well, i made a decision.
after much internal debate and reading online, i decided on the Sigma 28mm f1.8
i probably would have stuck to pentax, but a combination of focal length, aperture size and price led me here.
anyway, it arrived this afternoon, so here are my 1st impressions.
(i'm waiting till the sun sets a little to take it out for a run so no pics yet)
people said it was large, and wow! its not quite as long as my 16-45, but its wider and heavier. Build quality seems good. i've never really liked the finish on the sigmas. its always looked tacky imho. But this is a very minor concern and it obviously didn't stop me from ordering one
My main 'concern' at this point is a fairly noticable barrel distortion. i saw it the moment i put it on the camera. i took a couple of quick shots to compare the 16-45 @28mm and my impression was confirmed. the pentax is really good @ 28mm. the sigma is about the same as an old MF vivitar 28mm i have.
Anyone out there with one of these Sigma's, seen the same thing? is this normal? I would have thought a prime would have been able to compensate for this a lot easier than a zoom.
i'll repost after i've had a chance to take some 'real' photos.
in the meantime, any suggestions as to how to 'put it through its paces' or thoughts on the barrel distortions, are most welcome.