{"id":1929,"date":"2016-02-02T16:50:30","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T15:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=1929"},"modified":"2026-01-14T09:32:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T08:32:51","slug":"review-carl-zeiss-sonnar-fe-2-835-za-t","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-carl-zeiss-sonnar-fe-2-835-za-t\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Carl Zeiss Sonnar FE 2.8\/35 ZA T*"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01146.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2000\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01146.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01146\" width=\"800\" height=\"666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01146.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01146-300x250.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1952\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1952\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09571.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1952 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09571.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09571\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09571-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1952\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7II | Zeiss FE\u00a02,8\/35 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24647709726\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1944\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1944\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01090.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1944 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01090.jpg\" alt=\"Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01090.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01090-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1944\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1933\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1933\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00447.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1933 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00447.jpg\" alt=\"Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00447.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00447-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1933\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/5.6 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24306257469\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h1>\u00a0Specifications<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Diameter: 61.5mm<\/li>\n<li>Length: \u00a036.5 mm<\/li>\n<li>Weight: 120g<\/li>\n<li>Filter Diameter: 49mm<\/li>\n<li>Number of Aperture Blades: 7<\/li>\n<li>Elements\/Groups: 7\/5<\/li>\n<li>Close Focusing Distance: 35cm<\/li>\n<li>Mount:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/sony-fe-lenses\/\">Sony FE<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>The Sony FE 2.8\/35\u00a0sells for $799 at<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1008123-REG\/sony_sel35f28z_sonnar_t_fe_35mm.html\/BI\/19619\/KBID\/12129\/kw\/SO3528\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xSO3528\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> B&amp;H photo<\/a>*\u00a0or <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1SiKZVl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon.com<\/a>*. \u00a0Used it sells for around $525 at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337810436&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=sony+35+2.8+za+-16&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.com<\/a>*<\/em><br \/>\n<em>In Germany\u00a0you can buy it for 659\u20ac\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.de\/gp\/product\/B00FYRLSM8\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1638&amp;creative=19454&amp;creativeASIN=B00FYRLSM8&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=phillipreeven-21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon.de<\/a>*. Used \u00a0it sells for around 460\u20ac\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337810436&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=sony+35+2.8+za+-16&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.de*<\/a>.\u00a0*= affiliate link<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01152.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2005\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01152.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01152\" width=\"800\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01152.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01152-300x251.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1><b>Compatibility<\/b><\/h1>\n<p>The\u00a0Carl Zeiss 2.8\/35 work\u00a0on any camera with an E-mount. Be it a full frame camera like the Sony a7 or\u00a0an APS-C camera like the Sony a6000. \u00a0On an APS-C camera it is equivalent to a 52.5\/4 on a full frame camera.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Build<\/strong><strong> Quality<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01148.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2001\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01148.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01148\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01148.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01148-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The lens seems to be built to<strong>\u00a0 high standards<\/strong> with a metal hull and a focusing ring which has zero play so it feels very nice.<\/p>\n<p>One nice touch is that all the <strong>markings are engraved and filled with paint<\/strong>. Not just printed on the hull like with the FE 2\/28.<\/p>\n<p>I\u00a0didn&#8217;t disassemble the lens so I can&#8217;t tell you how robust it&#8217;s inner construction is which is probably more important than the outside. Extrapolating from Roger <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lensrentals.com\/blog\/2015\/04\/tearing-down-the-sony-24-70-f4-za-oss-vario-tessar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ciciala&#8217;s teardown of the ZA 4\/24-70<\/a>\u00a0I would <strong>guess that it&#8217;s mostly plastic inside<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Although Sony claims that the design is \u201c<em>d<\/em><em>ust and moisture resistant<\/em>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0the lens has\u00a0<strong>no gasket\u00a0around the\u00a0lens mount<\/strong>, so weather resistance will be limited.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>lens shade feels solid<\/strong>\u00a0and attaches firmly to the lens. It is made from plastics and feels robust enough but not as nice as the shades for other lenses of the ZA line.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Size, Weight and Handling<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Canon_nFD_24mmf2p8-7.jpg\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01154.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2007\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01154.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01154\" width=\"799\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01154.jpg 799w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01154-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Carl Zeiss 2.8\/35\u00a0is the smallest native lens you can buy for the a7 series. It is still a bit\u00a0too large to call it a pancake but\u00a0it comes close. I prefer a little larger lenses on my a7 but handling is still very good and at only 120g it is an excellent choice when you want to travel light.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01143.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1999\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01143.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01143\" width=\"800\" height=\"604\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01143.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01143-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Lens Hood<\/h1>\n<p>The Zeiss 2.8\/35&#8242; lens hood has\u00a0a very unusual design. It is only about 5mm deep and it isn&#8217;t open like conventional hoods.<\/p>\n<p>This design is very handy, because the hood is very small I always left it attached to the lens and it also comes with\u00a0it&#8217;s own lens cap.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01151.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2004\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01151.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01151\" width=\"800\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01151.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01151-300x251.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01150.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2003\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01150.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01150\" width=\"800\" height=\"592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01150.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01150-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Filters<\/h1>\n<p>The 49mm filter thread is made from\u00a0plastics.<\/p>\n<p>The lens hood has a 40.5mm filter thread.<\/p>\n<p>The front of the lens does not rotate so polarizers are easy to use.<\/p>\n<h1>Auto Focus<\/h1>\n<p>AF performance on the A7 and a7ii is fine as long as there is enough light. In darker scenarios I often found the AF lacking but that&#8217;s more an camera issue than one which could be attributed to the lens.<\/p>\n<p>The AF drive is very quiet and the lens does not extend.<\/p>\n<h1>Manual Focus<\/h1>\n<p>As mentioned before, the\u00a0focusing ring feels nice\u00a0nice, what\u00a0<strong>I don\u2019t like<\/strong>\u00a0too much is\u00a0<strong>the focus by wire implementation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>One\u00a0problem here is that it matters\u00a0how fast you turn the focusing ring<\/strong>, \u00a0if I turn it by 45 degrees very fast the focus changes from 35cm to infinity. If I turn it slowly\u00a0it takes more than 360 degrees (one full turn) to change focus from the close focusing distance to infinity. In theory this sounds like a great idea because focusing\u00a0should be\u00a0either super precise or very quick, depending on what you need but in practice it&#8217;s quite fiddly.<\/p>\n<p>The other problem is that\u00a0there is\u00a0a<strong> small lag\u00a0between the moment when you turn the focusing ring and when the lens reacts<\/strong>. It is only a small fraction of a second but\u00a0detracts from the experience and makes it very hard to focus on anything moving.<\/p>\n<p>I am used to manual lenses where the focusing ring is coupled directly to the focusing helicoid and I\u00a0am faster and as precise with\u00a0them. So\u00a0<strong>manual focus works okay but it isn\u2019t very enjoyable<\/strong>\u00a0(says a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hardcore manual lens user<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h1>Image Quality<\/h1>\n<h3>Vignetting and Color Shift<\/h3>\n<p>At f\/2.8 vignetting is severe \u00a0at close to 2.5\u00a0stops. At f\/4 it is reduced only a little to about 2\u00a0stops and by f\/8 it is still at 1.5 stops which is about the highest value I have ever seen at f\/8.<\/p>\n<p>I tested with deactivated vignetting correction (which affects the raw) but I\u00a0wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if there was still some correction, other lenses improve much more from f\/2.8 to f\/4.<\/p>\n<p>On my a7 I see minor\u00a0color shift, I guess on the more problematic a7r it could sometimes be a problem. The a7s and a7rii will most likely show even less color shift than the a7.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1959\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8.jpg\" alt=\"Sony_FE_35mmf2p8\" width=\"750\" height=\"610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8.jpg 750w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8-300x244.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Flare Resistance<\/h1>\n<p>Since the Zeiss FE 2.8\/35 is\u00a0a modern lens with T* coatings and a very small front lens I expected better performance than I actually saw.<\/p>\n<p>I saw no ghosting at all but\u00a0in critical situations you will se some veiling flare.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1947\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1947\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01127.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1947 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01127.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01127\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01127.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01127-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1947\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 | developed with default settings in LR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In less critical situations performance is fine:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1930\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1930\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1930 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00100.jpg\" alt=\"DSC00100\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00100.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00100-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24647713696\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Distortion<\/h3>\n<p>The FE 2.8\/35 shows some barrel distortion. Lightroom has a profile which corrects the distortion\u00a0very well.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1931\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1931\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00161.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1931 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00161.jpg\" alt=\"DSC00161\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00161.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00161-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7II | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/8 | LR default settings | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24647716756\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"attachment_1408\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Chromatic Aberrations<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Zeiss FE 2.8\/35 shows some lateral CA, significantly more than my 30-years-old <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-new-fd-35mm-12-8\/\">Canon FD 2.8\/35<\/a>.\u00a0You won&#8217;t see any of that\u00a0when you import a raw file into LR because it automatically applies a profile embedded in the Raw file which you can&#8217;t deactivate. I used Raw Therapy to check this.<\/p>\n<p>LoCA correction is only average as well.<\/p>\n<h3>Bokeh<\/h3>\n<p>The Sonnar has quite good bokeh, oof highlights are rendered quite smooth.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1985\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1985\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08461.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1985 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08461.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08461\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08461.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08461-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1985\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1988\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1988\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08481.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1988 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08481.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08481\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08481.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08481-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1988\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 |<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24306284379\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Foreground bokeh is very smooth as well.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1991\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1991\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08543-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1991 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08543-2.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08543-2\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08543-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08543-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 |default setting |\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24047155163\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At longer distances bokeh stays smooth which can&#8217;t be taken for granted with other lenses.<\/p>\n<p>The only issue I could see are some onion rings which can appear in critical situations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1994\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1994\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01124.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1994 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01124.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01124\" width=\"800\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01124.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01124-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1994\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7ii | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The only issue I could see are some onion rings which can appear in critical situations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1954\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1954\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09615.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1954 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09615.jpg\" alt=\"DSC09615\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09615.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC09615-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1954\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7ii | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Sunstars<\/h3>\n<p>Not a strength of this lens. Sunstars are very fuzzy even at f\/11.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1948\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1948\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08901.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1948 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08901.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08901\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08901.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08901-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1948\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7ii | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>\u00a0Astro Use<\/h1>\n<p>The FE 2.8\/35 performs well\u00a0here. Brighter stars have a small comet&#8217;s tail but compared to other lenses it is very small. The only real issue I see is the very significant vignetting.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1993\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1993\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08554-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1993 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08554-2.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08554-2\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08554-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08554-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1993\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 | processed heavily, vignetting corrected | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24556620292\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is a 100% crop from the lower left corner of the image above.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/astro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1997\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/astro.jpg\" alt=\"astro\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/astro.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/astro-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Sharpness<\/h3>\n<p>My copy was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24373298420\/in\/dateposted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">well centered<\/a> but I have read more reports than usual about decentered lenses so I can only recommend to check your copy when it arrives.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8_infinity.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1995\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8_infinity.jpg\" alt=\"Sony_FE_35mmf2p8_infinity\" width=\"800\" height=\"1962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8_infinity.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8_infinity-122x300.jpg 122w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sony_FE_35mmf2p8_infinity-522x1280.jpg 522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The FE 2.8\/35 shows an <strong>interesting behavior<\/strong>. At <strong>f\/2.8 it is very sharp with surprisingly good across the frame sharpness<\/strong>. It outclasses any classic 35mm lens I know of at this aperture. This is a <strong>remarkable performance<\/strong> for such a small lens.<\/p>\n<p>As you <strong>stop down there is very little change<\/strong>. The center improves a little to excellent levels but there is next to no improvement outside of the center. So at typical settings for <strong>landscape use, e.g. f\/8 or f\/11 other much cheaper lenses are sharper in the corners<\/strong>. The <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-new-fd-35mm-12-8\/\">Canon FD 2.8\/35<\/a> for example.<\/p>\n<h3>Field Curvature<\/h3>\n<p>There is <strong>minor\u00a0field curvature<\/strong>, at around r=15mm the plane of focus moves closer to the camera but the effect isn&#8217;t strong.<\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0Close Focus Performance<\/h3>\n<p>The Zeiss FE 2.8\/35\u00a0has a close focusing distance of 35cm\u00a0which results in a <strong>reproduction ratio of 1:8 which is below average for a 35mm lens.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The FE 2.8\/35\u00a0does <strong>not feature floating elements<\/strong> so <strong>performance suffers quite a bit\u00a0at shorter distances<\/strong>. \u00a0F\/2.8 is a bit\u00a0soft, f\/4 is good\u00a0and you should stop down to f\/5.6 for very good\u00a0results.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2012\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2012\" style=\"width: 896px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/closeup.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2012 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/closeup.jpg\" alt=\"closeup\" width=\"896\" height=\"551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/closeup.jpg 896w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/closeup-300x184.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/closeup-800x492.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">f\/5.6 vs f\/2.8 &#8211; 100% crops, LR default settings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2013\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2013\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08571.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2013 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08571.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08571\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08571-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2013\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony FE 2.8\/35 at it&#8217;s close focusing distance | f\/5.6 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24590672851\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Alternatives<\/h1>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-28mm-2-what-we-know-so-far\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sony FE 2\/28<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0A different focal length of course but many people buy just one of both lenses for their kit. The FE 2\/28 is quite a <strong>bit larger<\/strong> and the<strong> FE 2.8\/35 has sharper edges and corners at f\/2.8<\/strong>. I think the <strong>FE 28 is a bit sharper in the corners around f\/8<\/strong> but of course you will sometimes have to correct the <strong>spectacular distortion<\/strong>. I think the 28 works great in a kit with the <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-1-855-za-sonnar-t-review\/\">FE 1.8\/55<\/a>\u00a0while the <strong>FE 2.8\/35 is the better one lens solution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/sony-fe-16-35mm-f4-za-t-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sony FE 4\/16-35 ZA OSS<\/a>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>At f\/4 the FE 2.8\/35 is a bit sharper across the frame. At f\/8 I see a\u00a0quite small advantage for the 16-35. The 16-35 is of course a very big and heavy\u00a0zoom lens.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-new-fd-35mm-12-8\/\">Canon FD 2.8\/35<\/a> <\/strong>&#8211; I think the <strong>Canon is the better landscape lens because it is sharper at f\/8<\/strong> and it has a real focusing ring. With adapter it is about twice as large and costs only a small fraction of the Sony.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/voigtlander-ultron-11-7-35-mm-review\/\">Voigtlander Ultron 1.7\/35<\/a><\/strong> &#8211; If you like fully manual lenses this is <strong>probably a better choice.<\/strong> While it is a small lens it isn&#8217;t as small as he FE 2.8\/35 \u00a0but it is <strong>1.5 stops faster and feels a bit nicer<\/strong>. Optically it is <strong>at least as sharp as the FE<\/strong> but it has quite <strong>strong field curvature<\/strong>. I didn&#8217;t compare them directly but I am quite certain that the <strong>Voigtlander has sharper corners stopped down<\/strong>. It also has less distortion, less CA and is more flare resistant.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01149.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2002\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01149.jpg\" alt=\"DSC01149\" width=\"800\" height=\"592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01149.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC01149-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\">very small and light<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\">very sharp at f\/2.8<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">bokeh<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">small lens hood<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>average<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>corner sharpness stopped down<\/li>\n<li>flare resistance<\/li>\n<li>manual focus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>not good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">strong vignetting<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">price<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">long\u00a0short focusing distance<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">sun stars<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>If you consider the small size the Sony FE 2.8\/35 is a remarkable performer, especially wide open<\/strong>. You can use it at f\/2.8 without hesitation, it is very sharp across 90% of the frame and bokeh is good as well. Only the <strong>very strong vignetting<\/strong> could be a problem for some uses.<\/p>\n<p>I was a <strong>disappointed by the fact that it hardly improves when it is stopped down<\/strong>. \u00a0The corners are sharp enough but much cheaper lenses are sharper in the corners at f\/8<\/p>\n<p><strong>Distortion isn&#8217;t too bad<\/strong> and thanks to a profile it is easily corrected in LR. <strong>Vignetting ist very strong<\/strong> at f\/2.8 and never goes away, I guess this is a penalty for the small size. Lateral CA correction is average but you won&#8217;t see any CA because the correction can&#8217;t be turned off in LR.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So I think the Carl Zeiss Sonnar FE 2.8\/35 ZA is a good choice if you are looking for a very small but capable lens<\/strong>. It works okay as a small landscape lens so I wouldn&#8217;t hesitate to take it with me when a light kit is essential. But <strong>more often<\/strong> when <strong>weight and size doesn&#8217;t matter<\/strong> that much I would <strong>take a sharper and easier to focus manual 35mm lens with me<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>There remains <strong>one issue and that is the price.<\/strong> I think it is totally overpriced at the normal retail price. It is a<strong> good optic but quite far from an outstanding one<\/strong> so you <strong>pay a lot of money because it is small, looks nice and carries the Zeiss badge<\/strong>. When you buy used or\u00a0know that you will use it a lot it\u00a0might still be a perfectly reasonable purchase for you. But since Canon sells an optically superior 2.8\/40 for less than $200 I think that it has a <strong>pretty poor price\/performance ratio<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>All in all the FE 2.8\/35\u00a0has some strong selling points: It is very small, feels very nice and it performs remarkably well at f\/2.8, if this matters to you the price might be justified. If you remove the size from the equation it is a good performer wide open but below average at smaller apertures\u00a0and the high price will be hard to justify.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>The Sony FE 2.8\/35\u00a0sells for $799 at<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bhphotovideo.com\/c\/product\/1008123-REG\/sony_sel35f28z_sonnar_t_fe_35mm.html\/BI\/19619\/KBID\/12129\/kw\/SO3528\/DFF\/d10-v2-t1-xSO3528\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> B&amp;H photo<\/a>*\u00a0or <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1SiKZVl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon.com<\/a>*. \u00a0Used it sells for around $525 at <a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/711-53200-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337810436&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=sony+35+2.8+za+-16&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229466&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.com<\/a>*<\/em><br \/>\n<em>In Germany\u00a0you can buy it for 659\u20ac\u00a0at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.de\/gp\/product\/B00FYRLSM8\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1638&amp;creative=19454&amp;creativeASIN=B00FYRLSM8&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=phillipreeven-21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon.de<\/a>*. Used \u00a0it sells for around 460\u20ac\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/rover\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?icep_ff3=9&amp;pub=5575076376&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337810436&amp;customid=&amp;icep_uq=sony+35+2.8+za+-16&amp;icep_sellerId=&amp;icep_ex_kw=&amp;icep_sortBy=12&amp;icep_catId=3323&amp;icep_minPrice=&amp;icep_maxPrice=&amp;ipn=psmain&amp;icep_vectorid=229487&amp;kwid=902099&amp;mtid=824&amp;kw=lg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.de*<\/a>.\u00a0*= affiliate link<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>If this review was helpful to you, please consider using one of my affiliate links. I will earn a small commission on your purchase and it won\u2019t cost you anything. Thanks!<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Carl Zeiss Sonnar 2.8\/35 T* Sample Images<\/h1>\n<p>All images are processed in Lightroom from Raw. Many more full resolution samples in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/albums\/72157664058106505\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> my Carl Zeiss 2.8\/35\u00a0flickr album<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1990\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1990\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08502.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1990 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08502.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08502\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08502.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08502-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1990\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/11 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24673986325\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1986\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1986\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08470.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1986 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08470.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08470\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08470.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08470-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7 | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24378436730\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1984\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08457.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1984 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08457.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08457\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08457.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08457-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7| Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24306276629\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1982\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08452-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1982 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08452-2.jpg\" alt=\"DSC08452-2\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08452-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC08452-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7ii | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24378421880\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1935\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1935\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00491.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1935 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00491.jpg\" alt=\"DSC00491\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00491.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/DSC00491-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1935\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony a7ii | Zeiss FE 2,8\/35 | f\/7.1 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/96189377@N08\/24046109214\/sizes\/o\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><\/figure>\n<h1>Other Articles<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Phillip-Reeve-525402494292511\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Phillip-Reeve-525402494292511\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0Facebook page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/manual-lenses-sony-a7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Manual lenses on the Sony a7 \u2013 a beginner&#8217;s guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/affordable-manual-lenses-for-the-sony-alpha-77r7ii7rii-and-7s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">15 affordable manual lenses for\u00a0the Sony a7 series<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/sony-fe-lenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My other Sony FE reviews<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sample Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[419,169],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vintage","category-zeiss"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Review: Carl Zeiss Sonnar FE 2.8\/35 ZA T* - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In-depth review of the Sony FE 2.8\/35. Real world usage and technical analysis. 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