Originally posted by sabzijoon I was looking at the DA 35/2.4 to experiment with, but it doesn't seem like it's all that faster than what I currently have
This is a pretty great lens, I think its some of the best glass you can get in that price point (other good glass being DA 50mm f1.8 and DA 40mm XS). It is significantly brighter than f4, but it is still not super bright.
But here is the problem, if you shoot at f1.4, you can take handheld photos even in fairly low light - but the depth of focus will be very shallow.
Anyway, Sigma 30mm is a good recommendation. Or Samyang 35mm f1.4, if you don't mind lack of AF.
DA 50mm f1.8 is a good choice, too. Decent for portraiture, very bright, but it might be a little too telephoto for landscapes.