I didn’t expect I’d write any reviews anymore on this blog, but a certain situation inspired me.

A few days ago I had the pleasure of photographing a concert by Amsterdam artist XA4.
For the occasion I used my Sony A7III and took two lenses with me (35mm and 55mm).

I haven’t been using the Sony A7III very often lately, with a few exceptions - portrait sessions and a few trips.

Before I decided to pack the Sony 35mm f/1.8 lens into the bag I had to check whether it still worked. I always check gear is charged and working before going out or shooting for a client, but this time I had to look a little closer.

It’s the same lens that literally drowned during a trip to Sweden over a year ago.

A quick guide How to drown a lens

It was our last night in Sweden, it was pouring rain, and instead of sleeping in the car (we travel in a small 4x4 camper) we decided to stay in a rented house.

I didn’t know then that we had a leak in the car, and in that downpour water was literally coming through the roof. Luckily it didn’t flood the whole car — it just dripped into the container between the front seats.

We keep snacks, drinks and other handy things in it, including… my camera.

Luckily the camera slept with us in the house, but the lens was left in the container…

After the nighttime downpour it was almost completely soaked in rainwater. Weather sealing didn’t really help - the next morning I poured a good cup of water from it.
Since we were already ready to hit the road, I didn’t even have a chance to dry it properly.

It had to wait its turn, lying there sadly for who knows how many hours. After returning home I think I still didn’t take care of it right away either.

In the end, after a few days drying in rice and with little to no hope, I checked whether it worked.

And it did! Not only no streaks on the glass, but focus worked without any problem. A miracle.

Now, to be sure I wouldn’t fail while photographing the concert, I had to check it again.

Sony 35mm f/1.8 - build and durability

I was a bit worried that over time the lens might develop mold, or the focus motor might rust and no longer be responsive, or stop focusing at all.

None of that happened.

Since I bought it this lens has been one of my favorites, mainly because of the very versatile focal length (give me 35mm and I’ll photograph the whole world), the minimalist look, light weight (280 grams) and size (6.5 x 7.3 cm).

And now it turns out to be almost indestructible.

And it’s not even one of the GM series lenses, which are known for build quality.

Sony 35mm f/1.8 - Image quality

Above all - the look, size, weight and durability go hand in hand with image quality.

I’m not a fan of super-technical, geeky, nerdy comparisons of lens specs and I won’t dig into whether, and how badly, chromatic aberration, distortion and changes in sharpness at the edges occur at every possible aperture value.

To my (glasses-supported) eye - the photos are sharp. Colors are appropriate. No strange artefacts.

Sony 35mm f/1.8 - Other features

A big plus for me is the minimum focusing distance. It’s 22 cm, which isn’t much, and with a wide focal length that adds to the lens’s versatility - you can “zoom” by getting very close to the subject.

That’s a huge plus for someone like me who doesn’t like carrying too much gear.

Sony 35mm F/1.8 - autofocus

The quiet AF motor is appreciated when photographing intimate situations, e.g. small gatherings where relative quiet is important. I think it’ll work well for video too (I don’t use it for video since I have a DJI Pocket 3).

A loud motor can annoy at any moment (which is why I sold the Samyang 50mm). Fortunately, no sign disturbance here.

Sony 35mm f/1.8 - my Forever lens Summary

For the price (if I remember correctly, I paid a little over €500) I don’t know if you could ask for more.

It’s a super versatile lens that has passed the test of time and sentiment (which other lenses I owned in the meantime didn’t survive), and thanks to the Swedish rain adventure it will stay in my small but trusted lens arsenal for a long time, if not forever.

For clarity, I’ll add that all the situations I described actually happened, and I described them voluntarily.

I bought the lens with my own money almost two years ago, and Sony doesn’t even know about it. Which is a shame, because I’d happily give them a high five.

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It includes a little bit of theory, example images and practical tips/exercises.
Do you want to start making minimalistic, clean images that stand out? That guide is for you. And yes, it’s FREE.

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