The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM and the Canon 50mm f1.8 II for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM is the longer of the two lenses at 63mm. The Canon 50mm f1.8 II with a length of 41mm, is 22mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM also has a larger diameter of 74mm compared to the Canon 50mm f1.8 II's 68mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Canon 50mm f1.8 II weighs 130g, 70% (305g) lighter than the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM's 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 Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM and the Canon 50mm f1.8 II has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon T8i, Canon 90D and Canon SL3.
Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM is also available in Nikon F (DX) and Sigma SA mounts.
Focal Range
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. Canon 50mm f1.8 II 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.