Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS First Impressions
Image courtesy: Matthew Durr Photography
After having used Nikkor AI lenses for a long time with his Sony Nex7 (price & specs), photographer Matthew Durr decided to get an E-mount lens and bought a Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS. He writes:
So far, I’m liking what I’m seeing. Wide-open, there’s a bit of softness, but it doesn’t detract from images at normal viewing sizes in any way. Focus seems to be mostly consistent: using flexible spot at the center, focus is usually spot-on. [...] For focus speed, I’d say it’s about twice as fast as the time it takes for me to find focus manually with my Nikkors (on static objects). [...]
What I am loving without a doubt on the 35mm f/1.8 is the OSS. Not only does it help give another few stops of shutter speed advantage in low light and make handheld video smooth as silk (which I already knew it would do), but it makes composing photographs surprisingly easier! Framing can be much tighter when using the 35mm f/1.8; small movements which would translate to a jerk in the liveview with a non-OSS lens move the picture around very slowly with this lens. It’s a subtle, but nice touch to keep from needing to crop and rotate a bit in post-processing.
There are sample images and more in Matthew Durr’s first impressions review.
Sony Nex7 price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay
Sony 35mm f/1.8 OSS price check: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay
Vlad
5 months ago |It would be nice to have a 24mm (35mm equiv) with OSS and cheaper than the Zeiss.
Gubs
5 months ago |I’d rather take the SEL 50/1.8 OSS or this SEL 35/1.8 OSS over the Zeiss. Lack of OSS is my dealbreaker here.
Juan
5 months ago |Why is OSS so important for you? (It’s only curiosity)
The Lotus Eater
5 months ago |OSS isn’t THAT important in a wide-ish prime for stills, but is very useful for video.
Gubs
5 months ago |The NEX and a little lens combo is very light in weight. OSS is important for me while I know it’s not for others just like bokeh is important for others and it’s just a bonus for me.
Zoltan
5 months ago |My understanding is that with a lens that has OSS you can use a slower shutter speed(and the photo will still not be blurry) which lets more light in so you can use lower ISO setting hence IQ will be better.
Juan
5 months ago |Yes, a 24mm f/2 cheaper and SMALLER then Zeiss would be very nice.
The OSS is not impotant for me.
Nagendra
5 months ago |Classic Minolta MC Rokkor 50mm F1.4 or 1.7 lens gives you absolutely wonderful pics.
Here is a sample from my blog
http://nklightart.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/94365-frets/
tokyojerry
5 months ago |I have one such classical lens myself but 58mm, f1.4. A bit too long to be very practical on the NEX (87mm equiv) but hanging on to it for use with a FF NEX
obican
5 months ago |Sigma should make a 35/2 and 24/2 for the E-Mount.
FMJ
5 months ago |Sigma already have the 30mm F2.8, is not likely they will make a 35mm to compete head to head with sony.
but a 24mm F2 would kill the Zeiss sales by a lot.
I am happy with both of my Sigma 19mm & 30mm, just hope it could be faster by 1 stop. and since then, i never touch the Sony E mount 50mm, the focus speed just kills me, so darn slow
Mars Observer
5 months ago |I just got the 35mm f1.8 OSS for Christmas and also am ‘liking what I’m seeing’ so far.
It’s a shame Sony doesn’t have the resources to make more emount lenses because the 35mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8 are both fantastic! Sony is really under-rated is a lens manufacturer. My impression is that they are going to divert resources from A-mount to E-mount next year, so hopefully we’ll see many more great e-mount lenses from them in future.
The 50 1.8 is my favourite emount (I like its ‘character’ even more than the Zeiss 24mm).
I also appreciate the OSS I as often like to shoot handheld at night.
Good work Sony! It’s been a loooooong wait for lenses, but you’ve brought us some really great ones!!
doug
5 months ago |What a lousy set of sample pictures. All of them are soft, lacking in contrast and underexposed. If he’s “liking what he’s seeing”, then his standards are set really low.
Ton
5 months ago |OSS is used for low shutter speeds without tripod, for me that is from 1/15 sec and down. OSS always shift your photo somewhat and delays the autofocus a bit, that’s why you better switch it off when the camera is on tripod.
There is 1 sample photo made with 1/8 sec, therefor I always use a tripod. For all the other example photo’s I switch OSS off, due to shutter speed. I have the Sigma 30mm 2.8, which gives great results for the € 169.- paying € 480.- for OSS and a little more light is far too much. The slowest shutter speed of the other sample photo’s is 1/40, so no problem for me making them with the 30mm f/2.8 with 1/30 without OSS. Photo’s made with 1/500 I can make with any lens and get the same quality because there is enough light. In short I need usefull reviews.
If you use video a lot with the NEX it is helpfull I think, but I don’t.
Sahaja
5 months ago |“a little more light” – at f/1.8 you are getting 3x the light (1.5 stops) of the Sigma at f/2.8. The OSS will effectively give you at least a couple more stops in many situations.
alphabart
5 months ago |I love the pics that I make with the Sony E 35mm F1.8!
Check this one out:
http://alphabart.nl/fotomateforum/readytoparty.jpg
35mm F1.8 ISO800 1/50 Handheld
Twaddler Belafonte
5 months ago |Great detail!