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Good indoor/portrait/street prime lens

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I'm just a beginner, but so far I love the 50 1.4.

Works for me indoors in low light (ISO 1600)



and on the 'street' (also ISO 1600)



The Sigma looks like a nice lens to have too, though.
Early stirrings of LBA, I think...
 
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is over $429 (and reputedly not terribly good wide open). It also is substantially larger and weighs twice as much as FA35 f/2, which is priced lower at $299.

I probably would get FA32 f/2 myself except that I already have FA28 f/2.8 and FA43 f/1.9 so it hasn't been the priority.

-Andrew
 
AndrewG NY said:
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is over $429 (and reputedly not terribly good
wide open). It also is substantially larger and weighs twice as
much as FA35 f/2, which is priced lower at $299.
Click to expand...
The Sigma is actually very good even wide open; the corners aren't terribly sharp but at f/1.4 it's just pure dumb luck if anything happens to be in focus in a corner in any case.

The downside is, as you say, that it's a pretty massive lens, with a front element that's big enough to actually intimidate people when you point it at them. The 35/2 is a whole different ballgame - much smaller and lighter - and the speed difference is only one stop. Unless you really need that one stop, go for the 35.

The Sigma was my favourite lens for over a year, and had I stayed with my then current camera it would still be. It is a very, very good lens, it just happens that for the Pentax mount we have the 35 which is as good for less weight and cost, and the 31/1.8 which is even better (though a lot pricier).

--
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Jim King said:
I agree with Darren and Awo425 that the FA50/1.4, while a fine
lens, is probably not the best "general purpose prime" to buy to
supplement your kit zooms because of its relatively tight FOV. In
its place I'd be looking for a fast lens in the range of 28 to
35mm, which would give near normal to slightly wide FOV. The
problem is that your budget limitation of $300 means that a new
lens is out of reach. The FA35/2 and the Sigma 30/1.4 would be my
first choices but they will run about $400 if you can even find
them. The FA28/2.8 is about a stop too slow for your intended use,
but if you are willing to shoot at higher ISO it would serve -
again, finding it is the issue.

The FA50/1.4 is really a "wide portrait" lens on a digital body,
not ideal for general walkabout and interior low light use IMO. It
does represent the best balance of speed and cost, so maybe you
will have to live with it. But if you can stretch your budget to
afford the extra $100 or so I'd hold out for the FA35/2 or the
Sigma 30/1.4.

Good luck with whatever lens you choose.
--
Jim King - Retired Colormonger - Suburban Detroit, Michigan, USA;
GMT -5h (EST)
Photo gear and collection listed in my profile.



* * * * *
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the
subject.
  • Sir Winston Churchill
* * * * *
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its
limits.
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Click to expand...
FA35/2 is available at BHPhoto for $299.00, right within the stated budget.

--
Cheers,

Igelfeld
 
Can't speak to the Sigma as I don't have it, though Darren's work with it was impressive. I do have the FA35/2 as well as the DA40 and the FA50/1.4, and though all 3 are excellent I'd say that of them the 35/2 is your best bet. It's as close to classic "normal" as you can get and works very well indoors. Its rendering character is excellent, it AFs quickly, and it's not fussy or soft wide open. In fact, it performs extremely well wide open.

The DA40 is also very nice -- AFs even faster, has outstanding rendering. It's a terrifically versatile focal length. But it's slower, and that can hold you up in lower lighting. Can't argue with the size & weight, though -- it really is genius.

I've found the 50 to be great outside, but just too long indoors. (That's kinda why the 40 is a nice compromise between the two, if you could only have one.) But it renders beautifully, and isn't soft except at the widest apertures (anything below f2, I'd say, and particularly below f1.8.)
 
I was just looking at the Sigma MACRO 50mm F2.8 EX DG. Would that work well for my intended uses? Anyone have experience with it?

Thanks,
Nick
 
Nick Savoiu said:
OK, so after some deliberation I've placed an order on Amazon for a
$269 Sigma 28/1.8. They won't have it in stock until late April so
I still have time to cancel if I change my mind :DD

Nick
Click to expand...
Good choice. I must get one of them. I was gunna suggest if you do not mind manual focus you could get a few second hand lenses and have change.

Vivitar 28 f2 and any 50 1.7/50 f2 for starters

I think you will be happy with the Sigma though.
 
Nick Savoiu said:
OK, so after some deliberation I've placed an order on Amazon for a
$269 Sigma 28/1.8. They won't have it in stock until late April so
I still have time to cancel if I change my mind :DD
Click to expand...
The Sigma is still on backorder and now I see the DA40/2.8 for $249. What to do, what to do? I really like the physiscal size of the DA40 but would I miss the extra light gathered by the Sigma?

Oh, the pangs of LBA!

Nick

--
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/savoiu/
 
Get the 35/2. It's closer to what you were after with the Sigma 28.

The DA40 is outstanding, no question. But it's quite a bit longer than 28, and it's a full stop slower than the 35/2. If neither of those things bother you, then go for it by all means.

I have one (DA40), as well as an FA35/2; the DA40 stays on my camera more. But only because I've also got an SMC-A 28/2.8 that I use quite a bit, because I like 28 just a bit better for general running-around than 35.

If I didn't have that, I'd probably just leave the 35/2 on most of the time.
 
Actually, I think you'd enjoy any of the primes you are wondering about.

I got the K10D at the beginning of the year (my first DSLR), and although I have the kit lens and the 50-200, I've hardly used them since I got the FA50, and then the FA35.

I just spent a week in Italy, and the 35 didn't leave the camera. Guess I enjoy the constraints of a fixed focal length.

Here's a couple from the trip -





One reason to go Pentax rather then Sigma - and it's what made my mind up - they're just about half the size.
 
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