My first lens acquisition for 2019! Thankfully again it’s not an impulse buy, but a considered one, and also for my favorite prime focal length too: 35mm. One of the nicest things about the Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras is the proliferation of adapters to basically take just about any mainstream lens out there and use them on a Sony Alpha camera body. I already have the Sigma MC-11 adapter that makes it possible to use lenses from the huge Canon EF mount catalog on the Sony A73 – which is how I’ve been able to get 70-200mm f2.8 reach for less than a third of the price I’d pay for the Sony equivalent of this standard telephoto zoom.
Note to self: once Tamron releases its native FE-mount 70-200mm f2.8, rumored sometime in the first half of 2019, I’ll be selling my current Canon version of lens and going for the native mount instead. Wherever possible, one should use native rather than adapted lenses.
Thankfully, there is no lack of options for primes at the 35mm focal length. There is already an astonishing six 35mm prime lenses that are native-mount for the Sony FE system. I already have the non-intimidating, light-weight and very compact Samyang AF 35mm f2.8 for my A73, but decided to invest in a faster version of this focal length after writing the Pictures @ 35mm post late last year – yep some of the posts here are written well in advance!
Of the bunch of six 35mm primes, three support AF and is at f1.8 or better aperture:
Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA: sits at the top of the heap, but goodness me – it’s priced at SGD2,269 recommended retail price – ouch!
Sigma Art 35mm F1.4 DG HSM: the first of two third-party native mount lens at this focal length and maximum aperture, and retailing at SGD1,064.
Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE: retails at SGD870 street-price in retail stores here. Like the Sigma lens, optics-wise not where the Sony version is, but it costs almost less than a third of that, and it’s still good enough.
The Sony Distagon was by far the most expensive of the three and by a huge margin even. So, the dilemma I had was whether the Sony was twice as good optically, since that’s the price factor differential between the Sony and the next lens in the list, with the Samyang at just a third of the price of the Sony. (Un)Fortunately, the Sony Distagon just isn’t twice as good as the less expensive lenses – which meant I’d need to decide between the two cheapo lenses. And while the Sigma is a little more expensive than the Samyang, the price difference of about SGD200 isn’t large for me to drop the Sigma from consideration altogether.
Sadly, there aren’t nearly as many head to head video comparisons between these two third party lenses as I’d like, possibly on account that the Sigma version of the lens is still a fairly recent release. Forum discussion-wise, the jury is out on which lens is better, with roughly the same proportions of owners claiming that the Sigma lens is optically more consistent and sharper center-wise than the Samyang, and vice-versa. There also seems to be some mount-connection issues with the Samyang and – more scarily – possible decentering issues. I reckon I can deal with mount-connection difficulties – it happens occasionally with my m4/3 bodies and lenses – but I’ll need to keep an eye out for lens decentering anomalies. Interestingly, there were quite a few owners of both lenses who were able to do direct comparisons, and they, more often than not, ended up returning the Sigma and keeping the Samyang.
And very nicely too: right when I was pondering whether to commit to a purchase, the Samyang lens was temporarily available from B&H Photo Video USD499/SGD675, and the price of express delivery was also minimal. So with delivery and even with taxes added in, it’s still nice savings from buying it locally here. So, an immediate order available, the lens is now on its way from New Jersey USA and expected here on the 14 Jan. More definitely to come soon then!
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