I’ve tested a mix of 35mm lenses from different manufacturers in the lab. The Sony 35mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/2.8 are on my list to review, but in the meantime, here are some comparisons with lenses that I have tested so far. This will provide some context on how the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 holds up.
Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 vs Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro
Right off the bat, we have surprisingly similar performance with both of these lenses. The Sony lens is a little better across the frame at the large aperture values (especially f/1.8 and f/2). As you stop down, however, the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro catches up in the midframes and corners, and it pulls ahead in the center.
Personally, I tend to care more about central sharpness at wide apertures, and edge-to-edge sharpness as you stop down. This puts the Sony a little ahead in my book. But it’s down to the type of photography that you do.
My main takeaway is just how similarly these two lenses perform. If you showed me unlabeled versions of these charts, I would not have been surprised if they were two different copies of the same lens!
Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 vs Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S
We have another close comparison on our hands. Just like last time, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is sharper across the frame at f/1.8 and f/2. However, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S keeps getting better as you stop down. By f/2.8, it’s sharper in the center; by f/4, it’s sharper in the corners.
While the Nikon lens has some wavy field curvature that prevents it from overtaking Sony in the midframes, it’s still the sharper lens overall at the medium to narrow aperture values. Still, the differences are never drastic. Perhaps a documentary photographer would prefer the Sony (shooting wide open at f/1.8 most of the time), while a landscape photographer would prefer the Nikon.
Again, this is just for context – I don’t really recommend adapting lenses across mirrorless systems, so it’s more of a relative question. My takeaway is that Sony, Canon, and Nikon are all roughly neck-and-neck with the sharpness of their 35mm f/1.8 primes, and any strengths or weaknesses will depend upon your own needs.
Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 vs Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8
The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 is made for both Sony E and Nikon Z mounts, and it’s not a bad option if you’re on a tight budget. However, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 blows it out of the water in sharpness in both the center and the midframe regions of the image. Only the corners are competitive, since the Viltrox has a significant amount of wavy field curvature that boosts its corner performance but drags down its midframe performance in our MTF tests.
Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 vs Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
As we have seen many times before at Photography Life, even a high-end zoom often falls short of basic prime lenses in sharpness. While the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM is not dramatically worse, it is a little less sharp overall across the entire frame. The only exception is the center at f/4 and f/5.6, which is imperceptibly sharper on the zoom.
The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:
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