The Sports Photo Guy

Until recently, the Nikon 50/f1.4 was my old standby in fast glass: sharp, small, and of course, the f1.4 aperture for low-light/fast action shooting.  That was until the Sigma 30/f1.4 came along.

Wanting a slightly wider angle of view when shooting under the basket, I decided to give the Sigma a try. While it is a good 50% more expensive than the Nikon, and about 50% larger, it is worth the added cost and size.

Sigma 30/f1.4 HSM (left) and Nikon 50/f1.4 AF

First, some real-world examples showing why I now prefer the 30/f1.4 for sports action. Two major differences are angle of view and flare. As seen below in the two full-frame images from a D2H in the same arena, the 30/f1.4 provides floor-to-rim coverage. In addition, flare is non-existent and ghosting is minimal, while both are present in the 50/f1.4 image (see bluish flare spot in lower right especially):

I have other lenses to provide me with a “tight” perspective. In low-light situations, I can employ my Nikon 85/f1.8D alongside the 30/f1.4 for complementary perspectives, as I similarly use the combination of the Sigma 18-50/f2.8 HSM and Nikon 80-200/f2.8 AF-S. Real-world shooting is my preference; but for you pixel-peepers, I provide the following “test shots” below. In terms of sharpness, I really see little to differentiate these two lenses.

Center crop from 30/f1.4 image (to match angle of view of 50/f1.4)

Shallower depth of field from longer 50mm focal length
100% center crops from both lenses @ f1.4

Both lenses exhibit a slightly warm color cast due to the use of B+W KR 1.5 (Skylight 1A) filters and fixed WB (”Flash” setting). Note however, the distinctly “yellower” cast of the 50/f1.4 - this has been a consistent result for me, and not one I find pleasing. Sigma has something of a reputation for “cooler” glass, but in this case I definitely prefer it.