Sigma 30mm and 19mm lens tested at Photozone.
Image courtesy: Photozone
Photozone (Click here) posted the full Sigma 30mm lens review. And the reviewer quite likes the lens: “While we didn’t formally test the bokeh this time it seems to be pretty good when looking at our sample images. Sigma’s new linear AF motor is both speedy as well as silent. Combine all this with the extremely low price tag and it’s obvious that you are getting lots of bangs for your bucks here!”
And they also tested the 19mm Sigma (Click here to read the review): “The Sigma AF 19mm f/2.8 EX DN has certainly an edge over its obvious competitor – the Sony E 16mm f/2.8 – so if you are feeling an itch for compact primes it may be a reason to go for it. Price/performance-wise it is just an average offering though.”
The lens is now incredibly cheap (99 Dollars or Euro) as a double kit at BHphoto (Click here) as single lens ->the 19mm is available here at Uniquephoto and the 30mm lens is also at Uniquephoto. In Europe at Technikdirekt or on eBay (via Slidoo).
Linh
4 months ago |I agree. Sigma’s built-in OSS is much better too.
Jason
4 months ago |Neither of these lenses feature image stabilization do, they?
Ethan
4 months ago |You’re the biggest Sony fan I’ve seen. Such dedication.
Sean Lancaster
4 months ago |If I am the biggest fan then Sony is in trouble because only 1 of my top 5 lenses is a Sony.
Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4
Rokinon 8/2.8 fisheye
Contax G 90/2.8
Canon FDn 50/1.4
And my Zeiss 24.
I have the SEL 50/1.8 and 55-210 and have no desire to buy any other Sony Emount lens available. I want a FF camera but the A99′s price and low light performance compared to peers turned me off. I tried the RX1 and the AF disappointed me. So biggest Sony fan seems erroneous.
I hated the manual focus ring on the Sigma 30. It was not smooth at all even when using DMF; it was jerky and would stick. That was enough for me to send it back. I also didn’t like the CA and f/2.8 wasn’t fast enough for shooting in the low light of my house.
Sean Lancaster
4 months ago |The Sigma 30 is certainly sharper than most Sony lenses (I find the SEL 50 sharper across the frame at f/4, for example), but the Sigma lenses aren’t better overall. Sharpness is just one of many ways to evaluate a lens. I ended up sending back my Sigma 30 because of a series of factors unrelated to sharpness.
Boomstick
4 months ago |What were these factors?
aaron
4 months ago |is it just me or is it really really really hard to get 4 or 5 star on the optical quality in photozone…
i thought my 19mm was very very sharp.. except for those small annoying little CA here and there.
Dimitri
4 months ago |It seems that the 19 mm is mainly addressed to the m 4/3 users. I saw in a French review the comparison images taken with this lens. Its performance with E-PL5 was much better than 6N. I think that for the m 4/3 system it’s a perfect walk around lens ( 38 mm equivalent, and in body stabilisation).
Poki
4 months ago |Like Sean said, sharpness (made of contrast and resolution) is only one part of a good lens, and the Sigma 19mm lens certainly is not perfect when looking at the abberrations.
Jason
4 months ago |Accoridng to this review and summary, there is no difference in the original 30 and 19 than from the new ones just released other than the smooth versus ribbed exterior…Why would I wait or spend more for the new version if only interested in looks?
Jason
4 months ago |Was going to order these today from technikdirekt, but they dont ship to Greece…pretty much to every other EU country except Greece. I wonder why they chose to skip them from their shipping services?
peevee
4 months ago |19 has bad sides and very bad corners on Sony, but I goess on m43 it is good across the frame.
spada
4 months ago |For $99, I can’t complain. I should get my 30mm in the mail today or tomorrow. Like all new Sigma lenses, it has great center resolution, which is perfect for people pictures. I’m glad Sigma focuses on getting super sharp centers right from wide open. sharp corners are for pixel peepers and generally not needed