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Sony SEL35F14Z Distagon T FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Standard-Prime Lens for Mirrorless Cameras
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Sony |
Focal Length Description | Standard Prime 35 millimeters |
Lens Type | Wide Angle |
Compatible Mountings | Sony E |
Camera Lens Description | 9 |
About this item
- A perfect match for α7 series, 35mm full-frame E-mount cameras, Outstanding optical performance in a versatile 35mm focal length, ZEISS quality delivers superior contrast and resolution throughout the image
- Filter diameter (mm): 72 mm.Minimum Focus Distance : 098 ft (03 m), Maximum Magnification ratio : 018x, Focal-Length : 138 in
- Bright F14 maximum aperture, Aperture ring designed for still or movie shooting, Corner to corner sharpness w/Advanced Spherical elements;High reliability in harsh conditions
- Dust and moisture resistant design, 9-blade circular aperture contributes to gorgeous bokeh, Direct Drive SSM (DDSSM) for quiet, precise focusing
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This Item Sony SEL35F14Z Distagon T FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Standard-Prime Lens for Mirrorless Cameras | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | $998.00$998.00 | -7% $1,298.00$1,298.00 List: $1,399.99 | $2,298.00$2,298.00 | $739.00$739.00 | -5% $1,898.00$1,898.00 List: $1,999.99 | $279.00$279.00 |
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Customer Ratings | ||||||
Picture quality | 4.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.7 |
Auto focus | — | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 |
Image stabilization | — | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 3.9 |
Quality of material | 4.4 | — | — | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.8 |
Value for money | 3.3 | 4.7 | — | 4.9 | 4.6 | — |
Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Pro Deals! | Amazon.com | Digital Goja |
lens type | Wide Angle | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Wide Angle |
compatible mountings | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E |
lens design | Prime | Prime | Zoom | Prime | Prime | Prime |
focus type | Piezoelectric | Auto/Manual | Auto Focus | Auto Focus | Auto/Manual | Auto Focus |
minimum focal length | 35 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 24 millimeters | — | — | 30 millimeters |
max focal length | 35 millimeters | 35 millimeters | — | — | — | 30 millimeters |
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The real product that you get, fits perfectly with my Sony
Betsy Borrego
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Beautiful lens for Sony candid portraits
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 4.41 x 3.11 x 3.11 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 1.39 pounds |
ASIN | B00U29GNBO |
Item model number | SEL35F14Z |
Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #341 in Mirrorless Camera Lenses #1,569 in SLR Camera Lenses |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | March 1, 2015 |
Manufacturer | Sony |
Country of Origin | Thailand |
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Product Description
Product Description
The 35mm focal length makes the Distagon T FE 35mm F1.4 ZA an excellent choice for a wide range of photography, from snapshots and landscapes to indoor portraits and night scenes-producing beautiful bokeh through its bright 9-blade F1.4 aperture. The advanced optical design-including a spherical and “AA” (advanced spherical) lens elements combined with renowned ZEISS T coating-deliver outstanding image resolution and suppresses reflections for superior contrast clarity. ZEISS T anti-reflective coating minimises flare
From the Manufacturer
Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA Full-frame E-mount Prime Lens
The 35mm focal length makes the Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA an excellent choice for a wide range of photography, from snapshots and landscapes to indoor portraits and night scenes – producing beautiful bokeh through its bright 9- blade F1.4 aperture. The advanced optical design - including aspherical and “AA” (advanced spherical) lens elements combined with renowned ZEISS T* coating - deliver outstanding image resolution and suppresses reflections for superior contrast clarity.
Additional Features
Unmatched ZEISS T* (T-star) coating
Coated optics were pioneered by Carl Zeiss - and this superb lens features the ZEISS T* (T-Star) coating that virtually eliminates lens flare, internal reflection and light scattering that can otherwise occur at glass-to-air surfaces. The T* coating contributes to outstanding image quality, with high contrast and uniformly excellent resolution right out to the image edges. Not simply applied to any lens - the T* symbol only appears on multi-element lenses in which the required performance has been achieved throughout the entire optical path, therefore guaranteeing the highest quality.
Circular Aperture
When changing your aperture to defocus the background, the light sources appear blurred. This ‘bokeh’ effect of the blurred background can be enhanced with circular aperture blades used in this lens. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides creating unappealing polygonal shaped defocussed points of light. α lenses overcome this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result.
Aspherical lens elements
Aspherical lens design dramatically reduces spherical aberration while also reducing lens size and weight. Spherical aberration is a slight misalignment of the light rays projected on the image plane. This is caused by differences in refraction at different points on conventional spherical lenses which degrade image quality in large-aperture lenses. Specially shaped “aspherical” elements near the diaphragm restore alignment of light rays at the image plane, maintaining high sharpness and contrast even at maximum aperture and can also be used at other points in the optical path to reduce distortion. Well-designed aspherical elements can reduce the total number of elements required in the lens, thus reducing overall size and weight.
Responsive aperture ring
A responsive aperture ring offers positive action that will satisfy professional photographers and moviemakers alike. The aperture ring click stops can be switched on or off as required. “Off” is the preferred setting for moviemaking since it results in the least aperture operation noise. When “On” the ring provides tactile feedback that is useful when shooting stills.
2015 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony is not responsible for typographical and photographic errors. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.
All rights reserved. Sony, the Sony logo, (alpha) logo, and SteadyShot are trademarks of Sony. Carl ZEISS and ZEISS is a trademark of Carl Zeiss and Sony Corporation. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the image quality, sharpness, and build quality of the camera lens. For example, they mention that it produces beautiful images with fantastic bokeh, and is the best of its class. That said, some complain about the weight and autofocus.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the image quality of the lens. They mention that it produces beautiful images with fantastic image quality. The lens is a very special lens with great bokeh for portrait work, and produces tack sharp photos. The autofocus is fast and the images are sharp edge to edge, making for really cool shots. The bokh is just amazing, and it's by far the most beautiful lens that they have ever shot with. The rendering of colors is lovely, and the lens has great Zeiss contrast and pop.
"...For pure image quality, brightness, and background blur, this Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 (SEL3514Z) is the best. The only downside is the size...." Read more
"...for now I am rather impressed by the build quality and the image quality of the lens." Read more
"...But in low light or bad light the lens shines. It's got that great Zeiss contrast and pop...." Read more
"...The 1.4 Aperture make it get that nice blurry background and helps alot for low lighting. Its a great wide angle portrait lens...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the lens. They mention that it is an outstanding lens, the best of its class, and has a cinema like quality. Some say that it's a good lens for full frame cameras and a great lens for portrait and landscape.
"...Optically, the lens is superb and unlike some of the other offerings from Sony, is actually worthy of the Zeiss badge it dons...." Read more
"This lens is pretty amazing, it was my first Sony lens i bought for my A7RIII and i love it so far...." Read more
"...I’m blown away by the quality and ease of using this lens...." Read more
"...My fav was Always the 55 , but I now see the value of this 35 ! A very special lens and great bokeh for portrait work !" Read more
Customers are satisfied with the sharpness of the lens. They mention that it is an excellently sharp primary lens with fast autofocus. They also appreciate the ability to deliver tack sharp in focus areas and buttery smooth out of focus areas. Overall, customers are happy with the performance of this lens and recommend it to others.
"...The Sony’s ability to frame a tack sharp subject against a buttery smooth, yet complex/interesting backgrounds creates a sense of dimension (pop)..." Read more
"Fantastic. Beautiful rendering of images, very sharp, and out-of-focus bits are very smooth...." Read more
"Great sharp lens. Just a bit too heavy for a walk around lens. If you’re a professional who needs 2.8 this would be a great lens...." Read more
"...It is MONSTROUSLY heavy for a mirrorless camera, but it is so much sharper than my other lenses (they are Zeiss as well) I can't really fault them." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the build quality of the lens. They mention that it is beautifully constructed with metal, except for the plastic lens hood. They also appreciate the robust zoom ring, though it feels a bit stiff.
"...The lens is a full metal construction, which has a more premium feel, however, I’ve learned to appreciate that lenses with a high quality plastic..." Read more
"...Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2.0:Pros: Fully metal construction, goes down to f/22, direct manual focus, fairly small, declickable aperture..." Read more
"...with some sample images and/video, but for now I am rather impressed by the build quality and the image quality of the lens." Read more
"...You get those benefits along with the aforementioned rock-solid build of the device...." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the camera lenses. They mention that it is well worth the price and weight.
"...optical quality above all else, the FE 35 1.4 is absolutely worth the price of admission...." Read more
"...Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 (SEL35F28Z):Pros: very compact, lowest priceCons: not as bright as others, no aperture ring..." Read more
"Sum up in 2 words: Great lens. It looks big, but is not heavy...." Read more
"Superb Sharpness, Bedazzling Bokeh, Lovely Low Light. Well Worth the Weight." Read more
Customers are mixed about the autofocus of the camera lenses. Some mention that it's super quick to focus, smooth, and has great focus speed. However, others say that it leaves a bit to be desired, difficult to pull focus, and the resulting image clearly lacks focus.
"...The focus ring has a long throw, which makes it easier to make precise movements to the focal plane..." Read more
"...Focus was quick, spot on and had little drama. I can not speak for manual focusing as I found no particular need for manual...." Read more
"...Cons: No autofocus, no auto aperture settingBest compromise on size/brightness if you don't need autofocus..." Read more
"...I’m blown away by the quality and ease of using this lens...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the size of the camera lens. Some mention that it's fairly small, while others say that it is very large and heavy for a mirrorless lens.
"...Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 (SEL35F28Z):Pros: very compact, lowest priceCons: not as bright as others, no aperture ring..." Read more
"...said, it has to be acknowledged that for a mirrorless lens, the FE 35 1.4 is massive. It’s massive for a 35mm lens even by FF DSLR standards...." Read more
"Sum up in 2 words: Great lens. It looks big, but is not heavy...." Read more
"Hate that it’s such a big lens but once I started taking pics with it, all that went out the window." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the weight of the camera lens. They mention that it is a tad heavy, but it does not get in the way of the lens.
"...Cons:-Expensive-Very large and heavy for a mirrorless lens..." Read more
"...It was a tad heavy, but it that did not get in the way of the shooting. Focus was quick, spot on and had little drama...." Read more
"Great sharp lens. Just a bit too heavy for a walk around lens. If you’re a professional who needs 2.8 this would be a great lens...." Read more
"...It is a heavy lens, so it can weigh a bit after a while, but if that doesn't bother you, definitely consider it...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews from the United States
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Pros:
-Resolution wide open
-Smooth bokeh
-Minimal CA and Distortion
-Very good build quality
-Aperture ring is a nice bonus
Cons:
-Expensive
-Very large and heavy for a mirrorless lens
I have an affinity for the 35mm focal length, as the FOV a 35mm lens provides is ideal for the type of shooting I do: environmental/journalistic style portraits (I shot weddings for four years, but have since gotten out of it), and casual landscape shooting when travelling. As such, the Sony FE 35 1.4 is a lens that I’ve been longing for since I picked up the Sony a7r when it was first released. Amazon delivered my pre-order a day earlier than expected and I was able to use the lens for a shoot I had lined up. My initial thoughts are that given the image quality it delivers, this very large (in mirrorless terms) and expensive lens has a very specialized appeal in the realm of the Sony A7 system…especially considering the vast number of (native and adapted) alternatives available. But when considering a 35mm lens, for those who prioritize optical quality above all else, the FE 35 1.4 is absolutely worth the price of admission.
Optically, the lens is superb and unlike some of the other offerings from Sony, is actually worthy of the Zeiss badge it dons. What makes this lens unique in terms of optical performance, is its ability to deliver tack sharp in focus areas, and buttery smooth out of focus areas, even with a wide FOV that pulls a lot of background elements into the frame. Most 35mm lenses I’ve owned involve some trade-off between the two. They’re either sharp wide open with nervous bokeh (Sigma 35 1.4 ART), or pleasing bokeh but softer in focus areas (Canon 35L). The Sony’s ability to frame a tack sharp subject against a buttery smooth, yet complex/interesting backgrounds creates a sense of dimension (pop) that is very much unique to this lens. That’s where the money is with this lens.
I did some pixel peeping at 100% while testing this against the Sigma 35 1.4 ART, and both the Sony and the Sigma lose resolution towards the borders of the frame. This is typical for large aperture lenses as fast aperture optical designs often yield lenses with curved fields of focus that affect resolution in the corners. I do not consider this a knock against fast aperture lenses, including the Sony FE 35 1.4, however, as sharpness across the frame is not a critical component of the type of photographs typically taken at fast apertures. If you're buying an F1.4 lens, chances are you're stopping the lens down, and the corners will be thrown out of focus anyway. Even when framing portraits according to the rule of thirds, your subject will favor the center of the frame.
Taking that into consideration, while the 35mm focal length is convenient for framing landscapes, it is not as ideal as slower wide angle lenses that tend to have flatter fields of focus, and are more consistently sharp across the frame. The FE 16-35 F4 OSS would be a better alternative to anyone who favors landscapes and is more critical of edge to edge sharpness.
I haven’t downloaded the lens profiles for this yet, however, I’ve found that there is very little needed in terms of optical correction. Chromatic aberration is very minimal, as is distortion. There’s some vignetting wide open, but this should be easily corrected via lens profiles (I actually don’t mind a little vignetting, for creative purposes). It was overcast yesterday, so I can’t speak to how this lens handles flare just yet.
Supposedly the lens’ AF system benefits somehow from the IBIS and AF system in the A7II, but I’ve got an a7r so I can’t speak intelligently about this. On the a7r, the lens focuses as well as the FE55 1.8 and FE 35 2.8. In good light, it focuses quickly and is comparable to a DSLR. It hunts in low contrast light, however this is a pitfall of the a7r’s contrast detect AF system, not the lens.
Build quality is top-notch (as it should be for the price this lens commands). The lens is a full metal construction, which has a more premium feel, however, I’ve learned to appreciate that lenses with a high quality plastic construction (like the Canon 24-70 2.8 MKII) are less prone to knicks and scratches. The aperture ring is a nice touch, and I’m appreciating the ability to adjust the aperture via the lens more than I expected to. Very useful, given how crammed the controls on the a7r’s body are.
The zoom ring is very robust, though it feels a bit stiff. It’s a focus by wire lens, and while still not as responsive as a mechanical focus lens, it lags very minimally. The focus ring has a long throw, which makes it easier to make precise movements to the focal plane (much more precise than the twitchy focus of the Sony FE 55 and 35 2.8). The downside is that you have to turn the ring quite a bit to move the focal plane longer distances. The long throw and stiff ring makes manual focus a very precise, but slower process relative to other lenses.
All of that said, it has to be acknowledged that for a mirrorless lens, the FE 35 1.4 is massive. It’s massive for a 35mm lens even by FF DSLR standards. For reference, its wider, and is only slightly shorter than the Sigma 35 1.4 ART WITH the metabones smart adapter attached. This, if anything, is a testament to the design of the lens (it employs a retrofocus design for optical reasons, even though a simpler design would have technically been possible for a mirrorless body), and the superior optical quality of this lens can be credited to its size. Unfortunately in the world of lens design, there is still an existing trade-off between size and optical performance, and the FE 35 1.4 is not a lens for those who prioritize the former.
For those who do prioritize size, the FE 55 is a much smaller lens, and you don’t lose much in real world use going from 1.8 to 1.4. The FE55 has a very different FOV from the 35MM FOV though, so it is not by any means an apples to apples comparison. The unique 3 dimensional look that the FE 35 is able to produce is a function of the wide angle FOV that frames your subjects against a slightly exaggerated background. This, however, is a need that is specific to environmental portraits and journalistic photos. Outside of that, the FE55 is likely the better choice from both a size and price perspective. The FE 35 2.8 and Zeiss Loxia 35 f2 are other smaller and cheaper alternatives. You’re giving up the ability to open the aperture up to 1.4 (the loxia is also a manual focus only lens), but that may be a worthwhile trade-off to many people out there. If you’re willing to forgo useable autofocus and can deal with the minor, but existing, quirks of adapting lenses, then you have a vast array of other cheaper and smaller alternatives such as the Sigma 35 1.4 ART, Canon 35F2IS etc etc.
All things considered, as good as this lens is, it appeals to a very specifically to those who prioritize uncompromisingly good optical quality in a fast aperture 35mm lens, and are willing to pay for it. I can’t fault this lens for anything other than its price and size, and chances are that if you’re considering this lens, you understand what the value proposition is. As such. I’ll give it a 5 star rating for excelling at what the lens is intended to do. That said, it’s hard to recommend this lens to anyone who doesn’t put a lot of value in takings shots with a 35mm aperture @ f1.4. The caveat to my 5 start rating is that those who cannot specifically identify a need for a high quality fast aperture 35mm lens and/or are willing to live with some compromises, might be better suited by the multitude of smaller and more affordable alternatives out there.
Edit: Pictures speak a thousand words, so I've added a photo from the aforementioned shoot. Not the most interesting shot in the set, but a simple composition that is minimally processed, and a good representation of the 'character' of the lens.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2015
Pros:
-Resolution wide open
-Smooth bokeh
-Minimal CA and Distortion
-Very good build quality
-Aperture ring is a nice bonus
Cons:
-Expensive
-Very large and heavy for a mirrorless lens
I have an affinity for the 35mm focal length, as the FOV a 35mm lens provides is ideal for the type of shooting I do: environmental/journalistic style portraits (I shot weddings for four years, but have since gotten out of it), and casual landscape shooting when travelling. As such, the Sony FE 35 1.4 is a lens that I’ve been longing for since I picked up the Sony a7r when it was first released. Amazon delivered my pre-order a day earlier than expected and I was able to use the lens for a shoot I had lined up. My initial thoughts are that given the image quality it delivers, this very large (in mirrorless terms) and expensive lens has a very specialized appeal in the realm of the Sony A7 system…especially considering the vast number of (native and adapted) alternatives available. But when considering a 35mm lens, for those who prioritize optical quality above all else, the FE 35 1.4 is absolutely worth the price of admission.
Optically, the lens is superb and unlike some of the other offerings from Sony, is actually worthy of the Zeiss badge it dons. What makes this lens unique in terms of optical performance, is its ability to deliver tack sharp in focus areas, and buttery smooth out of focus areas, even with a wide FOV that pulls a lot of background elements into the frame. Most 35mm lenses I’ve owned involve some trade-off between the two. They’re either sharp wide open with nervous bokeh (Sigma 35 1.4 ART), or pleasing bokeh but softer in focus areas (Canon 35L). The Sony’s ability to frame a tack sharp subject against a buttery smooth, yet complex/interesting backgrounds creates a sense of dimension (pop) that is very much unique to this lens. That’s where the money is with this lens.
I did some pixel peeping at 100% while testing this against the Sigma 35 1.4 ART, and both the Sony and the Sigma lose resolution towards the borders of the frame. This is typical for large aperture lenses as fast aperture optical designs often yield lenses with curved fields of focus that affect resolution in the corners. I do not consider this a knock against fast aperture lenses, including the Sony FE 35 1.4, however, as sharpness across the frame is not a critical component of the type of photographs typically taken at fast apertures. If you're buying an F1.4 lens, chances are you're stopping the lens down, and the corners will be thrown out of focus anyway. Even when framing portraits according to the rule of thirds, your subject will favor the center of the frame.
Taking that into consideration, while the 35mm focal length is convenient for framing landscapes, it is not as ideal as slower wide angle lenses that tend to have flatter fields of focus, and are more consistently sharp across the frame. The FE 16-35 F4 OSS would be a better alternative to anyone who favors landscapes and is more critical of edge to edge sharpness.
I haven’t downloaded the lens profiles for this yet, however, I’ve found that there is very little needed in terms of optical correction. Chromatic aberration is very minimal, as is distortion. There’s some vignetting wide open, but this should be easily corrected via lens profiles (I actually don’t mind a little vignetting, for creative purposes). It was overcast yesterday, so I can’t speak to how this lens handles flare just yet.
Supposedly the lens’ AF system benefits somehow from the IBIS and AF system in the A7II, but I’ve got an a7r so I can’t speak intelligently about this. On the a7r, the lens focuses as well as the FE55 1.8 and FE 35 2.8. In good light, it focuses quickly and is comparable to a DSLR. It hunts in low contrast light, however this is a pitfall of the a7r’s contrast detect AF system, not the lens.
Build quality is top-notch (as it should be for the price this lens commands). The lens is a full metal construction, which has a more premium feel, however, I’ve learned to appreciate that lenses with a high quality plastic construction (like the Canon 24-70 2.8 MKII) are less prone to knicks and scratches. The aperture ring is a nice touch, and I’m appreciating the ability to adjust the aperture via the lens more than I expected to. Very useful, given how crammed the controls on the a7r’s body are.
The zoom ring is very robust, though it feels a bit stiff. It’s a focus by wire lens, and while still not as responsive as a mechanical focus lens, it lags very minimally. The focus ring has a long throw, which makes it easier to make precise movements to the focal plane (much more precise than the twitchy focus of the Sony FE 55 and 35 2.8). The downside is that you have to turn the ring quite a bit to move the focal plane longer distances. The long throw and stiff ring makes manual focus a very precise, but slower process relative to other lenses.
All of that said, it has to be acknowledged that for a mirrorless lens, the FE 35 1.4 is massive. It’s massive for a 35mm lens even by FF DSLR standards. For reference, its wider, and is only slightly shorter than the Sigma 35 1.4 ART WITH the metabones smart adapter attached. This, if anything, is a testament to the design of the lens (it employs a retrofocus design for optical reasons, even though a simpler design would have technically been possible for a mirrorless body), and the superior optical quality of this lens can be credited to its size. Unfortunately in the world of lens design, there is still an existing trade-off between size and optical performance, and the FE 35 1.4 is not a lens for those who prioritize the former.
For those who do prioritize size, the FE 55 is a much smaller lens, and you don’t lose much in real world use going from 1.8 to 1.4. The FE55 has a very different FOV from the 35MM FOV though, so it is not by any means an apples to apples comparison. The unique 3 dimensional look that the FE 35 is able to produce is a function of the wide angle FOV that frames your subjects against a slightly exaggerated background. This, however, is a need that is specific to environmental portraits and journalistic photos. Outside of that, the FE55 is likely the better choice from both a size and price perspective. The FE 35 2.8 and Zeiss Loxia 35 f2 are other smaller and cheaper alternatives. You’re giving up the ability to open the aperture up to 1.4 (the loxia is also a manual focus only lens), but that may be a worthwhile trade-off to many people out there. If you’re willing to forgo useable autofocus and can deal with the minor, but existing, quirks of adapting lenses, then you have a vast array of other cheaper and smaller alternatives such as the Sigma 35 1.4 ART, Canon 35F2IS etc etc.
All things considered, as good as this lens is, it appeals to a very specifically to those who prioritize uncompromisingly good optical quality in a fast aperture 35mm lens, and are willing to pay for it. I can’t fault this lens for anything other than its price and size, and chances are that if you’re considering this lens, you understand what the value proposition is. As such. I’ll give it a 5 star rating for excelling at what the lens is intended to do. That said, it’s hard to recommend this lens to anyone who doesn’t put a lot of value in takings shots with a 35mm aperture @ f1.4. The caveat to my 5 start rating is that those who cannot specifically identify a need for a high quality fast aperture 35mm lens and/or are willing to live with some compromises, might be better suited by the multitude of smaller and more affordable alternatives out there.
Edit: Pictures speak a thousand words, so I've added a photo from the aforementioned shoot. Not the most interesting shot in the set, but a simple composition that is minimally processed, and a good representation of the 'character' of the lens.
Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 (SEL3514Z):
Pros: brightest, best image quality (this is subjective), declickable aperture
Cons: size, focus by wire, most expensive
Best for low light, background blur, overall image quality
Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 (SEL35F28Z):
Pros: very compact, lowest price
Cons: not as bright as others, no aperture ring
Best if you need something small
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2.0:
Pros: Fully metal construction, goes down to f/22, direct manual focus, fairly small, declickable aperture
Cons: No autofocus, no auto aperture setting
Best compromise on size/brightness if you don't need autofocus
For pure image quality, brightness, and background blur, this Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 (SEL3514Z) is the best. The only downside is the size. If you want something compact at a similar range, you may also consider the Sony 28mm f/2.0 (SEL28F20), which is considerably cheaper than everything else here, but still a very good lens.
I used the lens on the A7S II to shoot some 4K video and the bokeh is just amazing.
I will update the review in future with some sample images and/video, but for now I am rather impressed by the build quality and the image quality of the lens.
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Luminoso boke
ACTUALIZO: regresé el lente y solcité otro, de igual manera estaba mal.