The Sony FE 35mm F/1.4 GM Hands-On Review

Buy This Lens. It’s Amazing.

Maybe I’m melodramatic, but I believe that the Sony FE 35mm F/1.4 GM Lens performance quality alone allows creators to produce the kind of art that evokes strong emotion, impossible for audiences to ignore -- good storytelling aside. That's how much power a lens of this caliber potentially holds. Could even be something to keep in mind when it's time to hit Checkout...

The 35mm GM effortlessly and elegantly captures a kind of art that I'm not used to capturing, so when initially laying eyes on what this compact lens was truly capable of, I became an instant fan.

Sony implies that, to some extent, a sort of clairvoyance opened the way for them to redefine the lens as we know it and create the lineup of G Master Lenses. In any case, I'm stoked that they did because this lens is totally awesome.

This G Master has got so much going for it. It snaps breathtaking images not only because of those contributions from its two XA elements and ED glass element, but a Nano AR Coating II suppresses internal reflection, ghosting, and flare to help maintain that impressive image clarity as well. Colors are vibrant, textures are detailed and accentuated, and depth is immediately discernible. Yet, your images look natural and accurate.

The Sony FE 35mm F/1.4 GM’s metal aperture ring can be de-clicked so that you can ride it smoothly for maximum control. On the narrow end, it closes down to F/16, giving you extensive depth-of-field, perfect for capturing, let’s say, architecture in a big city. While its F/1.4 max aperture allows you to capture that sweet bokeh + delivers rockstar-level performance even in insanely lowlight conditions, such as during an astrophotography session in the mountains.

Flip a switch and toggle between the Linear Response MF feature, and the infinite turn ring for tactile manual focus control, and XD linear motors for fast, precise autofocus & tracking while cutting vibration and noise. The latter is proficient at capturing both human AND animal faces, in photos & videos, so it’s also a great lens to throw onto your favorite camera stabilizer and capture epic footage. Though, I should mention that focus breathing is a slight issue for this lens.

The G Master series lens features customizable controls that let photographers & filmmakers tailor their lens to their individual needs, giving them full command over their shoots. This customizability comes in handy, especially for creatives with a pretty defined art style (or those who would rather spend more time shooting and less time worrying about the technical).

But what sets the G Master apart is its relatively compact form factor and lightweight compared to its counterparts, even with all that going on under the hood. Nothing about the lens feels flimsy, it balances well, and it feels solid in the hands. The unique blend of power and portability arguably makes this lens even more appealing to creatives on the go.

Oh, and when you DO find yourself out and about, rest easy knowing that Sony didn’t take any shortcuts. The lens is dust & moisture resistant, and the front element is coated with fluorine to repel dust, fingerprints, oil, and other grime.

More Features:

• Compatible with E-mount Full-frame or APS-C bodies.
• Weather sealed.
• Constructed from ultra-durable plastic, featuring a metal aperture ring, and rubberized manual focus ring.
• Created with Sony’s “Road to Zero” environmental plan in mind.
• Prime wide-angle lens.

In Detail

Sony packed their most advanced technology into the FE 35mm F/1.4 G Master Lens, perfecting features we didn’t realize weren’t perfect.

Although Sony's lenses were already renowned for their autofocus capabilities, the GM’s linear AF system uses magnets that push the lens element back and forth directly, eliminating the traditional use of gears to do so. This move away from gears helps generate a faster and quieter response while in autofocus.

Refinements in Sony’s approach to the creation of this G Master have made it so that the lens can deliver a minimum focus distance of 27cm with a maximum magnification of 0.23, meaning close-up shots exhibit great detail. The focus hold button can be assigned to other functions through your camera body’s menu.