Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 'G' lens review with samples
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- čas přidán 4. 09. 2022
- Time to cover Sony's lovely (but expensive) little series of prime lenses - first, the 40mm f/2.5.
Find it here (Amazon affiliate link - thanks for your support!):
geni.us/Sony40mm
All pictures taken by me on a Sony a7R III camera.
Support me on Patreon! / christopherfrost
Equipment I use to make my videos (Amazon affiliate links):
Canon EOS R5: geni.us/CanonEOSR5Body
Canon EF-RF Adaptor: geni.us/CanonEFtoRF
Sigma 50mm f/1.4 'Art': geni.us/Sigma50mm14Art
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM: geni.us/CanonRF35mm18Macro
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Music:
'Opportunity Walks', Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Jak na to + styl
Christopher just said he would test these tiny lenses from Sony. Lo and Behold, just the review I was looking for. Since we haven't got a single camera store in Leicester, reviews like Christopher's become all the more important.
Thanks Chris.
Nice review. I have the 50 2.5. I prefer 50mm over 40 and 35, and I wanted something better than the 1.8, for landscape and street, but the 1.2 GM would be overkill for me, so this was in that sweet spot. I was skeptical at first, but was blown away with he IQ I got from it. These little mid-range compact lenses are a homerun by Sony IMO.
"More colorful than Gordon Ramses language on a bad day in his kitchen" Dude, you had me rolling on the floor this morning. Great line, and I appreciate the review of the lens.
40mm is really my go-to 'do it all' focal length. So versatile. I owned the Batis 40mm for several years and it never disappointed. But this "little monster" is making it hard for me to decide which one as I migrate back into Sony Full Frame. Thanks for posting this video!
Back into Sony full frame ? What is bringing you back and can I guess your coming back from Fuji ?
Wow. You always give great reviews, but this one in particular has be super excited for this 40mm prime lens. Thank you.
The small formfactor, AF speed and tight build quality sold me on these lenses.
I have its cousin, the Sony 50mm G f/2.5 lens. Love that lens! So sharp and detailed. And I like the small size form. For travel, when I'm traveling light, I always pack the Sony 20mm f/1.8 g, the 50mm f/2.5 g and the Sigma 90mm lens. Makes for a perfect travel combo with my a7riii.
I really want this and that Sigma 90mm. I bought an a7IV for a smaller kit and then bought some giant lenses because I'm an idiot.
@@robwhitmore3040 You're not an idiot. Some big lenses have their role, but not usually great travel lenses unless you want to be noticed (which I don't). I have some bigger lenses I use for Event Photography, but they would be a pain for travel and draw unnecessary and unwanted attention to myself. I don't want to tempt folks to steal my gear.
@@martin9410 Yeah, I have huge lenses I love. It just goes against the whole reason I bought an a7 since i already have a huge Canon kit for work.
@@robwhitmore3040 I hear ya
An excellent review of what appears to be a great little lens. That is particularly evident from the performance exhibited in your sample of photos that are gorgeous. Asking price is on the high side but for a Sony shooter it must be a good choice.
Thanks for this review. Do you think the focus breathing you mentioned early on would have significant effect on close-up or macro shots? Also, just a guess but is that bird statue at about 5:25 taken at Placa de Reina in Barcelona? Thanks again- just about all I need to know about this lens. I want to buy it for carry-around on my A7R4.
Wow Great Performance ! Im using the sigma 40mm 1.4 Art after your review here
Love 40mm, have the Fuji 27mm pancake, far better than 35 even though it's only 5mm longer. Wish their were also high end options for this focal length
If I ever managed to get my hands on an a7c this might be the lens for me!
I got it last week, it was 100 off for some reason, so far I ‘m under 100 images with it but I love how sharp and contrasty it is, really good dimensionality too, I’m pairing it with sigma 65, great sharp combo
Looks a Stella little lens, might just be in my shopping basket very soon 🎉
I have this lens and man it's really sharp! Sometimes it's too sharp! I'm in love with its size, build and features combo. And eventhough I'm not a big fan of the shape of it's hood but I love the fact that I can use it as a virtual cap too! It's almost always on and I really dn't need a cap anymore cause it seems to be protective enough. The only down side to my taste is the placement of it's aperture ring, a bit too close to the zoom ring.
@@oscararborist I meant focus ring. Lol
Is it ideal for night shoot?
@@paramini08 I'm not sure what exactly you looking for, it's not a f1.8 or f1.4 so if you have no problem with a bit of grains of higher ISO in your images then it's great.
I am considering this one and the Sony 50/2.8 Macro as I need to take product shots as small as cufflinks - this one will do just well? There’s a 10mm difference in the minimum focus distance. Also can these 2 lenses be used on the APSC A6600 too? 🙏
For those who have little to no budget for lenses but want something around 40mm, the Tamron 35mm f2.8 is a very sharp lens but doesn't have the best AF, and there is some distortion (still great lens for the money). The other option is, if you have or can buy cheaply a Sigma MC-11 adapter, the Canon 40mm f2.8 is a really sharp lens, even on a Sony mirrorless (of course with no eye focus, etc.). Though I have nicer lenses now, these are still a good option for those who are just starting out or have little money for lenses.
I'm considering the Samyiang 35mm 1.8
Hi,
I have a question, is there a chance to test the Tokina ATX 85mm 1.8 lens for Sony E?
I wonder which is better if Sony or Tokina
Thank you :)
Ps. you are doing, a great job
how does it compare with EF 40mm f2,8 STM with Sigma MC-11 adapter?
Glad to see they perform well on Sony Apsc too. I am looking at these lenses for my A6400. Tiny, modern, weather sealed, function buttons, aperture ring and superfast native AF.
I ❤ 40mm. Should be a bumper sticker!
Can you please also review the Nikon Z 40mm f/2?
Awesome video, i’m consider between this lens and the zeiss 35mm f2.8, your review helps me a lot, thank you!
It’d probably be best to get the Sony 35mm f/1.8
I've owned the Zeiss lens, the Sony 40mm lens and the Sony 35mm f/1.8. My favorite is still the Sony 40. It's much better than the Zeiss lens for AF and extremely sharp. The Sony 35mm f/1.8 is a bit more expensive and faster, but I never liked it. For some reason, just didn't have enough character for me.
@@martin9410the Sony 35mm 1.8 is one of the worst Sony lenses I’ve used. I hace the Sony 1.4 GM and is image quality is amazing but it’s too big and heavy for everyday use so I’m thinking on sell it and buy this 40mm
I got one after this review I think the way to go is buy these cupcake lenses for an A7 and only get the GM lenses if your doing it for a living. Really surprised at the sharpness vs my GM 24mm 1.4 thanks.
Hi Chris I wanted to get some clarification on a Canon lens review you did a long time ago. You said that the Canon 24mm efs was a full-frame equivalent to 38.5mm or something. Wouldn’t it be equivalent to 24mm full frame? It’s just a different lens, not interchangeable with full-frame.
That ef-s lens has the depth of field of a 24mm full frame lens with the same f-stop.
But it has the field of view of a 38.4mm full frame lens. Hence: 38.4mm _equivalent_
How does this compare to the samyang 35mm f2.8?
And specifically which is better in image quality and autofocus?
the 40 is sharper
Hi. Would you offer this lens instead of the FE 35 f1.8? On your test FE 35 f1.8 lens is quite soft at f1.8-2.5. Even at f2.8 has it got the same sharpness like this lens. However this is only f2.5 and has got only 7 blades of aperture, can it be a better choice than FE 35 f1.8??? Thanks for answer.
Hi , I had both. The 35mm f1.8 is sharper at wider apertures but from about F4 they are the same
i found it ironic they dropped these after sigma has been crushing it with the Contemporary line glad to see it did well but i wish it was F2
Can you give me advice ? Which should i choose ? Zeiss batis 40/F2 or this lense ?
The Batis 40 has a close focus ability (CF) so it has some semi macro powers. If it has the same build quality as the 85 it’s an immaculate lens!
But it’s a waaay bigger than the Sony 40 G.
Great review! Though I think the distortion I saw from the sample is a slight barrel as opposed to pincushion distortion!
This is purely for those who like to travel light, like me... In that vein, I wonder: did you prefer this or Samyang's 35 1.8? I have the samyang and am wondering if it would be worth it considering the aperture difference.
I've owned both lenses and I prefer the Sony. The build quality is so much better. But if your Samyang is working for you and you got a good copy, then maybe you'll just want to keep it.
@@martin9410 yea my copy is performing very well for the most part... Tbh I didn't expect it to feel premium, just needed a small walk around versatile lens for every day shooting. The fact that it's weather sealed is a nice, unexpected bonus at this price point.
With both hoods on though, the 40mm is significantly smaller so that's the only reason I'm considering it. If it was an f2 it would be a no-brainer, though it likely wouldn't have a size advantage in that case.
Nice to have so many choices though!
@@andreas1701d Yes, it is nice to have choices. I had the Samyang 35mm,The Zeiss 35mm 2.8, The Sony 35mm f/1.8, etc. All nice lenses, but I do love the new small Sony Gs. So I went with the "g" lens though some may have said that I should have kept what I had. But for me, it's not just about the quality of the images, but the enjoyment of taking the picture itself. With the "G" lenses, I always want to go out and take more images. My favorite "G" lens so far is the Sony 20mm f/1.8 g lens.
@@martin9410 oh, no argument there. I have that 20 as well and it's the best lens I've ever owned. I've toyed with the idea of trading it for the 24 1.4 because of how much I loved the 16 1.4 when I was on APSC, I just have a really hard time justifying paying extra to do so given the size/price/quality of the 20. It really is a rare lens indeed in that it hits the sweet spot on all fronts!
@@andreas1701d I hear ya!
it would be great to do a versus with the tamron 35mm f2.8 👀
I actually own both lenses. There is less distortion with the Sony and it is a 2.5. The Sony is much better when it comes to video, but if you're just doing photos, then it's close. The Sony would be better for Auto Focus, video, and perhaps a smaller size.
Thank you. I'm considering between these two. For my current budget, i gonna go with the tamron, i only take photo and i kinda love shooting macro 😆
Great, more option for sony user
What a time tobe sony shooter
Recently purchased this 40mm, it produces kindda obvious vignette at the corner while shooting wide open. Is it normal?
4:03
Lightroom, camera correction?🙄
How would you say this compares to the Sony FE 35mm f2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss? I am torn between both of those lenses.
Would like to know as well
I have the 35 and can say it’s a fabulous lens!
But I’d also like to see a side by side review.
much sharper than the 35mm f2.8
Much. Much sharper and I prefer 40 mm gov over 35
I love the subtitles ... and related tobacco (and related to bokeh) ;-)
I really had my eye out on this due to its build quality, feature set and sharpness but its aperture of f2.5 and its price (especially compared to a second hand buy) made me go for the Sony 35mm f1.8. Still a great little lense and I thoroughly enjoyed the review! :)
I have been looking for a 35mm full frame prime and i have not found it anywhere, i had almost been convinced it doesn't exist. where'd you get it?
@@sir313jonsson Are you looking for any 35mm or the Sony one? There are many 35mm variants, for example one from Sigma and Samyang. I got my Sony 35mm used on ebay.
I don't own a single Prime lens, what are their strengths? Can this be used on both FF & APC E mount Sony cameras?
Once you use them you will dislike zoom lenses
I love the 40mm focal length, but I think I'll stick with adapting my Sigma 40 1.4. The image quality blows this little thing out of the water. Sure it's huge, heavy, and more expensive, but it can't be topped!
Actually, I've owned both lenses and the quality is about even from my perspective. No, it's not f/1.4, but just as sharp
Can't be topped, but it might be toppled :)
had to google it and wow, why is a 40mm so damn huge? when i think of 40mm lenses i think of the konica hexanon 40mm f1.8 which is just as small as this sony lens
@@TheSilvio12 Cause it's not a Sigma if it doesn't have its own gravitational well
@@kistovisback fair point
Why do I need this lens so badly!? 😅
How this one compares with the Nikkor 40mm f/2
This lens is sharper in the corners but the Nikon 40mm F2 is fast (F2) and half the price.
This lens is much better made. Much more feature packed and much better weather sealed.
considering the samyang 45mm is available for £230 and is much faster this makes little sense to me
👏🏻
A strange bugger. Reminds me of my older SEL35F18, brighter, has OIS. But suffers from CA same as this one and is much cheaper.
Bought this. Even though I have the 35 1.8 - now I have daily battles over which to use/keep 😂
Hi! Can you share your experience?
잘보고갑니다.
굿이네요
There are only two things I like with that Lens, the real aperture ring and the Lens Hood. The trio "compact" G-Lenses are not good enough in optical performance and too dependent of software corrections for the price of the Sony 40mm 2.5 G Lens ($600). The Rokinon/Samyang AF 45mm 1.8 ($330) and the Tamron 35mm 2.8 ($200) are much cheaper and better buys. There are lots of Lenses in the 35/40/45mm range for Sony E-mount, I have the outstanding Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which I can highly recommend ($1150), yes more expensive than the Sony 40mm 2.5 G Lens, but MUCH better !
I would've gotten this lens had it been priced lower
really wish they had made this lens a little bigger and f/2
Batís?
Christopher, thanks for the story and video. Please tell me, did this lens perform well on the 42 MP sensor of the Sony a7R III? I'm thinking of buying this series for α7Ⅳ (33MP). What do you recommend? Thank you
Did you even watch the video? He literally used it on a Sony A7R III in the first sharpness test.
It will perform perfectly.
@@flaviomarchi Did you notice that I didn't ask you the question? Or do you just want to seem very smart?
@@iraklikordzaia wow, great observation! we did infact notice your question wasnt geared towards us, but keep in mind, this is a public comment section, everyone can participate! we just dont understand your need of asking the question which was clearly answered in the video even with pictures! if you are an adult i dont think you need others telling you what to buy/not to buy, its fully up to you to decide if its sharp enough for your needs, but trust me, objectively it is more than good for a7iv.
@@urbanie As an adult, I asked the author of the video a question. The author of the video and not those who want to seem smart without having a specific answer, but my question. And if someone didn’t like my question, he can move on and torture his fingers with stupid remarks
@@iraklikordzaia well i dont know what to tell you, its easy to piss off people on the internet i guess. what seemed silly to me is that both the person who 'wanted to seem smart' and me answered your question and so did the video. but in general a7iv isnt a very demanding camera so most lenses are perfectly fine for it. the R series requires more quality lenses to maximise image quality - thats why chris tests lenses on an a7riii so he can actually see if the lens is any good
It is kinda disappointing seeing that Sony for some reason is capable of making such a small lens this sharp, while making the 35mm 1.8 that soft.
Totally agree with you.
actually the 35mm 1.8 is sharper at wider apertures and stopped down they are the same sharpness....had both, kept the 40 for the aperture ring and smaller size
The 35mm 1.8 is one of the worst Sony lenses
Bath is the most beautiful city
interesting lens ... I would compare it with the Nikon 40mm f2 .. Similar size and weight .. The Sony might be sharper wide open but the Nikon has a wider aperture (when stopping the Nikon down to match the aperture based on your reviews they seems to have similar sharpness and both reach corner to corner sharpness at F4) ... both need to stop down to F4 for close up and have a minimum focusing distance
잘보고갑니다.
2:29 Just me or does that look like a lot of fringing?
Don’t see the point of this when sigma makes the 45
I have both, i like both. they are very different lenses in terms of rendering
Sonyfirst!?
Makes no sense.
@@Badonicus Oh, snap! Trinifirst, o Firstatron would have been better. Next time. Cheers!
@@diegorivera2711 trinatron, youre as old as me if you remember those
@@Badonicus see, we have more things in common than you think! (It's Trinitron, btw).
This is a weird one. Can’t see a benefit of spending so much more money in a comparison with the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 for example
I tried this lens at a local photography exhibition. The AF is lightning quick. The build is second to none too. The aperture ring, custom button and other features make it worthwhile for street photography in particular.
Update: I have now bought the lens. I like it a lot already. Also on the Sony a7 III, the f2.5 is not all that dark. It's taking sharp images from wide open. I have used the Fuji 27mm f2.8 WR on the Fuji XE4 too. This Sony 40 is simply in another league.
@@Kunal0915How do you like it for portraits? That's my only concern. Coming from Fujifilm Xt3 and the xf35mm 1.4
I just moved to Sony from Fujifilm and contemplated the Nikon as the 40mm looks great. Unfortunately all the other primes seem to be hige for Z mount and they just don't have as much choice as E mount.
Sony needs to make bigger lenses to get rid of the focus breathing.
This doesn’t have to be the case, Nikon’s 40mm is similar size and has practically zero focus breathing
The purpose of this lens line is minimum size and weight. There are other better options if that’s not your primary aim.
I will strongly disagree. There's two parts to that - one, photographic lenses have had strong focus breathing for past ever, and only recently people have come to care. Why is it so? Because it's getting tested more thoroughly (read: at all) by reviewers, plus reviews are just more readily accessible than they've ever been (which is a great thing). And, as for the second part, focus breathing matters more when people take more videos, and prosumer stills cameras have been steadily getting better at it. With that in mind, asking for focus breathing correction could make sense, yes, but I'm worried it will increase the size of lenses with no benefit to stills photographers - and as for videographers, though it feels like a bandaid on a brain tumor in concept, from what I can tell, the breathing compensation featured on the a7 IV (and presumably all their cameras going forward) has been received very positively. So, for now, the way Sony handles focus breathing by correcting in post and allowing the lenses to have strengths other than minimal focus breathing, such as a small size relative to their optical performance, is the best way to go, imo.