Sony DT 35 F1.8 SAM  reviews

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Matt   review date: May-24-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony DT 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 SAM
Minolta 100 f/2.8 Macro D

price paid:

€ 220 (new)

positive:

Cheap
Sharp!
Lightweight
Compact

negative:

Lots of plastic

comment:

Every A-mount APS-C camera user should have this lens, as it represents the 50mm FOV on APS-C. It performs really great and the value for money is outstanding. Looking at sharpness, it can keep up with my Minolta 100 f/2.8 Macro D easily. Center sharpness is already good at f/1.8 and get excellent when you stop down. Corners follow from f/2.8 onwards.

It is of course one of these "plastic-fantastic" lenses, but I do not care really. It is solid enough and it makes the lens affordable, compact and light in weight. Optically, no complains. Buy it. Enjoy it.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Aavo   review date: April-25-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 16-80 Zeiss, Sony 1,4/50

price paid:

250 euro (new)

positive:

Great sharpness and color

negative:

comment:

About 50% of time has been mounted on a700 in 2011-2012.
As it is cheap, no problem with overall build quality.
Plastic mount is not problem for little and light lens.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Philipb   review date: February-19-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

sal 16-105
Tam 60 macro

price paid:

180USD

positive:

Light
Fast
Good image quality

negative:

comment:

Best value price to performance lens on the market.
Almost as sharp as the Tamron, which I consider to be a 5, sharper than the zooms. Good colour fast and fun to use. Unlikely to bounce well but my 16-105 stopped working without a knock!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: shoefly   review date: February-13-13  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony DT 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 SAM
Sony 75-300mm F/4.5-5.6

price paid:

190 USD (new)

positive:

Sharp.
Extremely lightweight.
AF doesn't hunt.

negative:

comment:

Obviously the lenses I have to compare this to are not a very apples to apples comparison. I will say though, the lens is very sharp, the AF doesn't hunt and seems accurate(though I have made no hard comparisons). I will also mention that my wife(who rarely uses the camera mind you) always notices when one of the other lenses is on because the 35 is so light and easy to shoot with.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 2 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: superx2won   review date: December-10-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f1.7, Minolta 24mm, Minolta 28mm

price paid:

135 USD (used)

positive:

Small , Light, Fast focusing, Minimum focusing distance is ~ 1ft, which is good.

negative:

bad build, very plastic

comment:

I buy this lens from K9tales !! Nice dealing with him.

This lens is actually equal to 50 mm std kit equivalence in FF dSLR.

This AF is fast and it has very short minimum focus distance of 0.9Ft, which is good when taking picture of my kid. The skin tone generated is great. it can take great picture in indoor as well.

This lens stop the lens lust for minolta 35mm f1.4 or F2 if you are not using FF dSLR.

I love using it.

only bad thing is the build, it really has a bad build which is plastic. Well, this is something that actually reflected in the price shown vs good build. You get what you pay for.

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 2 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: seller1912   review date: December-07-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

AF-S 35mm 1.8, Minolta 24 85 RS, Minolta 50 1.7 RS. SAM 18 55.

price paid:

130 EUR (2nd but new

positive:

Compact, low price, excellent sharpness even at wide open, good bokeh compare to Nikon Version.

negative:

Absolutely horrible build, distortion and flare control is average.

comment:

This lens is as good as it inteded to be. The useful focal length and aperture, size and weight, and SAM motor make it a perfect autofocus lens. But for manual focus and video follow focus, this lens is so horrible. With a focus ring so tiny and undampeded, it's almost impossible to manual focus during video. When using the hood, manual focus getting even more awkward. The lens is 100% plastic except the glasses, with an untight build so I think this lens will not last. You better get rid of it before the end of guarantee.

But anyway, the optics performance of a lens with such a price is admirable, even better than the infamous Nikon version. Only if SOny could build this lens like Nikon, this would be a complete win.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Hubert   review date: November-22-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

16-80 CZ

positive:

light, cheap and sharp

negative:

cheap built

comment:

i tend to use it more and more. It' s nice, sharp, light weight, little plastic but it' s fast. Results are good. Some PP in colors. (little cold colors.
But in- and indoor a winner. You can't go wrong with this little fellow.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: MartyMoose   review date: October-25-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony , Minolta and CZ zooms and primes.

price paid:

219 (new)

positive:

Everything.

negative:

Nothing so far but I've only used it indoors with controlled lighting.

comment:

Beautiful, lightweight, colorful, sharp lens. Attached to a77 results ~52mm focal length. In controlled lighting, stopped down and with the right recipe in ACR this thing produces exceptional results and just absolutely worth the price. I gave a 5 rating for flare but I havent used it outdoors so I cant really say, but rather given it the benefit of the doubt. I gave the build rating a 5 because its so lightweight, making it easy to carry and shoot long portrait sessions with, I dont care if it's plasticy and not built like a tank.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: rsf3127   review date: October-19-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

MinO 28mm 2.8
MinO 50mm 1.7
Sony 20mm 2.8
Sony 16-105mm
Tamron 90mm macro
Canon 50mm 1.8 EFII

price paid:

174 USD (new)

positive:

Weight
Size
Sharpness

negative:

Chromatic Aberration

comment:

Already sharp WO. Improves a nice bit by 2.8.
CA is there at 1.8 and is improved a little bit when stopped down, but never disappears. It is my only gripe whit this lens.
Over all, a great performer for the price.
It is my usual walkaround lens on the a35, a700 and NEX-5N.
So far, has been surpassed only by the Tamron 90 macro and the Canon 50mm in my lens set.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 4 

user: Khafiz   review date: August-02-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

200 USD

positive:

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: mallo64   review date: July-23-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

CZ 16-80
Minolta 50mm f1.7

price paid:

229 EUR (new)

positive:

Light
hood included
fast aperture

negative:

plastic mount

comment:

I like this fast lens. Works well at maximum aperture 1.8. I tested this lens in some portrait shot in a live concert with my plesaure result.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Hotdog   review date: June-26-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f1.7

price paid:

£100

positive:

Light
small
hood included
sharp
fast

negative:

flimsy
plasticky

comment:

I am surprised by just how good this lens is! I had aMinolta 50mm f1.7 before and loved that lens. I can honestly say I prefer this one to the Minolta - mainly because of the extra width being a 35mm but also its faster, focuses closer and has a proper hood. Maybe the Minolta has that lovely Minolta colour and bokeh but this one is probably as good. IMHO anyway.

Light and plasticky maybe but so what if the images are top drawer and the price is right!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: boyzone   review date: June-08-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

30/2.8 macro

price paid:

235 USD (new)

positive:

-cheap
-light
-hood
-sharp

negative:

comment:

Is a very sharp lens with wide open. Lightweight and manage to deliver natural color. Build quality for plastic mount is not a big concern for me. Of course, not so bad like people claimed; Is good.
For the one who are interest to have a light weight set up, this is the must have lens. Light, fast, cheap and sharp.

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: SvenJTD   review date: May-20-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

200€

positive:

-Sharp
-Fast
-Light
-Great in low light

negative:

-A bit strong purple fringing wide open in strong light

comment:

Great lens for the price especially on APSC where its 52mm.
Plastic all around with some wobble, but for the price and the image quality its great.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: donniefitz2   review date: April-28-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- Minolta 50mm f1.7
- Beercan
- Baby Beercan
- Minolta 24-85

price paid:

$219.00

positive:

- Sharp
- Quiet
- Light
- Nice Hood Included

negative:

- Bit of barrel wobble

comment:

Recently purchased this lens new after reading about it on all the review sites (here and Munger, DxO, etc) which are overwhelmingly positive.

All I can say is, this lens delivers very sharp images with nice color. At f1.8 it does pretty well and is usable for certain applications, but at f2.8, it's awesome.

The hood on this lens is really decent. I like that Sony included it and wish they did the same with the 50mm f1.8. This lens is my wide portrait and street lens while the 50mm and beercan do my close up portrait work.

The build is a non-issue. If anything, it's advantageous because it's so light.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: andyken   review date: April-27-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f1.7
Minolta 50mm f3.5 macro
Sony 16-105mm f3.5-5.6
Minolta 28-135mm f4-4.5
Minolta 28mm f2.8

price paid:

£80 (used)

positive:

Sharp.
fast.
Light weight, but WELL BUILT!
Superb IQ.

negative:

None that I've found.

comment:

Why does nearly everyone seem to feel the need to give this lens a low build rating just because it is plastic and light weight? Just because the lens body is made of plastic it does NOT mean the lens has poor build quality and won't last. personally I hate lugging around heavy lenses, as long as they are well designed and put together (and this lens very definitely is) give me light weight every time.

I love this lens, it is my favourite prime, has never let me down and is without question one of the sharpest lenses in my collection. It appears to me that you are getting close to 'G' class performance for a relatively budget price. What's not to like?

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Freddan_6   review date: April-26-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f1.4
Minolta 50mm f1.7
Minolta 35-70 f4
Minolta 28-80 f4.5-5.6
Sony 18-55 3.5-5.6

price paid:

220 USD

positive:

Perfect indoor lens for APS-C sensor.

negative:

Plastic feeling, noisy AF during filming.

comment:

I love this lens for indoor shooting. Perfect angle of view. Very sharp from around f:2.2. Sharp in the center wide open. It is very light. It has a plastic feel. It is not as good for indoor portrait as my Minolta 50mm f1.4. But it is very good. I use it always for party and concerts.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: flashx   review date: April-04-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- Minolta 50mm f/1.7
- Sony DT 50mm f/1.8
- Minolta 28mm f/2.8

price paid:

174 USD (new)

positive:

- Brisk and accurate AF
- Lens profile for compensation with A77
- 55mm filter size.
- Sharp and nice colours rendition
- Lightweight
- Comes with a decent hood
- Cheaper compared to entry level Nikon and Canon 35mm

negative:

- some light barrel distortion if not used with A77 to correct it.
- SAM makes less annoying motor sound than the DT 50mm 1.8 and it's somewhat loud.
- Not quite suitable for video work.

comment:

If you have an A77 want to get a normal lens to shoot with, you have Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sony 35mm f/1.4 G, Minolta 35mm f/2, Minolta 35mm f/1.4 G, Minolta 28mm f/2, Minolta 28mm f/2.8 and Sony 35mm DT f/1.8.

If you look at the price tag, most of us will only be considering either the Minolta 28mm f/2.8 or Sony 35mm DT f/1.8. Both are great lenses but if you want a budget but excellent performer, Sony DT 35mm f/1.8 is certainly the winner.

It's very sharp beyond f/2.2. Colour rendition is superb. Although I prefer the old Minolta lens colours. The lens also comes with the hood to block flares which is nice. If you can find one for a reasonable price, it's certainly a good lens to your line up. If you are looking to upgrade any Sony kitlens, this should be a lens you will have to consider.

For A77 users, this lens have an added bonus which is the lens compensation feature. The A77 can fix the CA, distortion and vignetting issues in the camera body make it an even more attractable lens.

Aside from AF motor noise and strictly using it for photos, this lens is certainly best bang for the buck. Even if you are going full-frame, this is the lens to buy before you can upgrade to Sony 35mm f/1.4 G or Sony 50mm f/1.4.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: mikey2000   review date: March-17-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50/1.4
Tamron 90/2.8 macro

price paid:

90

positive:

Sharp!
Bokeh
Light, compact
Total bargain.

negative:

Silly SAM motor
Feels plasticky

comment:

It may be plasticky feeling with a pretty cheap feel but I'm very very impressed with this little beauty's IQ.

Even wide open, the IQ is good enough for me and compares very well to the other two primes I mention above.

I'll forgive the horrible SAM motor and cheap build quality. The AF is quick enough, but I don't like the AF/MF switching on the body. If it breaks, it's so cheap, I'll just buy another!

I find 35mm far more useful than 50mm on aps-c and this is my go-to lens for indoor low light now.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: ifreedman   review date: March-10-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50 F1.7
Tamron 28-75 F2.8
SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4
Tamron 18-250
Various other manual focus lenses

price paid:

$150 usd (used)

positive:

Great images. Light. Cheap. Nearly normal on APSC.

negative:

I don't love the feel of shooting with this lens. Not FF (in case I ever upgrade my camera).

comment:

Overall, I like this lens, and it gives very nice results at a low price. I have no regrets about having bought it. However, unless I need auto focus for quick moving subjects, I generally would rather shoot with my manual focus SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 than with this. The feel of the Takumar is just so much better than with the Sony. The focus ring on the 35mm isn't very smooth, and the lens feels almost too light. I don't think the body on the 35mm is cheap, but if you're looking for a certain tactile feel when you shoot, this lens isn't for you. If you just want an inexpensive lens that takes great photos and is fast enough for indoor photography or selective focus shots, this 35mm could be great.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: iforget   review date: February-23-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

minolta 24-85
SAL50f1.8
SAL55-200
SAL18-55
Minolta 50f1.7

price paid:

170 CAD (used)

positive:

range
sharp
light
good walk around lens

negative:

distortion
noisy
cheap feel

comment:

more useful indoor than the 50f1.8. But 50f1.8 is better for portrait as it has less distortion. Also 50F1.8 has better flare control. Wide open is slightly sharper than the 50F1.8. Hunt in low light sometimes. Color is less warm than the 55-200. Overall a good indoor lens but I tend to like 55-200 and 50F1.8 more for portrait shots. Color is not as nice as Minolta 50F1.7 (at least for portraits).

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Hols52   review date: February-12-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

16-50

price paid:

£80

positive:

Plastic so light, unobtrusive, sharp, nice colours

negative:

Plastic build so how long will it last

comment:

Really useful little lens for using around the house - particularly for parties, friends round family etc

The IQ is very good, auto focus absolutely fine.

Also, very good to take outside and leave all the other lenses behind. Gives completely new take on composition and positioning. Memories of my childhood in fact, with my grandfather and father taking film pictures with their 35mm cameras.

For me the image quality and focusing are very good - not for the money - just very good per se.

I have given a "5" for build quality as although it is plastic it feels well put together and the lightness is lovely. I will see how it goes and lasts over the next few months to see if this has to changed down - hopefully not.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Evildogsofdoom   review date: February-04-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50mm 1.4

price paid:

199USD

positive:

Cheap
Sharp

negative:

Cheap Build
Manual Focus Ring

comment:

This is a great lens for the money. It looks and feels like a toy, but optically it is a great lens. On APS-C it reminds me of the old 50mm standard lens in the old 35mm days. A Cheap and Cheerful lens

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: koniklec   review date: February-04-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 24/2,8
Sony 50/1,4

price paid:

205 EUR (new)

positive:

sharpness
small size
cheap

negative:

plastic build

comment:

My copy of this lens is pretty sharp, more than SAL 50/1,4. On the other hand I don't know if its plastic build is for ages but it can only surprise me. Time will tell. Nice lens.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: alphaein   review date: February-03-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

50 1.7 minolta
35 1.4G Sony

price paid:

RM700 Jan 2012

positive:

Cheap & Good, Light weight, colours, IQ, compact, fair bokeh

negative:

Manual focus not smooth, does not feel solid enough, plastic mount, but overall hard to fault for this price. I'm sure it was built this way for a good reason.

comment:

Tested this lens with the "G-lens" conterpart, and I got to say for 1/6th of the cost of a G lens, Its a steal, well even if the G was 1 to 1 priced as cheap as this lens, I'd still pick this lens for the optics any day. The G out does this lens on built and MF feel, but with AF running full time, and single hand shooting, its a no brainer.

Bought this lens before my trip to Singapore. As I had been shooting my trip to Vietnam on a 50mm 1.7+A77 body, and I got to say I needed wider as it was a pain and a little too challenging to shoot constant 75mm eqv, so I drop the cash on the 35 1.8 and I was almost sure I'd walk away grinning.

after the Singapore trip and about 1000 pics latter, I can't be happier. If u have an APS-C body and deciding between 50 or 35... just get the 35! if u want something longer, get a 85 1.4Z or 135 1.8Z...

This lens prob isn't the bokeh king, but It does deliver some decent bokeh, and the Optics is alot sharper then the 50 1.7 or the 35 1.4G. Although its a very affordable lens, I feel they could have top up more on the built and a metal mount for such a deserving lens. I though about manually upgrading my lens with a metal mount, but unfortunately the plastic part is all made in such a way you cannot take an old alpha lens metal mount and replace the plastic mount.

I just hope this lens uses "plastic - fantastic". only time will tell how good/bad the plastic mount will hold up...

6th Feb 2012: Retested this lens against a SONY 35mm 1.4G (3rd batch, the one with no markings of 35 1.4 on the top side) and I got to say was the best 35 1.4G i've ever tested, I believe sony had revised the coatings and fine tuned ther lens to make it tons better then the earlier batches. final verdic, the 35 1.8 seems to loose to the 35 1.4 (3rd batch) in terms of CA, comparing it side by side, wide open the CA of the 1.4 is more pinkish, vs purple-ish for the 1.8. stop down to f2.5 no CA is visible on the 1.4G but the 1.8 still exhibit some CA... both lens is tack sharp wide open, and 35G showing a slight sharper and nicer feel to the bokeh prob due to the floating element. Kudos to SONY for fixing the "CA KING AKA 35 1.4G" upon todays test with the 3rd and lattest batch to date of the 35 1.4G, I'd say the 35 may live up to its ledgendary status... but weather its worth 6x the price tag really is a matter of controvasy. (NOTE: earlier batches of 35G I've tested were horrid, CA King and soft wide open. bad copy? bad coating? or bad calibration? with about 4 bad experiences... its prob the issue with earlier batches)

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: seeky   review date: February-01-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony DT 18-55 f3.5-5.6 SAM
Minolta 28-105 f3.5-4.5 RS

price paid:

gift (230 EUR)

positive:

-Sharpness
-Lightweight
-Fast
-Small size
-Affordable
-Minimum focusing distance

negative:

-SAM motor:
-focus ring turns during AF
-no AF override
-noisy
-plastic build
-some distortion

comment:

Firstly, a couple of negatives:
Maybe due to the low price (positive, actually), there is no money spent to metal parts and high-tech AF motors. Actually, it feels quite nice, but the plastics used look very cheap. Until now, the build has never been an issue to me, and I'm not afraid of holding the camera by the lens. The SAM motor seems outdated to me, but is OK for the price. I tend to use the AF/MF switch often, so AF override would be handy. The focus ring isn't very nice, there is some play in it, and it turns very easy. This lens seems not to be designed for MF.
Optically, only distortion is a little to much to my taste, but is only noticable when focusing closer with straight lines along the sides of the frame.

The positives:
Optically, it is superb. I use it mainly at f2, and its center sharpness is very good already. Bokeh is very nice, although it takes on lentil shapes along the sides of the frame, which I don't mind. I never use the lens hood, except sometimes in full sunlight, but even then it is not prone to flare, maybe due to the recessed front element. Close focusing ability is great, it's closest focusing distance is 12 cm from the front of the lens, where you get a magnification of 0,25x. Focusing is reasonably quick.

For me, this focal length is ideal, and I like it far more than a 50mm lens (on APS-C) indoors. Sometimes I like something wider, especially indoors, but this lens covers 90% of what I shoot. Ideal for indoor low-light shooting. However, I would like to encourage Sony to improve the build and feel to the level of the Nikkor 35mm f1.8G.

Compared to the other 2 lenses:
Optically it is way better than both abovementioned lenses. Build quality is the same as the kit lens, and slightly worse compared to the Minolta 28-105. However, it's the same regarding MF.

I tried it on my Dynax 7 (film), and surprisingly I got some nice pictures. However, I'm still investigating on that, since other people found heavy vignetting as opposed to my findings. Update: there is pronounced vignetting, although it differs very much in different situations. Especially in low light it is usable, since vignetting is not very well visible. However, in normal light it is only usable when focusing close, depending on the scene. As found on digital Minolta bodies, the Dynax 7 also registers an F-value of 1.7 instead of 1.8.


Conclusion: must have for APS-C users.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: SonyA580   review date: January-24-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-55

price paid:

£120.00

positive:

Damm sharp
Lightweight
Prime

negative:

Plastic
Wobbly
Noisey

comment:

For the price its a must have, Damm sharp wide open and it gets better.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: robertsmx   review date: January-23-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm/1.7
Sony 50mm/1.4
Sony 16-50mm/2.8

price paid:

175 USD

positive:

Sharp
Fast
Relatively quiet AF
Small
Light
Inexpensive

negative:

Cheapish, but not really a negative since it is an inexpensive lens, designed to be small and light.

comment:

I recently purchased this lens, as low-light, low weight, walk around option. It works well, and while the body itself isn’t great, I gave it a 5 relative to the price point, and the fact that I could do without more weight. The manual focus movement is actually better than the 18-55 kit lens, which had slightly better cosmetic build.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Vois   review date: January-23-12  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

199 USD

positive:

close focusing
sharp
manual focusing ring is a joy
versatile

negative:

build quality is just ok

comment:

This lens is a no-brainer.... if you are even considering it just buy it... the only negative is the build quality... but it isn't as bad as the 18-55 kit lens... this lens works better with the digital coatings as opposed to a used Minolta 28 which I also have in the same price point. Joy to use with focus peaking and resolves great detail from the 24 MP APSC sensor. This lens is a "gem" for the money....

Great "bang for the buck" ... would gladly pay another $50 dollars to have metal mount and build a la Sony 28/2.8

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Rebecca   review date: December-29-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70
Tamron 70-300 ld macro
Minolta 28f28

price paid:

186 usd (new)

positive:

Inexpensive, sharp, does well in low-light conditions, light weight, simple to use

negative:

None

comment:

I am a beginner with my new a55, so I can't make technical observations. This is the first lens I've liked. It is easy-peezy to use, gives sharp photos in all light conditions and didn't cost very much. It's also very lightweight to carry around, makes the camera very portable. I am so glad I found this lens. It shows me that my new camera will take excellent photos instead of the cotton soft photos I got with the other lenses I bought. (I had to rate the lens in terms of softness, etc, but I don't know enough for any of my ratings to mean anything.)

I decided to upgrade my rating on the build to a 5. My reasons are that I enjoy its light weight, and I can't see that the build interferes with the quality of the photos it makes. Also, for this price, I can wear out 7 of this lens for the price of one of the heavier builds.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Argote   review date: December-14-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta AF 50/1.4
Sigma 18-50/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM
Sony DT 50/1.8 SAM

price paid:

175 USD (new)

positive:

Quite sharp.
Nice hood included.
Good Bokeh.
35mm is more useful on APS-C than 50mm

negative:

Plasticky build.
SAM is loudish and doesn't really add anything.
Given the non-rotating front, they could have thrown in a petal hood instead.

comment:

I bought this even though I owned a Minolta 50/1.4 because sometimes the working space with the 50 was limiting, especially indoors. The lens seems to be quite good in almost all aspects except build which is very plasticky.

Image quality has surpassed my expectations and I'd say it's better than the 50/1.8.

It does show vignetting when wide open but it goes away when slightly stepped down. Coatings seem to work fine as I have seen no indication of flaring or coma.

I will continue to play around with the lens and update this entry accordingly.

Sharp enough for the 24 MP sensor.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: tekwizard   review date: November-20-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Samyang 35 f1.4
Sony/Zeiss 16-80 3,5-4,5

price paid:

210€

positive:

very light, small
fast
cheap

negative:

plastic mount
cheap build (plastic mount,
front tube has wiggle room)

comment:

This is a very good travel, street and work around lens. The center is very sharp although the contrast is not as good as e.g. the Samyang 35mm. Sharpness falls of towards the edges even stopped down but that might not a big deal depending on the shooting style. The build is very cheap and the play/wiggling of the front lens tube, especially with the hood attached is worrying me. Overall it is a good lens for the money.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: bill_bly_ca   review date: November-16-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Zoom equivalents
Nikon 35/1.8 on Fuji S3

price paid:

179 CDN inc tx

positive:

Cheap
light
Really good @f2

negative:

Nothing really

comment:

I picked up this one but it was within a week or two of its initial release in Nov of '10 so I have had it about 1 yr.

Yes it is a bit noisy, yes it is made of plastic, yes the MF/AF switch is cheesy but this should almost be a mandatory part of your A mount kit.. Even more so than a 50/1.7

I state really sharp at f2 as I believe that most of my 1.8 shots are soft due to focus error.

The 14mpix result in my check is on the NEX-3 which is horribly slow with the adapter, but with MF and peaking it is really nice..

On the a850 is crops, unless you ever so slightly unlock the the bayonet. At that time it will only shoot at 1.8.

On SSM film bodies it works great.

The only disappointment is how inferior it is in build to the equivalent Nikon 35/1.8G which I also own.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: BioPeek   review date: October-29-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Carl Zeiss f/2.8 28mm
Minolta MD f/1.7 50mm
Minolta MD f/2.0 45mm (Rokkor)
Minolta MD f/3.5 35-70mm (macro)

price paid:

120 GBP

positive:

Great performer for street photography. Brings 50mm photography to the APS-C camera.

negative:

None.

comment:

Very happy with this sweet lens. Faultess. A gem.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: MartyMart   review date: October-26-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

150£ (new)

positive:

Sharp
Fast
Lightweight
Cheap

negative:

Plastic

comment:

My first prime. Perfect focal length for allround use on APS-C. Sharp from F2 and above.

AF is fast and smooth but noisy, so probably not the best for filming.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: dca1213   review date: October-20-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50mm 1.8 SAM

price paid:

$199.00USD

positive:

Sharp, light weight. Very nice optical performance. Fast. Similar to the 50mm easy choice lens in every way.

negative:

Plastic mount and body.

comment:

Very nice compact lens. Nice focal length on APS-C, similar to 50mm on FF/Film. For the price it can't be beat.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Brokenman808   review date: October-19-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f/1.7
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 HSM
Minolta 24mm f/2.8

price paid:

150.00

positive:

fast, sharp, cheap, light,

negative:

plastic(still not that bad)

comment:

Man oh man. talk about a plastic fantastic. I own about ever Minolta and Sony/Zeiss that matters and I gotta say that this is a killer little Apsc lens. Sharp as a tack and very nice colors, almost Minoltaish. Build is plastic but for $150 im not complaining. The positive of the plastic is that it makes it really light and portable. AF seems to be on par and faster than you standard lens although I'm still not to sure about the SAM. Manual focus is smooth and accurate. I could not spot any obvious flare issues. Coma seems under control. Gotta say that this is a winner.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: lodestone   review date: October-11-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 60mm f2
CZ 16-80mm
Minolta 50mm f1.7

price paid:

200 USD (new)

positive:

Light
Inexpensive
Image quality
Aperture

negative:

Smallish focus ring
Perceived build quality

comment:

This is an incredibly handy lens. I like the field of view for general purpose shots (on APS-C), especially indoors as it has a nice wide aperture. While it does have a very "plasticky" feel, I appreciate the lightness and small size this lens has to offer. The image quality is very high considering the price point and I would recommend this lens to any A-mount shooter.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: derekw   review date: September-29-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50 f3.5 macro
Minolta 50 f1.7

price paid:

100 GBP mint

positive:

SHARP
Colour
Good hood

negative:

None

comment:

Very sharp.

Excellent value for money.

Great lens

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: br127   review date: September-16-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

16-105

price paid:

150 GBP (new)

positive:

+ great image quality
+ small
+ lightweight
+ cheap

negative:

- made entirely from plastic

comment:

Amazing lens, great image quality at incredibly low weight. I even like the SAM, unlike in the 18-55mm kit lens. The only annoying thing is that my fingers frequently get in conflict with the rotating focus ring. Maybe people with smaller hands have less problems here...
Highly recommended even so, you don't get better optics for that amount of money!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: johnboy   review date: August-09-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

28mm 2.8
50mm 1.7

price paid:

£150

positive:

Very Sharp
Good colours
Very Light
Very Cheap

negative:

none

comment:

What a great lens! Its fast, its sharp (especially at about f5.6 ish), and the the IQ and colours are great. Its MFD is great, its lightweight and it looks good! Yes its made of plastic but the build is good and optics are clearly excellent. I find that the AF hunts a bit when focusing at 50cm or closer but who cares when the IQ is so good and its so CHEAP!

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: Karlos007   review date: August-06-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 28mm f2.8
Minolta 50mm f1.7
Sony 18-55 SAM

price paid:

£149.99 ( eBay-NEW )

positive:

Price
SHARP
FAST
Included Lens Hood
Small, light,

negative:

Percieved " poor build quality "

comment:

LOVE this lens.
Very sharp, nice and bright, and actually comes with a decent hood that looks the part and delivers its purpose.

cheap primes in the a-mount world tend to be the minolta 50mm f1.7 or the 28mm f2.8 - both of which have there pluses and there weaknesses.

With regards to the 50mm its a fine, well built lens with great IQ, both regarding colours and sharpness. Trouble is on a APS-C camera 50mm isnt what it is on a 35mm - I.E a " normal " lens, and makes for a very tight shooting experience on a crop body, one that i never found myself enjoying.

The 28mm shares the attributes of the 50 with the exception of the brightness being less of a draw, but again, i personally found the focal length to be somewhat strange, not being wide, but not feeling " normal " either.

Now i grab this lens and im satisfied, 35mm on ASP-C is about 51mm equiv, so you get that classic " nifty fifty " usability, yet the f1.8 aperture gives you the shallow DoF allowed by the 50mm.

People hak on about the build quality, and heres my two pence worth on the subject. YES, compared to the two lenses mentioned above this lens is very light, there is no metal to speak of, and the plastics are less dense and lighter. But, dose it feel like its about to fall apart after 5 minuets? NO, far from it. General feel is that of a light yet suitably robust optical piece. don't let the worries of Build quality put you off getting this lens.

Also, the two primes i have mentioned come with built in lens hoods that are as much use as one of ken dods tickle sticks on Omaha beach in 1945. Sony provide a substantial hood with this lens that looks the business and controls flare well. RESULT!!

all in all, a great lens, one that comes highly recommended by me :-)

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: sonya300   review date: August-04-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

150.00 GBP

positive:

Sharp all the way through
Lightweight

negative:

Plastic
cheap feel

comment:

Sharp at 1.8, Very lightweight, fab portrait lens.
Well worth alot more.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 2 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: Morten   review date: August-03-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50 1.7
Tamron 90 2.8 macro
Beercan
KM 28-70 2.8
SAL 18-200

price paid:

140£

positive:

Sharp all the way up and down(very around 5.6). Beautiful OOF and bokeh. Good AF-speed. Fantastic colour and contrast. And price of course.

negative:

Look, feel, and handle plasticky - but it is reliable.

comment:

The plasticky feel of the lens is by far outweighed by the amazing feel of the images. I can recognise images made with it in thumbnail view - they just have a certain magic feel (certainly at 1.8).
The best gem of a lens in my collection, hands down. This lens is a plastic fantastic homerun by Sony.
The colours and contrast alone make me wonder if my old Minoltas should go on Ebay.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: turtlepwr281   review date: July-30-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f/1.7

price paid:

200 USD

positive:

Optical quality
Large Aperture
Price
Light Weight
Small Size

negative:

Cheap Build Quality

comment:

This is my favorite lens, hands down. This lens is on my camera by default almost all the time. There's not much you can't do with this lens.

Low light shooting:
At f/1.8, low light shooting is a breeze.

Walk-around lens:
Provides very sharp daytime shots above f/2.8. Bokeh seems pleasing. Great focal length (on a crop body) for a good indoor/outdoor lens.

The build quality on this lens is a bit cheap feeling, it feels very plastic. However, this is a camera lens, not a precision rifle barrel or engine block and should not be exposed to similar stresses. With that noted, I feel the use of plastic is forgivable. This seems to have held up to a few months of careful use just fine.

Focusing:
This lens can be manually focused past infinity (minor quibble), but AF is accurate and fast enough. The manual focus ring isn't really dampened well (This is no Minolta lens) but seems to work well regardless.

Optical Quality:
In short, fantastic. Images are razor sharp and colors are amazing. My best pictures have been taken with this lens. The MFD on this lens is something like 4.5", so close-ups (not quite Macros) are possible.

This lens has earned a permanent spot in my bag (and likely semi-permanently on my camera). Excellent Optical qualities far outweigh a few minor build quibbles. Overall, this is an almost perfect lens that everyone should try.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 1 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Apocalypse_later   review date: July-13-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 17-50 2.8, Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6, Tokina 28-80 2.8, Beercan, Tamron 35-105 2.8, Minolta 200 2.8 HS, Sony 70-300G, Sony 50 1.4.

price paid:

200€ new

positive:

Sharp, usabe even from 1.8, great 2.8. Light. Very good optical quality.

negative:

Build very very weak. Some flares at 1.8. Slow AF, and too much big, thanks to its slooow motor...

comment:

I like very much its optical quality. Very bad build, SAM system is a joke, the lens is bigger and I can´t find any profit (for our alphas), AF is slow... I prefer the "old" system, without motor, smaller and even faster with a good camera.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: tpolakov   review date: June-10-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50 f1.7

price paid:

196 EUR (new)

positive:

Sharp even wide open
Light

negative:

Plastic - how long will it last ?

comment:

Perfect walk around and low light lens. Light, sharp, fast.
SAM is in fact not that noisy as I had feared. Also I think it actually saves some wear on the plastic mount. I felt the Sony 55-200 (non-SAM) wobbling with the screw drive when the AF was changing direction.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: nicols   review date: June-07-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

149 GBP

positive:

lovely and sharp
Good range for APSC
Fast

negative:

Easy Choice build quality

comment:

A modern classic - great quality optics in a plasticky body but seriously at this price I find it hard to complain.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: snajper   review date: June-03-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

my other fast lenses
Minolta 50mm f1.4
Minolta 50mm f1.7
Sigma 24mm F2.8
Sigma 90mm F2.8
Tamron 17-50 F2.8
etc

price paid:

$220

positive:

Sharp even wide open
Cheap
small and light
excellent hood

negative:

hardly anything- let say
build quality

comment:

I have read on dyxum lots of nice things about this lens and I just had to get one. I must say considering the cheap price, I was stunned. Sharpness wide open is very good but once switched to "contrast detection AF" it becomes excellent. It gives my other fast lenses run for its money.

SAM is fast and not noisy at all.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: revdano1   review date: May-12-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

149 usd

positive:

Sharp, Fast, and Light

negative:

nothing for the price

comment:

A great sharp light lens. SAM is, you know, SAM, but it does a great Job. Love the lower light capabilites and color.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: riveredger   review date: May-11-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Canon 50mm 2.5 CM

price paid:

199 USD

positive:

Lightweight
Fast
Relatively Sharp

negative:

None for the price.

comment:

This is my favorite lens on my A580. It makes for a nice, lightweight and compact kit to walk with. It is a bit soft wide open, but sharpens up quickly by f/2.2-2.5. I'm not a pro, just a photo enthusiast, and I find the build quality to be fine considering you are getting a 35mm 1.8 lens for $200. Also, the MFD is terrific with this lens - allowing for very good close up shots.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: jakubh70   review date: April-12-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 1,8/28 II, Minolta 1,7/50

price paid:

200USD (new)

positive:

Sharpness, colour, bokeh, lightweight, sun shade

negative:

plastic mount

comment:

This lens gives great, warm and colourful pictures, sharpness and contrast are really top.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: danymoris   review date: April-05-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Nikon 35mm f1.8
Pentax 35mm f2

price paid:

190

positive:

Sharpness
Affordable
Lightweight
Faster AF than old lenses

negative:

Questionable durability
AF noise

comment:

If you're fumbling on Minolta/Sony APS-C with normal ranged zooms, stop it. And get this lens. That's all there is to it. Stop whining about how Canikon have a larger lens selection, or how pentax limiteds are worthy of their expense. This is the lens you should have as the 'kit' lens.

On casual comparison, this is about as sharp as the Nikon 35mm f1.8 DX. And in my brief comparison seem to be slightly sharper at the corners compared to Pentax 35mm f2. YMMV.

For a lens that's labeled as SAM, one would expect it to also have a softer AF noise. That's my only negative point other than build durability.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: PLK   review date: March-22-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

M50/1.7; SAL1680

price paid:

250 USD new

positive:

- sharpness
- price
- price to quality perfect
- quick AF

negative:

- none
- maybe would be nice FF and not APS-C in future

comment:

I am fascinated with that small piece of plastic and glass. Giving standard 50 mm for APS-C, with 1.8 performs great, sharpening 'totally' at 5.6. It becames useless to pay 600 - 700 USD for Minolta 35/2, unless you have FF.
Short edition: just made some tests against 1680Z at 35mm, F4 and 5.6. Only 5.6 centers are comparable, all other 35/1.8 shines. It does not come from tests - maybe my 1680Z is a poor copy or 35 mm is a great copy. What specific: jpeg files from 35/1.8 are bigger, for example 7,3 MB vs. 5.6 MB from 1680Z. And much more details visible.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: AdrianGail   review date: March-17-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mmF2.8 Macro

price paid:

135 GBP (new)

positive:

Sharp for price
Light

negative:

Hood blocks manual focus ring operation when "stowed" in reverse.

comment:

Sharp for the price. Good focal length for indoor shooting. More-so than the 50mm alternative I could have bought.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: Basil   review date: March-08-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 24 2.8
Minolta 50 1.4
Minolta MC Rokkor 50 3.5 macro (with adaptor)

price paid:

169 USD

positive:

Sharp and light little lens.
Fast focusing
Comes with a real hood to control flare

negative:

Build quality needs to stand the test of time.

comment:

I continue to be amazed at this little lens. For me, it's the real sleeper in the Sony line-up. It's small, light, fast and sharp. Add cheap to the mix and it's a winner.

I have kept it in my bag or in my pocket every time I have gone out. It's great on the A700, but on the A100, it really shines!

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Eric_D   review date: March-02-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 17-50
Tamron 90mm

price paid:

199.99 USD New

positive:

Low Cost
Sharp
Light

negative:

CA under adverse conditions

comment:

I really like this lens but my copy shows heavy CA under adverse conditions. Example would be silver colored instruments under bright stage lights shows heavy CA.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 1 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: godsakes   review date: February-15-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

sony 50mm sam
minolta 50mm f1.4
Minolta 35mm f1.4

price paid:

£100

positive:

Cheap
Great focal lenth on APS-C
Sharp
AF motor smoother than the 50mm Sam

negative:

Cheap build quality
APS-C only
some distortion

comment:

For the money this is a no brainer lens to own for APS-C users. Yes the build is awful but optically it's right up there punching well above it's weight. It's got the same image quality as the sony 50mm SAM (albeit with worse distortion) but at a far more useful, general purpose range on APS-C. From a quick play with a minolta 35mm 1.4 I can safely say the Sony is far sharper wide open.

Just buy it it's a must have

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Stinus   review date: February-02-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony DT Carl Zeiss 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5
Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM

price paid:

€239 (new)

positive:

sharp
minimum focus distance
light
small

negative:

low contrast at f/1.8
vignetting at f/1.8

comment:

A small, lightweight lens that's almost indistinguishable from the Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM (they even use the same hood). Wideopen it's already pretty sharp in the center, but the low contrast and vignetting are clearly visible. The autofocus speed and noise is acceptable, and thanks to the maximum aperture it doesn't hunt often in low light.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: teejay   review date: January-17-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- sony 30mm macro
- sony 50/1.4

price paid:

175USD(new)

positive:

- sharpness, colors, contrast, CA control
- light
- ok af speed, and not too noisy

negative:

- vignetting wide open
- build, but time will tell

comment:

Sold the 30mm macro to get this lens, focussing is much smoother and quieter, and much more accurate. The macro did not focus well on a700 for non macro distances 1-10 m. This lens is spot on. It is very usable wide open (beware of vignetting though, gone by f2.8), and just gets better stopped down, by f5.6, the whole frame is very sharp , even the extreme corners ( which wasn't so with 30mm macro).
You get a 1:4 reproduction ratio with this lens, which can come in handy. My feeling is that this is clearly a more versatile lens than the 30mm macro (unless you need 1:1, but then the 50mm and 100mm are better suited for this, although pricey).
This is a good low light lens for group pictures, or full- half body portraits, but will not supersede the 50/1.4 (or 50/1.8) for pure portrait use. Due to great sharpness stopped down, it is a good landscape lens.
I am very happy with this lens, and it will stay with me until I go full frame.

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: bigjt   review date: January-16-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony50f1:4

price paid:

159GBP with free UV filter

positive:

.Cheap & Light
.Sharp
.

negative:

.Nothing ( see build quality )

comment:

After some debate as to whether to get this or the 85f2:8 i chose the 35mm. Very happy with my choice.

Sharpness - well my copy is exceptionally sharp, i cannot fault its IQ
Build Quality - for 159 pounds how can you really complain, yes its plastic inc' the mount but it weighs so little i cannot see any reasons for it to be metal
Focus accuracy/speed - its not a speed demon, but its more than adequate.
Bokeh - not as good as my 50f1:4 but im not complaining.
Conclusion - its a no brainer....good IQ, with no major issues, cheap and perfect for me.I am VERY HAPPY with this lens.

sharpness: 4 

color: 3 

build: 2 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Zony   review date: January-11-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

50mm f/1.8
30mm f/2.8 Macro

positive:

Cheap
Good flare control
Fast lens at this price
Great length for crop cam

negative:

Looks like it was built for children
Silk-screened letters/numbers

comment:

You can't go wrong with this lens. Yes, it looks/feels like cheap plastic. But, you are not going to find any zoom this bright that can lock onto a dim subject indoors. Sure, it would be nice to get better quality from Sony for a little more money, but this is what we got.
In AF the 30mm F/2.8 focuses MUCH faster. If you don't need the speed of this lens, get the 30mm F/2.8
I agree with other posters that this is slightly sharper than the 50mm F/1.8 . This will give you more DOF, the 50 will give you less distortion. The 50mm misses more shots, too.

sharpness: 3 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: E.G.   review date: December-28-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50 mm f/1.8

price paid:

~250 USD new

positive:

Price, not a bad build considering it's plastic.

negative:

I think that I have a bum version of it... it focuses fine close up, but

comment:

I *think* that this could be a good lens, but I seem to have ended up with a somewhat sketchy copy of it. It focuses fine close, and seemingly fine further away. But, at about 10 feet or so, it's just awful. The real focus seems to be about two or three inches behind the point that I had chosen.

I'm going to have to try to return it and, hopefully, will get a better copy. I like what I see in terms of sample pictures. And I've been able to get a few great ones myself, as long as it's not in that particular distance range.

Anyone else with similar issues?

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: eLCee   review date: December-26-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

positive:

-SAM focuses fast and fairly quiet (unlike the 18-55)
-Sharpness wide open is OK
-light

negative:

comment:

Works very well, pictures are great. I don't mind the plastic build. The price can hardly be beaten...

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Bob Socko   review date: December-20-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

* Sigma 24mm f/1.8
* Sigma 30mm f/1.4
* Sony 50mm f/1.4

price paid:

175 USD (new)

positive:

* lightweight
* good center sharpness wide open
* SAM focuses at a reasonable speed
* fantastic price/performance ratio
* common 55mm filter size
* appropriately-sized hood
* short MFD

negative:

* flimsy build - even the mount itself is plastic
* AF-MF switch on the lens makes switching to manual focus a two-step process
* APS-C only

comment:

I used to think that regardless of the brand of your DSLR - be it Sony, Canon, Nikon, or even Pentax or Olympus - the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 was the go-to lens for a fast, normal prime on a crop sensor camera. And until recently, what were the other options for a Sony shooter? The Sony/Minolta 28mm f/2.8 isn't fast enough for low light work, nor is it sharp enough wide open. The Sony/Minolta 35mm f/1.4 is prohibitively expensive for the casual user. The Minolta 28mm f/2 and 35mm f/2 are better options, but are hard to find and carry a price premium as a result. That left the Sigma.

Now, don't get me wrong, the Sigma isn't a bad lens. It's nice to have f/1.4 as an option, even if it's not terribly practical. Center sharpness is good wide open, and it has a nice build. However, it has the same problem that almost every other Sigma lens has - everything has a yellow cast to it, quality control is iffy, and it's not SLT-compatible straight out of the box.

Now, Sony shoters have a new option - the 35mm f/1.8 SAM. Colors are nice and the lens is acceptably sharp at f/1.8. You'll need to stop down to sharpen up the corners, but considering the practical use of such a lens at f/1.8, I doubt that's going to cause anyone any headaches. The SAM motor isn't as sluggish as I was worried it would be - the Sigma is still faster, but that could be due to the fast autofocus motor on the a700. There's a little bit of distortion and flare can be an issue, but it's nothing unexpected or inappropriate. The only real "problem" with this lens is that the build is very, very cheap. It's the opposite end of the spectrum from a Beercan. I don't bang around my lenses, but assuming something did happen, I'd expect this lens to break before anything else in my bag does.

All in all, this is a fantastic lens for the price. I actually sold my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and picked this up instead because, for how and when I need a lens like this, the Sony will perform just as well as the Sigma, if not better. Unless you desperately need something faster than f/1.8 or feel inspired to upgrade to more expensive options, buy this lens - it's a fantastic performer for the price.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: tgx78   review date: December-20-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

35-105
17-35d

price paid:

$179 USD

positive:

light
fast
cheap

negative:

build quality
QC issue with my copy

comment:

I like this lens except my copy front focus.(about 1-2 inches)

Bought it from the BHphoto so hopefully I can return it and get it exchanged.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: ChrisH   review date: December-20-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50mm 1.4

price paid:

€ 200,- new

positive:

Nice, little lens that's cheap but performs better than one expects for this price. Short focussing distance.

negative:

Yes, the build is cheap with plastic mount, who cares.
More important is the fringing below F2.8.

comment:

Although it has it's limitations, only one focusdistance [35mm] like all primes, plastic build and mount, and abberations at fast speeds, it has far more advantages like it's price, short focussing distance [23 cm], light weight, image quality and so on.

If you want a nice fast lens with good indoor and portrait qualities, this is the one lens you need. Just go out and buy it.

I tried it in the snow, fresly fallen this weekend, and that's always a difficult situation for lenses and cameras.
Together with the 50mm 1.4 that I also had with me it is a nice couple to work with and that forces your inventivity and creativity to a higher level. The 50mm 1.4 slightly performed better in the snow, as far as I could judge. Thumbs up Sony.

Edit 28 dec 2010 : Remarkable : with the Dynax D5D the F-value is 1.7 instead of 1.8.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: BobIndy   review date: December-16-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

min 50 1.7
min 28 2.8

price paid:

175 USD

positive:

Price
MFD
Bokeh

negative:

nothing for the price

comment:

Chose this lens for shooting natural light full body portraits and more group shots as opposed to my 50mm. I've never been thrilled with the Min 28 2.8 for whatever reason... guess I always wished it was larger aperture. This lens really comes through for what I wanted. Very nice colors, bokeh, sharpness. Also, the MFD on this lens is ridiculous... almost bumped my subject in the face with the lens hood. My 50 1.7 is going to be seeing very little use and the 28 is going up for sale. Highly recommended, especially while Sony is selling these at the discounted price through the first of the rear. Just a great little lens on a crop frame.

Edit: I am noticing more CA in high contrast areas than I'd like... not unusable, but a little annoying.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: ratboy   review date: December-16-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Tamron 55-200 diII
Sigma 17-70 DS OS HSM
Sony 18-70
Sony 18-55

price paid:

153 GBP (new)

positive:

Sharp
Bokeh
Light

negative:

not a lot so far

comment:

Excellent little lens, like many others I always felt a 50/1.8 was a bit too long for an APS-C sensor.The colours are good and its lovely and sharp. After two years of owning this lens its still a great performer and have now shot two Oktoberfests with it. I'm still impressed.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Aleksey463   review date: December-14-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony DT 50 F1.8

positive:

Weight
Sharp enought, at center is sharp wide open
Good color and contrast

negative:

Wide open corners is less sharp than DT 50 mm F1.8
Too sensitive focusing ring, not very good for manual focusing- small rotation gives too big effect.

comment:

It is very good lens for family photo.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: scotartt   review date: December-11-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 50mm f/3.5 macro
Sony 18-70mm f/3.5-f/5.6 kit

price paid:

175 USD from bhphoto

positive:

low light capabilities, optical quality, colour is very nice, price

negative:

plasticy

comment:

I bought this lens about a week ago for its low-light capabilities and it's not left my camera since! My options for lenses less than 50mm was limited to the 18-70mm kit lens and the quality of this lens completely blows that old crappy thing out of the water. This is a great lens, especially considering the price. Its optical qualities I've found are excellent for portraiture and general photography. I suspect this will relegate my beloved Minolta 50mm f/3.5 to close-macro duties only, even then it seems that this lens can even do fairly reasonable macro shots, although I have not tried a direct comparison. The 35mm focal is ideal for APS-C sensors in terms of general photographic work. I actually love shooting with the prime lens most of the time, zooms are over-rated if you ask me.

If you have an APS-C sensor (and that's most of us), what can I say other than BUY THIS LENS!!! You will not regret it, ideal portrait lens, ideal for parties, ambient light settings, etc; a good 'walk about' lens unless you are committed to zooms.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: neo_roxx   review date: December-06-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

SAM 50 F1.8
SAL 50 F1.4

price paid:

250USD

positive:

Very Sharp at wide open
Light Weight
Very Smooth AF
Easy to Use

negative:

Plastic Build
Color Fringe at F1.8

comment:

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 5 

user: nori   review date: November-30-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 17-35mm f2.8-4
Minolta 50mm f1.7 RS

price paid:

250 USD (new)

positive:

Sharp wide open
Bokeh
Small and lightweight
Large lens hood

negative:

Plasticky build
Color fringe visible @1.8

comment:

To be honest I was quite surprised of how sharp this little lens wide open, stopped down to f2.8 you will get nice crisp images with rather smooth bokeh. It replaced 50mm on my lens line up because of the more flexible range and bokeh, and the full sized hood is definitely a yay for daylight outdoor shooting.
And one more thing, have I mentioned about the bokeh?

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Tijn   review date: November-23-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

sony 18-70
sigma 24mm 2.8
minolta 50 1.7
tamron 70-300

price paid:

190 USD

positive:

sharp from 1.8 on
contrast
flare control
fast af

negative:

build quality

comment:

I had serious doubts about buying this lens because I was affraid it wouldn't be significantly better than the lenses I already own. Well it may not be better than the minolta 50mm but this is a great lens. Colors and contrast seem a lot better than the kitlens (which I still use a lot) and it is sharp wide open and razor sharp when stopped down a bit. It also handles sunlight much better than the kitlens. Indoor shooting is also great with this lens, although the AF starts hunting in low light situations. The only negative thing is the build quality, it is decent material i guess but it just feels (and looks) really cheap.

All in all, if you're on a budget like me and you want a cheap but sharp prime you should really buy this lens.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Azazello13   review date: November-19-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

minonlta 50/1.7
sigma 30/1.4
cz 16-80

price paid:

$199 US

positive:

quite sharp, even wide open
price
small and light
nice color
great focal length for APS-C

negative:

none

comment:

had this about a month now and love it! pleasantly surprised at how crisp the images are. perfect "normal" focal length on APS cameras. focuses well and pretty quickly. It just performs as well as you might hope in every way possible for a $200 lens. this one should be a no-brainer for anyone with a sony crop body. I think sony would be smart to start selling it in kits, too....like the maxxum 50/1.7 back in the day.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Tomodo   review date: November-07-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50mm 1.8 SAM
Sony CZ 85mm 1.4
Sony CZ 24-70 2.8

price paid:

£169

positive:

Great value
Good sharpness
Small & light
Nice to have a hood included
SAM better for video AF

negative:

None at this price

comment:

Very much an essential lens for any APS-C camera owner. I replaced my 50mm 1.8 with this as for me it it's a much better focal length. If you've ever felt the 50mm was a bit tight when shooting indoors this lens is for you.

It's a nice small, light normal/wide option for me when I don't want to use the big heavy 24-70. It makes much more sense when paired with the 85mm than the 50mm did.

- Good from f1.8 but great stopped down
- Bokeh appears nice
- AF accuracy/speed is fine, not SSM but what you'd expect from a cheaper SAM lens.

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: karaatanasov   review date: November-02-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- Minolta 50/1.7
- Minolta 85/1.4
- Tamron 90/2.8
- Minolta 24/2.8

price paid:

240 Euro

positive:

- decently sharp from 1.8
- good bokeh

negative:

- nothing worth mention so far

comment:

Well I got the lens today so the review iwll be update das I gain experience.

So far I love the lens. It is quite sharp at f1.8

Build is ok. Actually I expected worse and what I got is decently build lens. True it does not feel solid like the 85/1.4 but nothing serious to complain about.

Af is ok as speed and accuracy on A700. AF is disappointingly slow on nex-5, but it is hard to achieve this precise AF manualy - indeed contrast AF is amazignly acurate.

Hood is great

I did not see any outraging optical defects like aberrations or severe distortion. It seems to have vignetting, but I need to test more. Well lately for a lens it is important to have superb sharpness, good colors and contrast all else is fixe din software.

So this lens is very very good. Definetly a MUST have for a Sony APS-C fan.

PS I cannot rate distortion and flare so far - I am adding 5 because these were not problems so far.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 3 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: hrstrat57   review date: November-01-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Most closely I guess to my Maxxum AF 50 1.7 and 28 2.8 primes

price paid:

$200

positive:

Just received this little lens a few days ago, had a chance to shoot maybe a dozen shots. Like what I see so far, good bokeh, sharp, colors fine and AF speed is fine. Haven't had time to try it on the A 200 yet...comments based on useage with A 700

negative:

Plastic but hey it's $200 new!

comment:

I purchased this lens primarily to allow me to shoot natural light photos at family gatherings.

It appears that it may get more use than that, looks like a fine choice for overall photography.

Good job Sony, now how about a 20 2.8 in this format?

I will update with/ if any significant new observations develop.....I started a thread on the lens and have posted a few images there.

Recommended.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 3 

user: avo7007   review date: November-01-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

SAL50F1.8

price paid:

250 USD (new)

positive:

Low Price
Light Weight
Nice Bokeh
F1.8

negative:

Build

comment:

Fantastic little lens for indoor low light situation.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Dryce   review date: October-30-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

50mm F1.7
SAL24105

price paid:

154 GBP (new)

positive:

Light weight
Low cost
Sharp
Proper lens hood supplied

negative:

SAM focusing is noisy
Plastic mount
Not full frame

comment:

Only had this a week. And my feeling is that it's at least as good and possibly a little bit better than my 50mm F1.7 and beats the 24-105mm at 35mm. Around F2.8/F3.2 it is very sharp.

SAM focus feels no better than a screw drive lens on the A700. You feel the same torque effect and it makes as much noise. However the 3m to infinity movement on the lens is very small so unless working under 3m there is hardly any focus movement in the lens.

It's provided with a full size lens hood.

The mount is plastic but overall it feels as well built as the 50mm F1.7 RS - it's just a little bit lighter and despite not being FF is physically similar in size.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Ouverture   review date: October-05-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

- sigma 30/1.4
- minolta 35/2
- sony 50/1.4
- sony 50/1.8

price paid:

350 SGD (new)

positive:

- Sharp at wide open, sharper at f2 and reaches max sharpness at f3.5
- affordable price
- light and small
- quiet sam motor
- good mfd
- low ca even wide open and almost non ca from f2 onwards

negative:

- plastic body and mount
- focus ring too small

comment:

Bought this lens upon reaching the store. I could be the first in my country (singapore) to own it.

Tested it for the past 5 days and I could only say it's really worth the price.

Sharpness is on par or slightly better than sony 50/1.8 and sigma 30/1.4 and definitely better than minolta 35/2.

CA is surprising well controlled even at F1.8 and disappear almost entirely at F2.

Other than build quality which is similar to 50/1.8 are all plastic and does not seems to take knocks and hits so well, the tradeoff is a very light and small lens to carry around.

Mounted on my A55, its the perfect combo for low light handheld shoots! It seems this lens is designed for A33/55.

With this price (USD260), its really a must buy for all crop frame bodies.

I wonder how Sigma 30/1.4 and 2nd hand Mnolta 35/2 are going to sell with this new gem around.

Just go get it!!!