Sony’s latest lens has made a splash in the industry, with initial reviews being very favorable indeed. Now there’s a decision to be made if you’re looking for a wide prime lens.
The Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM was announced this week and is expected to ship around the middle of February. Reviews have been coming thick and fast and the lens appears to be a hit, reaching the markers anyone would ask of a G Master lens. Having first-hand experience both owning and using Sony primes for full frame mirrorless bodies, I can comfortably recommend them in both image and build quality. While a touch expensive (albeit not terrible by any means), they certainly deliver. However, when it came to wider-angle G Master lenses — particularly quick ones — there wasn’t a 35mm, which is one of the most popular focal lengths.
So, many photographers opted for either zoom lenses, or the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM, which also received glowing reviews and is known as one of Sony’s best lenses. With the introduction of the 35mm — and still at f/1.4 — photographers looking for a wider prime now have a decision to make.
The 35mm has a 1cm further minimum focusing distance, and one more lens element (14 in 10 groups instead of 13 in 10 groups like the 24mm), but other than that, they are almost identical. From price to filter size, the 35mm and the 24mm are neck and neck; so, which is the best lens for you? For me, I’d be taking the 35mm as I believe that focal length is more versatile, but landscape photographers, for instance, may not see the same versatility.