Ive been shooting on the FX30 for about a year now mostly doing corporate stuff but I just got hired for a high-end jewelry commercial shooting next week in downtown LA. I thought my Sigma 18-35 was the goat but honestly looking at the rushes from my test shoot yesterday everything looks way too soft when Im wide open. I need that clinical tack-sharp look for these macro-ish shots and the zoom just isnt cutting it anymore. I have about 1200 dollars to drop on one killer prime lens that can actually resolve all that detail without looking mushy. Is the Sony 15mm G actually the sharpest thing out there for this sensor or should I be looking at those crazy expensive Zeiss Touits or something else entirely?
^ This. Also, how tight are these shots actually gonna be? Like are we talking microscopic hallmarks on the inside of a ring or just the piece as a whole? I ask because I did a spot for a watchmaker last year and realized my lenses were actually pretty soft once I started cropping in. If you want that clinical look, honestly the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS is a beast. Its technically for full frame but works amazing on the FX30. Its super sharp and the OSS helps if you're doing any handheld detail passes. Another decent option if you're tight on space is the Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro. Its much cheaper, around $550 usually, which leaves you cash for a better lighting kit or a slider. The 90mm is the sharper of the two tho, no contest. Just depends on your working distance... the 15mm G is great for general stuff but might feel a bit distorted for high-end macro work.
I'm usually pretty conservative with my gear choices because I hate it when things go wrong on set. Over the years, I've tried many different setups for product work and realized that jewelry is where average glass goes to die. In my experience, if you want that clinical, ultra-sharp look on an FX30, you need to go with native Sony glass for the reliability and peace of mind.
Tbh skip the wide lenses for jewelry. You need compression and 1:1 magnification to get those tack-sharp macro details without distortion. The Sigma Art glass is gonna give you more bang for your buck than Zeiss stuff.