Very happy to hear that you are happy with it on the A1. :) I'll get my copy of this lens tomorrow for the 7R III .. I could never imagine to buy a lens so expensive, but today I decided to do it. :D I've been experimenting a lot with 35s and 50s, sorting out the 50s as general purpose lens because they are always a bit too close; among the other 35s, they all have their aspects I don't really like such as AF performance for hybrid shooting (Tamron 35/2.8), slow apertures (all the 2.8s), no weather sealing (Sony's 35/1.8) or a form factor that my hand doesn't like (Sony/Samyang 35 1.8). The other 1.4 35s are quite a bit bigger and heavier, so I decided to just get the GM and put the discussion ad acta once and forever. No point in always trying a different lens, buying and selling again etc. Plus: I have to confess that you get picky on these 7R bodies .. I use mine with Tamron's 28-75 G2 and this combination sets a very high bar, making you less of a fan for too drastic compromises.
The bokeh and rendering is really fantastic, so smooth, and at the same time the lens is incredibly sharp. I think this will become my first GM lens, as I love the 35mm focal length.
I greatly appreciate your long term reviews as they bring out finer explorations & a certain evolved visual sensibility. Also for us to access what these high quality lenses are capable of on the best of sony sensors. Though the 35mm is not one of my preferred FL, your nuanced exploration allowed me to step out of my threshold! I it does appear to be a stellar lens!
It's worth mentioning that if you have the Sony A7 IV, you can use the new Breathing Compensation option to minimize the focus breathing of the lens in video mode (at the expense of a slight crop).
Possibly my favorite prime paired with the Sigma 85. Been debating investing in the 50mm GM though and selling the 35 GM, as 50 FL is used for work much more often and my Sigma 24-70 can handle 35mm if needed. Have you found upgrading from the Planar 1.4 to the GM 50 to be worthwhile? Thanks as always for sharing your thoughts. My favorite reviews on TH-cam without a doubt!
Thank you Dustin, another great review as always. I own this lens and love it for everything. Agree with your takeaway of “not regretting a bit”. Recently I purchased the Voigtlander 50f2 following your review and find it a great pair with the 35gm: 50 for still objects and 35 for moving ones in general, and both producing fabulous results. Thanks again for guiding us towards great gears.
Agree completely. This is a fabulous optics. I sold my Milvus 35mm 1.4, that I adapted to my Sony. This lens is optically close to ideal. My advise to anyone starting in the Sony system, is to get this lens first.
Thanks Dustin. Nice comprehensive review. I have slowly changed my Sony 35mm lenses (3 of them) to the GM. After almost a year, I have rarely taken it off of my A1 camera body. To date I don’t think I’ve ever had a better 35mm focal length lens. My favorite focal length is 28mm but I have learned to make it work. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a wide/normal lens. I don’t think you’d be disappointed. 👍
I think that I was watching that review a half year ago. Today I have watched it again to make the final decision if I want to invest and upgrade from Sony 35mm 1.8 to Sony 35mm 1.4 GM I've pulled the trigger after watching the example photos you shared in the video. Dustin, thanks a lot for you long term review. That lens is one of many gems in Sony lineup.
At 19:15 you're saying that Gm has a nicer bokeh transition than Sigma but they have a different composition, in the sigma shot you can see a little bit of the concrete post thus I think maybe affecting how the bokeh transition looks.
Another great video. I would absolutely love to see a video comparing all of the midrange zooms for the Sony system now that there are so many options. A video similar to the comparison you did with the 85mm lenses. Thanks for all the great content.
This lens is pretty close to be perfect for Sony camera owners. It’s small and light (relatively speaking), versatile, sharp, fast and well balanced on body. This and 24mm GM are my favorite Sony lenses. 50mm f1.2 is wonderful but it’s too big and heavy.
I have the Sony 35mm f1.8, but I also have the 24mm GM and I got to say the 24mm is so sharp you can see the image quality difference. Makes me want the same for my 35mm.
Wow, thanks for all the work, great extended review. Own the lens myself and it's really that good. Still trying to make friends with the 35mm length, everything always feels "too wide" and always find myself zooming and cropping in post, but that's not the lens' fault 😄. Everything else: top notch lens in all aspects
35mm really provides that bokeh. I am actually quite amazed how much bokeh you get with it than with 24mm. Basically that is one thing that I also love it. Feels not too far from 24mm but provides like triple bokeh
I do not need aperture 1.4 and I do not need autofocus, so I have the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which performs just as good in optical image quality as the Sony ! The Voigtländer are light, compact and very solid, not to forget half price of the Sony !
I have been considering primes, and starting to feel that the Voigtlander 50mm f2 is a good pairing with the 35mm f1.4 GM, and has a nicer rendering for street/walkabout than the 50mm f1.2 GM which although stunning, feels a bit clinical… Although I have considered doing the exact opposite and going 50mm f1.2 and 35mm f2 Voigtlander! I don’t shoot people as much as I’d thought, but when I do I’m usually in confined spaces like restaurants. How do you find the 35mm f2 for portrait shots?
Great review, Dustin. Sony engineers have put a lot of effort into providing GM primes with small size, light weight and superb optics and I think to a large degree they have succeeded. This is one of the results of that effort. Does Sigma's price advantage outweigh its' weight and size disadvantage? I think for many buyers it doesn't
Great review as usual. as own this and the Sigma 35 F1.2 art, for the Bokeh specifically, I like the Sigma 35 F1.2 a lot better even i stop it down to F1.4. but course that is a much larger and heavier lens.
Hi Dustin. On 19:00 seems there is lighting difference and this should impact the smoothness of bokeh. Also on right side you are referring as Sigma lens aren't you using Irix Edge filter there?
I love the 35mm focal length and this seems to be a really good one but other reviewers have been a bit more critical, for example lenstip found more than 3 stops of vignetting. Of course Sony sensors and software can handle that, but what if you also have to raise shadows in the corners , can sony sensors also handle 6 stops of shadows recovery?
Hi Dustin. Great review, as always! Are you going to be testing the new Samyang 35 1.4 Mark II? It looks like it could be much closer to the GM than the first 35 1.4 from Samyang.
Around the 19:00 mark, the sun casts a much harsher shadow during the DN shot compared to the GM shot. That edge "echoes" in the bokeh throughout the fence. Which may contribute more than the lenses to the difference in appearance.
Hi, love your videos. I was just wondering if there is any difference in the colors of this lens and the Canon 35mm 1.4 II as you can adapt that to Sony, one which I already have? Thanks 😊
Just in time, recently got this lens to replace my Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2. More often than not I find myself in situations where manual focus is difficult to make the shot I want, and the extra 5mm wider combined with autofocus and the way sharper image are already paying off. On top of that, when using the Voigtlander, it would trigger a bug in the camera every few hundred shots and make it freeze for a few seconds before it restarts, which while rare, was truly annoying, and I don't even understand how, it's a manual lens with only exif contacts.
Hello Dustin 👋 I’m hoping you can help me with a lens purchase choice. I’m looking at this lens to pair with my A7R5 primarily for its sharpness. My only concern is it’s size for every day carry. I know that it is brighter and sharper, but just how much sharper is this lens compared to the Sony 40 mm 2.5 G lens? Will the 40 be capable of resolving the A7R5 as well as that lens when stopped down? As always, thank you for your support! Any help is appreciated.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Understood. I was hoping the 40mm sharpness would be close but fall short in other areas (which I would not be surprised by). But if the 35mm is that much better, than I’ll be picking one up! As always, thank you for the incredible content!
Curious how it compares to the Zeiss Milvus 35mm 1.4; which is very heavy and manual focus. I used that on my Nikon D850 and it was spectacular!! However - I sold it due to weight. Simply too heavy to carry for long periods of time.
After I moved over to Sony, I found it harder and harder to carry the Canon 35 1.4 L ii even though it was easily my favorite lens. It was just too bulky and heavy on the small Sony body. I eventually bought the Sony 35 1.8 and traded the Canon for a Fuji X100V (super happy with the Fuji). I've never loved the 35 1.8 and have thought about selling it a few times. The size is really the biggest redeeming feature. I can't afford this new 1.4 but it seems like it's right up there with the way the Canon renders (I'm glad you mentioned that lens in this review). Maybe I'll have to rent this new Sony lens and see how it works for me!
I don’t use Sony but they are easily giving Leica a run for their money. GM lenses are absolutely phenomenal. I’ve used Canon, Zeiss, Leica, Olympus and Fujifilm. If I was to buy mirrorless today and a 2-3 lens kit it would be Sony for sure. Worth every penny. Gorgeous images and pin sharp from all of them. I just could t go back to carrying bulky lumps of glass.
Hello Dustin, not sure if you will see my comment but I bought this lens and it's amazing. However, I find it very soft at 1.4, especially the eye. I stop it down at 2.8 and it's amazing, but I'm wondering if my lens is defective for anything between f1.4 and f2.
Hi Dustin, I currently own the Sigma 35mm F1.2 lens and I am thinking of selling this one and get this 35mm GM instead. Would you say this is a worthy upgrade or would it be a minor step (up) and not worth while? Besides the physical upgrade of a shorter and lighter lens, I am wondering how big the difference is in terms of image quality and autofocus performance between the two.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for your feedback! Really appreciate it. I can imagine what you are saying in terms of the compact package. I do like the look that the sigma gives me, but the GM is just so temping as a whole package though 😅.
I've opted for the Sigma 35 & 85 1.4 & 24-70 DG DN, instead of the Sony 35GM. I felt the value to price is far superior (and as sharp). However, I do own the 135GM and will not give it up (till the 100GM 1.4 comes out 😂). Also, I'm do have the Sigma 50 1.2 DG DN on my radar.
The Sigma 35 1.4 DG DN Art uses an old slow AF system (as opposed to their 50 1.4 DG DN Art that uses their newer fast system. I hope you’re not trying to shoot portraits or portraits with your sigma 35
If I was using Sony i'd definitely invest in this lens, as always a great selection of images Dustin to show how good this lens really is, I wonder what the Tamron SP 35mm f1.4 lens would be like in comparison, I'm sure the GM lens will be sharper in the centre at f1.4 but would be nice to see the general colour rendering and bokeh between both lenses.
The Tamron 35mm would be a nice competitor, though it is pretty huge relative to this one in size. I think that's what amazes me - that Sony has pulled this off in such a compact package.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes indeed, iv'e just been looking at the lens specs' and I see what you mean, it really is a light lens in comparison to the EF35mm 1.4L and Tamron SP, It will be interesting to see if and when Canon release a RF 35mm f1.4L lens if it will be as light and compact as this GM lens (I'm also shuddering at the thought of what the price of new RF glass will be! )
Hi Dustin, i'd like to hear your long term opinion, and by that i mean a video^^, about the 135 GM, if you bought it for yourself. This type of video are very very useful and well made. Thank you 😊
I have the dreamy sony zeiss FE 35 1.4 i got for good price used. Don't forget that one ;) also has manual aperture ring and even more premium metal construction. But autofocus is slower than GM.
@@DustinAbbottTWI new sony zeiss costs 1000€ now so the price is down and considerably cheaper than GM. I got it used for 400€ and for me it's sharp, probably got lucky then.
Hi I am new here. I’m trying to upgrade from my iPhone 13 Pro. But I think the minimum focus distance on this is 4 inches. I’m using this for video though and video crops in. I’ve noticed. So maybe that has an unfair advantage when it comes to minimum focus distance. But then you also mention magnification. What does that mean? Exactly? Thank you for your help. I’m trying to get a lens, that’s going to give me the same field of view and viewpoint as my iPhone for my videos. But I don’t want to lose out on how close I am currently able to hold objects to the camera. I just want more aperture control because right now a lot of my footage is blurry.
Can you zoom in on these lenses even though they are not zoom lenses? It sounds like you were talking about something like that. If that’s the case I wonder if I’m able to get closer if I just get a 24 mm lens and zoom in or crop in. Although maybe I’m losing quality at that point.
@@DustinAbbottTWI But using aperture drive in af set to focus priority solves that issue. Great review Dustin, I love my 35mm GM too. It kind of spoiled me so I sold off most of my other lenses that aren't up to par with it.
Does the smooth bokeh transition of GM and lighter weight justify the $450 (assuming edu pricing for both) price bump from Simga 35 1.4 DG DN? PS: I am not photography major student. Just enjoy photography as a hobby.
Thanks for the high quality review once again. I was tempting to extend my lens kit by this lens for a while then decided otherwise: for the reason of capturing moving subject even in low light conditions demanding for a highly effective and swift AF the 50GM is more suitable for me, while for a no compromise optical quality 35mm lens that is even lighter, smaller, and cheaper than the 35GM, the Voigtlander 35/2 APO Lanthar is a better choice. I know it does not come often in your way to test it, but if you have a chance, please do so.
When this lens was released I was sad about my switch from Sony to Canon. I’m hoping the rumoured 35 is the size and weight of this one! But I doubt it
I doubt it. This lens has one less feature than the most recent lenses (iris lock) but has all of the same design philosophies. It is very compact and light, extremely sharp. I'm not sure they could make enough improvements right now to justify a new one.
Maybe it's just my copy, my 35gm performs very close to my 24gm sharpness wise. My 50gm blows them both out of the water, even at 1.2. Not saying my 35 or 24 are bad, just the 50 is even more surprisingly good.
nice review 👍👍, yes this lens is absolute amazing quality, One thing that is a little inconvenient when using this lens is that it feels heavy and bulky so it's not very comfortable.
Wow, that doesn't resonate with me as this is the smallest and lightest lens in its class. I think it is wonderfully small and light for this type of lens.
This is one of the better priced Sony GM lens in my country not costing twice as much as its closest competitors like Sigma. Just about $200 more than Sigma. The price on the 24-70mm Mk2 is just crazy almost double the price of the Sigma and 3 times the price of Samyang 24-70mm.
@@DustinAbbottTWI yes, in local currency Sony GM2 is $2898, Sigma $1367, Samyang $1159. But the price for some of the Sigma primes are pretty good, eg Sigma 35mm DN DG F1.4, $995 that is about USD740, Sigma 40mm F1.4 around USD$660.
Sony 35 is def. out of my budget :P I have the 28-75 RXD, but the AF is a little slow and unreliable in dark situations. I'm thinking of either buying the sigma 35 or Sony 20/1.8 for weddings. But then there's also the 35-150 (sold out everywhere) so many choices...
How I like to describe the 35mm GM - Sony did a wonderful job, love mine :-) How I like to describe the 50mm GM - Sony created an absolute masterpiece, LOVE MINE!!! As always, a great video. Hope you get to do a review on the emount Voigtländer 35mm f2 APO Lanthar sometime.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Probably the fact that the 50mm GM not only managed to better the already magnificent Planar but depending on who you ask also beats the stellar options from Canon and Nikon it definitely got a lot of attention and rightly so. The 35mm GM didn’t have the same amount of obvious competition neither from within emount or across platforms. That being said to be considered a better lens than the beloved Canon 35mm f1.4 L II, Tamron 35mm f1.4 SP and Sigma’s 35mm f1.2 Art is mighty impressive.
Most of those videos are on our new channel (bit.ly/lethelightinTV). When I'm finished with the construction project for our church facility (I'm basically working three full time jobs right now), we'll do more collaborative videos.
Dude, I stopped watching when you kept showing all those photos for just like a second. Slow down dude. Gave me motion sickness and couldn't see any of the sharpness as you were changing all those photos so quickly. Won't be clicking on your reviews again.
Very happy to hear that you are happy with it on the A1. :)
I'll get my copy of this lens tomorrow for the 7R III .. I could never imagine to buy a lens so expensive, but today I decided to do it. :D I've been experimenting a lot with 35s and 50s, sorting out the 50s as general purpose lens because they are always a bit too close; among the other 35s, they all have their aspects I don't really like such as AF performance for hybrid shooting (Tamron 35/2.8), slow apertures (all the 2.8s), no weather sealing (Sony's 35/1.8) or a form factor that my hand doesn't like (Sony/Samyang 35 1.8). The other 1.4 35s are quite a bit bigger and heavier, so I decided to just get the GM and put the discussion ad acta once and forever. No point in always trying a different lens, buying and selling again etc.
Plus: I have to confess that you get picky on these 7R bodies .. I use mine with Tamron's 28-75 G2 and this combination sets a very high bar, making you less of a fan for too drastic compromises.
The bokeh and rendering is really fantastic, so smooth, and at the same time the lens is incredibly sharp. I think this will become my first GM lens, as I love the 35mm focal length.
Totally agree!
I greatly appreciate your long term reviews as they bring out finer explorations & a certain evolved visual sensibility. Also for us to access what these high quality lenses are capable of on the best of sony sensors. Though the 35mm is not one of my preferred FL, your nuanced exploration allowed me to step out of my threshold! I it does appear to be a stellar lens!
Thanks, Giti. I enjoy them, too, though it obviously only works for products that I personally buy.
It's worth mentioning that if you have the Sony A7 IV, you can use the new Breathing Compensation option to minimize the focus breathing of the lens in video mode (at the expense of a slight crop).
I have added an a7IV, though I don't see a huge difference with the Breathing Compensation.
Possibly my favorite prime paired with the Sigma 85. Been debating investing in the 50mm GM though and selling the 35 GM, as 50 FL is used for work much more often and my Sigma 24-70 can handle 35mm if needed. Have you found upgrading from the Planar 1.4 to the GM 50 to be worthwhile? Thanks as always for sharing your thoughts. My favorite reviews on TH-cam without a doubt!
I absolutely LOVE my 50mm 1.2……and truly was not a big 50mm user before! Best lens ever…….until the 85mm 1.2 comes out!?
The 50GM seems to be the crowd favorite
@@lauriewahlig2819 AGREED!!!
Thank you Dustin, another great review as always. I own this lens and love it for everything. Agree with your takeaway of “not regretting a bit”. Recently I purchased the Voigtlander 50f2 following your review and find it a great pair with the 35gm: 50 for still objects and 35 for moving ones in general, and both producing fabulous results. Thanks again for guiding us towards great gears.
My pleasure
Agree completely. This is a fabulous optics. I sold my Milvus 35mm 1.4, that I adapted to my Sony. This lens is optically close to ideal.
My advise to anyone starting in the Sony system, is to get this lens first.
It's definitely a winner.
Thanks Dustin. Nice comprehensive review. I have slowly changed my Sony 35mm lenses (3 of them) to the GM. After almost a year, I have rarely taken it off of my A1 camera body. To date I don’t think I’ve ever had a better 35mm focal length lens. My favorite focal length is 28mm but I have learned to make it work. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a wide/normal lens. I don’t think you’d be disappointed. 👍
The 50GM has stolen all of the thunder, so I would almost call this one an underrated lens.
I think that I was watching that review a half year ago. Today I have watched it again to make the final decision if I want to invest and upgrade from Sony 35mm 1.8 to Sony 35mm 1.4 GM
I've pulled the trigger after watching the example photos you shared in the video.
Dustin, thanks a lot for you long term review. That lens is one of many gems in Sony lineup.
It definitely is!
At 19:15 you're saying that Gm has a nicer bokeh transition than Sigma but they have a different composition, in the sigma shot you can see a little bit of the concrete post thus I think maybe affecting how the bokeh transition looks.
That's one shot, but my observations are made on using the lenses in general.
Another great video. I would absolutely love to see a video comparing all of the midrange zooms for the Sony system now that there are so many options. A video similar to the comparison you did with the 85mm lenses. Thanks for all the great content.
It takes a LOT of work to get all of those lenses together at the same time.
Excellent review as always. The 35mm GM is my favourite lens. Wish I could shoot everything with it.
It is a beauty, for sure.
This lens is pretty close to be perfect for Sony camera owners. It’s small and light (relatively speaking), versatile, sharp, fast and well balanced on body. This and 24mm GM are my favorite Sony lenses. 50mm f1.2 is wonderful but it’s too big and heavy.
I love the size of the two lenses you mention. Part of their charm.
I have the Sony 35mm f1.8, but I also have the 24mm GM and I got to say the 24mm is so sharp you can see the image quality difference. Makes me want the same for my 35mm.
The 35 GM is better still.
Wow, thanks for all the work, great extended review. Own the lens myself and it's really that good. Still trying to make friends with the 35mm length, everything always feels "too wide" and always find myself zooming and cropping in post, but that's not the lens' fault 😄. Everything else: top notch lens in all aspects
That's in part why the new 50GM is the more popular of the two.
35mm really provides that bokeh. I am actually quite amazed how much bokeh you get with it than with 24mm. Basically that is one thing that I also love it. Feels not too far from 24mm but provides like triple bokeh
There's some truth to that.
I do not need aperture 1.4 and I do not need autofocus, so I have the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which performs just as good in optical image quality as the Sony ! The Voigtländer are light, compact and very solid, not to forget half price of the Sony !
I have been considering primes, and starting to feel that the Voigtlander 50mm f2 is a good pairing with the 35mm f1.4 GM, and has a nicer rendering for street/walkabout than the 50mm f1.2 GM which although stunning, feels a bit clinical… Although I have considered doing the exact opposite and going 50mm f1.2 and 35mm f2 Voigtlander! I don’t shoot people as much as I’d thought, but when I do I’m usually in confined spaces like restaurants.
How do you find the 35mm f2 for portrait shots?
The Voigtlanders are very nice...for the right photographer. Having autofocus is imperative for others.
I really like your reviews as they are informative and unbiased.
Thank you.
my fav 35MM, and waiting on the 70-200 GMII review
Hopefully I'll get a copy soon.
Great review, Dustin. Sony engineers have put a lot of effort into providing GM primes with small size, light weight and superb optics and I think to a large degree they have succeeded. This is one of the results of that effort. Does Sigma's price advantage outweigh its' weight and size disadvantage? I think for many buyers it doesn't
For me it didn't. I bought this lens and don't regret the investment.
Got this lens on the back of your review.Love it thank you.A review on the new Samyang 135 f1.8 would be good.🙏🏻🙏🏻
I'd love to review the Samyang, but so far Samyang hasn't had a copy available for me.
Fantastic lens and as always fantastic shots! The bokeh is truly outstanding, though it comes at a too high price, at least for me :(
Thank you very much.
Great review as usual. as own this and the Sigma 35 F1.2 art, for the Bokeh specifically, I like the Sigma 35 F1.2 a lot better even i stop it down to F1.4. but course that is a much larger and heavier lens.
The Sigma is about twice the size!
Hi Dustin. On 19:00 seems there is lighting difference and this should impact the smoothness of bokeh. Also on right side you are referring as Sigma lens aren't you using Irix Edge filter there?
The two shots were not shot at the same time, so the lighting is a bit different. I wasn't using any filter, though.
I love the 35mm focal length and this seems to be a really good one but other reviewers have been a bit more critical, for example lenstip found more than 3 stops of vignetting. Of course Sony sensors and software can handle that, but what if you also have to raise shadows in the corners , can sony sensors also handle 6 stops of shadows recovery?
Unfortunately vignette is very common in large aperture 35mm primes.
It’s really an amazing lens
Thanks you Dustin for this review Dustin. Do you think that the optical performance of this lens is as good or better than the canon 35mm version II ?
I do think it is very close.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you!
@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you Dustin! Very useful information. Also does canon 35 ii has advantage in color fringing or back light flare?
I loved and used this lens a lot. I love how it's clear and sharp and fast.
thanks for the review, btw I just realized that you are handsome!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Dustin. Great review, as always! Are you going to be testing the new Samyang 35 1.4 Mark II? It looks like it could be much closer to the GM than the first 35 1.4 from Samyang.
I really hope to. My contact at Samyang hasn't been in touch about the new lenses, though, so I'm in a waiting game.
Around the 19:00 mark, the sun casts a much harsher shadow during the DN shot compared to the GM shot. That edge "echoes" in the bokeh throughout the fence. Which may contribute more than the lenses to the difference in appearance.
Hi Daran, that's one example, but I used it because I felt like it illustrated a greater trend that I saw in my work in general with the two lenses.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I actually like the idea of the shot to emphasize the effect of smooth bokeh. You need an indoor fence:-D
Hi, love your videos. I was just wondering if there is any difference in the colors of this lens and the Canon 35mm 1.4 II as you can adapt that to Sony, one which I already have? Thanks 😊
There probably is some minor difference. I love this lens, however. So sharp, so compact, and so very good.
Just in time, recently got this lens to replace my Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2. More often than not I find myself in situations where manual focus is difficult to make the shot I want, and the extra 5mm wider combined with autofocus and the way sharper image are already paying off.
On top of that, when using the Voigtlander, it would trigger a bug in the camera every few hundred shots and make it freeze for a few seconds before it restarts, which while rare, was truly annoying, and I don't even understand how, it's a manual lens with only exif contacts.
This is a nice update!
Hello Dustin 👋 I’m hoping you can help me with a lens purchase choice. I’m looking at this lens to pair with my A7R5 primarily for its sharpness. My only concern is it’s size for every day carry. I know that it is brighter and sharper, but just how much sharper is this lens compared to the Sony 40 mm 2.5 G lens? Will the 40 be capable of resolving the A7R5 as well as that lens when stopped down? As always, thank you for your support! Any help is appreciated.
The 40mm is a good lens. This is a great lens, and in person is still quite compact and lightweight.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Understood. I was hoping the 40mm sharpness would be close but fall short in other areas (which I would not be surprised by). But if the 35mm is that much better, than I’ll be picking one up! As always, thank you for the incredible content!
Curious how it compares to the Zeiss Milvus 35mm 1.4; which is very heavy and manual focus. I used that on my Nikon D850 and it was spectacular!! However - I sold it due to weight. Simply too heavy to carry for long periods of time.
I think the Sony is the sharper of the two, actually, though the Milvus did have a very special rendering that I loved.
After I moved over to Sony, I found it harder and harder to carry the Canon 35 1.4 L ii even though it was easily my favorite lens. It was just too bulky and heavy on the small Sony body. I eventually bought the Sony 35 1.8 and traded the Canon for a Fuji X100V (super happy with the Fuji). I've never loved the 35 1.8 and have thought about selling it a few times. The size is really the biggest redeeming feature. I can't afford this new 1.4 but it seems like it's right up there with the way the Canon renders (I'm glad you mentioned that lens in this review). Maybe I'll have to rent this new Sony lens and see how it works for me!
Its worth a look, for sure. It's a special lens.
Just got this lens yesterday. Can’t wait to use it.
It’s a sweetheart.
I don’t use Sony but they are easily giving Leica a run for their money. GM lenses are absolutely phenomenal. I’ve used Canon, Zeiss, Leica, Olympus and Fujifilm.
If I was to buy mirrorless today and a 2-3 lens kit it would be Sony for sure. Worth every penny. Gorgeous images and pin sharp from all of them.
I just could t go back to carrying bulky lumps of glass.
Sony's run on their GM lenses recently is very impressive. They are consistently producing some of the very best lenses in each class.
Great objective review!
Glad it was helpful!
That is a great video. I got a question about samyang 35mm f/1.8 which is 3x cheaper than GM. What do you think ?
The GM is in another class in terms of optics, build, and autofocus, but the Samyang is a pretty good budget alternative.
Great review as usual.
My pleasure.
Hello Dustin, not sure if you will see my comment but I bought this lens and it's amazing. However, I find it very soft at 1.4, especially the eye. I stop it down at 2.8 and it's amazing, but I'm wondering if my lens is defective for anything between f1.4 and f2.
Mine is deadly sharp at F1.4, so something is wrong.
Probably using the A7iv with it's terrible eye af
Thank you, sir, for such a remarkable review
My pleasure
Do you think it'll give the same results for a cropped camera ?
I do. There's plenty of resolution and no real optical flaws to pass on.
Out of the Gmaster 24 and 35 which one would you choose?
For me it is the 35mm every time. It's a lovely lens.
what little tabletop tripod is that? It looks nice
Oben Tabletop Tripod shown in video: bhpho.to/3vL8YWy
Hi Dustin, I currently own the Sigma 35mm F1.2 lens and I am thinking of selling this one and get this 35mm GM instead. Would you say this is a worthy upgrade or would it be a minor step (up) and not worth while? Besides the physical upgrade of a shorter and lighter lens, I am wondering how big the difference is in terms of image quality and autofocus performance between the two.
It's not going to be an optical upgrade, really, but the Sony is SO attractive because of having great optics in such a compact package. I love it.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you for your feedback! Really appreciate it. I can imagine what you are saying in terms of the compact package. I do like the look that the sigma gives me, but the GM is just so temping as a whole package though 😅.
I've opted for the Sigma 35 & 85 1.4 & 24-70 DG DN, instead of the Sony 35GM. I felt the value to price is far superior (and as sharp). However, I do own the 135GM and will not give it up (till the 100GM 1.4 comes out 😂). Also, I'm do have the Sigma 50 1.2 DG DN on my radar.
I too am hopeful for the potential of a 50mm DN. The GM lens is amazing, but it's not cheap!
The Sigma 35 1.4 DG DN Art uses an old slow AF system (as opposed to their 50 1.4 DG DN Art that uses their newer fast system. I hope you’re not trying to shoot portraits or portraits with your sigma 35
If I was using Sony i'd definitely invest in this lens, as always a great selection of images Dustin to show how good this lens really is, I wonder what the Tamron SP 35mm f1.4 lens would be like in comparison, I'm sure the GM lens will be sharper in the centre at f1.4 but would be nice to see the general colour rendering and bokeh between both lenses.
The Tamron 35mm would be a nice competitor, though it is pretty huge relative to this one in size. I think that's what amazes me - that Sony has pulled this off in such a compact package.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Yes indeed, iv'e just been looking at the lens specs' and I see what you mean, it really is a light lens in comparison to the EF35mm 1.4L and Tamron SP, It will be interesting to see if and when Canon release a RF 35mm f1.4L lens if it will be as light and compact as this GM lens (I'm also shuddering at the thought of what the price of new RF glass will be! )
Tamron 35 is actually a tad bit sharper tbh. If you could compare, I am sure you will be super amazed by the findings.
Hi Dustin, i'd like to hear your long term opinion, and by that i mean a video^^, about the 135 GM, if you bought it for yourself.
This type of video are very very useful and well made. Thank you 😊
Done! th-cam.com/video/_bQ-Urh2wnw/w-d-xo.html
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thank you!! I can't believe how I miss that...
Is it $700‐$800 CAD better than the Sigma? I know many people will only buy native glass, so perhaps it's a moot point?
That is a big chunk of money. I guess only you can answer that for yourself, but the Sigma is a good value alternative.
I have the dreamy sony zeiss FE 35 1.4 i got for good price used. Don't forget that one ;) also has manual aperture ring and even more premium metal construction. But autofocus is slower than GM.
The views on the Zeiss range widely. It seems like there was a lot of sample variation, and at a similar price point the GM is the much better lens.
@@DustinAbbottTWI new sony zeiss costs 1000€ now so the price is down and considerably cheaper than GM. I got it used for 400€ and for me it's sharp, probably got lucky then.
Hi I am new here. I’m trying to upgrade from my iPhone 13 Pro. But I think the minimum focus distance on this is 4 inches. I’m using this for video though and video crops in. I’ve noticed. So maybe that has an unfair advantage when it comes to minimum focus distance. But then you also mention magnification. What does that mean? Exactly? Thank you for your help. I’m trying to get a lens, that’s going to give me the same field of view and viewpoint as my iPhone for my videos. But I don’t want to lose out on how close I am currently able to hold objects to the camera. I just want more aperture control because right now a lot of my footage is blurry.
Can you zoom in on these lenses even though they are not zoom lenses? It sounds like you were talking about something like that. If that’s the case I wonder if I’m able to get closer if I just get a 24 mm lens and zoom in or crop in. Although maybe I’m losing quality at that point.
Magnification refers to how much you can fill the frame with a small subject at close focus distances.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Hmm how does that differ from minimum focus distance? Thanks for the help
I like mine apart from the pulsing when the apature is around f/7 and onwards.
That's a bit of a Sony fault because Sony cameras focus with the set aperture rather than opening it up for focus.
@@DustinAbbottTWI But using aperture drive in af set to focus priority solves that issue. Great review Dustin, I love my 35mm GM too. It kind of spoiled me so I sold off most of my other lenses that aren't up to par with it.
Does the smooth bokeh transition of GM and lighter weight justify the $450 (assuming edu pricing for both) price bump from Simga 35 1.4 DG DN? PS: I am not photography major student. Just enjoy photography as a hobby.
Hmmm, for me, yes, but the Sigma is still a very good lens. It really depends on how much that price difference affects you.
Thanks for the high quality review once again. I was tempting to extend my lens kit by this lens for a while then decided otherwise: for the reason of capturing moving subject even in low light conditions demanding for a highly effective and swift AF the 50GM is more suitable for me, while for a no compromise optical quality 35mm lens that is even lighter, smaller, and cheaper than the 35GM, the Voigtlander 35/2 APO Lanthar is a better choice. I know it does not come often in your way to test it, but if you have a chance, please do so.
Hard to argue against the 50GM. It's a treat
When this lens was released I was sad about my switch from Sony to Canon. I’m hoping the rumoured 35 is the size and weight of this one! But I doubt it
Yeah, I can understand that. Some of the recent GM lenses have been very compelling reasons to choose Sony
Could you compare to Batis 40mm?
I'm afraid not at this point.
will there be a Gen 2 soon?
I doubt it. This lens has one less feature than the most recent lenses (iris lock) but has all of the same design philosophies. It is very compact and light, extremely sharp. I'm not sure they could make enough improvements right now to justify a new one.
Would like Canon to release an rf 1.4 with this same compact size and the BR optics. However rumors indicate the 1.2 which i suspect will be huge. 😐
I'm afraid you're right.
Maybe it's just my copy, my 35gm performs very close to my 24gm sharpness wise. My 50gm blows them both out of the water, even at 1.2. Not saying my 35 or 24 are bad, just the 50 is even more surprisingly good.
The 50GM is the strongest of the three, and I would place the 35mm in second place in my testing.
nice review 👍👍, yes this lens is absolute amazing quality, One thing that is a little inconvenient when using this lens is that it feels heavy and bulky so it's not very comfortable.
Wow, that doesn't resonate with me as this is the smallest and lightest lens in its class. I think it is wonderfully small and light for this type of lens.
This is one of the better priced Sony GM lens in my country not costing twice as much as its closest competitors like Sigma. Just about $200 more than Sigma. The price on the 24-70mm Mk2 is just crazy almost double the price of the Sigma and 3 times the price of Samyang 24-70mm.
Wow - that's huge!
@@DustinAbbottTWI yes, in local currency Sony GM2 is $2898, Sigma $1367, Samyang $1159. But the price for some of the Sigma primes are pretty good, eg Sigma 35mm DN DG F1.4, $995 that is about USD740, Sigma 40mm F1.4 around USD$660.
What a great lens!
Sorry me not being in this system.
It’s a beautiful lens, for sure
What tripod is that?
Oben Tabletop Tripod shown in video: bhpho.to/3vL8YWy
So is this lens not really made for video? I don’t see people covering reviews on this video.
I'm sure there are videos that focus on the video side of this lens. I'm more of a stills guy.
@@DustinAbbottTWI They’re mostly photography reviews and people say it’s a photography lens which is interesting
Love mine too great 35 mm the best my friend
It is a great lens, for sure!
Sony 35 is def. out of my budget :P I have the 28-75 RXD, but the AF is a little slow and unreliable in dark situations. I'm thinking of either buying the sigma 35 or Sony 20/1.8 for weddings. But then there's also the 35-150 (sold out everywhere) so many choices...
The 35-150 is hard to get ahold of, but it is an amazing lens.
How I like to describe the 35mm GM - Sony did a wonderful job, love mine :-)
How I like to describe the 50mm GM - Sony created an absolute masterpiece, LOVE MINE!!!
As always, a great video.
Hope you get to do a review on the emount Voigtländer 35mm f2 APO Lanthar sometime.
Yes, at least for my copies, my 50 is far superior than my 35.
The 50GM has definitely stolen the thunder of the 35GM, making it a somewhat underrated lens, in my opinion.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Probably the fact that the 50mm GM not only managed to better the already magnificent Planar but depending on who you ask also beats the stellar options from Canon and Nikon it definitely got a lot of attention and rightly so.
The 35mm GM didn’t have the same amount of obvious competition neither from within emount or across platforms. That being said to be considered a better lens than the beloved Canon 35mm f1.4 L II, Tamron 35mm f1.4 SP and Sigma’s 35mm f1.2 Art is mighty impressive.
красивая сразу скажите лучше чем никон 9 или нет?
I literally hardly ever remove this lens. If i need a different one I'll just grab another camera 😂
Not surprising.
Coupon code DUSTIN15 says Promotion is inactive
What market are you in? That code should be active.
@@DustinAbbottTWI USA. It appears to be working now. Thank you
I believe you hired someone to focus on video aspects , what happened?
Most of those videos are on our new channel (bit.ly/lethelightinTV). When I'm finished with the construction project for our church facility (I'm basically working three full time jobs right now), we'll do more collaborative videos.
long term review? Nope, its just a review
????
25 minutes is fairly long for a “review” as you state, but-what do I know?
Dude, I stopped watching when you kept showing all those photos for just like a second. Slow down dude. Gave me motion sickness and couldn't see any of the sharpness as you were changing all those photos so quickly. Won't be clicking on your reviews again.
Thanks for the feedback.
There is a slower speed option, not to mention you can pause, but what do I know?
Regurgitating the same poop u n everyone else has being saying for 2 yrs + now, where's the don't recommend channel button