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Archive 2020Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
p.3 #1Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
hasenbein wrote:
Want an awesome 35? Get an old Contax-Zeiss 35-70mm f3.4. There you go.
It's a good zoom, but a weak 35.
Want an awesome 35? Get an old Contax-Zeiss 35-70mm f3.4. There you go.
It's a good zoom, but a weak 35.
Jul 19, 2020 at 09:06 PM
p.3 #2Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
I like my 35/1.8 quite a bit; I'd buy a 35GM immediately if it was built similar in size to the 24GM. The 35/1.2 doesn't balance the way I'm looking for from a 35mm lens.
Jul 19, 2020 at 09:17 PM
p.3 #3Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Lenses: Fast, light, small, HiIQ, cheap-Pick 3. (?) Also the Sigma F1.2 is large-their 40mm F1.4 is huge, heavy and clumsy also the sharpest fast 35/40mm at any price.
Jul 19, 2020 at 09:21 PM
p.3 #4Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Out of the crowd here but I love my Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4 Sony Mount.
I used to adapt its Canon EF version through MC-11 and hated the combination: noisy, slow and inaccurate AF plus unbalanced on the body. I put my hopes on the Sony 35 f/1.8 but was not convinced of its image quality, so ultimately went back to the Sigma Art f/1.4 in the Sony native mount and indeed it is a different lens not experiencing the annoying noisy/sluggish AF of the adapted lens. For me image quality/rendering/contrast/subject isolation are amazing on this lens.
Of course give me a Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM in the 24gm form factor and I will buy it in a heartbeat.
I used to adapt its Canon EF version through MC-11 and hated the combination: noisy, slow and inaccurate AF plus unbalanced on the body. I put my hopes on the Sony 35 f/1.8 but was not convinced of its image quality, so ultimately went back to the Sigma Art f/1.4 in the Sony native mount and indeed it is a different lens not experiencing the annoying noisy/sluggish AF of the adapted lens. For me image quality/rendering/contrast/subject isolation are amazing on this lens.
Of course give me a Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM in the 24gm form factor and I will buy it in a heartbeat.
Jul 19, 2020 at 10:24 PM
p.3 #5Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
'Lenses: Fast, light, small, HiIQ, cheap'
It's a point well taken, but as with all generalisations, exceptions exist and often point the way forward. The Voigtlander 75/1.5 - at 350g, 2.5" x 2.5" and $899 - looks right at home on any Sony body. The APO-Lanthar 50/2 will street almost any f1.4 50mm lens at f2, and it hits these points as well.
Given any luck, the Fast Aperture Schtick might go the way of the Sharpness Grand Prix, as designers ramp up focal plane MTF (yes, a tautology, but for emphasis) to extraordinary heights and manufacture better image depth and separation. To use NDE's great old word, I'm smitten with this refreshing look and would take it over a blizzard of bokeh any day of the week. Fashions change fast! Technology and expertise enable them, and the market decides..
It's a point well taken, but as with all generalisations, exceptions exist and often point the way forward. The Voigtlander 75/1.5 - at 350g, 2.5" x 2.5" and $899 - looks right at home on any Sony body. The APO-Lanthar 50/2 will street almost any f1.4 50mm lens at f2, and it hits these points as well.
Given any luck, the Fast Aperture Schtick might go the way of the Sharpness Grand Prix, as designers ramp up focal plane MTF (yes, a tautology, but for emphasis) to extraordinary heights and manufacture better image depth and separation. To use NDE's great old word, I'm smitten with this refreshing look and would take it over a blizzard of bokeh any day of the week. Fashions change fast! Technology and expertise enable them, and the market decides..
Jul 19, 2020 at 11:00 PM
p.3 #6Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
GabrielPhoto wrote:
It's great if people don't mind the size or find it not overly large in their usage, but in actuality there are few larger faster FF 35mm's in production. The only I can think of is the Milvus 35.Who decides what makes a lens huge or not? Maybe to you is huge but to me is normal and perfectly fine so there is nothing to admit. 
Now my 105mm 1.4 that one I can call big for my own standards but I am sure someone with a bigger lens may feel is normal too. Its all a matter of perspective.
If you compare it to other lenses of the same class it is very large. That is not a matter of perspective but a fact.
If you need to do creative thinking like comparing 35mm lens to 105mm lens to say the 35mm isn’t a big lens, well, you should just compare it to an 800mm lens, and then it will be pocketable.
Edited on Jul 20, 2020 at 12:49 AM · View previous versions
nehemiahphoto wrote
Why can't fans of the Sigma 35 1.2 admit it's huge? It doesn't take away from the marvelous correction or rendering.It's great if people don't mind the size or find it not overly large in their usage, but in actuality there are few larger faster FF 35mm's in production. The only I can think of is the Milvus 35.
Now my 105mm 1.4 that one I can call big for my own standards but I am sure someone with a bigger lens may feel is normal too. Its all a matter of perspective.
If you compare it to other lenses of the same class it is very large. That is not a matter of perspective but a fact.
If you need to do creative thinking like comparing 35mm lens to 105mm lens to say the 35mm isn’t a big lens, well, you should just compare it to an 800mm lens, and then it will be pocketable.
Edited on Jul 20, 2020 at 12:49 AM · View previous versions
Jul 20, 2020 at 12:17 AM
p.3 #7Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Chris_88 wrote:
May be because the market doesn't want one. No offense, gentlemen, but I think too often we here on FM think that we represent Sony's market. For better or worse, we're just a rather small friction of that target group.
Hmmm, I have a feeling that FM's group of well heeled enthusiasts with a smattering of pro's is exactly Sony's market.
May be because the market doesn't want one. No offense, gentlemen, but I think too often we here on FM think that we represent Sony's market. For better or worse, we're just a rather small friction of that target group.
Hmmm, I have a feeling that FM's group of well heeled enthusiasts with a smattering of pro's is exactly Sony's market.
Jul 20, 2020 at 12:31 AM
p.3 #8Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Okay, someone start an international crowdfunding list for Sony
Jul 20, 2020 at 12:42 AM
p.3 #9Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
ftllens wrote:
Tdlr physics and money.
The 35 1.4 ZA and the rest of their 35s are still selling despite fora criticisms. And I got confused when I read the title because there are so many 35s that meet pretty much every usage scenario now natively and adapted.
Sony 35 1.4 ZA (decentering is overblown recent copies all seem to be pretty good, still my favorite rendering when direct light doesn't flood CA)
Sony 35 1.8 G (fast, balanced, sharp, compact, close mfd)
Sony 35 2.8 (awesome IQ to size ratio, fast AF)
Sony 16-35
Sony 24-70
Sony 24-105
Sigma 24-70
Tamron 28-75
Tamron 28-200
Tamron 35 2.8 (seems...Show more →
Also the samyang 1.4 35mm which is well appreciated despite its reliability
Tdlr physics and money.
The 35 1.4 ZA and the rest of their 35s are still selling despite fora criticisms. And I got confused when I read the title because there are so many 35s that meet pretty much every usage scenario now natively and adapted.
Sony 35 1.4 ZA (decentering is overblown recent copies all seem to be pretty good, still my favorite rendering when direct light doesn't flood CA)
Sony 35 1.8 G (fast, balanced, sharp, compact, close mfd)
Sony 35 2.8 (awesome IQ to size ratio, fast AF)
Sony 16-35
Sony 24-70
Sony 24-105
Sigma 24-70
Tamron 28-75
Tamron 28-200
Tamron 35 2.8 (seems...Show more →
Also the samyang 1.4 35mm which is well appreciated despite its reliability
Jul 20, 2020 at 01:36 AM
p.3 #10Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Furthermore, when you see how good, light and cheap can be old 35mm lenses (Canon FD 35 2.8, Pentax 35 3.5...), I don't really understand why there are still many flaws in what we currently have:
Loxia is just a awfull wider than f4
Sonys CA is really badly corrected
Sigma is too big
Actually if there was not so much problem with samyang reliability, the two samyang 35mm would be close to perfect (the 2.8 is cheap, light, small, and quite good, the 1.4 is a bit bigger, but not huge, not expensive and quite well corrected)
Loxia is just a awfull wider than f4
Sonys CA is really badly corrected
Sigma is too big
Actually if there was not so much problem with samyang reliability, the two samyang 35mm would be close to perfect (the 2.8 is cheap, light, small, and quite good, the 1.4 is a bit bigger, but not huge, not expensive and quite well corrected)
Jul 20, 2020 at 01:42 AM
p.3 #11Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
I'm pretty happy with my budget Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AF lens for Sony! It's AF fine tuned and bought for dirt cheap used from a fellow FM member! 
Jul 20, 2020 at 01:46 AM
p.3 #12Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that gem lol, actually there are a lot of ultra value 35/85 combos now.
Jul 20, 2020 at 02:10 AM
p.3 #13Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Curious, any 35mm that anyone consider "awesome" from other system? 
I found my awesome 35mm on other system and never look back. Is it a perfect lens? Nope. Because I believe it never exist. It's awesome because it tick the most boxes.
I found my awesome 35mm on other system and never look back. Is it a perfect lens? Nope. Because I believe it never exist. It's awesome because it tick the most boxes.
Jul 20, 2020 at 02:34 AM
p.3 #14Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
In a way the Samyang 35mm f2.8 IS awesome. So much lens in such a small package for such a low price!
Jul 20, 2020 at 02:54 AM
p.3 #15Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Which is why i have ordered Sam 35. The best that we have from all accounts. But that doesn’t relieve Sony from making a 35 GM. To me, and i think to many others, this is the most important general purpose prime lens in full frame system.
Jul 20, 2020 at 04:24 AM
p.3 #16Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Do you guys like your FE 35/1.8. It was launched backed by huge demand here and elsewhere but the critical evaluation has been lukewarm. I had it. Its so convenient but not entirely convincing. I tend to use my 35 a whole lot and i was very neutral about the look it creates. 35 ZA 1.4 is miles ahead.
Jul 20, 2020 at 04:39 AM
p.3 #17Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
nandadevieast wrote:
Do you guys like your FE 35/1.8. It was launched backed by huge demand here and elsewhere but the critical evaluation has been lukewarm. I had it. Its so convenient but not entirely convincing. I tend to use my 35 a whole lot and i was very neutral about the look it creates. 35 ZA 1.4 is miles ahead.
So why don't you just use the ZA? By all accounts, it's a great lens.
Do you guys like your FE 35/1.8. It was launched backed by huge demand here and elsewhere but the critical evaluation has been lukewarm. I had it. Its so convenient but not entirely convincing. I tend to use my 35 a whole lot and i was very neutral about the look it creates. 35 ZA 1.4 is miles ahead.
So why don't you just use the ZA? By all accounts, it's a great lens.
Jul 20, 2020 at 06:11 AM
p.3 #18Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Because its a hassle finding a good copy, per reports here. In any case i have already ordered SamYang and i like it equally if not more.
chez wrote:
So why don't you just use the ZA? By all accounts, it's a great lens.
chez wrote:
nandadevieast wrote
Do you guys like your FE 35/1.8. It was launched backed by huge demand here and elsewhere but the critical evaluation has been lukewarm. I had it. Its so convenient but not entirely convincing. I tend to use my 35 a whole lot and i was very neutral about the look it creates. 35 ZA 1.4 is miles ahead.Jul 20, 2020 at 06:22 AM
p.3 #19Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
OK I’ll bite. My Sony 85mm F1.8 is an exception to: Fast, lite, small, HiIQ or cheap.The CV 65mm F2.0 is a wobbler (not light or cheap). The Canon 50mm F1.0 or 85L F1.2 (with or w/o an adaptor) is not.
Jul 20, 2020 at 07:24 AM
p.3 #20Why don’t we have an AWESOME 35 yet?
Beni wrote:
Hmmm, I have a feeling that FM's group of well heeled enthusiasts with a smattering of pro's is exactly Sony's market.
Let me rephrase what I said: We may be the type of people Sony want to sell their cameras and lenses to, but the tastes/preferences of this board may not necessarily align with the wider target audience and/or Sony marketing's perception of the latter.
For instance, not just the 35 1.8, but also the 55 1.8 has a relatively bad reputation around here: Too much CA, too bland/clinical, boring rendition, bokeh no good, you name it (the 85 1.8 seems to get slightly better reviews).
Of course, without actual sales figures and marketing data it is difficult to make any claims, but a quick glimpse at the sales rankings for Sony glass at kakaku.com (which is the biggest online price comparison site in Japan) shows the three f1.8 lenses sitting at spots 6, 10, 12, with the 20 1.8, the APSC 35 1.8 and the 200-600 coming out on top. In other words, plenty of users end up buying those f1.8 lenses, despite their flaws.
I happily admit that I have no clue whether those users would be willing to shell out more money and/or accept slightly larger lenses in exchange for better CA correction, but it seems to me that those lenses are doing pretty well (in Japan at least), when compared to their mediocre reputation around here.
Edit: Before anybody gets this into the wrong throat: I think it's well established that many FM'ers are very critical and as Fred likes to point out, it's good to know a lens' weak spots. Plenty of other users are probably less critical/demanding, when it comes to testing/using gear. This is not a "good versus bad" thing, it's just different. My point is that we may at times underestimate this gap.
Chris_88 wrote
May be because the market doesn't want one. No offense, gentlemen, but I think too often we here on FM think that we represent Sony's market. For better or worse, we're just a rather small friction of that target group.Let me rephrase what I said: We may be the type of people Sony want to sell their cameras and lenses to, but the tastes/preferences of this board may not necessarily align with the wider target audience and/or Sony marketing's perception of the latter.
For instance, not just the 35 1.8, but also the 55 1.8 has a relatively bad reputation around here: Too much CA, too bland/clinical, boring rendition, bokeh no good, you name it (the 85 1.8 seems to get slightly better reviews).
Of course, without actual sales figures and marketing data it is difficult to make any claims, but a quick glimpse at the sales rankings for Sony glass at kakaku.com (which is the biggest online price comparison site in Japan) shows the three f1.8 lenses sitting at spots 6, 10, 12, with the 20 1.8, the APSC 35 1.8 and the 200-600 coming out on top. In other words, plenty of users end up buying those f1.8 lenses, despite their flaws.
I happily admit that I have no clue whether those users would be willing to shell out more money and/or accept slightly larger lenses in exchange for better CA correction, but it seems to me that those lenses are doing pretty well (in Japan at least), when compared to their mediocre reputation around here.
Edit: Before anybody gets this into the wrong throat: I think it's well established that many FM'ers are very critical and as Fred likes to point out, it's good to know a lens' weak spots. Plenty of other users are probably less critical/demanding, when it comes to testing/using gear. This is not a "good versus bad" thing, it's just different. My point is that we may at times underestimate this gap.
Jul 20, 2020 at 07:29 AM