Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM A-mount lens reviews

reviews found: 109    1 2 3 4 >>
reviewer#45589 date: Sep-17-2020
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 4
overall: 4.6
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Sony 16-50/2.8
price paid:120 USD
positive:Weight, prize.
negative:
missing
comment:I've used this lense for a couple of month. After I bought a 16-50/2.8, I just stopped to use it. I found, that the sharpness of the 16-50 is equal with this, and 1.8 contra 2.8 is not a significant difference to me. So I've sold it.
reviewer#44525 date: May-22-2020
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sony 50mm f1.8
price paid:£130 new
positive:Small
Light
negative:Cheap build
comment:I already had the 50mm, but wanted something a bit wider for general street photography. I found the 50mm too long. Very similar in build to the 50mm, this lens is just a bit wider and gives a more realistic view similar to a human eye.
Great for general purpose use, or a portrait lens.
Had some focus issues with it, but after extensive testing with MFA decided it was probably me, rather than the lens.
Great lightweight combination with the SLT-58 and won't make you stand out.
reviewer#44331 date: Jul-12-2019
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 3
distortion: 5
flare control: 4
overall: 4.3
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta AF 20mm f2.8 RS
Minolta AF 24mm f2.8
Minolta AF 28mm f2.8
Sony DT 30mm f2.8 macro
Minolta AF 50mm f1.4
Minolta AF 50mm f1.7
Minolta AF 50mm f1.7 RS
Sony DT 50mm f1.8
+ numerous zooms covering 35mm.
price paid:80 GBP
positive:Ideal focal length for a standard prime on APS - and f1.8 too!
Price.
negative:Build.
APS-C only.
Build - manual focus slips.
comment:This is the classic standard lens for APS-C - roughly equivalent to the 50mm f1.7 on 35mm film SLRs. As such it does much the same job and is a great walk-around prime at a very affordable price.
The drawbacks are mostly obvious - APS only and the toy like build quality that make it pretty obvious where costs were kept down. Not obvious is the unstable manual focus - when copying documents I set up camera and lens on a copying stand (35mm is an ideal FL for most of my needs), manually focus and use a remote trigger. There should be no need to change focus, perhaps a check every 100 or so images - this lens goes way out of focus within 10 shots. Using AF it is great until the document lacks central contrast (not uncommon in my use).
The positives are there aplenty - a sharp, fast standard prime - everyone should have one!
My copy came without a hood, so I use the one from my Sony 85mm f2.8 - which does the job nicely without any obvious vignetting.
All in all I'm very happy to have one, but I still want a Min 35/2!
In comparison with my other primes it shares the build quality and modern coatings with the Sony 30mm macro and DT 50mm, add in the 85mm f2.8 and you have a very nice set of very affordable primes - all good performers, but not lenses that give one confidence in a long life. The Minolta primes are far stronger, more solid beasts that one feels might last forever - the downside is that the Minolta 35mm primes (f1.4 & f2) are still pricey, the Sony offers a bargain alternative.
reviewer#44304 date: May-23-2019
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 5
overall: 4.5
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 50mm f1.7 AF(first version)
Sony 16-50 f2.8 SSM
Sony 75-300
Tokina 11-16 f2.8
Sony 18-55 SAM II
Canon 50mm f1.8 II
Canon FD 50mm f1.8 Chrome nose
price paid:200
positive:Very sharp!
Fast Focusing
Light! Very very light!
Nice focus ring
Beautiful Bokeh
negative:You have to stop down to f2.2
VERY plasticky
Lack of sealing
comment:Bought it for a fashion event I had to take some pics. It was my first prime lens that had AF.
SHARPNESS
Well, It's very sharp but I couldn't give it a 5. At f1.8 it's not so sharp. AS if it were a little out of focus. I didn't microadjust it but at f2.2 it's already very sharp and bokeh still very pleasing.
From all lenses I've mentioned, the 35mm is the best. The one which is closer to it is the sony 16-50 f2.8.
COLORS
I shoot raw. So I can't say much about it. But Once I tested it on my a6000 + adapter and it had more pleasing colors "on video" than the other lenses on my a6000.
BUILD RATING
It's the lens obvious weakness. We all know sony lenses aren't cheap. So they had to cut down costs somewhere. Don't see it as bad though, it's a very light lens. I love it this way. Just DON'T drop it. I never did, but I don't think it would survive haha.
Mine has 2 pieces of beard inside of it, it needed a better sealing, but maybe it's the same as the canon 50mm f1.8 II. You can, open the lens and clean it, but it doens't degrade the sharpness.
Focus ring is very good. It's not premium as the 16-50 f2.8 or the tokina 11-16 f2.8, but compared to the canon 50mm f1.8 II it's VERY good. I know it's a canon lens, but we all have friends with a canon lol. Also, the focus ring is better than the minolta 50mm f1.7.
It's very easy to focus fast and I even like it for video. Perfect to use it on my a77 with grip. It's as light as if I had no lens on it lol.
DISTORTION
I really like the distortion. I never turn the correction on lightroom. But it has some distortion and some might not like it. I would give it a 4.5 if possible haha.
FLARE CONTROL
Never had any issues with it. I like to shoot portraits facing the sun.

BOKEH
Well, sometimes a fast lens is all about bokeh isn't it? On the right conditions it renders beautifully. But sometimes I just wish I had more background separation. I guess it's a 35mm f1.8 on an apsc sensor... If you want more blur you might prefer the minolta 50mm f1.7 (which has VERY good looking blur). The 16-50 at 50mm and f2.8 delievers less blur but the bokeh is more rounded. The 35mm f1.8 gives cat eyes bokeh. Which I love.

CONCLUSION
It's a very good lens. I shoot portraits, landscapes, products, events and flowers with it. My favorite lens from all I have. If I'm going to travel and I need to choose only 1 lens I'm not sure if I would bring this or the 16-50 f2.8 (CUZ SELFIES LOL) - But the 35mm is my favorite lens.
reviewer#44163 date: Nov-6-2018
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 4
overall: 4.5
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sony 50mm f1.4
Minolta 135mm f2.8
Minolta 28mm f2.8
Samyang 8mm f3.5
Cosina 100m f3.5 macro
price paid:£129 new
positive:Gives (almost) the '50mm experience' on APS-C. Fast, sharp, light.
negative:You can't let the sun go down on you, erm, in this lens or you get bad flare.

I wouldn't want to drop it.
comment:Bought because sometimes the 50mm is too long on an APS-C camera, and it's a good lens..

.. so why don't I use it more? Probably because I have the 50mm f1.4 and - most of the time - that's better. There is one place where I take this one for interior people shots, because the rooms are quite small, but if I had bought the Minolta 28mm before this one, I probably wouldn't have got it.

5/5 in terms of value, but because of the others, it would go if I had to cut down to a handful of lenses.

Update: I have been using it more recently, mostly because of the speed advantage over the f2.8s, and I'm no longer sure it would go. It would be better if it were a 28mm though.
reviewer#44086 date: Jun-12-2018
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 4
overall: 4.6
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 50mm f1.7
price paid:100 USD used
positive:Excellent sharpness and color at all aperture values.
negative:None really. Build feels cheap but nothing surprising for the price.
comment:Excellent value Lens. Better all around lens on aps-c than 50 mm focal length. Colors are very nice. In camera lens correction works well on Sony a77.
reviewer#35787 date: Mar-8-2017
sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4.1
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 50/1.7, Sony DT 18-55/3.5-5.6
price paid:90€ (used like new)
positive:Very sharp even wide open, great focal length for APS-C, short minimal focus distance.
Very light and small to carry around even in your pocket.
negative:Build quality could be better, focus ring too short and with a stop position after infinity, Af could be faster
comment:This lens is almost welded to my A58 for interiors. I use it both as a portrait lens (I like also its bokeh) or as a standard lens.
It is sharp at TA and gets razor sharp at 2.8.
I prefer it over Mino 50/1.7 because is is sharper and the focal length is IMHO more suitable on APS-C, where 50mm were a bit long. Moreover also the 50/1.7 minimal focal distance was not suitable for me since I often found myself lying too close to the subject to focus.
This is the real APS-C kit lens when you don't need wide angle and you can cover the kit lens range using your legs.
The amount of CA and distortion is very low and easily corrected in PP
reviewer#35786 date: Mar-4-2017
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 50mm 1.7
price paid:$ 100
positive:very sharp, great color rendering and cheap.
negative:build
autofocus
some CA
some distortion
some flare
comment:It’s very sharp, comparable to Carl Zeiss and Sony G. You can shoot it wide open and still get pretty sharp shots with it. It’s sharper than the Minolta 50 1.7 (that saying something). I think when the Sony engineers designed this lens, they decided to focus on image resolution and nothing else.

I really like this lens and use it all the time, but it definitely has some issues. For example, the build quality is terrible. It probably wouldn't last even a short fall. Also the autofocus leaves some to be desired. I mean the autofocus isn't bad by any means but it’s definitely not great.

What I really like about this lens is the sharpness, color, and price. Even though there are some flaws, this is still a good lens and I would highly recommend it for an APSC user.
reviewer#34778 date: Feb-8-2017
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 5
flare control: 3
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Minolta 24-105mm
Minolta 50mm
Sigma 17-35mm
et. al.
price paid:$160 used on Amazon
positive:Sharp (especially compared to the old film lenses)
negative:Build
Bokeh
CA
comment:This was the first lens I bought for my Sony a57. After accumulating more lenses, I began to appreciate it's sharpness and colors. In some cases, it makes the subject appear almost three-dimensional in the photograph! However, like all lenses, it has its shortcomings.

First, the build. This lens is made of incredibly light plastic. It feels like, if dropped, it would shatter. The focus ring is also quite gritty, as it conveys the feelings of loose plastic gears turning each other. The SAM focus, which I did not find offensively noisy, occasionally misses the mark. It also makes switching to manual focus a pain, as you have to change the switch both on the camera and on the lens. I found no improvements with the SAM motor over regular screw-drive lenses.

Next, (and last), the flare. This lens comes with a lens hood, but will still badly flare if the sun is just out of frame. If the sun is in the frame, forget it. You will, at the least, have a large blob next to the sun, at most you'll have a train of flares streaking across your shot.

However, despite these flaws, I found the lens (mostly) a joy to use. It was light, sharp as a tack, and reliable (if it didn't feel like it). I sold it not because I disliked it, but because I simply never reached for it during my shots. For portraits, I preferred the 50 or 100mm primes. I seldom shot at 35mm for landscapes, which are my favorite subjects, and if I did need to take a shot at 35mm, either of my zooms handled it just fine. If you find yourself taking portraits at wider angles, or feel the need for a fast 50mm equivalent for APS-C, I highly recommend this lens. Otherwise, I believe another, better built, more versatile lens may suit your needs.
reviewer#33747 date: Jan-6-2017
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:minolta 50mm 1.7 RS
price paid:150 used
positive:Great sharpness. Lots of light. Lightweight.
negative:AF / MF switch completely breaks my back button focus setup. Cant use that feature with this lens. By far my biggest issue with this lens. I love to keep my lens on MF until I press the back button. Dont really like AF-S which this lens locks you into unless you keep moving the switch on the lens.
comment:I use this, along with my 50mm 1.7 RS for portraiture / street / travel photography. It has great sharpness.

Honestly, The biggest thing making me look hard at one of the expensive minolta 35mm 1.4 models is that I really really wish this lens had a screw mount focus. The on lens AF / MF switch really messes with my workflow and Im not really a fan of AF-Lock on half press (like to back button focus instead). If you back button focus and you have the money for the more expensive minolta glass (or sigma art, or tamron 35mm 1.8), Id honestly recommend that instead of this (for build quality, and full functionality).

If you don't use BBF or don't have that kind of money to spend on a 35mm lens (my situation, as I don't use the 35mm enough to spend $500 on one), then this lens is amazing. Yes, it feels a little cheap, especially compared to the minolta 50mm 1.7 RS. But the pictures don't know that.
reviewer#26572 date: May-3-2016
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 4.7
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sigma 17-70 2.8-4.5
Minolta 50mmO 1.7
price paid:?200 USD new
positive:Usual prime stuff: smaller, sharper and faster than average zoom
pretty fast and accurate focus
negative:Plastiky but far from flimsy; actually pretty decent for price
comment:Great lens - in a different era, would have come as standard kit. For me it is more convenient for walk around than a zoom due to size, optimal pov and sharpness. The usual workflow argument for primes stands true: discipline comes from getting the same perspective.

Pretty sharp - usable for portraits @ f1.8 in for most of the frame although this requires near perfect AF due to shallow dof. At f5.0 tack sharp throughout but this is same for the Sigma zoom. I didn't notice chromatic aberrations (hood is always on and I avoid the sun in contrejour) or distortion. Colors are ok and can be tweaked with software - definitely not as sweet as classic Minolta on the default jpeg.

All in all, I would say is in the top 3 lenses to own for Alpha APC format.
reviewer#21422 date: Nov-12-2015
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 1
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Minolta 24mm f2.8
Nikon DX 35mm f1.8
Minolta 35-70mm f4
Minolta 50mm f1.7
Sony 18-70mm f3.5-5.6
price paid:£120
positive:Focus mode switch, light, bigger focus ring for those used to Maxxum lenses, deep colours, sharp, low distortion, pleasing bokeh
negative:PLASTIC, plastic mount, plastic barrel, plastic motor, probably plastic elements. Whiney SAM motor too. Focuses past infinity. Purple fringe goo.
comment:This lens is the one to go for if you are looking to replace the shoddy kit lens that Sony likes to bundle with your DSLR / SLT bodies.

I used it on my a100 and a37. Sold after switch to FF.

It probably delivers the most visually pleasing results of any normal prime on APSC, with deep saturated neutral colours, decent sharpness from f1.8, no light fall off, little distortion and beautiful bokeh.

Within 60 seconds of mounting it, my 18-70 kit lens was listed on the bay.

One major negative is the construction. It appears to be all plastic to save Sony some pennies. I doubt it would survive a drop from eye level height as my Minolta 50mm has. You won't be seeing many of these in 30 years time like Maxxums.

I felt like one minor knock would see the lens break at the mount when I used it.

The hood is substantial, sturdy and effective, but is also a scratch magnet and unfortunately bayonets to more plastic on the lens body.

Also the focus motor is rather annoying. It sounds like a nervous Marge Simpson so I manually focused when it was on my a37 thanks to focus peaking.

All things considered this makes a nice standard prime for your APSC bodies, just don't buy it for more than £100. For less than £100 you get the same thing as the £900 35mm f1.4 in plastic. The other alternative Minolta 35mm f2s are rarer than flying pigs.

Having compared to the Nikon DX 35mm on a d3100, this may have a terrible build but the images (the things that actually matter) put the Nikkor to shame. The crisp, clear and saturated photos produced by the Sony lens make the Nikkor images look muddy in comparison.

The results of this lens make it one of the better short Sony primes available. It would be nice if they made a FF version for a similar price.
reviewer#15255 date: May-22-2015
sharpness: 4
color: 4
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Canon EF 28 F1.8 USM
Sigma 28 F1.8 HS & EX DG
Sony FE 28 F2
Minolta MD & AF 28 F2
Canon EF 28 F2.8 IS USM
Minolta/Sony AF 28 F2.8
Neewer 28 F2.8
Sigma 30 F1.4 DC DN C & EX DC
Sigma 30 F2.8 DN Art
Sony DT 30 F2.8 Macro SAM
Neewer 32 F1.6
Zeiss Touit 32 F1.8
Neewer 35 F1.2
Fotasy 35 F1.6 APS-C & Mini
Kaxinda 35 F1.7
Minolta MD 35 F1.8
Sony E 35 F1.8 OSS
Tamron SP 35 F1.8 USD
Minolta AF 35 F2
Rokinon AF FE 35 F2.8
Minolta MC 35 F2.8
Vivitar 35 F2.8
Minolta 40 F1.7
Konica AR 40 F1.8
Canon EF 40 F2.8 STM
Pentax-M 40 F2.8
Pentax-DA 40 F2.8 XS
Pentax-FA 43 F1.8 Limited
price paid:58 USD (used)
positive:Small and light
55 mm non-rotating filter threads
negative:Barrel distortion
Chromatic aberration
Curved focus plane
Small, loose focus ring
Variable quality
Noisy, rough AF
Busy foreground bokeh
comment:I placed an order for this lens with my local shop, but Sony didn't have any in stock. I found a used copy for $155 on Amazon. I bought a second used copy of this lens without hood for $58. This copy was much sharper wide-open. The previous copy was my first prime lens experience. I've revised my ratings in light of broader comparison especially in light of the Tamron SP.

This lens was originally $200 when released in 2010 with a few sales at $175. The retail price increased to $220 in 2012 with sales at $190. Sony has stopped offering discounts. "MADE IN CHINA"

It's field of view is comparably to a 52.5 mm full frame lens, but it does not equal the total light gathering of a 50mm f/1.8 on a larger sensor. It is similar to a 135 format f/2.8 lens in light gathering and depth-of-field. It can still produce some lovely smooth background blur. The second copy is much sharper in the center wide-open, but the corners are a bit softer. Both lenses had direction glows wide-open on high contrast edges indicating alignment problems.

The focus plane curvature makes this more of a portrait lens. It does have less optical issues than the stabilized Sony E 35 F1.8 OSS that I tried.

The barrel distortion is a little annoying for raw capture without a lens profile. The
zoom lenses have similar amounts of distortion at 35 mm.

It can focus fairly closely for semi-macro work, but the Tamron focuses closer.

The included ALC-SH111 circular hood is smaller than it could be. The much deeper ALC-SH102 hood from the 55-200 lenses fits perfectly and doesn't vignette on an APS-C camera. The hood bayonet doesn't rotate so an even larger petal hood could be used.

Overall a decent inexpensive prime lens especially at current used prices. There are better lenses optically like the Tamron SP 35 F1.8 USD or even the Vario-Sonnar 16-80.
reviewer#12109 date: Jan-25-2015
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4.1
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:SEL35F18
price paid:140 (used)
positive:Excellent value for money
Focuses fast and accurately
No real complaints about this. This is an important quality since everyone has something to say about every piece of photography gear.
negative:Build quality. Lens feels a little flimsy but I'm not a professional so I am not going to need a tank. Works fine for me.
comment:I had the choice of getting either the SEL35F18 for my Nex 6 or SAL35F18 for my a77ii. Looking at the price difference between both, I must say I am very very happy with my decision to go with the latter.

Focuses very quickly and accurately. Images look very sharp.

I'm not big on peeping nor am I a good judge of colour/CA/distortion. Nonetheless, looking at the images and my usage over the past week, I can have no complaints at all with this lens.

However if you are a working professional, this lens may not withstand too many knocks given its flimsy build.

For those who have to make the same decision as me, i.e. getting it in the A or E mount, the SEL35F18 is built slightly better but costs quite a fair bit more for the OSS. If you dont mind the slightly bigger physical size, the SAL35F18 is a nobrainer.
reviewer#12100 date: Jan-23-2015
sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 3
flare control: 4
overall: 3.7
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:* Sony 50mm/1.4
* Tamron 17-50/2.8 XR
* Sony 85mm/2.8
price paid:250.00
positive:* Very light.
* Very close focusing.
* Distortion isn't very distracting
* Fairly compact
* Standard sized lens cover
negative:* Sun in view = flaring
* Build quality is pretty bad
* Serious mount wiggle and lens element wiggle
* DT lens. APS-C only. Does not cover full frame.
comment:I got this lens along with the 85mm/2.8 as part of a "go light and go prime" move.

On the plus side, I REALLY like this lens. On the APS-C A77, the lens really shines. I get a fairly normal "50mm-ish" field of view and can focus in very close to a subject. Were this a full frame 35mm lens, this would rock on the A99. However, it is DT and so doesn't provide full frame coverage. :(

The lens isn't 100% tight on the A77. There is some play at both the mount and at the front focal elements. It feels VERY plastic, and not in the high density engineering plastic way.

About 6 months into using this lens, I started noticing that occasionally, the lens doesn't register with the camera and so I get no aperture control and no lens info.

Maybe I got a bad copy, but the copy started out well, but has been progressively more love/hate.

What I love:

VERY detailed photographs and because of the greater DOF, I can photograph small sealife up close and get it relatively in focus.

What I hate:

Due to the somewhat loose feel of the lens, I find that I can focus lock on a subject, but I can just as easily lose actual focus on the subject. This could be a factor of the lens being plastic... or it could be because I got a bad copy.

Would I buy it again if I had to do it over? Sure. It's a good lens. Build quality could use some beefing up, but it's not a bad lens per se. Just won't be able to handle a heavy workload.
reviewer#11935 date: Aug-3-2014
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4.2
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:- Sigma 30mm 1.4
- Minolta 50mm 1.7
- Sony 50mm 1.4
price paid:100 GPD
positive:- Pretty sharp at F/1.8 in center but better used from F/2.5
- Light and unobtrusive
- On an APS-C gives a similar feel to a 50mm on a full frame. That is pretty much what you see.
- Super cheap. The G version which is probably no sharper is 8 times as much
- Fast and accurate focusing.
- Cheap and popular 55mm filters.
negative:- Plastic mount and cheap looking. Should be fine as long as you do not drop it.
comment:In my experience this lens performs well above what it's price would suggest and I would use over the more expensive Sony 50mm 1.4 any day. I also feel for anyone into primes and have an APS-C Sony Alpha this is an essential purchase.

Great for indoor and outdoor portraits, architecture and landscapes at a push (although not ideal) this is a pretty wonderful little gem. Forget about the plastic mount and cheap construction which will only come into play if you knock the lens about.

Don't waste your money on more expensive Minolta 35mm F2 or Minolta 35mm 1.4 until you try this lens out. You do not have much to lose.
reviewer#11910 date: Jul-18-2014
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 3
distortion: 5
flare control: 4
overall: 4.3
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Sony 50mm f1.4, Sony 85mm f2.8, Sony ZA16-80 f3.5-4.5.
price paid:$389 NZ
positive:Approximate 50mm equivalent focal length, nice colour, very light (like carrying a camera body only), quite quick to focus, good DOF control allowing the background to be blurred out, good bokeh, fast enough (f1.8) to use in low light with out a flash.
negative:Build is of cheap plastic including the mount.
comment:This was a great little lens to have on my a700 and when it was on there I hardly ever took it off. I sold it to a friend and then wished I had kept it. Better than the 50mm f1.4 on FF (less CA and sharper across the image).
reviewer#11906 date: Jul-14-2014
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 4.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX-II
Sony DT 16-50 F2.8 SSM
Sony Carl Zeiss 16-80 F3.5-4.5
price paid:170 euro new
positive:sharpness , 1.8 , light
negative:Nothing at this price
comment:good sharpness at 1,8 , sharp at 2.8 , some Ca but not too bad and easily corrected in post processing , a77 lens correction -3
reviewer#11811 date: May-5-2014
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:SOny 50/1.4, Sony Zeiss 16-80/3.5-4.5, Minolta 28-135/4-4.5, Tamron 90/2.8, Sigma 10-20/3.5,
price paid:$200 AUS$
positive:light, small, sharp.
negative:plastic mount. Some CA.
comment:This is my fav APS-C lens no question about it. I simply do not use my other 12 lenses now (except my Tamron 90/2.8 macro). This lens is perfect. I can't believe I put off purchasing this lens for so long. If you get any SOny APS-C camera you should get this lens and not worry about any other for sometime. The sharpness of this lens is fantastic. The problem is once you get used to that sort of sharpness other lenses get left in the bag as they are just not good enough.
reviewer#11777 date: Apr-18-2014
sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.9
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8
Minolta AF 50mm f/1.7
price paid:A$220 new
positive:Sharp throughout the range
Light weight
Cheap as chips
Nice wide aperture
Normal aspect on APS-C
Great colour
negative:Nothing at the price point
One thing actually - if you buy a full frame camera this will be incompatible due to severe vingetting.
comment:A 35mm lens on APS-C sensor gives almost exactly normal perspective (52.5mm equivalent on full frame). For that reason alone, a good 35mm lens makes sense if you are shooting on a crop sensor.

And then Sony drops this number - it's fast, it's sharp, it's light, it has a very close focal distance and it's cheap. If you have a crop sensor a-mount Sony body, this is an absolute no brainer.

I have used the kit Sony zooms on my a55/a37, Minolta 28mm/2.8 and 50mm/1.7 primes, the Beercan and an M32 Pentacon 135mm/2.8 - the Sony DT 35mm f/1.8 stands out as a light, compact unit ... and did I mention the sharpness?

I have actually not put any other lens on my cameras since I bought this - except in a few performance or situation specific circumstances.

Get one, now.
reviewer#11775 date: Apr-17-2014
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 4.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sony 18-135
Minolta 28-135
Minolta 50 f1.7
Minolta 28 f2.8
price paid:110 (used)
positive:Amazing Sharpness!!
Good colors
Small and Lightweight
Hood included
Beautiful Bokeh
negative:Plastic mount
Loose focus ring
comment:Sharpness: Great, beats all the lenses I´ve ever had, from center to corners from f2.2, but from 1.8-2.0 is great too!

Color: Not Minolta colors, but really good Sony colors.

Build: I don´t like the plastic mount. Everything in the lens is plastic, but body feels good, compact, not cheap plastic. In my opinion, focus ring is too loose, it feels like it could move when you walk, but has a good precision.

More: Low distortion, great bokeh for such a small focal lenght. Spherochromatism wide open (1.8-2.2) but great bokeh anyway.

Autofocus it´s fast an accurate, hunts a little bit wide open in low light situations, but from f2.0 it never fails. More focus noise than the 18-135. Very less noise than any Minolta I´ve ever tested.

Highly recommended lens, perfect for portraits, good for landscape, nice even for flowers since its has a reproduction of 1:4.
reviewer#11681 date: Feb-5-2014
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 4
overall: 4.6
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Tamron 10-24
Sigma 18-250 HSM
Sony 18-135
price paid:195 USD (new)
positive:Sharp
Small & light
Fast accurate focusing
Good colors
Great value
negative:Max aperture of f1.8 only available in A & M modes
Susceptible to flare (if not using lens hood)
comment:I was wanting a small, fast lens capable of taking high quality indoor photos without flash. The SAL-35F18 fits the bill. Photos are tack sharp in the center and corner sharpness is very good when stopped down a stop or two.

Auto-focus is quick and accurate. While not totally silent, the focus motor seems quieter than other SAM lenses I have owned (such as the original Sony 18-55).

For a inexpensive, all-plastic lens, build quality is good. In order to keep cost low, I suspect, this lens has a plastic mount. With reasonable care, I don't see this as a problem on such a small, light lens.

A nice lens hood is included, which should be used for all outdoor photos where flare can be an issue. The focus ring includes a distance scale, and turns easily (almost too easily) which facilitates manual focusing. Unfortunately, the ring is very narrow, making it somewhat difficult to find quickly. Auto-focus is so good, though, that there is little reason to use manual focus.

A quirk of the lens is that the full aperture of f1.8 is only available in A and M modes. In other modes, the maximum aperture available is f2. I'm not sure if this is a limitation of the camera or the lens, but all three of my Sony cameras do this. In general, it's not a big deal but worth noting.

In summary, the SAL-35F18 is a true bargain; I bought it on sale for less than $200. It pretty much matches the image quality of the $1500 Sony 35 f1.4G!

[Peripheral comment/update: As an after-thought, I tried using this lens with the Kenko DGX 1.4x teleconverter. This would make the lens operate as a 50mm f2.5 lens, which I thought could occasionally be useful. The fit was very tight because of the how much the lens mount extends into the TC, so I aborted the experiment. It was the first of a dozen or so lenses I've tried that didn't work easily with the Kenko TC.]
[Comment/Update #2: I ultimately was able to try it with the Kenko DGX 1.4x teleconverter. Unfortunately, it made no attempt at all to autofocus. My A77 immediately went into MF mode, and my A580 displayed the aperture as "--" and made no attempt to AF.]
reviewer#11661 date: Feb-1-2014
sharpness: 4
color: 5
build: 3
distortion: 3
flare control: 4
overall: 3.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:* Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX
* Sony 35mm f/1.8 DT SAM
* Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DT SAM II
* Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DT SAM II
* Minolta 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5 (Original)
* Minolta 70-210mm f/4 (Beercan)
* Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 PRO DX-II
price paid:200 AUD
positive:* Sharp at f/2.8, reaches close to peak sharpness closer to f/5.6
* Good bokeh
* Excellent colours and good flare control
* Relatively light and small
* Common 55mm filter thread
* Comes with lens hood
* Great for both indoor and outdoor street low light shooting
negative:* Average image quality wide open at f/1.8
* Average focus speed, though faster than 50mm f/1.8 DT and shorter minimum focus distance
* Chromatic aberration and severe coma at wide open apertures
* Plastic fantastic build quality
comment:Compared to the popular Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX, the Sony is almost identical with slightly better image quality however you would be hard pressed to see the difference in normal prints. The Sony is also generally cheaper and that is reflected in the Nikon having better build quality.

Compared to the Sony 50mm f/1.8 DT, the 35mm is slightly larger and sharper however it also shows high amount of purple fringing and severe coma especially at wide open apertures.

Being a 35mm, there is also noticeable distortion with subjects at close distances.

The wider aperture has an almost two stop advantage over the Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DT at the equivalent focal length or in other words about four hundred percent more light. This will allow you to shoot at faster shutter speeds and/or lower ISO settings in low light conditions than the zoom kit can and along with the sharpness it makes for a fantastic bang for buck lens especially for indoor or outdoor street photography.
reviewer#11644 date: Jan-30-2014
sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 5
overall: 4.4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sony 18-55mm DT SAM II
Minolta 28-100mm
Tamron 28mm f2.8
Various 35mm film lenses
price paid:£139 new
positive:Small, light, good aperture for low light conditions. Useful filter size shared with kit lens. very sharp, excellent flare control. No obvious distortions with in-camera corrections on.
negative:Poor build quality.
Floppy front element.
comment:Initial thoughts were very disappointing in build quality - front element is actually loose/wobbly straight out of box. I expected this lens to be sharper than the kit zoom too but it isn't, though this is perhaps because the kit zoom is also exceptionally sharp, and perhaps because both are limited by the camera resolution!
But having used it a bit more, I find this lens to be a superb general-purpose lens which is extremely capable in demanding light. In churches and cathedrals, I've got unbelievably sharp, clear pictures down to 1/10 second hand-held and at 400-1600 ASA on the A58. It copes very well with the extreme contrast too, certainly better than I ever achieved in film days.
And in twilight the lens scores as well - not just the speed of the lens but its resistance to flare; even bright modern streetlights in the field of view don't upset the picture.
Therefore, though I'd still pick the 18-55mm in bright light, if I'm going indoors or staying out late this lens is likely to be the one on my camera.

reviewer#11563 date: Dec-27-2013
sharpness: 4
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 50mm f1.7
price paid:$192 USD (New)
positive:Sharp, Light, Inexpensive & a great prime lens
negative:Plastic & For APS-C format only but can be used for FF with cropping
comment:I find that this lens is great for beginners learning and getting their feet wet in DLSR photography. Paired with my A37 I find it light and great as a walk-around set. Bokeh is great, lens is sharp and just gets sharper towards f4.

Value is excellent, though the lens is noisy and is plastic no one can tell these based on the photos you take. On video though you can hear the lens motor during autofocus.
reviewer#11549 date: Dec-20-2013
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 4.7
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sony 50mm F1.8
Sony 18-55mm F3.5-5.6
Minolta 70-300mm F4.5-5.6
price paid:250,00 $
positive:Sharp, weightless and cheap.
negative:weak and lazy hood, I prefer a screw hood, the ones that come with the lens is kind of a fitting hood.
comment:I think this lens is prettly much like the Sony 50mm.
Very Sharp, priceless, light. But I think for APS-C sensor it does fit better thant 50mm. It´s a walk around lens.

Every body complains about the build quality, but I don´t think it´s bad, plastic is light and some times, deppending on the quality of the plastic, it can be stronger than metal.

I don´t know if this is the case of this lens, but it really looks prettly well painted and if you take care of it, it will last really a good time.

It´s know my comon choice for taking pictures.
reviewer#11498 date: Nov-24-2013
sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.9
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Sony 24-70 F2,8 Zeise
SAL 16-50 F2,8
Sigma 10mm F2,8
price paid:250 USD
positive:Light
Small
negative:Noisy to focus
comment:Perfect for walk around lens and taking pictures of friends in a bar. I like to just carry around my A77 with it in case I don't want to carry anything heavy or big. Good choice for 1st all around lens...
reviewer#11404 date: Oct-28-2013
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 4.4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 50mm 1.4
Minolta 50mm 1.7
Tokina 35-200
Sigma 18-250
Quantaray 28-80
price paid:300 with the A33
positive:Sharp wide open at f1.8
Fast focus
negative:Plastic body and plastic mount
comment:I was quite surprised to see how sharp this cheap lens was wide open. It crushes both the minolta 50mm 1.4 and 1.7 in terms of sharpness.
reviewer#11286 date: Aug-3-2013
sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.9
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Rokinon 35mm f1.4
Minolta 50mm f1.7
Minolta 50mm f1.4
price paid:189 USD
positive:Lightweight
Low light performance
Low price
Great IQ for money
negative:Plastic
APS-C only
Noisy AF
comment:This lens is an underdog. The plastic build doesn't hint about the ability this lens has on APS-C cameras. The motor noise will never be heard when people are looking at your prints. They also won't know your lens body is plastic. Great value
reviewer#11138 date: May-24-2013
sharpness: 5
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
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.
reviews found: 109    1 2 3 4 >>

rating summary

lens image
  • total reviews: 109
  • sharpness: 4.72
  • color: 4.62
  • build: 3.42
  • distortion: 4.49
  • flare control: 4.35
  • overall: 4.32

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