Look Dad!

I've been really struck by the differences between my Sigma 30mm and my Pentax M 50 mm. Beyond the focal length (duh), they seem to render scenes, or people, really differently. The Sigma can be amazingly sharp, much sharper than the M, but the old Pentax has a quality that I just like a lot more.

This (have a closer look) I took using the M; this other on Flickr I took with the Sigma. I'm aware it can't be seen as a true comparison, as they're too different: inside/outside; different ISO... but I think each has a really different character. I'm not convinced it's simply down to focal length either. I had rather simplistically thought that lenses would vary in image quality, and sharpness, and things like that (as well as the obvious focal length and aperture etc), but this isn't an IQ or sharpness issue; it's somehow the character of the lens. Certainly looking at all the photos in the Pentax Forums single lens challenge, with each person using one consistent lens all month, has got me to look and think more at different lenses in that way.

Interesting stuff.

I think. ;-)