Just now, Canon and Nikon both unerringly introduced 35/1.8 lenses right off the bat, for $450 and $850 respectively, both are usable stabilized. They weigh 305g and 370g. Sony offers a 120g pancake 35/2.8 for $800 and a 630g 35/1.4 for $1600 - both obviously miss the mark - the middle! - by a wide margin and cost a lot for not enough. Sony had a five year head start.
The idea of mainstream 35mm lenses is to offer a very good quality, excellent value 35/2 (or close) and a very good 35/1.4 for less affordable money. This is basic two-tier marketing methodology. Now if the new 35/1.8 is say, $600 and on par with Canon's and Nikon's, how many 35/1.4 and 35/2.8 lenses can Sony sell?
It's very likely those who expect a mid-level lens a la 28/2 will not be disappointed. If it's a GM in cost/performance, the loss of face for the 35/1.4 will be a lot to bear. It's unclear they would even contemplate it.
Some posters are getting tired of the talk but there are solid reasons for it: a good ~f2/35mm is a central 'anchor' lens in any range; they are big sellers; it's been that way for over a half century; many photographers who want just one walk around lens mostly plump for a 35mm; most fixed lens cameras come with a 35mm, and most of them are f2 for very good practical and technical reasons.
swldstn wrote:
If they do a 40mm f/1.4 GM will that mean I will have to give up my Batis 40mm f/2 CF which I am very happy with as a walk around alternative the the 35/1.4 and 50/1.4 ZA? Though I also love the 50/1.4 but with its weight I don't carry it all day.
If you're happy with it and not interested in a GM lens with their unique characteristics then presumably you should just keep it.
philip_pj wrote:
Just now, Canon and Nikon both unerringly introduced 35/1.8 lenses right off the bat, for $450 and $850 respectively, both are usable stabilized. They weigh 305g and 370g. Sony offers a 120g pancake 35/2.8 for $800 and a 630g 35/1.4 for $1600 - both obviously miss the mark - the middle! - by a wide margin and cost a lot for not enough. Sony had a five year head start.
The idea of mainstream 35mm lenses is to offer a very good quality, excellent value 35/2 (or close) and a very good 35/1.4 for less affordable money. This is basic two-tier marketing methodology. Now if the new 35/1.8 is say, $600 and on par with Canon's and Nikon's, how many 35/1.4 and 35/2.8 lenses can Sony sell?
It's very likely those who expect a mid-level lens a la 28/2 will not be disappointed. If it's a GM in cost/performance, the loss of face for the 35/1.4 will be a lot to bear. It's unclear they would even contemplate it.
Some posters are getting tired of the talk but there are solid reasons for it: a good ~f2/35mm is a central 'anchor' lens in any range; they are big sellers; it's been that way for over a half century; many photographers who want just one walk around lens mostly plump for a 35mm; most fixed lens cameras come with a 35mm, and most of them are f2 for very good practical and technical reasons.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Yes, we have precedent to this when the FE 24/1.4 GM came as a direct competitor to the Batis 25/2.
Fred, I know. Right now I have both the Batis 25/2 and the GM 24/1.4 since I like my Batis family. If there is a GM 40mm f/1.4 I probably would buy it as well and sell off the used 35/1.4 ZA I just picked up for a very good price. Right now I have 7 native lenses between 24mm and 50mm when I add in my Loxias. Way to many.
There are a lot of 35mm options
Sony 35/2.8
Samyang 35/2.8
Sony 35/1.4
Samyang 35/1.4
Loxia 35/2
Sony 24-70/4
Sony 24-70/2.8
Sony 28-70 kit
Sony 24-105
Tamron 28-70/2.8
Sony 28/2 cropped slightly
Sony 24/1.8? In APS-C crop mode
I am sure there are more. I just find it humorous with all those choices to use at 35mm there is a lot of complaining here. So I don't think a 35/1.8 will stop the complaining. It will just shift slightly😀
Of course I hope it is the mythic lens everyone else wants but I just don't think it will satisfy the crowd here.
WestTexas Sky wrote:
If this turns out to be a real lens, you know the complaining will start it's "too big" and should have been an f/2 or f/1.9 or something.
You know no one here will ever be happy with the the 35mm focal length despite all the options out there. 😀
wittyphrase wrote:
What are “all the options” for 1.8 max aperture 35mm native FE mount lens? There are 35mm options, but not at 1.8 and the appropriate price point people are hoping for.
Ah, complaining about people complaining about not having the most commonly used prime lens outside of a 50mm F1.8. With that type of ignorance you should work for Sony.
Cosina 35/1.4. (Not the sharpest one in the market)
Loxia 35/2 (Will not offer 5 axis stabilization)
Samyang/Rokinon. Need a lens dock at extra cost for their constant FW updates.
There are only two Zony lenses out there and this 35/1.8 is way long due.
WestTexas Sky wrote:
There are a lot of 35mm options
Sony 35/2.8
Samyang 35/2.8
Sony 35/1.4
Samyang 35/1.4
Loxia 35/2
Sony 24-70/4
Sony 24-70/2.8
Sony 28-70 kit
Sony 24-105
Tamron 28-70/2.8
Sony 28/2 cropped slightly
Sony 24/1.8? In APS-C crop mode
I am sure there are more. I just find it humorous with all those choices to use at 35mm there is a lot of complaining here. So I don't think a 35/1.8 will stop the complaining. It will just shift slightly😀
Of course I hope it is the mythic lens everyone else wants but I just don't think it will satisfy the crowd here.
I have and quite like the Samyang 35/2.8. I know what it can and cannot do, and appreciate its tiny size and "throw-in-the-bag" ability. I bought the lens dock and did the most recent FW update, but there isn't a noticeable difference for my kind of use, so I wouldn't say buying the lens dock is essential. The AF was already crisp enough given that the DoF at F2.8 isn't all that shallow anyway, so focus misses are pretty rare. I also have the Samyang 85/1.4, so getting the lens station, which isn't really expensive (even paying the $60 for it, the Samyang is way cheaper than the Zony 35), made sense to me.
All this said, I'd buy a 35/1.8 in a second if it has a better AF motor than the Sony 50/1.8. So I'm hopeful that that will come along and perform well, although I am not someone who thinks the system fails without this type of lens, especially with the Batis 40 and now Samyang 45/1.8 options.
realVivek wrote:
Cosina 35/1.4. (Not the sharpest one in the market)
Loxia 35/2 (Will not offer 5 axis stabilization)
Samyang/Rokinon. Need a lens dock at extra cost for their constant FW updates.
There are only two Zony lenses out there and this 35/1.8 is way long due.
They are just releasing this one because of Canon and Nikon.
I hope Samyang/Rokinon etc will move onto Canon, Nikon, L etc. More chances to sell their lens docks.
MFoucs wrote:
I have and quite like the Samyang 35/2.8. I bought the lens dock and did the most recent FW update, but there isn't a noticeable difference for my kind of use, so I wouldn't say buying the lens dock is essential. The AF was already crisp enough given that the DoF at F2.8 isn't all that shallow anyway, so focus misses are pretty rare. I also have the Samyang 85/1.4, so getting the lens station, which isn't really expensive (even paying the $60 for it, the Samyang is way cheaper than the Zony 35), made sense to me.
All this said, I'd buy a 35/1.8 in a second if it has a better AF motor than the Sony 50/1.8. So I'm hopeful that that will come along and perform well, although I am not someone who thinks the system fails without this type of lens, especially with the Batis 40 and now Samyang 45/1.8 options.
Designing wide lenses has gotten a bit easier with the short flange distance of mirrorless. We see that with the GM 24 and Canon’s and Nikon’s very nice 35s for mirrorless. I am hopeful for a decent performing lens with one Asph element, two APD elements, and nine rounded aperture blades. They should also be able to have more modest distortion (say 2.5% cleaned up to near zero with a profile) than the 28 and certainly a better motor than the 50. If they do that and price it at $699 it ought to be pretty competitive with the Canon and Nikon offerings which is a good thing.
Well, this lens could be one that Sony will make a statement with. Just like the Canonikon DSLR day, the "slower" lens won't get the red L/gold G designation. But it doesn't mean it has to be bad in term of IQ. Sony has progressed so much in lens designing that they might just be able to make a great lens here with some sort of weather sealing, fast and silent focus, and corner-to-corner sharpness at WO. They could sacrifice distortion (to be corrected with a profile) and vignetting to achieve the IQ goal while keeping the lens small and light. If they manage to make something almost as good as the Nikkor Z 35 while being smaller, lighter and cheaper, they would crush the lens mount size hype. It's way better than producing a big and heavy "me too" 50/1.2. It also shows that the G and GM designation is for additional non-essential features (like speed, better weather sealing, latest AF motor, better construction, less compromises in distortion and vignetting, etc.) and less to do with the IQ.
I am going to Italy on vacation and have a 28 f2 which I will return since I expect my order for the 24 f1.4 to arrive next week. I would have preferred a top.quality 35mm but it looks like the 24 will have to do among with my 24-105 F4.
WestTexas Sky wrote:
There are a lot of 35mm options
Sony 35/2.8
Samyang 35/2.8
Sony 35/1.4
Samyang 35/1.4
Loxia 35/2
Sony 24-70/4
Sony 24-70/2.8
Sony 28-70 kit
Sony 24-105
Tamron 28-70/2.8
Sony 28/2 cropped slightly
Sony 24/1.8? In APS-C crop mode
I am sure there are more. I just find it humorous with all those choices to use at 35mm there is a lot of complaining here. So I don't think a 35/1.8 will stop the complaining. It will just shift slightly😀
Of course I hope it is the mythic lens everyone else wants but I just don't think it will satisfy the crowd here.
Sigma Art 35/1.4 FE (DSLR bolt on tube)
Zeiss Batis 40/2 is close
Sigma 35/1.2 rumoured
Voigtländer 35/1.4 FE
'Options': get light, get heavy, get fast, get slow, get off-brand, get narrow, get old tech, get vintage, get cropped, get formatted, get top zoomed, get heavy zoomed, get kit zoomed, get wide zoomed, get mid zoomed, get slow zoomed, get rumored, get cheap, get manual or get out! 24-240 also = get range zoomed. Lots of zoomers in making this argument, lol. Lots of donut, but still have the hole to fill.
Not to forget the most important one of all: get fixed (in all its meanings).
There's the rub, and there's the problem's solution. On your mark, Sony.
If this lens performs well, I might pick one up, even though the 24 GM ticks a whole lot of boxes. If the 35 1.8 is reasonably sharp from wide open in a compact package, I could live with some vignetting and a bit of distortion (fixed/improved by a profile).
Jun 29, 2019 at 08:10 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
If I were designing my perfect kit, I would have a set of fast, very high performance lenses (even if they were somewhat large) at 28, 50, & 90, that I would use when I didn't care about weight. I would also want, however a nice 35 and 70 that were small, had a bit slower apertures and still decent performers for when I wanted to go light.
You could achieve this kit in a lot of ways, but on Sony it seems that this lens could fit into such a plan. I am considering a kit that would be GM 24, ZA 50 f/1.4, and GM 135 (not quite the ideal spacing but what a wonderful set of lenses). Then for the small light kit this 35 f/1.8 if it turns out to be what I hope it will be and the 85 f/1.8. That would make a really nice set of primes, I think.
