaker because I bought the lenses to shoot at 1.4. I currently own the 18-50. It's plenty sharp and more versatile.
I had the 30mm f/1/.4 and it is a razor sharp lens. However, IMO, it is a boring lens. I purchased the 18-50mm f/2.8 lens for an Honor Flight trip Washington DC. I chose that lens because I wanted a very lightweight and compact lens for my Sony A6600. Photography was not the main intent of the trip but, I did want some very decent imagery. Better than what I could achieve using the kit lens. My rationale was to use the 18-50mm lens for the trip and perhaps sell it when I returned. I love this tiny lens both for still photography and video. I would like ISS for video work but, the camera stabilization of the A6600 helps me get relatvely smooth video. I cut my teeth on 16mm motion picture gear - so lack of stabiliztion is nothng new to me. I like a bit longer focal length for portrait work - so I plan on carrying the lightweight Sony 85mm f/1.8 lens to augment the 18-50mm...
Lol same. Recently went on a trip carrying 30mm, 50mm, and kit lens. Ended up switching to kit lens so many times as its much more usable with varying locations and shot ideas. Convinced to sell all my lens to get 18-50 or 17-70 2.8 lens and maybe retain one prime for really low light situations or dramatic bokeh. I feel extreme sharpness and high bokeh gets overrated for casual shooters, better to have that zoom versatility to really play with your compositions well
I have both lenses and try to only ever go out with one, but always have a dilemma. I love them both and they always come away on holiday and on any other trips always get good results with both of them great video
I have both these lenses they go everywhere with me . Which is best depends what mood I’m in but would have to say the 30mm but I do like the 18-50 mm very tricky if I had to just have one I would have to ask someone to take it out of my bag and never give it me back
Thank you for the video. Ended up buying both but they were used to offset the cost of both. When I travel to stay light and flexible I only take the 18-50 and then a wider lens like Sony’s 15/1.4 G. Since your review Sigma has announced the 10-18/2.8 to pair with it that looks great. May buy that as well.
I mostly used 4.0 aperture to get everything in focus. Above f2.8 this lens is insanely sharp, continues AF, center focus area, ISO 100 for most photos and used shutter speed above 1/100 because 6400 has no IBS. You can easily hand held around 1/30 without IBS.
This was excellent, thank you. I’d like to have both, of course, but if only one….then it depends what use is most important. The zoom feels better for travel. But if the prime were a bit wider (35 or 40mm) I’d go for that. 45mm equivalent feels a bit narrow IMHO.
Glad you like it. 45mm equivalent is pretty narrow for sure. It’s a good lens for street photography and if you have the area to move around, but it still won’t give you the same freedom as 18-50 does. I still have both lenses and 90% of the time I use 18-50.
Agree. Zoom is sooo much better quality of life for on the go situations, especially when traveling with people. On prime, I’d say people need to test each own their own. Grew up and learned with 50mm (crop sensor) before, and now I bought 30mm (crop sensor) - struggled to adjust as I miss the compression of 50mm crop so ended up getting it again lol.
Thank you for this nice video. I have both lenses and on my Leica TL2 camera the 30mm f/1.4 at f/1.4 sharpness is indistinguishable from the 18-50mm f/2.8 at 18mm f/2.8. Be that as it may, both lenses at their respective widest aperture are very sharp all the way out to the far corners. A remarkable performance for such inexpensive compact lenses.
18-50. Sharpness obsessive-compulsive syndrome and art of photography are totally different things. The first one has to do with a psychological disorder, second one with creativity.
THIS IS THE KIND OF REVIEW THAT IS SO HELPFUL for real why is it so hard to find reviews of actual USE CASE SCENARIOS on RUclips??? Just mindless spec-listing followed by "I really like this lens!!" Like come on... SUBSCRIBED Some things to think about - advancements with AI are making noise less and less of a concern, by the use of de-noising on platforms like adobe and davinci. A few years ago de-noising would result in smearing and smoothing; now, much less so due to AI. ALSO - the 30mm prime has NO weather sealing gasket. To me this is super important as I want all my lenses to have gaskets for peace of mind (water that gets in won't only damage the lens, it'll also damage my camera). ALSO also, the 18-50 has MACRO capabilities, as its minimum focus distance is 5" compared to the 30mm's minimum focus distance of 12". Never underestimate just how fun a maco-capable lens can be. NYC is my hometown of 20 years and you did an amazing job capturing it's soul
I have both and the 30mm rarely leaves the camera. I always regret taking 18-50 and losing the f/1.4 of the 30. The 30mm has a superior image quality especially with bokeh. 18-50 does give you more flexibility though
Thank you for doing this video. This is exactly what I needed. Because I own the 30mm plus the 56mm, and I was thinking of selling the 30mm, keeping only the 56mm for portraits for the reason that it's more zoomed in (around 75mm in full frame) and anything else that requires bokeh, so I can buy the 18-50mm as an all-around plus as something more wide. I'm a event photographer, and to have an all-around zoom lens is pretty helpful. With one, I don't need to spend time changing the lenses, plus the fact that I maybe loose moments while I do it. But, I think I prefer sharpness over versatility. I have a Sony A6400 right now, so I'll wait to upgrade my camera body to something better when I have the money, and just keep my old A6400, so I can have two camera bodies with two different lenses at the same time.
I currently use the Sony 10mm on my a6700 for real estate and sometimes for full-body portraits/events. While I also have a Sigma 30mm for portraits, I’ve found it too tight for full-body shots. I ended up using the 10mm for portraits, which worked well, but I once missed a key moment because the 10mm was too wide, and I couldn’t swap lenses in time. I love the 10mm for its wide-angle versatility in both portraits and real estate, so I’m definitely keeping it. However, I’m considering selling the 30mm to get the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, as it would give me more flexibility for portraits without missing moments. Sharpness isn’t an issue with the 18-50mm, and since I use flash, low light won’t be a problem.
I was going to get the sigma 30mm 1.4 for video work on fx30 but you just mention it was noisy when auto focusing and that might be a problem for on camera audio
I have the 30mm and was wondering if it would be better to also get the 18-50mm for my vacation in portugal, what do you think having used both? Im scared that the lack of versatility of the 30mm will leave me unsatisfied with the shots i take there
Consider also the Tamron 17-70 f2.8 I have the Sigma trio, but the lens i used 90% of the time in holidays is the Sony PZ 18-105 F.4 OSS. This is because in my holidays, i usually have lots of light, and a continuous F4 is more than enough aperture. The lens also allows me to give some stabilization for hand-held and a great reach from a wide angle of 18 mm to 105 mm telephoto without extending the barrel. I have to say, though, i am more in to videos and i usually carry at least one sigma (most of the time 3 😂) for fotography and a tripod. But the last holiday I had, I decided to just go with my Samsung S23 Ultra and a gimbal. Vs camera lenses tripod, gimbal, filters laptop for editing......😅 but was one of.
30mm is very specific lens, great for street photography, portraits and close ups, but you will need wider lens when you want to capture large area especially when traveling and the places you visit are unfamiliar.
Really helpful video, but I got a big struggle to find out which one to buy. Clearly I'd buy the 30mm for photography, but I'm taking photos and videos. So, which one would you recommend for both photos and videos? Videos I mostly record in a room with a tripod, so I would rarely need 18mm for vlogging. Which one would you pick when taking videos in a room and photos in low light conditions?
If you have a low light in your room, I suggest you go with 30mm because it has wider aperture of 1.4 vs 2.8 on 18-50. You can always move the 30mm to capture the wider shots, but you cannot fix the low light without having the noise. 2.8 is not a bad aperture, but 1.4 will produce much better videos in a low light.
@@LaCinco.0 Literally All-rounder lens same thing with sigma, but with extra 20mm reach and VC(vibration compensation) similar to sony OSS , Landscape Portrait Vlogging It's got you covered. the downside it's too heavy for Apsc lens 525g half kilo before the camera itself. the reason i sold mine because the weight i can't stand handheld vlogging for too long when im on vacation😵
I was all set to get the Sigma 18-50 until you put this idea in my head.
Sorry, lol. You wouldn’t go wrong with either
I've had two copies of the Sigma 30mm 1.4. Both copies were soft at 1.4. This is a deal breaker because I bought the lenses to shoot at 1.4. I currently own the 18-50. It's plenty sharp and more versatile.
At the widest aperture lenses tend to be soft, but if you compare both lenses at f2.8, 30mm is way sharper than 18-50
I had the 30mm f/1/.4 and it is a razor sharp lens. However, IMO, it is a boring lens. I purchased the 18-50mm f/2.8 lens for an Honor Flight trip Washington DC. I chose that lens because I wanted a very lightweight and compact lens for my Sony A6600. Photography was not the main intent of the trip but, I did want some very decent imagery. Better than what I could achieve using the kit lens.
My rationale was to use the 18-50mm lens for the trip and perhaps sell it when I returned.
I love this tiny lens both for still photography and video. I would like ISS for video work but, the camera stabilization of the A6600 helps me get relatvely smooth video.
I cut my teeth on 16mm motion picture gear - so lack of stabiliztion is nothng new to me.
I like a bit longer focal length for portrait work - so I plan on carrying the lightweight Sony 85mm f/1.8 lens to augment the 18-50mm...
Lol same. Recently went on a trip carrying 30mm, 50mm, and kit lens. Ended up switching to kit lens so many times as its much more usable with varying locations and shot ideas. Convinced to sell all my lens to get 18-50 or 17-70 2.8 lens and maybe retain one prime for really low light situations or dramatic bokeh. I feel extreme sharpness and high bokeh gets overrated for casual shooters, better to have that zoom versatility to really play with your compositions well
I have both lenses and try to only ever go out with one, but always have a dilemma. I love them both and they always come away on holiday and on any other trips always get good results with both of them great video
I have both these lenses they go everywhere with me . Which is best depends what mood I’m in but would have to say the 30mm but I do like the 18-50 mm very tricky if I had to just have one I would have to ask someone to take it out of my bag and never give it me back
Good comment 😂😂
Thank you for the video. Ended up buying both but they were used to offset the cost of both. When I travel to stay light and flexible I only take the 18-50 and then a wider lens like Sony’s 15/1.4 G. Since your review Sigma has announced the 10-18/2.8 to pair with it that looks great. May buy that as well.
So glad you enjoy the video. I wanna try Sigma 10-18 to see how if 10mm is worth the price. It should be the best wide angle for crop sensors
Great video! What would you recommend me to choose if I already own an excellent 56 1.4 by Sigma?
Thank you. I would not get 30mm for sure. You need something wider, so maybe consider 10-18 from Sigma
With IBIS, I guess 18-50 can do just as well in low light IMO.
How do you get those sharp images with the 30mm? What aperture you use when photographing street and multiple objects? What focus settings you use?
I mostly used 4.0 aperture to get everything in focus. Above f2.8 this lens is insanely sharp, continues AF, center focus area, ISO 100 for most photos and used shutter speed above 1/100 because 6400 has no IBS. You can easily hand held around 1/30 without IBS.
This was excellent, thank you. I’d like to have both, of course, but if only one….then it depends what use is most important. The zoom feels better for travel. But if the prime were a bit wider (35 or 40mm) I’d go for that. 45mm equivalent feels a bit narrow IMHO.
Glad you like it. 45mm equivalent is pretty narrow for sure. It’s a good lens for street photography and if you have the area to move around, but it still won’t give you the same freedom as 18-50 does. I still have both lenses and 90% of the time I use 18-50.
Agree. Zoom is sooo much better quality of life for on the go situations, especially when traveling with people. On prime, I’d say people need to test each own their own. Grew up and learned with 50mm (crop sensor) before, and now I bought 30mm (crop sensor) - struggled to adjust as I miss the compression of 50mm crop so ended up getting it again lol.
Thanks for the video. As these two are my options on buying another lens aside to the included kit lens
Thank you for this nice video. I have both lenses and on my Leica TL2 camera the 30mm f/1.4 at f/1.4 sharpness is indistinguishable from the 18-50mm f/2.8 at 18mm f/2.8. Be that as it may, both lenses at their respective widest aperture are very sharp all the way out to the far corners. A remarkable performance for such inexpensive compact lenses.
Glad you enjoy it. Both lenses are great, so I ended up keeping the both too.
18-50. Sharpness obsessive-compulsive syndrome and art of photography are totally different things. The first one has to do with a psychological disorder, second one with creativity.
Sigma 30 f1.4 is plenty sharp for portraits wide open. I have both lenses but the 30 mm is much more useful for portraits, low lights and events.
THIS IS THE KIND OF REVIEW THAT IS SO HELPFUL for real why is it so hard to find reviews of actual USE CASE SCENARIOS on RUclips??? Just mindless spec-listing followed by "I really like this lens!!" Like come on... SUBSCRIBED
Some things to think about - advancements with AI are making noise less and less of a concern, by the use of de-noising on platforms like adobe and davinci. A few years ago de-noising would result in smearing and smoothing; now, much less so due to AI.
ALSO - the 30mm prime has NO weather sealing gasket. To me this is super important as I want all my lenses to have gaskets for peace of mind (water that gets in won't only damage the lens, it'll also damage my camera).
ALSO also, the 18-50 has MACRO capabilities, as its minimum focus distance is 5" compared to the 30mm's minimum focus distance of 12". Never underestimate just how fun a maco-capable lens can be.
NYC is my hometown of 20 years and you did an amazing job capturing it's soul
I have both and the 30mm rarely leaves the camera. I always regret taking 18-50 and losing the f/1.4 of the 30. The 30mm has a superior image quality especially with bokeh. 18-50 does give you more flexibility though
18-50 is my choice. But i still have the 30 for that extremely low light occasion
Thank you for doing this video. This is exactly what I needed. Because I own the 30mm plus the 56mm, and I was thinking of selling the 30mm, keeping only the 56mm for portraits for the reason that it's more zoomed in (around 75mm in full frame) and anything else that requires bokeh, so I can buy the 18-50mm as an all-around plus as something more wide. I'm a event photographer, and to have an all-around zoom lens is pretty helpful. With one, I don't need to spend time changing the lenses, plus the fact that I maybe loose moments while I do it. But, I think I prefer sharpness over versatility. I have a Sony A6400 right now, so I'll wait to upgrade my camera body to something better when I have the money, and just keep my old A6400, so I can have two camera bodies with two different lenses at the same time.
I have the same dilemma having both 30mm and 56mm. Did you sell your 30mm for the 18-50?
I currently use the Sony 10mm on my a6700 for real estate and sometimes for full-body portraits/events. While I also have a Sigma 30mm for portraits, I’ve found it too tight for full-body shots. I ended up using the 10mm for portraits, which worked well, but I once missed a key moment because the 10mm was too wide, and I couldn’t swap lenses in time.
I love the 10mm for its wide-angle versatility in both portraits and real estate, so I’m definitely keeping it. However, I’m considering selling the 30mm to get the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, as it would give me more flexibility for portraits without missing moments. Sharpness isn’t an issue with the 18-50mm, and since I use flash, low light won’t be a problem.
I was going to get the sigma 30mm 1.4 for video work on fx30 but you just mention it was noisy when auto focusing and that might be a problem for on camera audio
Unless you use external mic, camera will definitely pick up the focus noise
I have the 30mm and was wondering if it would be better to also get the 18-50mm for my vacation in portugal, what do you think having used both? Im scared that the lack of versatility of the 30mm will leave me unsatisfied with the shots i take there
Consider also the Tamron 17-70 f2.8
I have the Sigma trio, but the lens i used 90% of the time in holidays is the Sony PZ 18-105 F.4 OSS.
This is because in my holidays, i usually have lots of light, and a continuous F4 is more than enough aperture. The lens also allows me to give some stabilization for hand-held and a great reach from a wide angle of 18 mm to 105 mm telephoto without extending the barrel. I have to say, though, i am more in to videos and i usually carry at least one sigma (most of the time 3 😂) for fotography and a tripod. But the last holiday I had, I decided to just go with my Samsung S23 Ultra and a gimbal. Vs camera lenses tripod, gimbal, filters laptop for editing......😅 but was one of.
30mm is very specific lens, great for street photography, portraits and close ups, but you will need wider lens when you want to capture large area especially when traveling and the places you visit are unfamiliar.
Really helpful video, but I got a big struggle to find out which one to buy. Clearly I'd buy the 30mm for photography, but I'm taking photos and videos. So, which one would you recommend for both photos and videos? Videos I mostly record in a room with a tripod, so I would rarely need 18mm for vlogging. Which one would you pick when taking videos in a room and photos in low light conditions?
If you have a low light in your room, I suggest you go with 30mm because it has wider aperture of 1.4 vs 2.8 on 18-50. You can always move the 30mm to capture the wider shots, but you cannot fix the low light without having the noise. 2.8 is not a bad aperture, but 1.4 will produce much better videos in a low light.
I’m choosing 30mm! Best!
I have a a6000 with kit lense. I mostly photograph - landscape, portraits, and some street work. Which would you suggest for me.
18-50mm dc dn sigma or tamron 17-70mm
@@ruciferu93what is the 30mm mainly used for ?
@@LaCinco.0 Portrait 🙌🏼
@@ruciferu93 thanks for the reply back, appreciate it! Also how about the tamron 17mm-70 2.8
@@LaCinco.0 Literally All-rounder lens same thing with sigma, but with extra 20mm reach and VC(vibration compensation) similar to sony OSS , Landscape Portrait Vlogging It's got you covered. the downside it's too heavy for Apsc lens 525g half kilo before the camera itself. the reason i sold mine because the weight i can't stand handheld vlogging for too long when im on vacation😵
❤thanks....i can buy 2 30mm in the price of 18-50mm🙂...i would go for 30mm
per video , who is the best?
50mm our the 30mm f1.4?
Nice video 📷
Im getting both 😂
❤