Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - very sharp and a tad long standard lens

[@alistairlambert3275]

The 30mm is glued to my G9 mk1. It looks like they were made for each other.

[@artistjoh]

I just brought home my copy of the Sigma 30mm f1.4. Unlike you, I prefer 55 or 60mm as a normal prime. However, I also use 40mm, so I sort of have both a short, and long standard in my bag in the form of the 20mm f1.7, and now the Sigma 30. I have the Sigma 16 and 56 on order as well. I like this Sigma trinity. The focal lengths complement the Panasonic lens selection very nicely. Had they just done another 25 and 45mm it would have not done so much to expand our choices. I am really looking forward to that 56mm f1.4, and this 30mm is a sweet lens.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing. We are all different and it's great that there is gear for everyone.

[@catrionathomson8981]

I’ve just bought this lens mostly on the recommendation from the late great David Thorpe. Up until now I’ve been using a 7artisans 35mm f1.2 mark I and unlike yourself I wish the sigma was the same focal length as I find 25 mm too wide and 45mm too narrow. At f1.4 it’s a good balance between speed and cost (and weight) and I’m sure I can make it work for me though am not sure if I’ll be using the autofocus. C

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@daltonramsey9585]

I have a G9 with the laowa 17mm 1.8, lumix 25mm 1.7, and lumix 42.5mm 1.7. I am considering selling them all to get just one lens, the Leica 25mm 1.4ii, or keeping them all and adding the sigma 30mm 1.4. Can you help sway me? I don’t like changing lenses. The stress about dust on my sensor drives me crazy. I used to shoot a lot of high mag macro so that’s where that comes from I guess. I often shoot the 50mm FF focal Length. I really see well In that focal length but I do feel it’s sometimes limiting.

[@pianopotato]

I just wanted to say I really enjoy all your videos!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@harshalshimpi8851]

Bro I need your help I'm trying to click some photos in my zve10 with sigma 30mm f1.4 but it is not giving me sharp image please help

[@mattisulanto]

There can be so many reasons and I can't possibly help you without seeing your camera + lens. Reset the camera to the factory defaults (see the user manual) and see if that helps.

[@joec.1030]

Nice photos BTW!

[@jose.miguel95]

i just order one for my APS-C camera! Im excited to find new perspectives with this lens! Btw great video, im now a new subscriber !

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks much!

[@cristianfuentes69]

Is it possible for you to leave sample images to download? ... on youtube it is difficult to know with certainty, how good a lens is ... with the raw file we can confirm on our own PC ... thanks

[@mattisulanto]

I'm considering this option in the future. Thanks for your feedback.

[@vicibox]

Good man, kudos for including number of lens elements. This is the most important paramater in a lens test and you are the first reviewer I have seen who has included the information. This parameter is becoming difficult to find, you rarely find it on manufacturers web sites because it hides a glory hole of bad practice. I can spend 15minutes on Google trying to find this info, usually only on a sales site under a lens description drop down menu. There is only one reason to increase component numbers and that is to use poorer designs that use easier to make, and hence cheaper, lenses. Why use a difficult and expensive shaped component when two spherical lenses will do the same. Myself I have no use for fast lenses so I limit glass to 10 elements. There are some good fast lens designs out there by people like Voightlander and Panasonic with lens count down to 14 which is my absolute limit. Olympus Pro lenses are an absolute disgrace at 20 components, I wouldnt use them as a door stop. I find this hard to understand as their low glass Olympus Premier f1.8 prime range is second to none. Why does this matter? Quantum processes scatter light at glass interfaces and the image degrades with each interaction. Light is backscatted and reflected off other surfaces and this kills microtones which are the most important factor in defining how well an image renders a scene. I can even see this effect in KZbin videos where a reviewer shows an image with depth; a high glass image looks lifeless, flat and dead, an image from a low glass lens looks real enough to walk round in it. Usually test images are useless for assessing lens quality as all lenses will take great and sharp narrow depth of field images; very few lenses will render a cafe scene dripping in atmosphere but we never get those kinds of shots. This effect is minimised in modern designs by use of internal coatings but, coatings work at only one range of frequencies which is what causes the hidious rainbow flare that you see with these fast lenses. So this Sigma lens has 9 elements which is astonishing for a fast lens and is yet sharp. A brilliant lens all round then and I can see that in your images. Have fun ;-)

[@professionalpotato4764]

For most photographers and videographers, it probably doesn't matter much. I'm not an optical engineer, just an advanced enthusiast/entry-pro and I have no idea what difference any of those things make. I just care if 1) Is it sharp? 2) Does it focus silently and quickly 3) How's the flaring/aberations like. It seems faster to just look for reviews to check on these 3 things personally. And unless 2 images are shown side by side, nobody will ever know, unless they're like you with lots of experience in this field. Imo, the composition, narrative, colour grading/editing etc. are much more important factors to an image. The character of lenses is something important, but not majorly important unless it's for a film/photo project with budget in the millions. Something most people will never be able to do in their entire life even if they tried.

[@vicibox]

@@professionalpotato4764 omg the character of the lens is the only thing that is important. The things you mention are things easy to measure do idiot reviewers go on about them. How do you measure if a lens renders an image well? You can't. Some of the greatest lenses were not that sharp: try buying one in Hong Kong but think 30 k. You don't have to pay silly prices for good lenses, people give them away to charity shops and buy rubbish modern f1.2 over corrected dead primes. Go and look at great photos from the film era and look at the image quality h and you will start to educate your eye, it jumps off the image at you. Better still read this and it will show you the difference and tell you how to find classic lenses cheaply - yannickkhong.com/blog/2016/2/23/the-problem-with-modern-optics

[@joec.1030]

Thanks for another informative upload!👍🏻📷

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for your comment.

[@robertro1640]

Hello :) are you able to compare that Sigma lens with Olympus 25mm 1.8?

[@mattisulanto]

Not at the moment, but I'm sure someone has done that. Please, search KZbin.

[@JustinLetandre]

I'm about to purchase the panasonic G95 for mostly video use. I need the unlimited record time limit and also wanted to take the occasional photo, is this a good recommendation you could make?

[@mattisulanto]

Are you asking about the G95 or the Sigma 30mm lens?

[@JustinLetandre]

@@mattisulanto yes is the lens a worthy purchase and is the g95 capable of being good with photos as well?

[@mattisulanto]

@@JustinLetandre I said in the video all have to say about the lens. My conclusion is at 5:50. I have a video also about the G90, which is essentially the same as the G95: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn20eYaFlM6snaM

[@JayJay-hg5vp]

from your experience what would you consider the best 50mm equivalent lens for micro four third cameras?

[@mattisulanto]

My favorite is the Leica 25mm F1.4.

[@russhfilms682]

What lens are you using to record

[@mattisulanto]

I'm really sorry, but I don't remember any more. That video is already three years old.

[@fellowcitizen]

Weather-sealing added for the Leica L-mount version...! Engineers and physicians of the world rejoice ;)

[@carlosmanuelibanezortiz6230]

Es un grandísimo objetivo ,si costara mucho más ,sería mucho más apreciado ....así es el ser humano...

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks.

[@joshuaferrancol1375]

Is that available for sony e mount?

[@mattisulanto]

Yes, take a look at Sigma web site.

[@joshuaferrancol1375]

@@mattisulanto thanks!

[@AmyiReport]

Hello, Matti, I need your help on selecting between these two lens: Sigma 30mm f1.4 or Panasonic 42.5 f1.7? I made youtube videos and I currently using Panasonic 14mm f2.5 and sometime I use 25mm F1.7, I want to add another lens to my collection and I am looking for bokeh effect, which lens you would advise me to get? sigma 30mm 1.4 or Panasonic 42.5 1.7? Thank you so much for your help!

[@mattisulanto]

If you are choosing between those two, I'd take the 42,5mm f/1.7, because your 25mm and the Sigma 30mm are quite close.

[@AmyiReport]

@@mattisulanto Thank you for the speedy reply. Really appreciated.

[@rickkoloian4179]

Matt great job as always but question from someone returning to amateur photography after 25 year break. Recently purchased a G85 with 2 kit lenses but wanted to add a fast sharp, prime lens & was considering Pana 25mm f1.7, but am concerned about Focus Shift as I like Aperture Priority. Other than cost, any issues between Pana 25mm f1.7 & Sigma 30mm f1.4? Thanks,

[@mattisulanto]

I have separate videos of all those lenses and I also share my opinion on the focus shift, please browse my channel.

[@rickkoloian4179]

@@mattisulanto Matt I have watched both videos on the respective lenses along with your explanation of focus shift, which if I understood the work-around is shooting manual mode in Constant Preview. Given my preference for Aperture Priority, i was hoping for a direct comparison of the lenses. Although from your web site, I note you normally use the 25mm f1.7 in your bag, which is high praise indeed; although your last words of the Sigma video were , if someone was looking for a fast standard lens, to look at it before anything else. Thanks,

[@mattisulanto]

@@rickkoloian4179 The Lumix 25mm is an excellent value for money, the Sigma is a bit long for what I like and the Leica 25mm is my favorite.

[@rickkoloian4179]

@@mattisulanto I plan to use the prime for serious shots, prefer Aperture Priority to Manual, & went with Sigma although not my favorite length. Thanks again,

[@paulbunyunhhm]

This is great and good info

[@gabrielmartinez7370]

Review of Sigma 16mm 1.4 plss! Thanks for your work. Memories from Mallorca

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I have a review of the Sigma 16mm F1.4, please browse my channel.

[@AngelBerniz]

Hi Sulan, great video. I own a Sigma 16mm 1.4 for my Lumix G80. One question: what camera and lens did you use to record this video?

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I think is was the Lumix GH5s and the Leica 12-60mm F2.8-4.

[@AngelBerniz]

@@mattisulanto Thank you Matti!

[@oozrenn]

i'm buying this lens next month, can't wait

[@NeroMC]

How do you like it?

[@slyapo6749]

Great video! Nice Colors! Have the same Lens but with the Sony A6400. Had a project with it last week. ❤️ Loving the lens so much!! 🔥🔥🔥

[@MrFirstdance2000]

Extremely happy with the 16mm based on your previous video! How does the 30mm compare to the Lumix 25 1.7 for portrait or cityscape sharpness? Love many of your choices for shots to show off this lens. Thank you for the hard work put into production value of your videos!

[@mattisulanto]

I'm not sure if there is any big noticeable difference in sharpness. Both make great images, but the Sigma is about half a stop faster and a bit longer.

[@yenaurapourtoulmonde]

And 4K?

[@christofferroeen7222]

hey sultan What is the difference of the 16mm with a 2x zoom and the 30mm. i know there is a little difference off 2mm or somthinge but what about the abortion or such ?!

[@mattisulanto]

Hi there! I'm not a sultan, they live somewhere else😀If you crop 16mm or any wide lens to match the 30mm, the framing is identical, of course. However, you sacrifice resolution, or pixels, and the depth of field may be different depending on the aperture you used. But in principle, it's possible to make a photo on a 16mm lens, that looks like it was shot on a 30mm lens.

[@ShanghaiShua]

I just really like his accent 😁

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you. It's not easy for me to make videos in English.

[@ShanghaiShua]

@@mattisulanto Well so far you're doing great! keep it up!

[@CGT-lu8gw]

Thanks again for doing a great video on that lens. I agree with you that 60mm is not the best lens you can usein the MFT world. Are you planning on doing a review on the Sigma 16mm 1.4? Would really like to see your review of this one and see how it fares against the PanaLeica 15mm 1.7. -Cheers!

[@edwinparker6732]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/laTdnKecqK-msK8

[@A1Bokeh]

when using this lens with a g7 i got a lot of focus shift in photos

[@mattisulanto]

I did not see any focus shift in my photos.

[@mmd90]

it is weather sealed for L mount version only

[@mattisulanto]

The 16mm and 56mm have a seal around the mount, but the 30mm has not.

[@mmd90]

@@mattisulanto you are right only L mount version has the seal

[@charleyb4424]

Great review with good info. Also, your English is good and easy to understand, and I find your accent to be very enjoyable and charming. Good job! Some day I will buy you a cup of coffee, if I can figure out what to click on to do so. I used Sigma 30mm F1.4 and several other Sigma lenses for years on a Canon Rebel T2i. The Sigma lenses always gave excellent results that were much better than Canon EF and EF-S lenses, IMO. I recently purchased a Sigma 30mm F1.4 for use with my current EM10ii and my future GX10. May I suggest you also review the Venus Laowa 7.5mm and 9mm rectilinear MFT lenses? I own them both and they are among my favorite lenses. They are excellent, affordable, small and light. I especially like the 9mm because it has near zero distortion even though it's an ultra wide angle rectilear lens. It works great for zone focusing on architectural interiors.

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you. I have reviewed the Laowa 7.5mm: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3e9YqGsZdyeg5I

[@charleyb4424]

@@mattisulanto Excellent. I will have a look at your Laowa 7.5mm review. Hopefully you will in future review the Laowa 9mm. It's the best ultra wide lens I've ever used.

[@Noealz]

Lens is smaller than I thought it would be

[@mattisulanto]

Yes, it's a bit bigger than native m4/3 lens would be, but not huge.

[@BagusWibisono]

haloo.. this lens great for Olympus Pen F?

[@mattisulanto]

It a good lens for any Micro Four Thirds camera.

[@BagusWibisono]

sulantoblog How if they compare with panaleica 25mm f1.4? Which one would you recomend?

[@mattisulanto]

@@BagusWibisono Those two are very different lenses and I prefer the Leica. Maybe you should see my review of the Leica Mk2 version. Browse my channel and you'll find it.

[@BagusWibisono]

why? give me a reason🙏🏻 I’m confused of both.

[@mattisulanto]

@@BagusWibisono In that video I'll explain the lens and I don't want to explain it here again😀

[@Jeff-zc6rr]

why does everyone say this lens is sharp yet they cannot produce any sharp images or video.

[@1957PLATO]

Very informative video. It is an odd focus length. I don’t think many people will buy it because it’s neither a standard length nor a short telephoto.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. It's odd, because it's also available for Sony E APS-C on which it's almost perfect 45mm EQV standard lens.

[@1957PLATO]

For an Apsc sensor it makes sense

[@Weider63]

so, it must be as fast as 2.8 on a full frame?

[@mattisulanto]

The max aperture is f/1.4, that is a physical fact, but the depth of field equals to about 60mm f/2.8 full frame lens.

[@larrytraber]

Crop factor only effects focal length and depth of field. Not how fast a lens is.

[@CGT-lu8gw]

Oh, please ignore my previous message. I just saw that you did just that in your previous review. Sorry ;) and thanks again!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for commenting.

[@mitchellwnorowski6747]

It is weather sealed .

[@mattisulanto]

As I mention in the video, it's not weather sealed.

[@gerardferry3958]

these "sharp" lenses are too big and heavy and really for pixel peepers rather than shooters and will be the bane of the new canon eos R

[@mattisulanto]

Well, at least in m4/3 you have many choices.