[ogl]

PENTAX not interested in fast glasses (see the new DA35 and DA50), and those who produce fast glass not interest in K-mount.

o.0 ... not good.

The 18-35 is like taking forever to arrive for K-mount.

DA50/1.8, FA50/1.4 and DA*55/1.4 are not fast?

[Rondec]

Obviously the big thing that this lens will bring is tack sharpness at f1.4. Basically you do this by over-engineering the lens. The issue is that often out of focus rendering suffers somewhat when you focus so much on clinical sharpness and I don't find that I really care so much about border sharpness at f1.4 either...

[gazonk]

I don't find that I really care so much about border sharpness at f1.4 either...

Border sharpness at wide aperture could be cool back in the days where you didn't really go above ISO 200 (or should I say 200 ASA :-)). Nowadays, who use the widest apertures for photography where corner sharpness matters at all?

(The only lens I have where corners can be tricky is the DA15 with its curved focus plane which is very apparent even at f/8. But I forgive it for that for all the great photos it gives me )

[ChristianRock]

The Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art has very good bokeh and sharpness is obviously there, and I like the natural colors and rendering, at least on full frame Canons . If the 50mm 1.4 is the same, I'm sure it will be a great lens. But 50mm is a crowded market and there's smaller, lighter and cheaper lenses that do the job very well, so let's see if the real-world results of this new 50mm are worth the hassle (and the cost). Like, is it going to be that much better than a FA 50 1.4?

[bdery]

What a best! Is Pentax the last manufacturer that makes small SLR lenses? (I mean mostly the limiteds)

Even regarding zooms, Pentax often aims at smaller sizes. I for one find the new Sigma lenses much too big for their own good.

[Na Horuk]

DA50/1.8, FA50/1.4 and DA*55/1.4 are not fast?

Nope. A Nikon f1.8 is fast. A Pentax f1.8 is dark.

[thibs]

The Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art has very good bokeh and sharpness is obviously there, and I like the natural colors and rendering, at least on full frame Canons .

I wouldn't call it very good though it is nowhere near bad. Could be more 'buttery', it's a bit too nervous to me.

[Sinister]

saw the 35 in store today... no matter how good it is, it is way too big....

[Eric Auer]

saw the 35 in store today... no matter how good it is, it is way too big....

Way too big for what?

I have older Pentax Lenses that weigh more and I carry them around all day.

Unless you're a Mountaineer that has to weigh everything, I really don't see how a normal healthy person would not be able to handle it.

Maybe I'm just showing my age but boy, Some lenses people carried around in the film days were much heavier than this.

[Sinister]

You're certainly right, I have lenses which are heavier, too. However, in relation to the expected usage, it'd be too heavy for travelling and to take with me on motorcycle trips. I used to have the EF35/2 for the 5D - that was one fine lense....

[Dice]

Back in the day if you were carrying a 1.5 lb prime you handling some very unique glass (even the 85* 1.4 is a nearly a quarter pound lighter). In 1980, at about 1.5 lbs I had 2 primes (50,28) and a consumer tele zoom (80-200) and that was my entire kit.

Way too big for what?

For hand carrying all day. I don't use a strap.
For the focal length
For nice balance on my Pentax DLSR without a grip

Earlier in the thread someone suggested these beautifully sharp, and heavy lenses are for the viewer and not the shooter. I guess if I was getting paid for my images that would make sense. Because it would be work lugging these lenses around. But photography for me is mostly for my enjoyment.

Of course everyone has their own needs and where their tradeoff points are.

[Homo_erectus]

Honestly, the size of the lens is not a concern to me. Although I understand that many people highly value that Pentax makes very small lenses so I see where people are coming from in their critique of the size of the sigma.

[gazonk]

Way too big for what?

I have older Pentax Lenses that weigh more and I carry them around all day.

Unless you're a Mountaineer that has to weigh everything, I really don't see how a normal healthy person would not be able to handle it.

Maybe I'm just showing my age but boy, Some lenses people carried around in the film days were much heavier than this.

I carry K-5 with 3 or 4 primes in a shoulder bag every day. 3 or 4 primes that heavy certainly would make that bag uncomfortable.

[tram57]

The lens I'm really hoping Sigma will release for K mount is the new 24-105 f4 which has been favorably compared to the cannon L zoom. FF too.

[Boris_Akunin]

Still waiting for the new 30/1.4... the fastest normal prime for APS-C and they don't release it for the mount where it would have the least competition (1.5 stops faster than the fastest normal prime available)...