N°309501 · Family detail
ZeissCinema·SONY FE mount
Zeiss FE Distagon T* 35mm F/1.4 ZA SEL35F/14Z
Specifications01
MountSONY FE
Focal length35mm
Max aperturef/1.4
TypeCinema · Wide · Prime
Weight630 g
Filter size72 mm
Physical length112 mm
Min focus distance0.3 m
Max magnification0.1818
Aperture blades9
Optical elements12
Groups8
Lens hoodsupplied, petal-style, bayonet mount
Additional Info02
Category["Sony","Sony FE (Full Format)"]
Keywords["E-mount","Prime","Wide","Zeiss"]
Review AuthorKlaus
Review Rating5
Other Featuresdust- and moisture-resistant, aperture ring
Review VerdictIt isn't easy to come to a conclusion about the Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA. Technically it has some weaknesses but then we have seen these weaknesses in other representatives of this class (high-speed wide-angle primes). The resolution characteristic is great in the image center straight from f/1.4. However, the image corners are not that hot till about f/2.8. Now does that matter from a real-world perspective? Usually, it doesn't. If you use the lens at large apertures, the corners are rarely of relevance and, most likely, not on the same focus plane as your main subject anyway. Stopped down to f/4 the Zeiss lens is plenty sharp across the image field. Image distortions are pretty much absent and lateral CAs aren't overly relevant either. If you use the lens without image correction you will notice very high vignetting at fully open aperture but that's rather normal. A bit of an unfortunate shortcoming is the quality of the bokeh. You can, of course, produce lots of "blur" if the focus spread between your main subject and the surroundings is sufficient enough but the technical bokeh is fairly rough in the focus transition zones and out-of-focus highlights aren't a strength either. There also quite a bit of bokeh fringing. Then again - we have seen all this in many other 35mm f/1.4 lenses in the past. Mechanically the lens is near-perfect. It feels as if it was carved out of rock and all controls are super smooth. The weather sealing is the cream on the cappuccino here. However, don't expect wonders in terms of AF speed - it's nothing to write home about really. A 35mm f/1.4 isn't meant for action photography so for most that shouldn't be an issue though. So if you require such a fast 35mm prime lens, the Zeiss is certainly worth a look. However, if you are willing to look beyond the mainstream, you may also check out the new Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 FE although keep in mind that Samyang doesn't really have the best record when it comes to centering quality.
Review Criteria{"Build Quality":9,"Optical Quality":5,"Price / Performance":7}
Review Published2017-11-05T23:28:00+00:00
Optical Construction12 elements in 8 groups inc. 1x advanced aspherical & 2x aspherical elements
Field Notes02
Zeiss FE Distagon T* 35mm F/1.4 ZA for Sony E/FE mounts, a 35mm wide/standard prime for low-light and general photography. Fixed maximum aperture is f/1.4.
AI-assisted summary — verify against linked sourcesSources03
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Other Mounts03
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