Verdict: This lens has a versatile focal length and fast f/1.4 aperture. With 13 elements packed into 11 groups, the image quality is amazing. It is a bit heavy but it’s fine for larger cameras.
Packing in 13 elements in 11 groups – including one FLD and 4 SLD low-dispersion elements, as well as two aspherical elements – keeps the image quality amazingly high and reduces ghosting or flare. Shooting at the maximum f/1.4 produces excellent centre sharpness, with the corners being impressively sharp. When stopped down to f/4, the overall sharpness is nothing short of exceptional, with any vignetting also disappearing completely.
The lens is quite hefty, weighing in at 665g, and feels quite bulky in-hand, but it does balance well on larger cameras. The auto-focus switch on the side allows you to change from manual to auto-focus in an instant, and the 35mm focal length makes it a great walkabout lens that’s more than capable of capturing anything from landscapes to street portraits.
Pros
Versatile focal length
Fast f/1.4 aperture
Amazing quality
Cons
A bit heavy
Hard to get out-of-focus backgrounds
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Spec
Max aperture: f/1.4
Min aperture: f/16
Elements/groups: 13/11
Min focusing distance: 30cm
DxL: 77x94mm
Weight: 665g
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Kirk Schwarz is a tech-addicted photographer with over a decade's experience; Kirk’s used to putting new gear through extreme field testing. He's previously written for Practical Photography.