Street Shooting- Oly 17mm F2.8 or Sigma 19mm F2.8??

[jackngyx]

Hey all, what are your views on the Oly 17mm F2.8 or the Sigma 19mm F2.8 for street shooting? I am on a budget currently, so the Oly 17mm F1.8 is out of reach (but please share your experience if you have one?). I also tried the Pana 20mm F1.7 but the FOV was too tight for my liking and the AF speed was relatively glacial. Am currently using the Pana 14mm F2.5 but again it is a bit too wide for me and I find myself cropping quite frequently.

Share your thoughts?

 

[spidey89]

I'm using it and I think it's pretty good though I sometimes want a wider or tighter lands, but I only have the 17mm

 

[KYFoong]

The Pana 14 f2.5 is very under rated and you will love it once you get the hang of it. Try it out...very affordable. For prime lens you have to "zoom" with your legs. Loving it..

 

[keithwee]

To answer your question directly , the 17/2.8 is actually very under-rated as it was compared to the 20/1.7 upon release which was pretty unfair.

I've tried the Sigma 19 /2.8 too and size wise it's much larger than the 17/2.8.

The 17/2.8 is very usable and reasonably sharp at f4 though I wouldn't recommend using it at f2.8. Kinda soft.
19/2.8 is a very value for money lens. I'm sure there are cash rebates given now and then. Just saw HN at Funan selling a Sigma 19 at $170 I remember after rebates.

Conclusion wise I'll instead consider 2 points : 34mm or 40mm view?
And also if u r into as compact as possible , the 17/2.8 wins.

Price wise the 17/2.8 is slightly cheaper , B n S around $150 for a decent piece.

 

[spidey89]

I think the issue was the 17mm is slower in focusing and not as bright as the Pana 20mm, I didn't like the 14mm cause it was too soft for my taste

 

[george671]

I also like the Pany 14 for street work...But then again I never had any problem with sharpness on mine... I also have the Pany 20 1.7... and I have owned the Oly 17 2.8 (no problems with the Oly either)... I also like the Sigma 19 f2.8, but for you its really so close in FOV to the Pany 20 that you may not like it...The 17 might be just the right ticket for your needs... Anyway... just chk flickr.. Here is some examples from the pany 14... http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=panasonic 14mm f2.5

 

[rhino123]

Hey all, what are your views on the Oly 17mm F2.8 or the Sigma 19mm F2.8 for street shooting? I am on a budget currently, so the Oly 17mm F1.8 is out of reach (but please share your experience if you have one?). I also tried the Pana 20mm F1.7 but the FOV was too tight for my liking and the AF speed was relatively glacial. Am currently using the Pana 14mm F2.5 but again it is a bit too wide for me and I find myself cropping quite frequently.

Share your thoughts?

I think there are really little difference in FOV between a 20mm f1.7 and a 19mm f2.8 lens. So if you really dislike the 20mm... I don't think the Sigma 19mm will be much improvement.

 

[keithwee]

I think there are really little difference in FOV between a 20mm f1.7 and a 19mm f2.8 lens. So if you really dislike the 20mm... I don't think the Sigma 19mm will be much improvement.

missed that part of his post, thanks for bolding it out

 

[jackngyx]

Thanks everyone for your constructive inputs! Yes, initially I thought the 19mm view from the Sigma would be quite distinct from the 20mm fov. But after trying out another member's Sigma 19mm, I think the 17mm (34mm FF equivalent) fov will be best for me. Did more research on the 17mm F2.8 and concluded that it is not the lens for me, despite the size advantage and I see myself eventually lusting after the 17mm F1.8 as the final stop ;(. Therefore I've decided to bite the bullet (wallet) and part with my emergency savings for the 17mm F1.8

 

[keithwee]

Thanks everyone for your constructive inputs! Yes, initially I thought the 19mm view from the Sigma would be quite distinct from the 20mm fov. But after trying out another member's Sigma 19mm, I think the 17mm (34mm FF equivalent) fov will be best for me. Did more research on the 17mm F2.8 and concluded that it is not the lens for me, despite the size advantage and I see myself eventually lusting after the 17mm F1.8 as the final stop ;(. Therefore I've decided to bite the bullet (wallet) and part with my emergency savings for the 17mm F1.8

Congrats u made a good choice, especially the part on biting the bullet to stave off future lust.

 

[Agrivar]

Congrats u made a good choice, especially the part on biting the bullet to stave off future lust.

Yep. Been there done that. Tried to save money and buying an acceptable option. Later still had to bite bullet n spend more money to buy what I wanted in the first place. So as Nike says, just do it!