24mm, 28mm f1,8 experiences or alternatives please

I know there is a love in going on for the 30mm Sigma. Does anybody have either of the wider primes the 24mm f1.8 or the 28mm f1.8? Any first hand experience to share please?

Reading the reviews there are complaints of softness. So why bother with f1.8 if you have to stop it down to f4?

If not the Sigmas, what are the available reasonable alternatives?

F28, FA28 ????

Autofocus preferable please.

Thank you

Can't comment on the Sigma - had planned to get one but I picked up an F28 for £100 and I have to say I like it. Not the greatest build quality imo but I think its quite sharp wide open - this shot was just playing about to see what it was like - wide open at f2.8 and hand held at 1/6th. It would no doubt have been a bit sharper if I could have been bothered to get the tripod out.

[IMG]http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o212/kushtibucket/Wine.jpg[/IMG]

I have an old AF Sigma 28mm f1.8 Aspherical which I have never actually used so just dug it out and annoyed the dog (as you can see .. not impressed). Shot wide open (not sure why exif says f1.7) at ISO 3200 with no sharpening or noise control.



IMGP0444 by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr



IMGP0442 by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

that poor dog looks like he is two seconds away from damaging your anatomy

lovely eyes

Having recently bought a DA15mm, and if I was thinking to replace my tammy 24mm, I would be considering the DA21mm.

A little wider and not as fast as 1.8 or even 2.5 (on the tammy) but for 50 quid more than the Sigma you'd have a lens you'd never question the value of.

MZ

Thanks, I like pics.

I think the doggie's eyes express ennui, "just how many lenses have you got mate and when are w-a-l-k-i-e-s?".

Mike, it doesn't look that bad. How much did you get the 28 for ?


MZ, kind of hoping to spend less than a new Sigma rather than more but I take your point. Photozone.de is not overexcited on the DA21.

It was a while ago now but if I remember correctly around £150.

Want to buy it?

Yes and no.

Here's the quandry.
I want a fast (ish) low light quality prime between 24-30mm.

Now the newer ones are 350+ new and I guess 250+ 2nd hand. (but hard to find)

Older ones cheaper like your example.

The question is, is the 17-50mm quality better than an ageing non-DG prime?
No point in buying something that doesn't better something you already have, right? (quit laughing at the back)

You offer an "on-approval" scheme? And significant discount if I don't take the dog with the lens?

There was a similar thread on dpreview recently and someone posted photos taken with the Sigma 20mm f1.8.

The bokeh was very good. Amazing to see with a wide angle lens. Made me want to get one. Sadly no HSM, perhaps I'll wait for a refreshed version.

The extra stop and a third would make a difference compared to my 16-50 f2.8.

Too many nice lenses out there, too little money here.

GOod tip thanks, looks very good.

30mm £375
28mm £325
24mm £405
20mm £495

20mm looks good from the dpreview threads.
28mm looks best from the 2nd hand price point.

Also depends how wide a lens you need. 28mm is not wide at all, it is like using a 43mm on a FF camera. 43mm is the perfect 'normal' lens for k-mount as it is the same focal length as the register distance and the film diagonal. 28mm will look similar on an APS-C camera. It is not wide but it is a nice focal length to shoot. If you want wide then the 20mm (30mm FoV) would be much better.