Sony FE 35mm f2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* review

The tiny Sony FE 35mm f2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* is ideal for street photography

Sony FE 35mm f2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*
(Image: © Sony)

Digital Camera World Verdict

This diminutive Sony lens is a good choice for stealthy street photography. It has a fast autofocus system and works equally well in manual focus mode, often preferred by street photographers. Image quality is very good overall but vignetting can be very noticeable when uncorrected in-camera, even when stopping the aperture down. That’s not an issue when using the lens on APS-C format Sony mirrorless cameras, on which it gives a more standard 52.5mm effective focal length.

Pros

  • +

    Compact and lightweight

  • +

    Fast autofocus

  • +

    Zeiss T* coatings

Cons

  • -

    Heavy vignetting

  • -

    Modest aperture rating

  • -

    Pricey to buy

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The Sony FE 35mm f2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* has very compact dimensions of 62x37mm, almost qualifying it as a pancake lens, and it weighs a mere 120g. It therefore forms part of a very discreet package when mounted on one of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless bodies, while the 35mm focal length is the preferred choice of many street photographers. The lens is equally at home on Sony’s APS-C format mirrorless cameras, where it works well as a ‘standard prime’ with an effective focal length of just over 50mm.

Specifications

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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.