Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Score: 85/100
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN
Score: 78/100Rankings
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is a compact, fast prime lens offering excellent sharpness and silent autofocus, making it a great value for beginners and vloggers, though its plastic construction and lack of a hood limit its professional appeal.
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Contemporary delivers a bright aperture, excellent sharpness and quiet autofocus in a compact package for Sony APS-C bodies. It lacks weather sealing and built-in stabilization, and its focal length is fixed at a 45 mm equivalent, which may limit versatility.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
| ↓ lower better | 50 mm | 30 mmbest |
50 mmbest | 30 mm | |
| ↓ lower better | 1.8 f | 1.4 fbest |
| ↓ lower better | 159 gbest | 265 g |
| ↓ lower better | 111.3 mm | 73.7 mmbest |
| ↓ lower better | 35 cm | 30 cmbest |
0.21 xbest | 0.143 x | |
12 months | 48 monthsbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Mount & Compatibility(2) | ||
Mount Type | EF | Sony E |
Autofocus Motor Type | STM | Stepping motor |
Optical(5) | ||
Focal Length (Min) (mm) | 50 mm | 30 mm |
Focal Length (Max) (mm) | 50 mm | 30 mm |
Maximum Aperture (f-number) (f) | 1.8 f | 1.4 f |
Minimum Focus Distance (cm) | 35 cm | 30 cm |
Maximum Magnification Ratio (x) | 0.21 x | 0.143 x |
Build & Durability(1) | ||
Warranty Period (months) | 12 months | 48 months |
Physical(3) | ||
Weight (g) | 159 g | 265 g |
Length (mm) | 111.3 mm | 73.7 mm |
Filter Thread Diameter (mm) | 49 mm | 52 mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers rate the lens highly for its performance-to-price ratio, praising its sharpness, compactness, quiet STM autofocus and smooth bokeh, while noting the plasticky feel and lack of a hood as drawbacks.
Everyday users love the affordability, sharpness and video-friendly autofocus, but complain about the cheap plastic build, missing hood and the quirky focus-by-wire behavior.
“Game-changer for portraits and low light.”
“So much sharper than the kit zoom.”
“Perfect for vlogging and YouTube-quiet focus and nice background blur.”
Professional reviewers rate the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN highly, highlighting its exceptional sharpness, fast aperture, and quiet autofocus, while noting the lack of weather sealing and its relatively larger size.
Overall sentiment is positive, praising razor-sharp images and creamy bokeh, with complaints about the absence of weather sealing and the lens's size.
