Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 review

Neat and tidy, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is an alluring lens with real street smarts

Sony FE 35mm f/1.8
(Image: © Sony)

Digital Camera World Verdict

There’s a lot to love about this lens, and so there should be given that it’s pricey for 35mm f/1.8 prime. It has a solid, weather-resistant construction featuring a metal barrel and mounting plate, while handling is very refined with a tactile focus ring and customizable function button. Image quality is excellent overall, although there’s heavy vignetting at wide apertures.

Pros

  • +

    Mostly excellent image quality

  • +

    Very good build quality

  • +

    Nice handling characteristics

Cons

  • -

    Expensive for a 35mm f/1.8

  • -

    Heavy vignetting

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

The Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is an ideal prime lens for street photography and everyday shooting with a full-frame mirrorless Alpha camera. It has a classic focal length that delivers a modestly wide viewing angle, along with a fairly fast f/1.8 aperture, shoehorned into a compact and lightweight yet robust construction.

Specifications

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.