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 p.2 #17 · Is there a 35GM little brother? | |
I've tried for a long time to find exactly the same thing. From what you've said so far in the thread, I'd highly recommend you try the Sony 40G. I think it is as close as you can get to the 35GM. Great autofocus, great image quality, aperture ring and button, great weathersealing. I used it for a long time, and was the perfect alternative to the 35GM when I wanted something smaller and less obtrusive. I cannot recommend it enough. It isn't F2, but 2.5 wasn't an issue in low light too often, and it has the subject separation of a 35 F2.2, so not far off there.
The only complaints I have are incredibly minor and subjective. As convenient as it is, I didn't like the look of the default lens hood, which was easily remedied with a Haoge square hood (which I also have for my 35GM, so it really was the little brother). The other more important thing I just never could get past is that 40mm just isn't 35mm. I see in 35mm, and every time I lifted the camera up, I'd be just a bit too cropped in. Often I could take the step back, and there were times where a bit tighter was nice. But I just didn't enjoy the experience of seeing something, and instead of immediately being able to take the picture, having to recompose a bit before getting the photo I wanted.
If you're more flexible than I am, then I would do everything to push you towards the 40G. I use the 35 2.8 ZA now instead for my everyday carry lens, and I enjoy it, but in my opinion, it is the inferior lens in every way except slightly smaller and (most importantly for me) slightly wider. Not as good of a focus, not as sharp, not as weathersealed, no aperture ring or button. If only Sony had made it 35, or I wasn't so single-visioned... :')
Otherwise, I don't think there's too many other options out there. I don't care about weight as much as I care about length with the lens hood on. With the Haoge square hood which is much smaller than the default lens hood, the smaller F1.8-F2 options don't provide enough of a reduction for the other tradeoffs. If size and weight were a big factor and I could only have one lens, the Viltrox EVO seems hard to beat as the perfect compromise. But since I do have the GM, if I'm going to be carrying that big of a lens, I feel like I might as well just go a bit farther and grab the better lens.
I've had the Sony 35 1.8, enjoyed that lens a lot, but the fringing and lack of real weathersealing made me upgrade to the GM. Haven't tried the Sigma 35i, but had the 90 2.8, and just didn't mesh with the design for some reason.
There is the Techart M-mount to E-mount adapters that can add autofocus to manual focus lenses, so you can get really compact fast options that way, like the Voigtlander 35mm 1.4. But the autofocus, from my understanding, leaves a lot to be desired, and lenses designed for the M sensors will be worse quality than the same lens that is native to the E-mount. But that would be an avenue to go to get a compact lens with character that is fast and technically has autofocus. This video is 10 years old, but it does a good job of showing how compact it can be:
Would love to hear other people comment on how an adapted 35mm M-mount lens compares to the 35MM ZA in terms of autofocus and image quality. Could be worth giving up weather sealing to have a compact 35mm 1.4 with autofocus.
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