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What is your holy trinity pf primes?

Started Mar 24, 2015 | Discussions thread
Marty4650
Marty4650 Forum Pro • Posts: 16,289
Tom, fine lenses but...

Honestly Tom, those are great lenses, and very reasonably priced too, but those aren't the most useful focal lengths for M4/3. These lenses were designed for APSC, and as such they made perfect sense:

  • 19mm on APSC provides a 28mm FOV, a classic wide angle
  • 30mm on APSC provides a 45mm FOV, a classic normal view
  • 60mm on APSC provides a 90mm FOV, a classic portrait lens

Now, slap a M4/3 lens mount on them, and this is what you get...

  • 19mm on M4/3 provides a 38mm FOV, not really normal, not really wide
  • 30mm on M4/3 provides a 60mm FOV, too long for normal, too short for tele
  • 60mm on M4/3 provides a 120mm FOV, which really isn't bad. This is the one Sigma lens I would consider, since this can be a very useful focal length for portraits taken outdoors.

What Sigma intended to create for Sony NEX, you can do using native M4/3 lenses. They will cost a little more, but they will be faster:

  • 14mm f/2.5 for wide
  • 25mm f/1.8 for normal
  • 45mm f/1.8 for portrait

You have now spent around $850 and have three nice prime lenses that were designed for those purposes. If you buy the Sigma trio, you will spend less (around $620) but you end up with slower lenses that were designed for Sony NEX, and for an APSC sensor.

I'm not saying those Sigma lenses aren't great lenses, because they really are. But unless you just need to save some money, I'd rather stick with the faster M4/3 lenses. Besides... I already own them! 

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