Let me preface my next comment with this: I have not been a huge fan of Sigma. I've owned a couple of their lens, but I'm not personally a fan of the "crinkle finish" look. That being said, from a purely aesthetic point of view I have to say that this new 35mm Sig is a beauty. I love the very clean, almost Zeiss-like design. I am very intrigued in reviews of both it and the new 35mm f/2 IS. The winner in image quality is going to end up in my bag. I recently sold my 35mm f/2 that I was very fond of despite its flaws in anticipation of one of these lens (or a 35L if neither of them is amazing).