Does anyone own a Nikon 50mm 1.4 and a Sigma 30mm 1.4?

Dman

Dman

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And if so, do you find that you get good use out of both lenses? Since getting the 50, I've never used the 30 and am starting to wonder whether it's a necessary part of my armoury, or whether I should let it go. I love the lens but just can't see when I would use it over the 50.

Just wondering if anyone can put my mind at ease and reassure me there's definitely a place for the 30 in my kitbag.
 
Used both, sounds like the 50 is the right length for you. I tended to use the 30mm on apsc. Maybe ditch the 30mm and get a nice 35mm f2.0 for the money, should hav change to spare.
 
I had the sigma and the 1.8 50 on my D70, and I liked them both (would've been the same story if I had the 1.4 50, as when I chose which lens to use, I did so on focal length, not the 1 stop of speed). I liked having the wider option for portraits where I wanted to include more background. If you don't want to use the wider angle at all, sell it, otherwise, keep.
 
I am currently using both (borrowing denyerec's 30) and love them both.

Howeeever, I think I will be (eventually) losing the 50, and buying a 30mm 1.4 and a 85 1.8, the 50mm feels a bit of a strange length really, and the 85 will be schweet for portraits.

Yes, the 30 is a bit of a strange length really, can see that reportage-y wedding photographers and the like who shoot DX will love it, but I've seen and had some cool results from it for portrait and even some event stuff too...all depends what you shoot really, I shoot people pretty much exclusively...
 
I have owned the 30mm f/1.4. It was great for walking about with, low light stuff and I got some great photos with it. However, I put it on the camera one morning and it fried the camera lens recognition CPU (or something) and I ended up with a $$$ repair and a lens that saw the power of a 12 gauge slug loaded shotgun. Man it peed me off. Other than that it was great.
 
Cheers, I'll give it until the spring I think and then reassess, I just looked at some pictures taken outdoors last summer with it and I think it will be pretty tough to let it go. I'll certainly stick with the 50 as it'll be my favoured lens in about 20 years when I can finally afford the D700 I crave :D
 
I own both Sigma 50mm and 30mm F/1.4's (Canon fit). I use the 30mm much more frequently because it's focal range suits a crop sensor much better when shooting indoors. If I had to sell one, it would be the 50mm.
 
I love the Sigma. I bought it for full length portraits, but I've wanted something longer for the head and shoulders this year, so bought the Nikon (G).

Only done 1 shoot with the Nikon, and it's very good, but I wasn't as impressed with the how well it locked onto the eyes as the Sigma. It's very good, but it just seemed a touch less consistent.

The Sigma is just stunningly sharp... I just don't think I'll be using it an awful lot now due to the slightly odd focal length. It might make a nice walk-about, either on full or crop frame, but personally I prefer zooms for that.
 
Nikon for portraits...Sigma for everything else. You can't really walk around with the 50mm, it's too close, especially indoors.
 
The Sigma 30mm f1.4 is a small sensor only lens and equates to pretty much the accepted "standard" length.

I use and APS-C camera and sometimes I find 50mm too long. I've used my 30mm f1.4 quite a bit especially when I simply want a wider angle or when I know that I simply wont be able to back up enough to get the framing I want with a 50mm, like when shooting indoors.

To me 30 and 50mm primes compliment each other and I wouldn't be without either but on balance I find 30mm more useful than 50mm on APS-C.
 
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