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Question: How would you compare the Sigma 30mm f1.4 vs. the Canon 24mm f1.4 L lens Is the Canon 24mm L version really worth nearly $1,100 more than the 30mm Sigma?????
Document: I'm on my 3rd Canon 24mm f1.4 L version II, all have had focus issues. The 1st was crazy inconsistent. The 2nd had a huge front focus and was still somewhat inconsistent. The 3rd that I just received is also inconsistent. I've tested the lenses on many different camera bodies and in many different situations. I've even had a Canon engineer confirm the inconsistency issues on the 2nd lens (he recommended I return it for a replacement).
This lens allows you shoot architecture, landscape and portrait, but has large restrictions if you wantto do other categories of photography like street snapshots.The angle of the lens is so wide that you might not see 100% of the scene through the viewfinder.Instead I would recommend sigma 35mm f/1.4, which has lower price than 35L but has better performance.Also, 35mm is more commonly used than 24mm.
For the video I shot, I used full-time manual focus with a pair of reading glasses and didn't have any trouble pulling focus using the LCD even without a focus peaking aid.Ultimately this issue attests to the fact that autofocus is never 100% accurate with any lens, but I see less misfires with my Canon 50mm f/1.4 and my Sigma 85mm f/1.4 lenses, so the fact that this L lens with a steep L price cannot autofocus consistently is a bit disheartening.
I have considered the Sigmas 20mm/1.8 and 24mm/1.8 but AF is noisier and the manual/AF feature not convenient to me although I can certainly use the difference in price ($1200!). I also suspect that at 1.8 the Sigmas might not be as good as the Canon L in the center at 1.4 but I have no way to tell.
But this EF24mm f/1.4L II can't autofocus on fresh firmware, new battery, clean EF mount contacts, and all I could give. Again, it worked fine with 5D, but I just didn't want to get stuck with a lens that only works with some bodies and not others, so I had to return it.Now the problem is, I don't have any other lens I want to replace it with. Sigma 30mm f/1.4? No way.
If you are currently consistently using a 24-70mm f/2.8 at 24mm, then I recommend making the switch to the 24L. The optical quality is superb and you get the option of opening up to f/1.4.At the end of the day, the only thing holding this lens back is the price. The alternatives are mostly cheaper, but if you think this lens will spend a lot of time on your camera, then it is worth it to go for the best.
This is the lens that has truly shown me the difference between an L and non-L lens. In engagement and portrait shoots, I frequently swap out the 50mm 1.4 and 24mm 1.4L. I was recently reviewing the images from a shoot and was shocked by the image quality difference. I had two images that were taken less than 30 seconds apart; identical settings and locations, yet the L lens image was far sharper with beautiful color saturation and depth.The build on this is amazing.
Not in this case though.I got a good copy on first purchase and calibrated the lens and my copy was perfect in my tests. Sweet spot is f4.5 but that sweet-spot is wide. The lens goes down to f1.4 which allows me to take photos at night often without a tripod. It also goes up to f22.It is a huge piece of 3" wide "glass" that would be perfect for making movies (movie quality video).
As I have said in another lens review, I&#8217;m definitely not a Canon fanboy (my Ls all hold their own against Nikon&#8217;s counterparts), but this lens might be the best 24mm prime out there at the moment. Sigma doesn&#8217;t have an answer to this lens.
Unbelievable. If you get one, make sure you check it out well while still within the return window. Take 3-4 pictures on something static and see if the focus is consistent for each one or if it jumps between the 3-4 shots. Otherwise, it's a fantastic lens and I really wish I could get one that focuses well because I think it would be a wonderful lens.Good luck!
Answer: I really enjoyed my Sigma 30mm, but the 24L is something different. $1100 is worth different things to different people. I found it to be a better focal length on a crop sensor (7D) for general indoor low light shooting.