Which prime lens is best for the Sony Alpha series?

Question

Which prime is really gonna give me the most bang for my buck for a Sony A7R V right now? Ive been a zoom guy for like a decade, mostly using the 24-70 GM II, but my wrist is starting to kill me on long shoots and I feel like I'm losing that "soul" in my shots lately. Im heading to Tokyo in three weeks for a street photography trip and I really want to stick to just one single lens if I can. Budget is about $1400. Was looking at the 35mm 1.4 GM but then I saw the 40mm G and now I'm overthinking the whole thing... is the GM worth the extra weight or should I go smaller?

AndrewWeine · Accepted Answer

> Was looking at the 35mm 1.4 GM but then I saw the 40mm G and now I'm overthinking the whole thing... is the GM worth the extra weight or should I go smaller? Jumping in here because I went through this exact crisis before a trip to Kyoto last year! I used to lug around the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II everywhere too, and yeah, my wrist was literally throbbing by the end of the day. Honestly, if you're hitting Tokyo, you're gonna be walking like 20k steps a day. Every single gram counts when you're navigating the subway and crowded streets. I ended up grabbing the Sony FE 40mm F2.5 G and it completely changed how I shoot street. Its so tiny it basically turns your A7R V into a giant point-and-shoot. The 40mm focal length is actually perfect for Tokyo's narrow alleys... its not as wide as a 35 but not as tight as a 50. It feels more natural to the human eye, ya know? Plus, since you have that 61MP sensor, you can just crop in if you need more reach and still get a massive, usable file. That is the secret sauce for high-res bodies! The Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM is a total masterpiece, dont get me wrong. The bokeh is creamy as hell. But for street photography? You are mostly shooting at f/5.6 or f/8 anyway to keep everything sharp while you are moving around. Paying for f/1.4 and carrying that heavy glass just to stop it down is kinda crazy imo. Go for the 40mm G, save the cash, and spend it on amazing sushi and vintage gear in Akihabara instead! You wont regret the lighter bag, trust me.

Jamesbiase · Answer

Had a minute to look at prices and tbh the Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM is heavy and unfortunately wont give your wrist the break it needs. Save your cash.Sony FE 35mm F1.8 is half the price, super light, and sharp.Sony FE 40mm F2.5 G is tiny but f2.5 is disappointing for street nights. The 1.8 is the smarter buy tho. Lmk if you need more help...

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Which prime lens is best for the Sony Alpha series?