New FAST lens for gig photography.

[SidewinderINC]

Righty Tighty,

I'm after buying a new prime for gig photography. I can't afford a fast zoom at the moment, all out of my price range.

I'm only doing small gigs at the moment so 50mm is about as long as I can push it, and based on that I have two choices.


Canon 50mm f/1.4 at ~£300
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 at ~£400


If I buy the Canon I can sell my current f/1.8 for ~£50 which makes that even cheaper.


Does anyone have any experience of either of these lenses?
Would be great to hear some comments on the sharpness of them at wide open / 1 stop down.

Cheers.

Matt.

[Stan_Lite]

I've heard good things about the Canon f1.4 but haven't heard a lot about the Sigma. Hopefully someone else will come along who has. I would imagine the extra stop would be handy in low light situations like gigs - but you already know that since you're thinking of buying one.

Not too helpful I know but I wanted to say a bit more than "If you're selling your f1.8, give me a shout" :p

BTW. If you're selling the 50mm f1.8, give me a shout ;)

[Matblack]

50mm will be ideal, on a crop it will bring you up to the stage 30mm is too wide in my opinion.

MB

[SidewinderINC]

50mm will be ideal, on a crop it will bring you up to the stage 30mm is too wide in my opinion.

MB

Only issue is at small gigs that have barriers at the front that photographers have to be inside, 50mm means taking pictures of guitarists is nigh on impossible.

However, the 50mm will be useable on a full frame camera, the 30mm sigma will not.


And of course I'll give you a shout stan :p

I'll most likely be going a stop back on the 1.4 to 1.8 anyway, as I've found with the 1.8 in the last couple of days the difference in sharpness between 1.8 and 2.0 is immense.

[SidewinderINC]

Used my 50mm 1.8 for an entire night on friday at a work do - far too tight on a crop for getting the kind of shots I want/need for gigs.

So it's either get a wider fast lens from canon, which are 35mm 1.4 and 24mm 1.4, both waaaaay over £1k and that's just far too much.


Gonna have to be the Sigma 30mm 1.4 I think.

[Mark]

I was also considering getting one until MB demonstrated the exact same problem to me. Money best left in pocket I think.

[SidewinderINC]

A guy has the sigma for sale on TP, £200 mint condition including delivery.
half price of what I'd pay new!

Do I take money out of my savings account to buy it?!

AARRGGHHHH!

[Mark]

Depends how badly you want it and whether you think another will come along.

The first is under your control, the second is not. Your call. :)

[Chuckles]

I've had both those lenses.

30mm is definitely better on a crop camera.

I don't it's too wide at all for gigs. I've also got a 1.8 85mm prime which is about the equiv of a 50mm on a cropped frame and don't use it half as much as the 50mm.

I guess my answer would be that if you are going to move to full frame soon, get the 50mm, otherwise get the 30mm

Here's some gig pics from the Sigma 30mm I took a while back (350D body at the time)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/366447536_9b99ca1b4a.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/366447307_4442c67ce8.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/366447257_405e9234c3.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/366447570_ae2eed468d.jpg?v=0