SUMMARY:
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a lens like no other for Sony E-mount APS-C cameras, such as the Sony Alpha 5000, 6000 and NEX series. It is an incredibly bright and sharp lens for a surprisingly affordable price. Unfortunately, the lens does not come without its drawbacks. For example, this lens has no stabilization, it focuses slightly less quickly than Sony's own E-mount lenses such as the 35mm and 50mm f/1.8, and the image it produces is somewhat distorted. Whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of the lens is of course up to you, but I hope that with this review I can give you a better idea (no pun intended) whether this lens is suitable for you. I can already tell you that this is now my favorite lens for everyday use.
PREFACE:
I myself am a semi-professional photographer who mainly shoots as a hobby. My type of photography varies quite a bit: one day I'm taking portraits, the next day I'm looking for beautiful landscapes and taking some street photos along the way, and then I'm asked to take product photos. I've been using the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 for a little over a month now and I've been able to use the lens on all these subjects.
THE LENS:
The Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 has an aperture of f/1.4 to f/16 and can focus from 30 cm. It has a filter size of 52mm, a filter size that is fortunately more common. The lens is made of very solid metal in the middle and on the mount, a bit of plastic beyond the mount and has a very smooth focus ring made of rubber. The lens also has a length of 73.3mm, a weight of 263g and contains 9 diaphragm blades. The glass on the front is convex. This is not a problem for my polarizing filter, but if you use a filter that protrudes inward, make sure that it does not damage the glass.
In use, the lens has noticeable barrel distortion, meaning straight lines appear convex in a photo. This is easy to solve when you edit photos with Photoshop, for example, but if you don't post-process your photos, this can be a big minus for you. Like many bright lenses, the lens also gives some 'chromatic aberration' at a large aperture: this is separation of colors so that you sometimes see colored edges, usually around highlights of, for example, branches of a tree. This too is easy to edit, and it is less noticeable than the distortion. I have never experienced these drawbacks as problematic, also because chromatic aberration virtually disappears from f/2.0.
If you hold the Sigma next to Sony E lenses with autofocus, you will notice that the Sigma focuses a bit more slowly. I read on the internet that the Sigma sometimes searches for a long time for focus ("focus hunting"), but I have hardly experienced this myself. I almost always focus with "center" or "flexible spot" and the Sigma has no problem focusing that way, assuming the subject has enough contrast or your "flexible spot" is big enough. What I do find a pity is that manual focusing is slightly less pleasant than, for example, the Sony 50 mm f/1.8 (SEL50F18). Slow manual focusing is fine, but if you turn the ring a little faster, the focus suddenly jumps further than you would expect. Because of this, I sometimes have to focus 'back and forth' a little too often if I want to focus too enthusiastically and too quickly. A small thing but certainly worth mentioning, since I didn't come across this online. All in all, the Sigma feels like a very solid lens. As long as you don't place the Sigma next to Sony lenses and explicitly compare the focus speed, you will hardly notice the difference. In any case, the Sigma focuses quickly enough for all your photo and video needs.
In terms of image quality I can be brief: the pictures look great. The colors are slightly warmer than those of the Sony E 35 mm f/1.8 OSS. Photos at f/1.4 often have enough detail to use. At around f/2.0, the photos are already very sharp, even at the edges of the photo. You seem to get the sharpest photos at f/5.6. The smaller the aperture from this point, the less sharp the photos will become due to diffraction.
RELATED LENSES:
The Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 was released in 2016. So a new lens, one that is very welcome next to the cheaper but less bright Sigma 30 mm f/2.8 that was released before. Another good and cheap bright lens for Sony's E-mount is the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS (SEL50F18). Although this lens is slightly less bright than the Sigma 30 mm f/1.4, it does offer image stabilization and is zoomed in further - ideal for, for example, portrait photos, photos in the dark from the wrist, or video, where stabilization is a major advantage.
If you are considering the Sigma 30 mm f/1.4, then you should definitely have looked at the Sony E 35 mm f/1.8 OSS (SEL35F18): a slightly less bright and slightly less sharp lens with approximately the same focal length that does have image stabilization but is also slightly more expensive. fails. For filming, the Sony 35 mm f/1.8 will in any case have the upper hand because of stabilization, which the Sigma does not offer. However, the choice for photography becomes a bit more difficult, since stabilization plays a less important but still useful role. Again, the choice lies entirely with the reader. Both lenses are definitely worth the money. I went for the Sigma myself because of the sharpness. If you often use a tripod, you will also benefit from a sharper and brighter lens than image stabilization. However, if you prefer to shoot freehand, especially in the dark, then Sony's 35mm lens will probably suit you better. In addition, the Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 is also larger and heavier than the Sony 35 mm (263g vs. 154g). The Sigma isn't necessarily big, but if you're traveling, Sony's 35mm could only be so much more comfortable to take with you - at least keep this in mind. The compactness of Sony mirrorless cameras is just one of the great advantages of this.
EPILOGUE:
The Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is a worthy addition to the range of E-mount lenses. It's a very good all-round lens, one that comes close to the much-loved 30mm equivalent 50mm lens. It is very bright with a maximum aperture of f/1.4, and very sharp from f/2.0. It is good to use for portraits and product photos because of the sharpness and depth of field; for landscapes if you don't need a wide-angle photo; for street photos because of the handy focal length, and for night photography again because of the sharpness and large aperture. However, if you shoot as compactly as possible, take a lot of videos or often shoot in the evening, then you should take another good look at the Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS (SEL35F18) to see if that lens suits you better.
N.B. The Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 can in fact be used on Sony FE (full-frame) cameras, but you will get a lot of vignetting if you don't set the camera in APS-C mode.
