Sony Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZA review

Richard Sibley tries out Sony’s fastest FE lens for the Alpha 7-series full-frame compact system cameras

Product Overview

Overall rating:

Sony Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZA

Product:

Sony Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZA review

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:

£1,450.00
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Test results: MTF (Sharpness)

Our MTF tests are conducted using Applied Imaging charts and software. We’ve tested the Sony Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZA on the Sony Alpha 7R, which has a 36MP full frame sensor and no optical low-pass filter.

Our tests reveal a lens that is impressively sharp in the centre wide open, however the corners are somewhat soft. Stop down to f/2.8 and the centre sharpness up a little, but the edges stay much the same. Much bigger improvements follow, though, with the very best results from f/5.6 to f/11. At the minimum aperture of f/16, diffraction slightly softens the image.

MTF f/1.4

Central sharpness is high at f/1.4, but the edges lag some way behind

MTF f/2.8

Stop down to f/2.8 and the centre sharpens up further, but edges are still soft

MTF f/8

Very best results are obtained at f/8 (and a stop either side)

MTF f/16

Diffraction slightly softens the image at the lens’s minimum aperture of f/16

  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Build and handling
  3. 3. Image quality
  4. 4. Test results: MTF (Sharpness)
  5. 5. Test results: Distortion and vignetting
  6. 6. Conclusion
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