Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Zeiss Distagon T

$1598.00

Best for

Best wide angle prime for Sony

Grade (Out of ten)

8.2
Image Quality : 9
Performance : 9
Design : 8
Versatility : 8
Price : 7
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Description

This Sony 35mm Zeiss offers an incredibly wide f/1.4 aperture, making it an excellent option for creamy bokeh, low light and fast shutter speeds. The 35mm focal length is a nice standard wide angle useful for a variety of scenarios, or works more like a 50mm on crop sensor E mount cameras. The lens scored a respectable 38 on DxOMark tests, which is tough to do with wider apertures.

While the lens scored high overall on the image tests, at the widest aperture, the edges are a bit soft and there is some vignetting. The lens performs best at f/2, which is still faster than Sony's f/2.8 option. Sony also has a feature where you can enable automatic vignetting correction in camera, which helps to make the slight shading on the edges a non-issue. While offering solid images and a wide aperture, the lens is pretty heavy for a wide angle prime, weighing over a pound. Mounted on a mirrorless camera, the set-up will feel front-heavy, which is unusual for a wide angle prime. The lens also comes in at a higher price point. While certainly not perfect, this lens offers the highest image quality and widest aperture for a 35mm prime Sony mount and is a solid option for pros with the most need for optimum quality.

Pros

  • Wide f/1.4 aperture
  • Excellent autofocus performance
  • Good image quality

Cons

  • Some softness at the edges
  • Heavy for a prime
  • Expensive for a prime
  • Lens Specs:

    • Format : Sony FE
    • Focal Length : 35mm (56mm on APS-C E mount cameras)
    • Image Stabilization : No
    • Maximum Aperture : f/1.4
    • Autofocus : Yes
    • Minimum Focus Distance : 0.98
    • Lens Elements : 12
    • Lens Groups : 8
    • Diaphragm Blades : 9
    • Coatings : Anti-reflective
    • Filter Size : 72mm
    • Dimensions : 3.09 x 4.40 in.
    • Weight : 22.22 oz
    • Other : Weather-sealed