Link Roundup: Which Lenses to Buy?

I love gear. And I admit I have a problem: I spend way too much time coveting the latest and greatest instead of shooting photos or filming. One of the things I love to do is find people’s recommended gear list, especially for lenses. So to save you the trouble of hunting down other people’s lists, I’ll post a few of the lists that I think are pretty good.

Which… lenses to buy? | Philip Bloom
Philip Bloom is one of the big voices out there for using DSLRs for video (when appropriate). His stuff is super informative and he’s a fun one to follow on twitter.
Pimp Your Canon T2i/550D: Basic Lenses | Nino Leitner
I found Nino’s blog when he shot a short film with the new-at-the-time Rebel T2i/550D. This was right when I was considering getting one.
My Gear: Lenses | Vincent Laforet
Vincent Laforet is director and an award-winning photographer. I really enjoy his blog.
The Best Budget Lenses | The Photobloger
I came across this list sometime ago, but it was recently posted on Gizmodo.com. I think it’s great list for those of us on a budget.

Sigma 30mm Awesomeness

A little while ago, I was looking for a good lens for my Canon Rebel T2i (side note: I wish they just called it the 550D in the US. It’s so much less gimmicky.). I wanted something that was fast for low light, but something that was really sharp. A sharp lens with good color can make all the difference in your photos.

I ended up settling on a Sigma 30mm f/1.4. The reason I decided on the 30mm was three fold. First, the 30mm equivalent focal length (efl) is almost 50mm. Simply, it gives the same field of view as a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera. This makes the lens quite versatile. Second, it was fast. Third, it was several hundred dollars cheaper than the Canon equivalent.

Now, I gotta say that people always suggest getting the Canon L lenses if you have the money. But seriously, how many people can blow a $1k+ on a lens for recreation? Not me.

To keep this short, I love the lens. It’s amazing. Quick to focus (at least for the T2i). Even at f/1.4 the lens is pretty sharp. If you are looking for a lens, I’d recommend it. However, read reviews on sites like Amazon and make an educated decision. That’s my advise.

Here are a few samples shot with the Sigma 30mm on the Rebel T2i: