Fun with the Sony FE ZA 35/1.4

[Amin]

My new favorite 35



DSC01608 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr



DSC01519 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr



DSC00026 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr

 

[iiiNelson]

Mine too. Many overlook it due to perceived size but it balances well and is smaller than any other AF 35/1.4 combo.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

My theory on this lens is yes it's a little big and a little heavy but you carry a bag not a single lens. I just balance it all out with another lens that maybe a lot lighter. Now given the IQ of this lens I would carry 5 of them and never complain, it's that good. lol

 

[iiiNelson]

My theory on this lens is yes it's a little big and a little heavy but you carry a bag not a single lens. I just balance it all out with another lens that maybe a lot lighter. Now given the IQ of this lens I would carry 5 of them and never complain, it's that good. lol

If I'm only taking one lens then this was usually it although there are times where the 55FE was the only lens. It's that good. Lately the Batis lenses have had something to say about that notion but that would be mostly as a pair. In a small ONA Berlin.

 

[Vivek]

Mine too. Many overlook it due to perceived size but it balances well and is smaller than any other AF 35/1.4 combo.

Will not own one (even if I get one for free). Too big for what it is. Sony should redo it in a compact form.

 

[MrTMan]

I'm very tempted by this lens, please keep the pictures coming!

The 24/1.8 was my walk-around lens on my NEX-7, and I'm trying to decide what my walk-around lens will be when my A7rII arrives. I need AF, so my choices would seem to be the 35/2.8 or 35/1.4. I think I'm ok with the tradeoff of bigger size/weight for the added character and speed of the 1.4, although I suppose that's a hard thing to determine until I actually try carrying it around for a couple of hours.

 

[ohnri]

It is the best 35 I have ever used and that is on my A7.

I imagine it will be even better next week when my A7r2 arrives.

As a caveat, my RX1 may be as good for those times when AF is superfluous. I have not tested them head to head and don't plan to as they serve such different purposes.

-Bill

 

[Amin]

DSC00274 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr



DSC00151 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr



DSC01480 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr



DSC01556 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr

 

[iiiNelson]

Will not own one (even if I get one for free). Too big for what it is. Sony should redo it in a compact form.

I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. To each there own but I will say if you're a 35mm guy then you're missing out if this isn't in your bag. Yes it's that good optically. There's really nothing else that beats it in the focal length optically. It really does not feel all that big in use IMO but I can understand why some will say that it is.

 

[MrTMan]

Is it ok for landscapes, or is it at all problematic for that use? I read a review or two that seems to suggest it has field curvature? For example the LensRentals comparison of the 35/1.4 vs the 35/2.8 shows some softness in a landscape shot. But who knows, they might have had a bad copy, or maybe the focus was off on that one shot.

 

[Vivek]

I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. To each there own but I will say if you're a 35mm guy then you're missing out if this isn't in your bag. Yes it's that good optically. There's really nothing else that beats it in the focal length optically. It really does not feel all that big in use IMO but I can understand why some will say that it is.

I do hope that it will happen. I am not questioning its performance at all. I had this superlative Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 zoom. Sold it since it wasn't being used much for the same reason. Not going to do that again.

Yes, it is a matter of choice based on individual requirements and I do hope that Sony will offer that choice in the near future.

 

[ptomsu]

Amin,

these are outstanding photos, making me really interested in this lens and a necessary A7xyz camera - most probably the new A7rII.

Thanks for sharing

Peter

 

[Amin]

Is it ok for landscapes, or is it at all problematic for that use? I read a review or two that seems to suggest it has field curvature? For example the LensRentals comparison of the 35/1.4 vs the 35/2.8 shows some softness in a landscape shot. But who knows, they might have had a bad copy, or maybe the focus was off on that one shot.

It's a little tricky for landscape, although in contrast to Lensrentals I haven't noted any problems with edge sharpness. More of an issue with the central foreground, but for my purposes can be more than adequately addressed by stopping down and choosing the right focus distance for the scene.

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

I've just returned from a 2 week trip down the Tatshenshini River which runs from the Yukon through BC and into Alaska. The FE 35 1.4 was by far my most-used landscape lens and without doubt one of the very best lenses I've owned - and that includes Summicrons and Summiluxes. It is simply perfect at f4 and f5.6 and darn near perfect at all other apertures.

Even though at heart I'm an MF guy, this lens with the a7r or a7II almost matches MF quality when it comes to making large prints.

 

[MrTMan]

Amin, thanks for all your pictures, incidentally. I did see the other ones you've posted on flickr as well.

Bill, I'd love to see some of your landscape shots, if you don't mind sharing.

I think you guys have talked me into trying out the 1.4... along with Lloyd Chambers saying that it's the best FE lens, and a reason, in and of itself, to get a Sony FF camera. I'm moving from APS to FF in part for shallow DOF--and given that's the case, then I really should get a lens like the 1.4 that takes full advantage of that. I'm also a 35mm guy as well, so I can justify spending some money for that focal length.

I think my plan will be to also keep my 24/1.8 Sonnar, so I'll still have a backup option for when I want to travel light. It seems to have more character and nicer bokeh than the 35/2.8, without the 35/2.8's vignetting and color cast in the corners, not to mention an extra stop or so of light transmission. And 19mp on the A7rII in crop mode is still plenty of resolution.

 

[Amin]

Couple from today:


DSC01716 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr



DSC01803 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Really enjoying these shots and reminds me to get out there and shoot mine. LOL

 

[MrTMan]

Well, I picked up this lens on Friday to shoot with my shiny new A7rII, and I've been blown away by it. Really gorgeous rendering and bokeh! It's truly amazing for environmental portraits, which is what I bought it for. It's really giving me the subject isolation and blur that I was hoping for -- it's nice to have that at 35mm, which is my favorite focal length. I had high expectations going in, and I haven't been disappointed.

Eye AF is great to use with this lens -- it's quick to focus, and I've been able to take one great shot after another with a surprisingly high keeper rate.

I will say that my first copy seemed to be a little off, with the right side softer than the left at wide apertures, as Lloyd Chambers had reported with his copy (& Lloyd says that others have been reporting the same issue). Also, the aperture opening wasn't entirely symmetrical, which annoyed me (though I realize that's more psychological than anything). I exchanged it, and so far from my testing, the second copy seems fine.

It is pretty heavy, as expected. It's perfectly manageable if you're carrying it in isolation, but I'm not entirely sure that I'd want to carry it in a bag along with the 55, Batis 85 and a 16-35 or Batis 25. If I were planning to take a full kit with me, I'd be inclined to leave the 55 at home and use the 35 in crop-mode if I needed a 50mm FOV, or else leave the 35/1.4 at home in favor of my APS 24/1.8 or (if I were to get one) a 35/2.8.

But overall I'm very happy with this purchase. I'll post some shots once I take some that are worthy of posting here!

 

[ptomsu]

Amin,

again those shots are just gorgeous!

Makes me want to own this lens too

Peter

 

[Amin]

Thank you, Peter!