50mm f1.4 not wide enough on 60D, ideas??

shani wrote:

Hi guys,

I fall in love with photography again every time I put my 50mm back on my camera, but it's just too cropped on my 60D body for general use, because it turns into something like an 80, and I'm feeling pretty bummed about it.

Is there anything with that low aperture, but wide enough for me to use, maybe similar equivalence to 35mm (not that I've ever used one!), that is a reasonable price, e.g. hopefully lower than $500.

I don't think I could go higher than f2, unless you really convince me it's worth it.

I have the Sigma 30/1.4, the older model as it happens but old and new are very similar in performance. Great lens, compact, fast, HSM focusing, reasonably good wide open and properly sharp by f/2.

However if I were buying today I would possibly go for the canon 35/2 IS. Comparing both lenses at f/2 it's sharper than the Sigma especially towards the corners, and it has the huge advantage for low light shooting of four-stop IS. It's great having f/1.4 on the Sigma, but as soon as you have to stop down a little for sharpness or depth of field, the advantage is lost - but the 35/2 still has its image stabilisation. Don't let anybody tell you IS is for long lenses - as soon as you have less than ideal light it's a great thing to have on any lens.

The other one to consider is the Sigma 18-35/1.8. It's optically outstanding and of course it has the added flexibility of being a zoom. The two disadvantages are no IS, and it's *much* bulkier and heavier. It's also the most expensive of the three.