Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 Review

Introduction

Today’s hands-on review covers everything you need to know about the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 lens. Small and portable, this lens features a bright maximum aperture of f/1.8 – good for shooting in low light or capturing a shallow depth of field.

Although this lens doesn’t bring any groundbreaking features to the table, perhaps it doesn’t need to. Prime lenses with a 35mm focal length have been popular for ages. Street photographers, event photographers, and travel photographers in particular tend to love tiny 35mm primes like this one.

At $750, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is a little more expensive than the average 35mm f/1.8 lens, but not drastically so. Canon’s 35mm f/1.8 costs $500 by comparison. Nikon’s F-mount version costs $530, and their Z-mount version costs $850. Depending on the performance of the Sony, it certainly could be worth the money.

I tested the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 extensively both in the field and in the lab, and I’ve published my full results in the review below. Does this lens live up to its promise as a “light and bright” fast prime? Or does its performance leave something to be desired? Read on to find out!

Build Quality

The Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is not part of Sony’s G series, let alone their professional GM series. Nevertheless, the lens is made of metal, which is rare on a lens of this level (somehow it still feels a little cheaper in material to me – maybe it’s the type of paint used – but this is very subjective on my part).

As for water resistance and dust-proofing, there is no visible rubber gasket at the lens mount, and the lens is not sealed at the level of a G or GM lens. However, Sony clarifies that the FE 35mm f/1.8 is sealed with various internal rubber gaskets, including near the mount. It’s also an internally-focusing lens. Taking that into account, I have no issue using this lens in rainy or dusty conditions – as you’ll see from the photos throughout this review.

One of the biggest benefits of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is its lightweight construction. At just 281 grams (0.62 lbs), this is one of the lightest lenses of its type. Though not small enough to qualify as a pancake lens, it weighs so little that you can throw it in your bag without a second thought. By comparison, Canon’s RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro weighs 305 grams, and Nikon’s Z 35mm f/1.8 S weighs 370 grams.

The focusing group of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is not held in place mechanically and can move slightly when the lens is not receiving power. This isn’t a malfunction, but even so, it can be slightly disconcerting to feel the lens elements shift when the camera’s off and you move the FE 35mm f/1.8 around.

Now let’s cover the lens’s handling features.

Handling

The Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 handles pretty well. It has a focusing ring, an AF-MF switch, and a customizable function button. It’s still a little slimmed-down compared to some of Sony’s other primes, mainly due to the lack of an aperture ring. Still, it has all the essentials.

Because of the small size of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8, its filter thread diameter is just 55mm. This is smaller than most of Sony’s FE lenses, so if you plan to use filters with this lens, you may need to make a compromise. Either buy a new set of 55mm filters, or use a step-up ring in combination with larger filters (which would prevent you from using the lens’s hood.) None of this is a dealbreaker, just something I think is worth pointing out if you’re a fan of lens filters.

Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 Specifications

• Full Name: Sony FE 35mm f/1.8
• Mount Type: Sony E Mount
• Focal Length: 35mm prime
• Angle of View (Full Frame): 63°
• Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
• Minimum Aperture: f/22
• Aperture Blades: 9, rounded
• Filter Size: 55mm
• Lens Elements: 11
• Lens Groups: 9
• Special Elements: 1 aspherical
• Image Stabilization: No
• Internal Focusing: Yes
• Control Rings: Focus ring
• Function Button: Yes
• Focus Motor: Linear
• Minimum Focus Distance: 22 cm (8.7 inches)
• Maximum Magnification: 0.24× (1:4.2)
• Mount Material: Metal
• Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
• Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 73 × 66 mm (2.9 × 2.6 inches)
• Weight: 281 g (0.62 lbs)
• MSRP: $750
• Lowest Sale Seen: $650 (check current price)

The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. So, click the menu below to go to “Optical Features”: