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Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Review

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Review

By Nasim Mansurov 15 Comments
Last Updated On November 9, 2024

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Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 vs Sony FE 35mm f/2.8 Comparison

Let’s take a look at how the Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 compares to the Sony FE 35mm f/2.8 lens:

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f2 MTF Performance Old

Sony FE 35mm f2.8 MTF Performance Old

The Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 outperforms the Sony 35mm f/2.8 in the center at f/4. However, its mid-frame and corner performance are a bit disappointing due to field curvature that I talked about earlier. The Sony 35mm f/2.8 is more consistent in performance from f/2.8 to f/4, but stopped down to f/5.6, there is very little difference between the two in sharpness.

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Sample Image (30)
ILCE-7S + E 35mm F2 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/640, f/5.6

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 vs Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS

If you are wondering about how the Loxia 35mm f/2 performs against a high-quality zoom lens like the Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS at the same focal length, take a look at the below graphs:

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f2 MTF Performance Old

Sony FE 16-35mm f4 OSS MTF Performance 35mm Old

Looking at the above charts, it is pretty clear that the Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 OSS cannot optically match the Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 at the same focal length in the center. Its mid-frame performance is quite impressive even wide open, although the same cannot be said about the extreme corners. Keep in mind that we are comparing an f/2 lens to an f/4 lens, so there is a two-stop difference between the two. While the 16-35mm f/4 has optical stabilization to help reduce camera shake when shooting at very slow shutter speeds, it is now more or less negated with the newer camera bodies like the Sony A7 II, which feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Therefore, the Loxia 35mm f/2 is still advantageous not only for low-light situations, but also in its ability to isolate subjects.

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Sample Image (35)
ILCE-7M2 + E 35mm F2 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/200, f/11.0

Table of Contents

  • Overview and Specifications
  • Optical Features
  • Lens Comparisons
  • Summary
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
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