Originally posted by switters The 40/2.8 is definitely under consideration, but I wish it was a bit faster...Also, I shoot a lot indoors in low light. I know I could use a flash but I just don't like to (I got into the Strobist stuff for a while, but too much gear for me).
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You'll be surprised, but DA40 is not only a fast-focusing lens, as Mark has pointed out, it can focus in near darkness too! All it needs is the faintest of contrast, that's all. Take a look at the the first pic -- only available light was the flame from the fire, which wasn't much at all. The second pic, of the dancing girl, had hardly any light at all -- a good 15-20 feet away from the fire; just enough contrast between the pitch-black Volvo and the 3-yr old blond. FYI, the flash used was a non P-TTL, AF220T flash, meaning there was no pre-flash available to aid focus nor exposure. (I was at 1/180s, f6.3). Not too mention, the kids were zipping around fast too, wired on all those Halloween candy. I used AF-C, but released shutter only after the green AF confirmation lit up.
You'll need a flash to get good exposure and freeze motion for this kind of shots, even with a faster lens. So it's most likely not a fair comparison for your needs. But what's important is the ability to focus in low light conditions, which the faster, shallower DOF lenses may not be able to do like the DA40.
As I write this, I'm beginning to realize that I'd actually decided on the lens (DA40) before settling on a camera. And then, inevitably, came the DA70 ..