Sigma’s New 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens
I will start this post by saying that I usually stick to Canon lenses. Sigma lenses have tended to fall short of my expectations. However, Sigma’s newest prime lens, a 30mm f/1.4 high-speed AF prime lens, has got my attention. The Sigma lens is 1/3 the price, half an inch shorter, and 150g lighter than Canon’s 35mm f/1.4 L-series lens. The Canon lens is well-known to be a stellar performer but at S$2,150 retail (US$1,280) - it is damn hard to justify.
I had a chance to test the Sigma lens on a Canon EOS 20D body yesterday at Alan Photo in Sim Lim Square here in Singapore. The initial results look very encouraging! I will post a test shot in a day or two. So far there are no reviews for this lens on fredmiranda.com. It would have been interesting to try it on a Canon EOS 5D body as Sigma warns of vignetting with image sensors larger than APS-C size or 35mm SLR cameras. Well, there are plenty of reports of vignetting with wide-angles lens on the Canon EOS 5D so it will be a matter of severity.
Addendum: A detailed review of this lens appeared on PhotoZone two days after I wrote this post. You can find it here.
See the Canon Prices page for Singapore street prices.
You can get a good deal on the Sigma 30mm at several eBay stores.
You can also order the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 from Amazon.co.uk.
Note: The Sigma lens comes with a nifty tight-fitting lens hood that is not shown on any of their marketing material.
Robert’s Rating: 
Price: USD 385.82
7 suppliers - prices from USD 385.00
It’s designed for the APS-C sensor, so the vignetting with the 5D will be REALLY strong; basically entirely black around the frame. But it’s a killer lens for an APS camera. Here is a large collection of images taken with it: http://flickr.com/photos/tags/sigma30mmf14dc/interesting/