Fast, decent image quality, nice macro ability.

Weird AF-MF switch, size

For the price it was offered (145 EUR with 77 mm UV filter) I just couldn't miss the chance. And I am very satisfied with it. I found it to be a good companion to my FA50/1.4 if I want to have a minimal setup for low light on a APS-C camera. In a recent wedding these two lenses spent most of the time on my both cameras. I'm not a pixel peeper, but from the images that I already processed I am very satisfied with the image quality. Nice macro feature - handy for some fragments.
I experienced some accuracy problems with focusing in extremely low light (ISO1600 - wide open - 1/10-1/30 sec), but this is mostly problem of Pentax AF system - people experience the same with most fast lenses. But if the light is enough to shoot at ISO800 and f/2 - focus is fast and precise.
The only thing I am not satisfied - weird two-stem af-mf switch. You have to switch it on camera and then push the focusing ring. Sigma could just do the focusing ring narrower...

Customer Service

none

Sharp, well done, beautiful bokeh

not too fast, big size

it's more accurate and sharp than sigma 24-70ex and 24-60ex. Picture is more beautiful than my first lens canon 50/1.8. I never seen any chromatic aberrations and distorition. Mount is well done. Sigma 30/1.4 is close to 24/1.8 in quality.

Customer Service

no

Similar Products Used:

sigma 24-60, sigma 24-70 ex, sigma 30/1,4

price

Poor exposure latitude at the high end, lack of sharpness and inconsistent focusing in poor light

This lens was a big disappointment. I returned it and lost a total of $30 in shipping costs. I purchased it to use with my Canon 20D, and have since read on another review site (FredMiranda) that one user had great results with using this lens with his digital Rebel, but then had problems when he switched to a 20D. At any rate, I bought this lens to use for band/concert shoots in low-light club settings. It's exposure latitude at the high end was very poor, with a lot of detail blown out. I then performed a clinical experiment to compare it with my $90 Canon 50 mm 1.8 lens, using the exact same exposures with both lenses. Even in good lighting conditions, the Canon lens SIGNIFCANTLY outperformed the Sigma in capturing detail under direct light. In low light, this problem was exacerbated and even more visible. I also found the Sigma lens to have poor color performance under low light. Whether this lens performs better with other camera models, I do not know. But I want a lens that will perform well with any Canon that I may own at some point, and I want a lens that takes pictures that at the very least MATCH the quality of my $90 Canon 50 mm. Also, the sharpness of the low light images was poor. And the lens' focusing ability was inconsistent. For my purposes, which is primarily shoots of people, this lens is useless. I will save up my money until I can afford the Canon 24 mm 1.4, even if it is almost four times the price.

Optical quality Finish

The strange Sigma 2 step manual focusing setup - There must b people that damage their lenses due to this.

Optically, this is an excellent lens. Once it is stopped down to say 2.5 it is as sharp as any glass I have ever used. It has a nice heft and feel and a very nice finish. I wanted a lens for wide vistas and strong Bokeh - this lens provides both.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Canon 50mm 1.4

Built like a tank. Weight helps to balance out the camera and provide more stability for those hand held shots. Sharp focus. Macro ability. Price. Case and lens hood included. Durable.

2 step focus when changing to AF or M or vice versa. Kind of a pain but livable.

I purchased this lens to get the kind of shots I needed that. Price was excellent for an f/1.8 aperture compared to the Canon 24mm f/1.4 lens. Glass is very sharp and distortion free. Using it for macro shots is also very impressive; another reason I purchased this lens. This is one under-rated lens. If more people knew about how good it is, it would be seen on more cameras.

Customer Service

excellent.

Sharpness, low distortion, good optical and build quality for price, fast maximum aperture.

May be bulky with some cameras, the sparkly finish looks a little cheesy. The two step manual focussing mechanism can be a little annoying.

I got this lens because I wanted something a bit wider than my standard zoom and chose this because I didn't really need an ultra-wide focal length and wanted the extra speed over a zoom lens. I've used this lens mainly for architectural and landscape photographs as well as some wide-angle people shots indoors. Its performance has been excellent - good contrast, excellent sharpness and good build quality. There is little distortion compared with most zoom lenses. If you want something a little wider than your standard zoom allows but don't need ultra-wide focal lengths this is well worth considering. This lens might be a bit bulky if you use it with a lighter SLR like the Minolta Dynax 5 but it balances well with heavier mid-range models like the Dynax 7. A lot of people seem to compare Sigma EX lenses unfavourably with Nikon/Canon/Minolta etc lenses which cost a lot more which seems to be missing the main advantage of this range - they provide people like me who can't afford or justify buying very expensive own-brand pro-lenses a cheaper alternative which is still greatly superior to the cheap lenses bundled with many SLRs.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it so N/A

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 EX DF, Minolta 28-80mm f3.5-5.6D.

Just got my new 24mm f1.8 DG (EOS), The internal lens elements are speckled with black dust. Lens construction feels very plastic compared to my Tokina 24-200 which is all alloy. Focusing component knocks against outer body when shaken lightly. Is this normal?

- Sharp even wide open - Perfect color

- 77mm filters

I was hesitating between this one and the Canon 24mm f/2.8. I chose the Sigma for the extra stop. And I'm not disapointed !! Very, very sharp even wide open, nice bookeh, wonderful color ! I couldn't be happier with this lens ! Finally another keeper in my bag ! (along with 85mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.4)

Customer Service

No experience

Similar Products Used:

Canon 20-35 f/3.5-4.5

1. Fast f1.8 2. Close focusing to roughly 7.5 inches 3. Macro ability 4. Very sharp images at f11 5. Nice finish 6. Comes with hood and case 7. PRICE

1. 77mm filter size 2. Weight is almost two pounds 3. AF is a wee bit loud and slower than Canon

Yup, another Sigma lens has found its way into my LowePro bag. I dig this lens as it offers a really nice macro ability and the optics are really sharp. Does it rival Canon's L glass - I think it comes awfully close! For the price I don't believe you can go wrong. Imagine paying $230 for images that rival the $1200 Canon 24mm f1.4 L! Sigma has done a splendid job with this one. Some examples can be seen in the Aviation section of my web site at www.carosephoto.com Look for the Curtiss Kittyhawk (the one with the sharp teeth) thumb and check out the image. Nice and sharp, which should make even the Canon/Nikon purists take notice.

Customer Service

None required.

Similar Products Used:

1. Canon 20mm f2.8 USM 2. Canon 24mm f2.8 3. Canon 24mm f1.4 L

* Excellent sharpness at f3.5+ * Good sharpness at superfast f1.8 * Beautiful, subtle color; nice bokah * Nice 38mm effective on EOS-D30 (digital) * Solid build, nice accessories

* Big and heavy, 77mm filter size * Probably won't hold resale value like a Canon lens * Slightly low contrast at f1.8

Excellent lens! I can't afford the Canon 'L' stuff and so had to decide between a Canon f/2.8 prime and this Sigma EX f/1.8 prime. I'm glad I made this choice, the extra aperture flexibility makes a big difference and optically this lens couldn't get much better anyway.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

Various zoom, Canon 'non-L' primes