Originally posted by causey I think I'll go for the DA 40mm and the DA L 35mm
I'm worried I might have confused you - I really would suggest only one of them. They are much more similar than they are different, and I don't see much use in owning both.
The major advantage of the DA 40 over the DAL 35mm is the 9 aperture blades, and it's size. They are both small, though, so let's focus on the photos. The DA 40 renders a nice and smooth out of focus area when you stop the lens down.
The advantages of the DAL 35mm is that it is a half-stop faster, and a little wider (for your purposes). Really, though, 40mm is not very different from the 35mm, so unless space is incredibly limited, 35mm is not going to really save you. Same goes for f2.4 vs. 2.8.
Hexagonal OOF highlights aren't really a big deal - it really is up to you how much it is worth it to you.
When I was deciding I went with the 40 because no lens I have has a 9 bladed aperture and I wanted to try out a limited. I'm glad I did. However, if you re trying to save a buck, the DAL 35 is an absurd deal. Now that have a 40, I wouldn't bother with a 35mm, it's just too close.