The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon 50mm f1.4 USM and the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 63mm. The Canon 50mm f1.4 USM with a length of 51mm, is 12mm shorter. On the other hand, there is no difference between the max diameters of these lenses, both coming at 74mm.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon 50mm f1.4 USM weighs 290g, which means it is 145g (33%) lighter than the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM which has a weight of 435g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Standard Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Standard Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Canon 50mm f1.4 USM has a filter size of 58mm whereas the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM has a 62mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 58mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon 50mm f1.4 USM:
And these are the 62mm filters that we recommend for the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon 50mm f1.4 USM and the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Blackmagic URSA 12K LF, Z CAM E2-F6 II 6K and Z CAM E2-S6 II 6K.
Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
Canon 50mm f1.4 USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
80mm.
On the other hand, the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 30mm which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 48mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
