Originally posted by dantekgeek I seem to have hit a wall in terms of deciding which lens to buy. For ages, I was set on the Sigma 30mm, because of its speed and very sharp center, but then I realized taht the 43 Limited is pretty much in the same price range, so I'm torn.
My main lens now is a SMC-A 50mm 1.4, which I love, but doesn't auto-focus, and isn't as wide as I'd like for some shots. I figured the 30 could cover my wide end while keeping the speed, as the majority of my shots are in very low light situations.
If you want something wider than the 50mm, the FA43 may not be enough for you. And of course it is slower than the A50 which you might notice if you are working right on the edge of low-light performance. On the other hand it's two-thirds of a stop only, which might not make a big difference.
You also desire auto-focus, though in the realm of razor-thin DOF I wonder why? I inevitably manually focus in these situations.
But really there is no comparison between the two lenses you are considering. The Sigma:
- has three times the distortion
- has 4-5 times the vignetting
- has bad borders at all apertures, whereas the FA43 is fine from f/2.8
- is almost three times the weight
- lacks the Limited's incredible rendering
- has nothing like the Limited build
Competition? I don't think so.
I would go back to your other criteria to select a lens. I am surprised you want something this wide for concert photography, though I saw some great images posted here earlier in the year from an FA31. If you had the money that would be the one to get.
As a cheap alternative, locating an old manual focus Vivitar 28mm f/2 might do the trick, as discussed in the
ongoing thread.