Sigma 30mm lenses for Micro Four Thirds

introduction

dpreview.com's review
- better than the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 DG in terms of edge sharpness, vignetting and distortion but not quite as sharp in the centre

a very affordable lens with high quality optical performance with reasonably fast AF

announced Jan 2013
“redesigned with enhanced optical performance and included as part of Sigma’s new Global Vision category restructuring”

extremely sharp in the centre and reasonably sharp edges wide open but for best central sharpness use f/4 and for best edge sharpness, use f/5.6
slight barrel distortion at 0.8% should not be much of an issue
CA is well controlled
the main downsides are:
- almost as big as the wider aperture Olympus m.ZD 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens which is a more useful lens to compliment a kit zoom lens
- internal focusing elements move and rattle without power
- takes 1-2secs to be activated once camera is turned on
why buy it when you have a kit lens covering this focal length?
- wider aperture for lower light situations and improved ability to blur the background
- nicer bokeh than most zoom lenses
- sharper with less aberrations than consumer level zoom lenses
- it is so cheap

30mm focal length = 60mm in 35mm film terms = nice standard lens
f/2.8-f/22 aperture = an extra stop light and DOF performance compared to the kit lenses
46mm filter size = consistent with many other a catalogue of Micro Four Thirds lenses
internal focusing
closest focus 30cm
7 elements in 5 groups = high optical quality with lovely bokeh
135g
61mm x 39mm long

ephotozine - highly recommended
The Digital Story review
photographyblog.com review
- centre sharpness best at f/4-8 while edges are are best at f/5.6-f/8
- “it may not offer the fastest aperture, best build quality or most features in its class, but it does deliver sharp results and snappy auto-focusing for a modest financial outlay. ”
Galassi's user impressions