Best budget 35mm prime lens for the Sony a7 IV?

Question

honestly so over this 24-70 GM i bought last year its basically a brick at this point. i thought i needed the versatility for everything but my wrist actually hurts after an hour of shooting street stuff here in Chicago and i feel like such a target walking around with this massive setup. its just too much glass for what im doing lately and i find myself leaving my a7 iv at home because i dont want to deal with the weight which is just a waste of a good camera. i really need a solid 35mm prime that doesnt break the bank but still gives me that sharp look i bought this body for. i looked at the sony 35 1.8 but some people say the fringing is bad and i definitely dont have $1400 for the 1.4 GM right now. i have a trip to Japan coming up in like three weeks and i really want something compact that i can just walk around with all day without needing a chiropractor afterwards. my budget is capped at like $400 maybe $450 if it's really worth it. been looking at samyang or maybe the tamron ones but i heard the autofocus can be hit or miss on the older/cheaper stuff. what are you guys actually using that isnt huge but still performs well on the a7 iv sensor?

Matthewnuani · Accepted Answer

I went through the same thing with heavy zooms and honestly, I've been super satisfied with the Samyang AF 35mm f1.8 FE. Tbh the technical specs on this thing are wild for the price. I tracked fast subjects in Tokyo with it and the autofocus held up perfectly on my a7 IV. It only weighs 210g so your wrist wont die. No complaints about the sharpness either.

Casinokepigam · Answer

Ugh, I feel that pain deep in my soul. Walking around Chicago with a 24-70 GM is basically a gym workout you didnt ask for. Its super disappointing that we have to choose between a heavy brick and lenses with major technical compromises tho. I spent way too much time looking at MTF charts and raw samples trying to find a perfect budget 35 and honestly... it doesnt exist. You're always gonna hit a wall with optical flaws at that $400 price point. The Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is the obvious choice for most people but the longitudinal chromatic aberration is actually pretty gross. If you're shooting street in Japan with high-contrast signs or rainy reflections, you're gonna see purple and green fringing everywhere. It drives me crazy in post-processing. Here is what I found with the other budget options:

Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2: This one is optically stellar for the price, but the OSD motor is a total letdown. Its slow and makes a distracting whirring noise that makes it feel like tech from 2010.

Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE: Faster autofocus but the build quality feels like a toy. I've had issues with sample variation where one side of the frame was softer than the other.

Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary: This is the dream lens for your trip, but its usually $600. If you can hunt down a used one for $450, grab it. The glass is way better corrected than the Sony or Samyang. Just be careful with that focus breathing on the Sony if you do any video... it's honestly distracting. Good luck in Japan, Tokyo is gonna be amazing for street photography!

Allenavera · Answer

Would love to know this too