In this video, Gajan gives us a first look at the Sony 35mm F1.4 G Master lens.
Premium Quality
As soon as I got my hands on this, I was already enamoured by the build quality and construction. It is a solid lens that feels premium in-hand. This focal length is one of my favourites, if not my most favourite focal length! I love the fact that you get amazing resolving power with this lens, but also in a form factor that isn’t much bigger than the existing prime lenses from Sony.
The Perfect Filter Size
You have a filter size of 67mm which is quite manageable, and a lot of existing filters should work from your collection. One thing I’d like to point out is that the aperture ring can operate in a clicked or unclicked mode for video shooters. And on the topic of the aperture ring, I love that there is a good amount of resistance to it; I never felt like I was going to accidentally knock it out of place. You also have the manual focus ring which gives you a bit more room to manipulate, and it’s quite easy to pull focus with.
Weather Sealing
A welcome benefit with this product specifically for outdoor shooters is that it is weather-resistant, which is something that you’d come to expect from something of this build quality and price point.
Custom Button
I also want to highlight that Sony has included a dedicated, customizable button on the side of this lens, so that you can create a shortcut to and activate a feature like eye detect autofocus instantly. It’s such as great feature to have, and let me tell you, when you go to a system that doesn’t have a feature like this, you tend to miss it!
Autofocus
Although I didn’t get to spend too much time with this lens and use it in a traditional studio setting, I immediately appreciated how quick the focusing was with this lens, whether it was face, eye, or just continuous autofocus, it was tracking my subject very quickly and very accurately.
That being said, when I wanted to manually pull focus, I loved how much space the ring on the front provided and worked with a high degree of accuracy. Some other lenses at cheaper price points just feel a bit too loose and sometimes easily over-correct the focus that you’re trying to grab.
Portability
Weighing in at just a little over 500g, this lens hits the ceiling for mirrorless prime lenses if you ask me. I was walking around while using it and having it largely hand-held, it never felt like it was getting too heavy or too uncomfortable.
What’s Next
I look forward to testing out this lens in a studio environment. For those of you that are fans of the 35mm focal length, looking to upgrade your existing kit with a more premium solution, or are Sony shooters, I will say that this is something that will not disappoint!
Be sure to pre-order your Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM lens today! Expected availability is April 2021.
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