{"id":67610,"date":"2025-04-20T12:58:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T11:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=67610"},"modified":"2026-03-23T13:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T12:47:28","slug":"comparison-super-fast-35mm-f-0-95-f-1-2-fullframe-lenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/comparison-super-fast-35mm-f-0-95-f-1-2-fullframe-lenses\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparison: Super Fast 35mm f\/0.95 | f\/1.2 Fullframe Lenses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n
\"35mm
Sigma 35mm 1.2 DG DN Art | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB | Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP | Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus | Voigtl\u00e4nder VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

35mm are the favorite focal length of many reportage, event and wedding photographers. In the last years we saw boundaries being pushed as we can now choose from f\/1.2 lenses with autofocus and manual focus lenses that even offer a maximum aperture of f\/0.95. I gathered five recent ones of these super fast 35mm lenses with maximum apertures ranging from f\/0.95 to f\/1.2 and will compare them, to give you an idea which might work best for your needs.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n

Disclaimer: <\/strong>I only tested one sample of each lens. As sample variation comes into play, it is possible that any one of these lenses may perform above or below average in certain areas, e.g. corner sharpness.
\nFurthermore no lens is perfectly symmetrical, so it is possible I picked the best corner of one lens while I picked the worst of another. Sample variation usually has less of an affect on other aspects like bokeh, vignetting and color correction though.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

The Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB was provided by Viltrox prior to its release, the other lenses I all bought myself.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Voigtl\u00e4nder VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III is being tested on the Leica M10 whereas the other lenses are being tested on either a Sony A7rII or Sony A7III. This is because the M-mount lens performs worse on Sony mirrorless cameras with a thicker filter stack<\/a>. All the focusing was done with liveview.<\/em><\/p>\n

I would have loved to include the Nikon Z 35mm 1.2 S, but most of the work in this article has been done before that lens was released and I didn’t have 3k lying around to just buy one for a review. If you want to change that you are always invited to use one of the affiliate links when making any purchase or using the donation button at the bottom of this article.<\/em><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN<\/a> Sigma<\/em><\/span>
\n<\/strong>$1.499 (new) or $900 (used)
\n<\/strong>buy from amazon.com<\/a> | amazon.de<\/a> | B&H<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> | ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links)<\/em><\/p>\n

Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 LAB<\/a> Viltrox<\/em><\/span>
\n<\/b>$999 (new) 
\n<\/strong>buy from manufacturer’s shop<\/a> (use the code \u201cBK3512LAB5\u201d for 5% discount) | Pergear<\/a> | amazon.com<\/a> | amazon.de<\/a> | B&H<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> | ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links)<\/em><\/p>\n

Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP<\/strong> SYXP<\/strong><\/em><\/span>
\n$799 (new) or $500 (used)
\nbuy from amazon.com<\/a> | amazon.de<\/a> | B&H<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> | ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links)<\/em><\/p>\n

Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus<\/a> Laowa<\/em><\/span>
\n<\/strong>$649 (new) 
\n<\/strong>buy from manufacturer’s shop<\/a> | amazon.com<\/a> | amazon.de<\/a> | B&H<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> | ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links)<\/em><\/p>\n

Voigtl\u00e4nder VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III<\/strong><\/a> VM<\/b><\/em><\/span>
\n<\/b><\/a>$949 (new)
\nbuy from amazon.com<\/a> | B&H<\/a> | ebay.com<\/a> | ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links) <\/em>or find your local Voigtl\u00e4nder distributor<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

To not always having to write the full lens name in the following comparisons I will use the abbreviations as highlighted in red above.<\/em><\/p>\n

Build quality\/Handling<\/h2>\n

There are some notable differences in terms of size, weight, handling as well as build quality here. I will only mention a few specifics, for more detailed information you can always check out their individual reviews<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN (Auto Focus)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"35mmThis Sigma 35mm 1.2 Art DG DN was the world’s first 35mm 1.2 lens featuring autofocus in 2019. Sadly its dimensions and weight put many potential buyers off. If you are used to Sony’s GM lenses you will feel right at home here: you get an aperture ring, AF\/MF switch as well as a lens button and even the hood looks similar, featuring a rubber bumper and release button. The 82mm filter thread is also one of the bigger ones in this comparison.<\/p>\n

\n

Viltrox 35mm 1.2 LAB (Auto Focus)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"35mmThis Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB features a small display that can show you the current f\/Stop and focus distance. Personally I find it a bit gimmicky and would have preferred an aperture ring similar to the Sigma lens that always tells you what aperture is set right now. Compared to the Sigma it is 15% lighter, slightly smaller and features a more common 77mm filter thread.<\/p>\n

\n

Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP (Manual Focus)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"35mmThe Samyang 35mm 1.2 XP is the only lens in this comparison that had been designed for DSLRs with their long flange focal distance. It is about the same size and weight as the Sigma, but if you want to use it on a mirrorless camera you need an adapter which will add some more weight. This is the only lens in this comparison that does not feature an aperture ring and it comes with a ridiculous 86mm filter thread.<\/p>\n

\n

Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus (Manual Focus)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"35mmThis Laowa 35mm 0.95 Argus is the world’s fastest 35mm fullframe lens. Despite its f\/0.95 maximum aperture it is actually smaller than the three aforementioned lenses. It does not feature autofocus and its 0.5 m minimum focus distance can also feel limiting at times. Its casing is mostly made from metal and the focus ring offers a very nice manual focus experience.<\/p>\n

\n

Voigtl\u00e4nder VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III (Manual Focus)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"35mmThis Voigtl\u00e4nder VM 35mm 1.2 Nokton III is the smallest lens in this comparison. With every iteration Cosina managed to lower its weight and decrease its size, making it more suitable to the rather compact M-mount cameras. This is the only lens in this comparison that is a simple unit focus design.<\/p>\n

\n

We have two lenses with and three lenses without autofocus here. Some are made from metal, others from polycarbonate. Their weight ranges from 332g (Voigtl\u00e4nder) to 1103g (Samyang) and also their sizes vary greatly. There isn’t exactly good or bad here. What works best for you really depends on what you are looking for.<\/p>\n

Field of view<\/h2>\n