Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Reviews
Small, lightweight lens with crystal sharp performance
By Paul
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-06-27
All I needed was a small body (Sony Alpha) and a small lens - this fix - to have a travel camera for everyday use. Performance is amazing. Small cap is a little funky, but I learned to appreciate it - with a smaller opening, I actually don't put a cap on most of the time and don't have to worry about dirt or finger smudges getting on it.
Great lens, but.....
By Michael
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-28
I just purchased this to replace the same lens that I purchased in 2015. Mounted on a Sony a7rii it makes for a great combination. The lens is very sharp, even at f2.8. It focuses quickly. Great for street photography. Mounted on a Sony a6000 it makes for a standard lens with lightning quick focusing and since it is cropped, everything is sharp corner to corner. But, after six plus years I took it out for an important family event and the lens focusing motor began making noises and it had intermittent focusing issues, although the manual focusing function still worked. Since I loved the results from this lens I purchased a replacement, almost cheaper than repairing the lens.
Since modern lenses are more mechanically complicated and I should accept this, but it was hard to swallow.
Great all around lens
By Arik
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-25
I would buy this lens again if I had to, it's a perfect all around lens it's sharp & depth of field is amazing.
Great little lens
By James
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-17
If you need a tiny, light-weight little FF lens, this is perfect. I bought this lens 7 years ago for my A7R and have used it on the A7R, A7Rii and A7Riv. It is sharp, fast focusing and I can toggle from FF to Crop mode on my A7Riv with plenty of resolution. Basically I have a 35 and a 54 all day long.
Extremely light and great street lens
By Philip
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-05
I mostly shoot outdoor with lots of available light, so I am quite satisfied with this lens' performance. Very sharp even wide open. For indoor, low light, 2.8 is not as fast a lens as some other available 35mm primes for the Sony A7 series of cameras, but I have not found it to be much of a hindrance. Just turn on some house lights and 2.8 will likely do. At less than $600, very fine performance, exceptionally lightweight, and a weather-sealed build, make it a great value. You can torture yourself about not spending almost half again for the 1.8 or double for the 1.4 or but unless you like to shoot in the dark, no practical advantage is worth the difference.
When I say it is exceptionally lightweight, I am not kidding. it weighs a little more than a quarter of a pound at 4 1/4 ounces. The other two lenses weigh more than twice and three times that. The lens is very compact in addition to being light. My Sony 24-105mm zoom G lens is fantastic but this prime will likely find its way out of the bag when I can justify sticking to the few limitations of 35mm lenses. I attached a picture I took just walking around the neighborhood. I was pleased with the quality of the image and think it is representative of what you can get.
A gem! Sharp, bokeh, compact
By maxim
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-10-27
Contrast is incredible...almost best viewed on HDR monitor. Sharpness is astounding...never counted so many eyelashes. Miraculously light and compact-this can't be understated, as this makes my A7rIIIa light and portable with amazing, no compromise, image quality. At the same time, I don't want to overstate the compactness because I would absolutely still buy this lens if it was a pound heavier for IQ alone.
It's been a while since a lens made me this profoundly satisfied. Really scratches the itch!!!
A delight to use -- small, unobtrusive, and excellent.
By David
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-06-19
I used this lens on a recent research trip in rural Cambodia. The lens was a delight to use. Fast, unobtrusive, and accurate with my A9II. Fine image quality ( I have Zeiss Batis, Leica, and Canon L lenses). The size and weight make it easy to interact with subjects. For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone would want a 35mm. lens that is the size and weight of a zoom. I will say that the lens hood design is odd, but it seems to do the job.
My old street friend is back!
By Marsha
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-06-02
This was one of my first lenses for any Sony mirrorless camera years ago. It was the best street lens I had partially due to lightness and ease of size but wonderful clarity unmatched by most other Sony lenses at the time. Bottom line is that I traded it in for a zoom about 5 years ago and am now purchasing it again for the same reasons I originally loved it. I have found this Zeiss lens to be superior in clarity and the size is perfection.
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