okay so my trip to tokyo is literally in three weeks and i still havent figured out my lens situation for street photography im shooting on an a7iv and completely torn between the sony 35mm f1.8 and the 40mm f2.5 g lens right now. i need something small since ill be walking around all day every day and my budget is hard capped at around 600 bucks because i blew most of my savings on flights lol.
heres what im working with:
- camera is sony a7iv
- budget max 600 usd
- need it compact and low profile so i dont look like a tourist with a giant bazooka lens
- mostly shooting candid people and night neon stuff in shinjuku
leaning slightly toward the 35mm for the extra light because of the evening shots but ive heard the 40mm has way better build quality and nicer rendering. someone talk some sense into me before i panic buy both and go broke, which one should i actually pack?
In my experience shooting Tokyo alleys at night, you need every bit of light you can get on a full-frame sensor. Over the years I've tried many compact setups for night walks in Shinjuku, and losing that extra stop with a slower lens really hurts when the sun goes down and you are trying to keep shutter speeds high enough for candid street stuff without blowing past ISO 12800.
- The Sony FE 35mm f1.8 SEL35F18F gives you that crucial f1.8 aperture for neon-heavy night shooting.
- If you want a sharp alternative that punches way above its weight, look at the Samyang AF 35mm f1.8 FE which saves you even more cash.
- Build quality on the Sony 40mm is nice, but rendering wont matter if your shots are blurry from dragging the shutter. Stick to the wider aperture. Tokyo after dark is just too dim for an f2.5 lens unless you love grain. Have an amazing trip!
go with the Sony FE 35mm f1.8 SEL35F18F and dont look back. seriously, it hits the sweet spot for Tokyo neon.
- extra stop of light saves you at night in shinjuku
- super light all day walking around
- fits your budget easy youl be so happy with the low light performance trust me.
Adding my two cents since nobody else mentioned it, but honestly you might want to look past both of those sony options. I picked up the Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE a while back hoping to save some cash for ramen and honestly... I had issues with the autofocus pulsing in low light neon alleys. Was pretty disappointed when it missed shots in Omoide Yokocho. Build quality feels kinda cheap too compared to proper glass. Since your budget is capped at 600, check out the Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN Contemporary instead if you can find it on sale or used. It completely beats both sony choices on build quality and rendering, way nicer metal housing. If you want something even tinier that wont break the bank, the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE is insanely cheap, like under 300 bucks new sometimes, though the focal length takes some getting used to. Check out sites like Phillip Reeve or Fred Miranda lens reviews before pulling the trigger so you dont make the same mistakes I did. Tokyo nights need reliable focus more than anything else tbh.