I finally pulled the trigger on the a7IV after shooting on my old a6400 for years but honestly im kinda overwhelmed by the glass options now. I thought I knew what I wanted but looking at the lens charts is giving me actual anxiety lol. Ive always been a zoom guy but the kit lens is just too slow for what I need now and the bokeh isnt hitting right for the portraits im starting to book. I have a wedding coming up in about 8 weeks and I really need to nail down my first prime because I cant rely on my old crop lenses anymore obviously. I am based in Seattle so its constantly grey and dark here which is why I am looking for something fast to handle the low light without cranking the ISO to like 12800.
- Budget: trying to keep it under $1000 if possible, maybe a bit more if its a forever lens
- Use case: mostly street photography and some low light event stuff
- Preferences: I really like the 35mm or 50mm focal length but i cant decide which one to commit to first
- Build quality: needs to be weather sealed because of the rain here
I was looking at the Sony 35mm 1.8 but then people say the 55mm Zeiss is legendary but then there are the Sigma Art lenses which are huge and heavy... I just dont want to make a mistake and regret it before this big shoot. What would you guys grab first to really show off what this sensor can do?
Caught this thread late but man, I been there! I did a rainy Seattle shoot with the a7IV recently and the Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Zeiss Sonnar T* saved me. Its legendary, tho the AF is older. Compare that to the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN Art:
- Sigma has faster HLA linear motors and better sealing.
- Zeiss is way lighter for street. For a wedding, that extra light is life-changing!
You should definitely check out the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art for that wedding! its a total beast on the a7IV sensor.
- HLA motor tech means focus is basically instant
- Dust and splash resistant sealing is perfect for Seattle rain
- Insane sharpness even wide open at f/1.4 The rendering is amazing! if 50mm feels too tight, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM is basically the gold standard if you can stretch the budget.
Honestly, making the jump to full frame is huge but the lens choice is where the real stress is. If youre doing street and weddings in Seattle, weather sealing isnt optional. I went through the same thing and eventually landed on the Sony FE 35mm f1.8. It's not the fanciest lens out there but it's super snappy and weighs almost nothing. Since you need to handle low light at events, f1.8 is usually plenty for that a7IV sensor. One quick tip: if you need more reach for portraits later, you can always crop in a bit since the a7IV has plenty of megapixels. If you really want that pro look and dont mind the weight, the Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG DN Art is a beast and falls right into your budget. Its built like a tank and handles rain fine. Both will feel like a massive upgrade over your old crop setup.
Wait really?? Thats actually super helpful. I always thought it was the other way around.
+1
