Im losing my mind trying to pick a prime lens for my A7IV and honestly I feel like Im just going in circles. I mostly shoot street photography around downtown Chicago and occasionally some low light portraits of my dog which is a nightmare because he never sits still. My budget is around 800-1000 bucks and I really need to pull the trigger on something before a trip I have coming up in three weeks.
I keep reading everywhere that the Sony 35mm f/1.8 is the holy grail for travel and street stuff but then I hop onto another forum and people are acting like if you dont have the 35mm f/1.4 GM you might as well throw your camera in the trash. I get that the GM is sharper but is it really worth twice the price when Im just a hobbyist? Then I looked at the Sigma 35mm f/2 iSeries because it looks way more compact and honestly the build quality seems better for the price but then some guy on a thread from 2022 said the autofocus struggles with tracking fast movement which has me sweating because my dog is basically a blur of fur half the time.
My logic was to go with the Sony 35mm because of the native autofocus performance but then I see people swearing by the Samyang 35mm f/1.8 for being super light which sounds great for walking all day but is it reliable enough? I dont know I just feel stuck between wanting the best image quality and wanting something that isnt a total brick hanging off my camera. Does the extra stop of light on the 1.4 lenses actually matter that much for street shots at night or am I just buying into the hype? If you guys were in my shoes and had to pick one prime that wont make me regret the purchase next month what would you actually go with...
Look, I have been shooting street stuff for years and tbh the obsession with f/1.4 glass for hobbyist work is just gear acquisition syndrome. If you are chasing a dog around, the native Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is gonna be your best friend. It tracks fast movement on an A7IV better than most third-party options and it is light enough to carry all day without killing your shoulder.
- Forget the GM hype. You will barely notice the difference in sharpness unless you are printing billboard size.
- Save that extra cash for a decent Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L or maybe some extra memory cards.
- The f/1.8 is more than enough for Chicago nights. Just bump your ISO a bit, the A7IV handles noise just fine.
Saw this earlier but just now getting to it. Look, dont sweat the GM hype. In my experience, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 is the sweet spot for street stuff. It stays small, the focus is super snappy for pets, and it doesnt break the bank.
- The f/1.4 isn't worth the extra weight for hobbyist work.
- Focus speed on the Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary is fine, but native glass just hits different for tracking. Stop overthinking it and just grab the Sony 35mm.
Saved for later, ty!
Honestly, the 1.4 hype is pretty real, but have you considered if you need that aperture for speed or just bokeh? Also, are you shooting mostly wide open at night?
