The Sony 35mm f/1.8: Your Perfect First Lens

The Sony 35mm f/1.8: Your Perfect First Lens

If you're a Sony APS-C camera user, especially within the a6000 to a6700 range, you've probably heard about the highly regarded Sony 35mm f/1.8 prime lens. Known for its exceptional versatility, image quality, and affordability, this lens is often recommended as an excellent first lens for both beginners and experienced photographers. In this post, we’ll delve into why the Sony 35mm f/1.8 is such a great choice, how it stacks up against other lenses, and explore some practical applications and techniques to maximize its potential.

Why the Sony 35mm f/1.8?

Versatility: The 35mm focal length on APS-C sensors provides an effective field of view equivalent to approximately 52.5mm on a full-frame camera, making it a perfect “normal” lens. This means the lens closely mimics the perspective of the human eye, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of photography styles including portraits, street photography, landscapes, and even some macro work.

Low Light Performance: With a maximum aperture of f/1.8, this lens allows you to capture sharp, well-exposed images even in low light conditions. The wide aperture also provides a shallow depth of field, which is great for achieving a beautiful bokeh effect, making your subject stand out against a softly blurred background.

Compact and Lightweight: Weighing only about 155 grams (5.5 ounces), the 35mm f/1.8 is a lightweight and compact lens, making it perfect for travel and everyday use. Its small size doesn't compromise its build quality, and it balances well on smaller APS-C bodies like the a6000 to a6700.

Image Quality: The lens produces sharp images with excellent contrast and colour rendition. The optical design includes one aspherical element, which helps to reduce chromatic aberrations and distortions, ensuring high-quality photos across various shooting conditions.

Comparisons with Other Lenses

Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS: The 50mm f/1.8 is another popular prime lens for Sony APS-C cameras. While it offers a slightly longer focal length, which can be beneficial for portraits, it may feel a bit tight for general use compared to the 35mm. Additionally, the 35mm's wider field of view is often more suitable for street photography and environmental portraits.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN: The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is another strong contender, offering an even wider aperture. While it can provide a bit more light and slightly better low light performance, the 35mm f/1.8 has optical stabilization (OSS), which can be a significant advantage for handheld shooting, especially in low light. The Sony lens is also generally more compact and lighter.

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS: The kit lens that often comes with Sony APS-C cameras offers a zoom range that covers wide-angle to short telephoto. However, it has a variable and slower maximum aperture, which limits its low light capabilities and ability to produce shallow depth of field. The 35mm f/1.8, with its constant wide aperture, offers better overall image quality and performance.

Practical Applications and Techniques

Portraits: Use the wide aperture to create a shallow depth of field, making your subject pop against a beautifully blurred background. Position your subject a few feet away from the background to enhance this effect.

Street Photography: The 35mm focal length is ideal for capturing candid moments. Its compact size allows you to shoot discreetly. Experiment with different angles and perspectives to add depth and interest to your street shots.

Low Light: Take advantage of the f/1.8 aperture to shoot in dimly lit environments without needing to increase your ISO too much, thereby maintaining image quality. When shooting handheld, use the OSS feature to minimise camera shake and capture sharp images.

Travel and Everyday Photography: Due to its versatility, the 35mm f/1.8 is perfect for travel. It’s light enough to carry around all day and versatile enough to handle a variety of scenes and subjects. Whether you're capturing landscapes, cityscapes, or close-ups, this lens can do it all.

Basic Techniques

Rule of Thirds: When composing your shots, use the rule of thirds to create balanced and interesting images. Imagine your frame divided into nine equal parts and place your subject along these lines or at their intersections.

Focus and Recompose: Use the lens's fast autofocus to lock focus on your subject, then recompose your shot to achieve your desired framing. This technique ensures your subject remains sharp while giving you creative control over the composition.

Using Bokeh: With the wide f/1.8 aperture, you can create beautiful bokeh. Position your subject a fair distance from the background and shoot wide open to blur out distracting elements, drawing attention to your main subject.

Conclusion

The Sony 35mm f/1.8 prime lens is an outstanding choice for anyone using a Sony APS-C camera from the a6000 to the a6700 series. Its versatility, image quality, and user-friendly features make it an ideal first lens. Whether you're capturing portraits, street scenes, or everyday moments, this lens will help you create stunning images and expand your photographic skills. Investing in the 35mm f/1.8 is not just about buying a lens; it's about opening up a world of creative possibilities.