The Phoblographer

These fixed lens cameras are just the right size and offer enough performance to make you a street photography ninja.

Gear isn’t everything, but having the right camera for a certain situation can definitely help. This is especially true when it comes to street photography. When you’re out on the streets, you need to be able to rattle off images quickly and sometimes discreetly. This is something that can be hard to do with much larger cameras. Being able to remain nimble and having a camera that helps keep attention away from you is a must, and this is where fixed lens cameras come into play. These small, power-house fixed lens cameras have gorgeous optics that help capture detail-rich images, and blazing fast autofocus systems that will help you nail the shot every time you hit the shutter. If you’re on the hunt for a camera that will help you become a street photography pro, check out this roundup.

Ricoh GR III

In our review, we said:

“One of the best things about the lens on the Ricoh GR III is the sharpness of the lens. It’s great even at f2.8. Combine this with the details that the sensor can render and there is no reason to complain. If anything, the images look like bleeding-edge sharpness and a bit like older Rokinon lenses when it comes to output.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $839.95

Leica Q2

In our review, we said:

“Photographers who take it to shoot in the rain shouldn’t fear at all as you’ll be able to combine the lens’s great quality with the camera’s overall durability. Throughout all of our tests in the rain here in NYC, the Leica Q2 performed very admirably–arguably in a way that I’d say all cameras should at a minimum these days.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $5,995

Pro Tip: Street photography looks and sounds easy. However, you couldn’t be further from the truth if you believe this. Street photography is a complex genre that can take a while to master. Still, there are ways to make the learning curve a little easier. Grab a street photography tutorial that will help you train your eyes and understand your surroundings, and you’ll be well on your way.

Fujifilm X100V

In our review, we said:

“The Fujifilm X100v is the closest thing we have to a perfect point and shoot on the market. It’s got great autofocus capabilities, wonderful image quality, weather sealing, a revamped lens, and a simple interface. What more could you need?”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $1,399

Sony RX1r II

In our review, we said:

“When you look at the image quality from the Sony RX1r II, you’ll be very impressed. For what it’s worth, it’s the same sensor in the a7r II–Sony’s top-of-the-line camera out there. The details, the color rendition, and everything else will be very incredible. Additionally, the lens is also rather stellar.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $3,898

The 85mm lens is more a lot more than just portraits.

Lots of folks think that 85mm lenses can only do one thing. But that’s wrong. It’s not as wide as a 50mm or a 35mm, but they can do a whole lot. However, most people buy 85mm lenses just for portrait photography. Indeed, it’s great for this. It flattens a person’s profile very well and makes them look flattering. The truth is, though, that the 85mm lens is very versatile. And you can do a whole lot with it. We’re going to break those down in our roundup.

Looking for a great 85mm lens? We’ve got some fantastic suggestions in our Amazon Camera Shop. Go take a look!

Street Photography

Photographing the streets is traditionally something done with shorter and normal focal lengths. The reason: they want people to feel like they’re right there in the photo. That’s awesome. But there is also a way to tell stories in the streets in a cinematic way. An 85mm lens can do that. If you’re nervous about taking candids of people in the streets, use an 85mm. And check your intentions when you photograph them.

Try This

Go shooting in the streets. Set your camera’s autofocus to continuous. Turn on face detection. Stand in one spot and just wait for something to happen. Shoot when you see a moment that you’re emotionally connecting to.

Landscapes

Photographing landscapes is also something thing you need a wide-angle lens for. But that’s not always the case. Telephoto lenses help you hone in on a particular part of the scene. They let you see the world as an aspect of the scene. This turns into an entertaining exercise.

Try This

Stop your lens down and slow your shutter speed. Create some intentional blur in your landscapes to make the scene look different. The idea is to also swing your camera and lens in a specific way. Start by focusing on the scene. Then point your camera upwards with the focus still locked. Slowly start swinging it back downward. When you get to a normalized plane, snap the photo. Continue to pull through on the swing. Take a look at the intentional blur and adjust accordingly.

Architecture

Photographing architecture is also thought of as something you need to shoot wide with. But that’s not the case. If you have the privilege of using a tilt-shift adapter, you’ll see how fun this can be. But by using an 85mm lens, you can see in a new way. Focus on certain parts of the scene as you’re looking up at the building. Look at the critical details.

Try This

Lock your white balance. Shoot at 3200K or 5500K. Those are film white balances. Depending on the light, you’ll either get a Blade Runner look or a normalized look. It’s going to be very fun. We know that you can do this in post-production. But if you do that, you’re not going to approach it with the same level of enthusiasm as you would otherwise. Give yourself the give of a more enthusiastic shooting experience.

Obviously, Portraiture

Photographing clients, friends, family, and more can be done with an 85mm lens. Of course, this is the most common use of the focal length. Newer 85mm lenses are very capable. They can do tight portraits, wider portraits, etc. But the cool thing about them is that they can isolate the face or eyes to get the best from the scene.

Try This

Shoot a portrait. Stop your lens down. Remember that you have the aperture setting for a reason. Do it both stopped down and wide open.

In Pro Camera Reviews, we recently discussed our requests from Camera Manufacturers

The year 2021 is going to be a very big one for the camera world. We’d even argue to say that it’s going to be as massive as the year 2018 was. Back then, we had a ton of announcements come out that showed each manufacturer was really making strides forward. We should’ve seen that last year. In some ways, we did. But the camera manufacturers have to find a way to move ahead even further. And we discussed that in our recent episode of Pro Camera Reviews.

In This Episode:

What We Want to See from Camera Manufacturers in 2021 in This Episode

2021 needs to be a big year for camera manufacturers. Let’s be honest; the last couple of years in the camera market have been rather humdrum. We have been treated to many minor refreshes of older cameras, which haven’t done much to scratch our itch for new tech. We’ve also seen many virtually identical cameras in regards to the sensors being used, and it’s getting old. Honestly, the camera market is getting rather stagnant, and there needs to be a shift. Join us as we talk about new technology and features that we think will drive cameras forward. We’d love to hear what you guys and gals want to see going forward as well.

On the Next Episode

The Cameras We Use For Fun: We get to test, use, and review lots of different cameras and lenses here at the phoblographer, and while it may look like fun, it is, in fact, hard work. We’re analyzing and focused on the camera more so than the fun side of photography. We do all of this on top of our own professional photoshoots too. How do we unwind from doing what we do and what cameras do we use in our personal lives for fun? Join us on our live show to see what members of the review team use when we want to go out and just have fun with photography. You might be surprised by our choices.

A Closer Look at the Prism FX filters: We’re bored in the pandemic. So EIC Chris Gampat decided to purchase a number of these filters. On recommendation from a friend, he spent a lot of money on them. He’s so far finding that they’re delivering a whole lot. These filters give the look that Chris has wanted for a very long time from his lenses. It’s easy and very fun to play with them. So in this episode, we’re going to go over a few of them and show off what they’re capable of doing. Who knows, you’ll probably find a way to spice up your photos!

About Pro Camera Reviews

Pro Camera Reviews happens every Sunday. Sign up to join us! Please Register here.

Pro Camera Reviews is a web show by the Reviews Team of The Phoblographer. Join them as they candidly discuss the products they’re actively reviewing and the gear they’ve just reviewed. Open Q and A from the audience towards the end of the show. Every Sunday at 7pm EST.

Please register here.

If you’re looking for a fun time while staying safe, we strongly recommend that you tune in for Pro Camera Reviews. It’s a weekly show where the staff tackles a couple of issues in the Photo World. They mostly pertain to cameras and lenses, but sometimes things get a bit more serious. This is partly because we still feel that we need to be educators and leaders in this space. Additionally, we also need to be responsible. Episodes are done on Zoom and are recorded. They’re Live Streamed to our Facebook Page, then shared on Flipboard TV and YouTube. We recommend that you subscribe to us on Youtube to keep up.

There are some outstanding lenses on the Micro Four Thirds platform for portraits.

If you’re a Micro Four Thirds photographer and have been wondering what lenses to consider for portrait photography, this roundup is for you. Here we will take a look at the five lenses that make up the best portrait lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system. We have picked out five portrait lenses that range in cost, so there are options for photographers with any budget. But, don’t think for a second that the cheaper lenses will leave you wanting more. All these lenses are ridiculously sharp, focus quickly, and produce colors that will leave you speechless. Let’s jump right in and take a look at the lenses you should be considering for Micro Four Thirds portraits.

Olympus 25mm f1.8

In our review, we said:

“In fact, the 25mm f1.8 is one of the most affordable and bang for your buck lenses out there for the Micro Four Thirds system. In general, we’re quite impressed with the sharpness, bokeh, fast focusing speed (coupled with accuracy), small size, and the overall feel that it is the single-lens that you may want to keep mated to your camera forever.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $399

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2

In our review, we said:

“Panasonic’s 42.5mm f1.2 is a lens that you can have almost no complaints about on the right system. It’s sharp, focuses quickly, has great color for portraits, features a robust build quality, feels great in the hand, and can help you deliver better images when combined with the right skills in lighting and composition. Indeed, Panasonic has created the perfect portrait optic for the system–and it’s about time that they did.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $1,397.99

Olympus 45mm f1.8 MSC

In our review, we said:

“Overall, I can’t help but recommend the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens. It should be the portrait lens in the bag of every single Micro Four Thirds camera user. I will not retract or take that statement back. Though Panasonic has a lens that doubles as a Macro lens (45mm f2.8 with Leica branding), it gets utterly destroyed by this lens. When we reviewed that lens, I was very pleased with the colors and sharpness. However, Olympus has taken a page from their years of lens crafting and made it really shine.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $399

Pro Tip: Whether you’re new to portrait photography or you’ve been in the game for a while, learning new tips and tricks of the trade is always a good thing. It’s easy to become stale when it comes to posing your subjects. So, having a resource that can help you change things up is a godsend. This posing guide from Lindsay Adler will help you pose your subjects perfectly. Learn how to make men, women, and children of all body sizes and types look their absolute best.

Olympus 75mm f1.8

In our review, we said:

“I’ll admit, I had read several reviews of this lens before I had the chance to shoot with it. I was skeptical about whether or not it could possibly live up to the overwhelmingly positive things people have said about it. In the end, it exceeded my expectations by a long shot. I believe it redefines the standards at which Micro Four Thirds lenses should be built.

Buy now: $849

Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 PRO

In our review, we said:

“We spent five days with this aggressively designed piece of glass. Among any of the Olympus zoom lens offerings that we’ve tested, the 40-150mm f2.8 PRO is the one that I loved the absolute most and almost didn’t want to send back. It’s lightweight, fairly small for what it is, fast to focus, offers crisp image quality, is weather-sealed, and won’t fail you when working.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $1,299

I adore the Fujifilm X Pro 3, and I really think the Fujifilm X Pro 4 needs a few things.

Depending on who you ask, the Fujifilm X Pro 3 is an awful camera. Those are the opinions of tons of people who care too much about letting technology do the work for them and chimping their exposures. But I’d go as far as saying that those photographers can’t think for themselves. The Fujifilm X Pro 3 is a camera for the thinking photographer, and my favorite camera they’ve made. In fact, it remains to be my favorite camera that I own. If Fujifilm wants to make it better, I implore them to not give in to the crowd. Here’s how the Fujifilm X Pro 4 should come to market!

Keep the Hidden LCD Screen, But Make It More Usable

The LCD screen is one of the biggest things about the Fujifilm X Pro 3. When using it for things like product photos, it can be a bit annoying and at times archaic. There is a way to make someone focus more on their shots than just the way the LCD screen is currently presented. With the X Pro 3, it’s a flip-down screen. There are times when I want to shoot something below me or overhead, and a versatile screen could’ve helped. A flip-out LCD perhaps, and a flatter e-Ink screen could work. Keep the screen hidden by maybe limiting how it can be swiveled.

Make the Menu on the Fujifilm X Pro 4 Touch Capable

Fuji could’ve done that a long time ago to make their menus touch-capable on more X series camera bodies. Whenever I need to go into Fujifilm’s menus, the process is a long, tedious one. Touch navigation could make it easier and faster.

Lower the Megapixels on the Fujifilm X Pro 4

This is a big one. I think the X Pro 4 should have fewer megapixels. First off, these cameras have APS-C sensors. The more megapixels crammed into it, the sharper the images become. The sharper the images are, the more digital they look. In truth, if the X Pro 1’s sensor could do everything the X Pro 3 could, I’d be in love with it. Images from that camera really looked like film. But the X Pro 3 also does that with more details.

The beauty of film is that you don’t always see someone’s pores and all their skin details.

Give It a Real Microphone Jack

For the photojournalists out there, a working Microphone and the Headphone jack is pretty critical. Don’t tell me to go use the X-T4; I want a rangefinder-style body. The current microphone jacks are a joke and don’t accommodate most microphones. Give us real jacks please; it’s 2021 already!

Incorporate the X100V’s ISO Dial

I personally don’t mind the X Pro 3’s ISO dial being doubled with the shutter speed dial. In fact, I love it. But the X100V’s approach is friendlier and has more mass appeal. Maybe bring that up to this camera?

Lock the Exposure Compensation Dial

Many times, I’ve found myself accidentally bumping this dial. Let’s get an option to lock it in place, please!

Give It Actual, Meaningful Firmware Updates

As of this writing, I feel like Fujifilm is majorly rejecting their most expensive X series camera. If they keep doing this, they’ll need to seriously drop the price to move units the way they did with the X-H1. If they just give it better firmware updates, people would want to buy it more.

Improve the Autofocus More

The autofocus advice here is tied to the firmware updates. The X Pro 3 deserves much better autofocus. I hope that they give it to the X Pro 4.

Give Us a Brass Version of the Fujifilm X Pro 4

The X Pro 3 is made of titanium and has a Dura Coat (if you purchase that option). This coat ensures it stays pristine. And it’s awesome that they licensed the technology from the Citizen Watch company. But what if we want patina over time? Just imagine how gorgeous a beaten up X Pro 4 could look with brass peaking out of the top plate?

These photographers are doing the work we need to truly pay attention to.

In our 11 years, we’ve interviewed lots of photographers. But more importantly, we’ve stayed close to our photojournalism roots. Our platform has been used by many photographers to get the word out. Much of what documentary photography about these days is Civil Rights. It’s happening all across the world in various ways. There are stories at the top of the news every morning about it. But there are some that haven’t really been told as much. For Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, we’re counting down a few that we’ve featured.

Kacper Zapałowski Shows the Faces of Women’s Civil Rights in Poland

Photographer Kacper Zapalowski is based in Poland. While the American media focused heavily on our own protests, a massive one was happening in Poland. As always, the reproductive rights of women were being challenged. Reproductive rights have been a civil rights issue for women for many years. Thousands of people marched on the issue. Kacper documented many of these people in his images. All of them have a unique symbol that they used to show support. And they were all wearing masks too since there is a global pandemic going on. Kacper’s photos show us again, that these are ordinary folks fighting for their rights. The people are singled out among loads of other protestors. And when we get to look at these people as individuals, we can study them a bit more.

In our interview, he states:

“Currently, they are one of the biggest protests in Poland to date. Over 100 000 people went to the capital city of Warsaw just yesterday, with many more in the rest of Poland. We had over 500 protests combined with over 600 000 people. Thus far, the people I encountered were great, desperately wanting change and still positive in their hearts. The cars honking in traffic stretching a few miles to show their support and the bikes protests with hundreds of unique bike bells sounds.”

Adam Wold Tells the Story of the Black Lives Matter Movement

Photographer Adam Wold took to spreading the word of the Black Lives Matter movement, along with many other photographers. Adam’s photos do a number of things. First off, they convey the people in them to be ordinary folks just like the rest of us. They’re fighting for the same civil rights and equality that white folks have. Best of all though, Adam uses an incredibly powerful narrative telling tool: text. Throughout the photos, the banner of Black Lives Matter is ever-present. But so too are some very important words. “I can’t breathe,” was said by George Floyd when a knee was on his neck for a long time. Amidst all these, the US is experiencing the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The body of work, like all documentary photography, needs to be carefully taken in.

In our interview, he stated:

“My goal was to humanize the demonstrators by communicating the very real emotions that had brought them out on the streets. I would often hear opponents of BLM complain about the roads being blocked, how their commute was ruined or that an ambulance might be trying to get through. My hope was that through seeing these individuals up close they might be able to imagine the circumstances that brought them to this place and perhaps feel a bit of empathy.”

Xyza Cruz Bacani Turns Her Lens to Migrant Workers

Xyza Cruz Bacani does some spectacular work documenting migrant workers. She hails from the Philipines and wanted to find ways to tell these stories. For her book, We are Like Air, she partially pointed the lens at her own family. She said that this allowed her to be vulnerable. Lots of folks forget that migrant workers are human beings, and deserve civil rights too. They deserve the same rights and respect to humanity that you’d give to anyone else. Her photos show some very intimate moments between family members. Looking back at her images, I immediately think about how refugee families were torn apart from one another at our borders.

...

Fujifilm Pro 400H, we’re told, was selling very well, but a problem occured.

The end of an era is happening today as Fujifilm Pro 400H is saying goodbye to the world. Despite the declining sale of film, Fujifilm Pro 400H isn’t being discontinued because of sales numbers. The company cites in a statement to The Phoblographer that the film cannot be made anymore. This makes the story even sadder.

Before it’s too late, go pick up some Fujifilm Pro 400H from Amazon, Adorama, or eBay.

According to our sources within the company, there’s a special fourth layer component that has been very difficult for Fujifilm to get a hold of. And without the raw materials, the film can’t be made. In fact, lots of materials are very hard to get a hold of due to COVID-19. Instead of not making it for a long time and supply running dry, the company is putting it to pasture. It’s probably going to take a miracle for the material to come back. In an official statement, Fujifilm said:

“FUJIFILM PRO 400H film is a unique product that is coated with a fourth layer – requiring specialized raw materials and chemicals. As it has become increasingly difficult to procure the raw materials needed to produce PRO 400H, Fujifilm has made the difficult business decision to discontinue PRO 400H.

Right now we are focusing on supporting our customers in this transition.

Based on recent customer demand, we anticipate that we will be able to allocate 120 through the end of 2021. The production and sale of 135 will cease immediately, January 14, 2021.”

Fujifilm Pro 400H is a C-41 film that was introduced many years ago. Recently, it enjoyed rising popularity. When overexposed, it created a wonderful pastel look that’s very desirable. In fact, that’s the only way we’ve seen it shot for a very long time. The look is popular with the wedding and portrait photography crowd. And it was probably a bit of the inspiration for the current Fujifilm Classic Negative film simulation.

The image above was shot by photographer Anastasia Egonyan and featured in an interview we did with her. She used Fujifilm PRO 400H and a Contax 645. “My film of choice here was Fuji Pro 400H, and I have picked it due to its beautiful magenta tones as the skin of the model is cool with pink undertones...” she said about the film in the interview. Indeed, you’ll see from the image here that the skin tones are very pastel. You can even see the look in the eyes and the hair. You’d otherwise only get this look from overexposure and some meticulous white balancing. But even the film itself was able to retain highlights like no other. We’ve featured several other photographers who’ve shot this film, like Lester Cannon, Amy O’Boyle, Christoph Zoubek, and Valerie Rizvan. All of them loved the film.

Back in 2017, we made an effort to review every film emulsion we could. And in our review of Fujifilm Pro 400H, we stated:

“Fujifilm Pro 400H does a significantly better job when working with the 120 emulsion than it does with the 35mm emulsions. It’s got a very specific look to it that I really do like; but I still consider it to be something of a more saturated version of Kodak Portra 400. I’d honestly use this film more for dedicated event coverage personally than for portraits; but again that’s a personal feeling.”

Lots of folks have spoken about the end of film. But in truth, Fujifilm has also re-introduced ACROS not long ago. I still think that film is the absolute best teaching tool.

Fujifilm’s discontinuation notice will be posted at 9:15PM. But the company gave The Phoblographer the green light to publish at 9pm EST.

With a bit of searching, you’ll snag a Contax T2 for under $1,000 right now.

The Contax T2 is, without a doubt, the most expensive point and shoot camera on the market. Depending on the cultural times, it shares that spot with the Contax T3. And right now, it’s possible to snag one at a price you can afford. Made famous by a bunch of celebrities and photographers both, the camera is a rarity. To this day, I’m still perplexed by why Zeiss didn’t reissue this camera.

The Contax T2 started getting really hot when one of the Jenner sisters used it on a talk show. In 2017, we wrote:

“In fact, the last ten years or so still saw the Contax T2 being name dropped by international celebrities and celebrity photographers as their compact camera of choice. The latest of them is Kendall Jenner, who whipped out a rare platinum black Contax T2 on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon (photo blogs and groups were quick to slam her for doing photography now but that’s for another story).”

People thought that they’d get images just like her. They probably also believed that they’d become an overnight influencer. Unfortunately, reality set in, and that’s not the case. But it sent the camera’s price skyrocketing. It was already trendy. However, it’s rare to see a Contax price outdoing Leica cameras. And that’s exactly what we saw.

We’ve got a whole chronicle on how the Contax T2 became the most popular point and shoot camera as well. In that piece, we have one of the best quotes from street photographer Brent Eysler:

“The Contax T2 was a very unique camera created at a time when most manufacturers were producing some pretty plain Jane options for that segment. The titanium body is solid and tough, the dials are well-positioned and click easily, and the minimal options are very easy to scroll through, but offer quite a lot of control and options for a camera of this type.” Eysler said. “Due to its success, Contax would also create a zoom version (the TVS) and eventually the even more compact T3 in 2001.”

Brent has since sold his camera. But his words are very telling. The photo industry today is oversaturated with cameras and lenses that are all the same. They’ve more or less got the same sensors. The lenses are similar. The features are similar. There isn’t much setting them all apart.

This is why I’m still so perplexed by some of the recent decisions by Zeiss. Zeiss has more or less pulled away from the photo market. They see more traction in the video market. And that’s understandable. But they launched the ZX1. Granted, this is an innovative camera. But no one is going to pay $7,000 for it. What they could have done is re-released the Contax T2 at a more affordable price. That would have driven the original camera’s price up so much. Folks would just buy the new one instead. Besides, how cool would it be to own something like that? Plus, it would be so much different. It would be a refreshing take on the otherwise monotonous photo industry.

If you act quickly, though, you’ll find loads of Contax T2 cameras at solid prices. You can probably thank the state of the global economy for that price drop. But act soon. You give it some time, and the prices might just start going back up again.

We’re streaming daily on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, and Spotify!

Lots of photographers shut things down when the colder winter weather starts hitting. However, things are just getting started for wildlife photographers. Those who brave the winter winds and snow often get rewarded with spectacular shots of the wildlife around them. If you want to get in on the winter wildlife photography scene, you’ll need a lens that will help deliver the goods. After the break, we’ve rounded up five super telephoto zooms across multiple platforms that will get you closer to the action than ever before.

Sony 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G OSS

In our review, we said:

“The Sony 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G OSS Super Telephoto combines snappy and precise autofocusing performance, robust build quality, and stellar image quality into a superb lens that is worthy of being added to any sports and wildlife photographer’s arsenal.”

Buy now: $1,998

Olympus 100-400mm F5-6.3 IS

In our review, we said:

“The Olympus 100-400mm f5-6.3 IS is a fantastic superzoom that will delight wildlife and certain sports photographers to no end. Thanks to the incredible optics, gorgeous color rendering and overall excellent autofocus performance, the Olympus 100-400mm f5-6.3 should be considered a must-have for Micro Four Thirds shooters who want maximum reach at an affordable price point.”

Brett Day – Gear Editor

Buy now: $1,499

Pro Tip: Are you new to nature photography? If this will be one of your first super telephoto zooms and you’re not sure where to get started, look no further than this guide. You’ll learn about everything from settings to composition, and how to find the best locations, to how to protect your gear. It’s a bargain at just $15!

Canon 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

In our review, we said:

“Here’s the deal, the Canon RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 L IS USM is an excellent lens. There isn’t really a single flaw about it. It’s compact compared to some competitors, the image quality is wonderful, and it’s weather sealed.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $2,699

Fujifilm 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

In our review, we said:

“When you consider the fact that there really is nothing quite like the Fujifilm 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 lens on the market, you get a greater reason to want to give it an Editor’s Choice award. But then you look at the image quality it can deliver, add in weather sealing, and you’ve got a serious winner. With great autofocus, a compact size, and image stabilization, you’re getting quite the package overall.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $1,899.95

Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 Contemporary

In our review, we said:

“At the telephoto end of things, you’re only going to get top-notch bokeh and color rendition. In fact, we couldn’t find any color fringing in our samples unless we ourselves bumped the contrast, highlights, or shadows quite a bit.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now Canon EF: $869.95

Buy now Nikon F: $805

We’ve reviewed all of the Sony 35mm lenses, and more.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll repeat it. 35mm primes are just about the most versatile prime lenses you can get. They are great for portraits, food photography, event and wedding photography, documentary photography, landscapes, and more. They’re a do it all lens, and no system is complete without one. With the new Sony 35mm f1.4 G Master’s arrival, there are three fast Sony 35mm prime lenses for the E mount. On top of these three, you have two fast options from Sigma (the 35mm f1.4 DG Art and the 35mm f1.2 Art DG DN) and another 35mm f2.8 lens from Sony. Whew! That’s a lot of 35mm primes to choose from. So, how do you pick the right one for you? Fortunately, we’ve reviewed all of them. After the break, we’ll compare them all for you.

The Big Three Compared

Here’s a quick look at the most important specs from each of Sony’s fast 35mm prime lenses. This should help you decide which lens is the right one for you.

Sony 35mm f1.4 GM

Sony 35mm f1.8 FE G

Sony Zeiss 35mm f1.4

Aperture

f1.4

f1.8

f1.4

Min Apt

f16

f22

f16

Blades

11

9

9

Weight

1.1lbs

0.61lbs

1.39lbs

Weather Sealing

Yes

Yes

Yes

Coatings

Nano AR II and a fluorine coating

Multi coating optics

T star coated

AF Motors

XD linear motor

Linear actuator (magnetic)

DDDS – Dynamic Drive Silent Motor

Filter Size

67mm

55mm

72mm

Min Focus

10.6′′

8.6′′

11.8′′

Price

$1,399

$748

$1,598

From Our Reviews

We’ve reviewed pretty much every 35mm lens for the Sony system. And here are quotes from the ones you care about.

Sony 35mm f1.8 FE G

“This lens is small, lightweight, weather-sealed, fast to focus, and can deliver excellent image quality. For the photographers who need speed like street photographers, event photographers, and documentary shooters–it’s there. For those who want details and beautiful bokeh like portrait shooters, it’s also there. Combine this with the reliability put into the lens with weather sealing, and you’re getting a winning combination.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $748

Sony Zeiss 35mm f1.4

“The Sony Zeiss 35mm f1.4 is a hefty lens with fast autofocusing abilities, beautiful bokeh, sharp image quality, a solid build, and a heck of a price tag. It’s a beautiful lens that you’ll never want to put down, but we only recommend it if you’re planning on going pro.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $1,598

Sony 35mm f1.4 G Master

“The Sony FE 35mm f1.4 GM is a joy to use — and the photos a joy to look at. I found little to complain about. The lightweight design is excellent; the de-click aperture ring a pleasure to spin. The weather-sealing handled some light snow. I love both the colors and sharpness of this lens, while distortions and flare are kept to a minimum.”

Hillary Grigonis – Reviews Editor

Buy now: $1,399

Sony 35mm f2.8 FE

“On the A7, it will focus like a speed demon. On the A7r, it will resolve more detail than your mom will want to see in her face. Then when you’re all done with that, you can take it out into inclement weather with no problems. Then there is your excellent color rendition and class-leading sharpness.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $798

Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG Art

“This lens vignettes quite a bit when shot wide open, but like Zeiss lenses, it adds to the look. The photos have an almost medium format quality to them that is positively jaw dropping.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $629

Sigma 35mm f1.2 DG DN Art

“The color rendition of the Sigma 35mm f1.2 Art DG DN is pretty flat. I’d liken it to the look of early digital–almost. It’s not the stuff that you’d see in a Tarantino movie, but more akin to what the old Canon 5D Mk II used to do with RAW files and colors. Couple that with the versatility of modern-day camera sensors and you’ll be smitten with the images.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $1,499

Which...