Sony shooters are blessed with a number of options when it comes to 35mm primes, and Sigma’s 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art is something of a bokeh beast. Photographer Julia Trotti puts it through its paces shooting some natural light portraits.
35mm isn’t the obvious choice when it comes to shooting portraits, but with the right model and composition, it can create some great results and can make life a lot easier if you’re shooting in tight spaces, such as on someone’s porch steps where you don’t have much room to back up.
Sigma’s 35mm f/1.2 doesn’t have a brilliant reputation for the speed of its autofocus, probably because it’s a massive lump of a lens with a ton of glass to move around. At $1,499, it’s not the most expensive, but most will be putting it up against Sony’s Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA which loses a third of a stop and gains $200, but is said to be a lot snappier. Trotti shows that the autofocus, though different, isn’t an obstacle once you’re used to it, and some buyers might be happy to compromise here to get that super-wide maximum aperture.
If you’re pondering a 35mm lens for Sony and don’t want to break the bank, you could opt for Sigma’s older 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, which has dropped in price recently from $899 to $799. And don’t forget that Samyang has a 35mm f/1.4 as well. In addition, there are two f/1.8 options, one from Sony and one from Samyang, both of which have received excellent reviews. You can check out my review of the Samyang 35mm f/1.8 by clicking here.
Do you like the images produced by the Sigma? Which 35mm lens would be your choice? Let us know in the comments below.
