Ive been shooting street for about a decade now, mostly on old Fuji and Sony bodies, but I finally bit the bullet and switched over to the Panasonic S5II for that phase hybrid AF. I thought the transition would be seamless because I know my focal lengths like the back of my hand, but man, the L-mount lens lineup is actually kind of stressing me out more than I expected. I'm used to small, discrete primes, but when I look at the pro L-mount glass, everything seems absolutely massive or way out of my budget.

I'm heading to Chicago in about three weeks for a specific project focusing on high-contrast urban geometry and candid portraits. I have about $1,100 saved up for a single, do-it-all street prime. At first, I was looking at the Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG DN Art because, well, it's a classic, but then I saw the size of it in a shop and I'm worried it's gonna kill my wrist after eight hours of walking around the Loop. Plus, it's a bit look at me, which I hate when I'm trying to be invisible.

Then I looked at the Panasonic 35mm f1.8. It's lighter and cheaper, which is great, but does it have that soul or character? Some of these modern lenses feel almost too clinical, you know? I also keep seeing people rave about the Sigma 35mm f2 Contemporary I-series because of the all-metal build and the aperture ring, which I really miss from my old tactile cameras. But then I worry f2 might not be enough if I'm shooting late at night in the subway.

The unexpected part for me is how much the rendering varies between the Sigma and Panasonic stuff even though it's the same mount. I'm totally torn between going for the high-end Sigma Art, the lightweight Panasonic 1.8 series, or maybe even hunting for a used Leica... wait, no, the Summicron is way out of my bracket. What are you guys actually using day-to-day for street? Is the size of the Art lenses a dealbreaker for you, or is the image quality worth the extra weight? I really need something that balances being discrete with having enough wide-aperture pop...