p.69 #2 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
lora_to wrote:
Just a quick summary of the conclusion from my phone:
GM sharpness and contrast are excellent, he found little to no CA.
GM is sharpest with most contrast, less axial CA than Sigma 1.2.
Sigma 1.2 is runner up in contrast and sharpness, calls sharpness and contrast comparable but has more CA. Twice the weight and size is the main difference.
Check out both lenses if you want ultimate IQ and decide based on weight and (local) price difference.
All 4 lenses are good in terms of AF, the reigning FE 35/1.8 is beaten by the GM though, not only faster but also more often on target.
In terms of look, Sigma has a tad more bokeh and blur but he personally thought he'd see more of a difference from 1.4 to 1.2.
He only negatively noted the Sony zeiss in terms of bokeh rendering, outlining and onion rings. But he didn't really notice in most normal situations and likes the general rendering often.
In terms of flare the Sony Zeiss did best in his photos.
Also, he noted that ymmv at 24mpix or 42mpix....Show more →
I just have the 35GM mounted on the A1 and compared to the 35/1.2 briefly. Flare performance is miles better than the Sigma in situations and at settings I care about. Ugly rainbow flares with the Sigma vs. hardly anything on the Sony.
Some reported the AF to be similar to the Sigma Art and surprisingly I must agree. But I see less pumping on the Sony, it focuses more "determined".
p.69 #3 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
Holger wrote:
I just have the 35GM mounted on the A1 and compared to the 35/1.2 briefly. Flare performance is miles better than the Sigma in situations and at settings I care about. Ugly rainbow flares with the Sigma vs. hardly anything on the Sony.
Some reported the AF to be similar to the Sigma Art and surprisingly I must agree. But I see less pumping on the Sony, it focuses more "determined".
Hmm, that's surprising (and worrying) about AF. It was one of the things I was sure the GM would blow the Sigma out of the water with...
p.69 #4 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
rainio wrote:
Thanks.re. AF- DPreview must have had a bad copy or bad tecnhique when they tested the GM.
To me, it's a no brainer which lens you'd choose if you had the money - even between the sigma 1.2 and the GM, it's the GM all the way.
Wonder what the new 50 1.2 will be like - if it's a good size, it may be spectacular compared to the competition.
dpreview didn't really test the AF, they only measured the time "to rack from close-focus to infinity", and got 0.8 sec, and the Zeiss got 0.7 second, and the Sigma 1.2 got 0.65 second.
That's it, nothing else! No burst speed test, no tracking test, not even checking how many images are in focus or out of focus.
p.69 #5 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
octo wrote:
dpreview didn't really test the AF, they only measured the time "to rack from close-focus to infinity", and got 0.8 sec, and the Zeiss got 0.7 second, and the Sigma 1.2 got 0.65 second.
That's it, nothing else! No burst speed test, no tracking test, not even checking how many images are in focus or out of focus.
p.69 #6 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
j4nu wrote:
Hmm, that's surprising (and worrying) about AF. It was one of the things I was sure the GM would blow the Sigma out of the water with...
It is not worrying at all. The AF is still quick and sure and fast enough for all moving things. We photographed so many weddings and events with the Art, AF is surely not a problem at all.
My wife fell in love with the GM instantaneously. So small and light. She wants to replace the Sigma.
You pick up the A9ii with 35/1.2 and you really feel the immense weight and change in torque you need to stabilize the camera compared to the mounted GM.
p.69 #7 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
octo wrote:
dpreview didn't really test the AF, they only measured the time "to rack from close-focus to infinity", and got 0.8 sec, and the Zeiss got 0.7 second, and the Sigma 1.2 got 0.65 second.
That's it, nothing else! No burst speed test, no tracking test, not even checking how many images are in focus or out of focus.
I only had a limited time with it. Today my wife has a style shoot for Sony with it, then I can tell more. But from my limited time with it AF is not a point of concern at all.
p.69 #8 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
Took it out for a spin for the last hour. Notable items:
-Build was excellent, as expected for a GM lens
-No dust in the sensor! I really tried hard to get it to show up using pinpoint lighting like Christmas lights. This was a big worry for me.
-The decoration ring looks...normal...
-Weight in the hand is fantastic and well balanced. I wouldn't have a problem walking around with this all day.
-Did notice focus breathing a few times when changing focus points, but don't shoot video so it's really not an issue for me. I never noticed this on the FE35.
-Vignetting is noticeable at f/1.4 but nothing that can't be corrected. And really I only notice it when I swap between this and higher apertures. It doesn't take away from the photo itself.
-I'm going out on a limb here, but AF acquisition felt just slightly faster on my FE 35 f/1.8. This is just a feel thing. It's still really, really fast, and has to move more glass. I could be wrong and will update later if I find this to not be the case.
-It is SUPER SHARP especially in the center. The sharpest lens I've ever come across, not that I've tried everything but it takes the cake for me
-Transition zones appear very smooth. I like the rendering very much, though I have only seen it in camera thus far.
-Flare is very well controlled, even shooting into the sun.
-When shooting into the sun into high contrast backgrounds like trees, you still get purple fringing. It's much, much better controlled than the FE35, but it's still there. That's really only in the very harsh tests though. In regular shooting I notice almost no fringing. At least upon initial review zooming in on the camera back screen.
-I have immediately noticed how nice the contrast is on this lens. Very pleasing with lots of detail.
-Manual focus feels linear, very easy to use MF
Once I have time to get the pictures here I will upload some for review. Maybe tonight.
p.69 #9 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
I'm tempted to move from the Sigma 35 f/2 to this lens, but the 35 GM without hood is the same size as the Sigma 35 /f2 with its large hood on. The f/1.4 option is tempting despite the notable size jump...
p.69 #10 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
abadger wrote:
Took it out for a spin for the last hour. Notable items:
-Build was excellent, as expected for a GM lens
-No dust in the sensor! I really tried hard to get it to show up using pinpoint lighting like Christmas lights. This was a big worry for me.
-The decoration ring looks...normal...
-Weight in the hand is fantastic and well balanced. I wouldn't have a problem walking around with this all day.
-Did notice focus breathing a few times when changing focus points, but don't shoot video so it's really not an issue for me. I never noticed this on the FE35.
-Vignetting is noticeable at f/1.4 but nothing that can't be corrected. And really I only notice it when I swap between this and higher apertures. It doesn't take away from the photo itself.
-I'm going out on a limb here, but AF acquisition felt just slightly faster on my FE 35 f/1.8. This is just a feel thing. It's still really, really fast, and has to move more glass. I could be wrong and will update later if I find this to not be the case.
-It is SUPER SHARP especially in the center. The sharpest lens I've ever come across, not that I've tried everything but it takes the cake for me
-Transition zones appear very smooth. I like the rendering very much, though I have only seen it in camera thus far.
-Flare is very well controlled, even shooting into the sun.
-When shooting into the sun into high contrast backgrounds like trees, you still get purple fringing. It's much, much better controlled than the FE35, but it's still there. That's really only in the very harsh tests though. In regular shooting I notice almost no fringing. At least upon initial review zooming in on the camera back screen.
-I have immediately noticed how nice the contrast is on this lens. Very pleasing with lots of detail.
-Manual focus feels linear, very easy to use MF
Once I have time to get the pictures here I will upload some for review. Maybe tonight.
So far my initial impression verdict: worth it!!!...Show more →
Agree with most of that, especially when it comes to contrast and sharpness... again, it's impressive for a 1.4 lens that also offers such a smooth rendering.
Can't confirm about purple fringing, I didn't really come across challenging situations so I didn't notice anything disturbing for now. I also can't give you an objective feedback about AF speed, it seems very fast, accurate and responsive to me, but I've been spending too much time with my X1D for the pas few months, so everything coming from Sony is super fast for me (except the 85 GM !).
Can't wait to see your first shots
p.69 #13 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
abadger wrote:
Took it out for a spin for the last hour. Notable items:
-Build was excellent, as expected for a GM lens
-No dust in the sensor! I really tried hard to get it to show up using pinpoint lighting like Christmas lights. This was a big worry for me.
-The decoration ring looks...normal...
-Weight in the hand is fantastic and well balanced. I wouldn't have a problem walking around with this all day.
-Did notice focus breathing a few times when changing focus points, but don't shoot video so it's really not an issue for me. I never noticed this on the FE35.
-Vignetting is noticeable at f/1.4 but nothing that can't be corrected. And really I only notice it when I swap between this and higher apertures. It doesn't take away from the photo itself.
-I'm going out on a limb here, but AF acquisition felt just slightly faster on my FE 35 f/1.8. This is just a feel thing. It's still really, really fast, and has to move more glass. I could be wrong and will update later if I find this to not be the case.
-It is SUPER SHARP especially in the center. The sharpest lens I've ever come across, not that I've tried everything but it takes the cake for me
-Transition zones appear very smooth. I like the rendering very much, though I have only seen it in camera thus far.
-Flare is very well controlled, even shooting into the sun.
-When shooting into the sun into high contrast backgrounds like trees, you still get purple fringing. It's much, much better controlled than the FE35, but it's still there. That's really only in the very harsh tests though. In regular shooting I notice almost no fringing. At least upon initial review zooming in on the camera back screen.
-I have immediately noticed how nice the contrast is on this lens. Very pleasing with lots of detail.
-Manual focus feels linear, very easy to use MF
Once I have time to get the pictures here I will upload some for review. Maybe tonight.
So far my initial impression verdict: worth it!!!...Show more →
Was there any real evidence the loose decoration ring was ever an issue?
"The performance in the frame centre should be called simply brilliant – you get results close to the new resolution record, set by the Sigma 2.8/105 Macro. Already at the maximum relative aperture the MTFs are simply sensational, exceeding 66 lpmm. Let's remind here the fact that the Sonnar 2.8/35 couldn't reach such a level even on stopping down! When you stop down the Sony 1.4/35 incredible things happen. Already by f/2.8 the lens is breaking record values, set by the Voigtlanders, by reaching 78.9 lpmm. That result is even improved by f/4.0 where the lens is able to reach 79.7 ±1.1 lpmm – so, within the margin of error, the same level as the latest resolution record of the Sigma.
The performance on the edge of the APS-C sensor should be described only in superlatives as well. Already at the maximum relative aperture you get good results reaching 49 lpmm and on stopping down the resolution increases to even 70 lpmm. It's a level some prime lenses, tested by us, have had problems to reach even in the frame centre.
We have also no reservations concerning the very demanding edge of full frame. By f/1.4 we got a result of 43.6 lpmm so safely above the decency level. On stopping down the aperture the MTFs improved relatively quickly – the lens was able to reach its wide maximum in an aperture range from f/2.8 to f/5.6 where it got to a very good level of about 58 lpmm.
To sum up we don't hesitate to write that, when it comes to resolution, the Sony FE 35 mm f/1.4 GM fares sensationally well, without even one weak point. A round of applause! "
tldr; Prepare to see the Sony beat the Sigma on resolution test charts.
"The performance in the frame centre should be called simply brilliant – you get results close to the new resolution record, set by the Sigma 2.8/105 Macro. Already at the maximum relative aperture the MTFs are simply sensational, exceeding 66 lpmm. Let's remind here the fact that the Sonnar 2.8/35 couldn't reach such a level even on stopping down! When you stop down the Sony 1.4/35 incredible things happen. Already by f/2.8 the lens is breaking record values, set by the Voigtlanders, by reaching 78.9 lpmm. That result is even improved by f/4.0 where the lens is able to reach 79.7 ±1.1 lpmm – so, within the margin of error, the same level as the latest resolution record of the Sigma.
The performance on the edge of the APS-C sensor should be described only in superlatives as well. Already at the maximum relative aperture you get good results reaching 49 lpmm and on stopping down the resolution increases to even 70 lpmm. It's a level some prime lenses, tested by us, have had problems to reach even in the frame centre.
We have also no reservations concerning the very demanding edge of full frame. By f/1.4 we got a result of 43.6 lpmm so safely above the decency level. On stopping down the aperture the MTFs improved relatively quickly – the lens was able to reach its wide maximum in an aperture range from f/2.8 to f/5.6 where it got to a very good level of about 58 lpmm.
To sum up we don't hesitate to write that, when it comes to resolution, the Sony FE 35 mm f/1.4 GM fares sensationally well, without even one weak point. A round of applause! "
tldr; Prepare to see the Sony beat the Sigma on resolution test charts....Show more →
Very, very good.
Let's se how it compares once more.
p.69 #17 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
LBJ2 wrote:
Was there any real evidence the loose decoration ring was ever an issue?
From what I have read, they really didn’t find much in their testing other than to confirm the decorative rings stayed on. So my guess is that there were a couple of wildcards in the field or from a particular batch but that it wasn’t a pervasive issue. Probably why they upped the shipping date again. Again, largely speculating.
There is nothing I can see on the lens that would suggest a problem, or even evidence it had been inspected. So I’m not sure if the lens went through QA again or not. But they did tell me at the store it had been held back for this reason, just to check.
p.69 #18 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
ramesesthe2nd wrote:
And prepare to see the Sigma beat the Sony on rendering, bokeh and 3D pop.
If I sell Sigma for Sony, it will be mainly for weight and size and not for the upgrade in IQ.
There are already comparisons of the aspects you mention - the consensus that I've read over a number of reputable sources is that:
1) Sony is sharper, better than the sigma in most indices
2) Sigma has slightly better OOF blurring, slightly larger bokeh balls (as expected, though most say this is slight)
3) Sony has more contrast (thus likely more 3d pop, as exhibited by other GM lenses, offsetting the sigma's blurred blurred OOF areas).
4) Rendering is a funny term. It's not based just on OOF/bokeh of course, and includes contrast/imperfections/sharpness. I found my Sony 35mm 1.4 ZA had great, dreamy rendering, though on analysis, I found that was likely due to it's imperfections (including being not as sharp as it's competitors). I find that sharper, more neutral lenses have, subjectively, less "character" (unless contrast is strong, as it is with the Sony) - which is often what we need (as we can add "character" in post of with filters).
There will be more comparisons of rendering soon, I warrant.
Though sure, seems you've made your mind up already that the sigma has better IQ so whatever. Seems to me that your subconscious is working hard, trying to determine if the hassle of selling the sigma is worth it.
For someone with a choice of purchasing either, I doubt 1 in 10 would purchase the sigma over the sony. Six months ago it was a very different story - it was the "king". Well, the king is dead, long live the king.
p.69 #19 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
I tried to get a few different testing scenarios for the brief time I was able to use the lens. Not comprehensive, or perhaps even good shots by any means but hopefully it helps someone in the meantime.
p.69 #20 · Pre-order: Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM ($1,399)
rainio wrote:
Though sure, seems you've made your mind up already that the sigma has better IQ so whatever. Seems to me that your subconscious is working hard, trying to determine if the hassle of selling the sigma is worth it.
I am not the one writing essays on this forum going over with a fine tooth comb trying to declare a new king, but you are, so whatever.
And please keep your psychology advice to yourself. I am not planning to sell Sigma anytime soon.
