Sony has officially announced its new wide-angle full-frame 35mm f/1.4 G Master lens for the Sony EF mirrorless mount – what Sony describes as a “small, bright 35 for breathtaking images” which incorporates “Sony’s most advanced technology”. It will be a welcome addition to Sony’s lineup for those whose f/1.4 options thus far have been only the Sony Zeiss Distagon T FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA, with a price towards which the new sony leans, or the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art series lens which is a DSLR lens retrofitted to fit on Sony mirrorless cameras.
As part of Sony’s G Master series, it is expected to offer a great level of sharpness, fast and accurate autofocus with pleasing bokeh. Sony says it delivers “first-class image quality” in a compact and lightweight design with “industry-leading autofocus capabilities”. They say that it’s equally at home shooting landscapes, street photography or portraits, as well as both stills and video use. According to Sony, the FE 35mm f/1.4 G Master has an almost circular aperture, thanks to an 11-blade construction. Two “innovative XA elements”, they say, provides “impressive close-ups with smooth, creamy background bokeh”. And with an f/1.4 maximum aperture, it’ll allow you to do it in some fairly dark environments.
Naturally, Sony boasts the lens’s “state-of-the-art” autofocus system, with Sony’s XD (“extreme dynamic”) linear motors to provide the speed with precise movements. But they also talk about the smooth and accurate feel of manually focusing with this lens, too. And, naturally, while it’s a full-frame lens, it’ll also work with Sony’s APS-C mirrorless and Super 35mm cine cameras, too. It features all of the usual weather and dust sealing we’d expect for a lens of this price and calibre, with a fluorine front element coating for repelling water, oil and other contaminants. Lens elements are also designed and coated to minimise artifacts such as chromatic aberration and flare. The Sony FE 35mm F1.4 G Master lens is available to pre-order now for $1,399 and begins shipping in February.
