Samyang AF 35mm F/1.8 FE

This Samyang prime arrived in 2020 and remains in production. It is built for Sony E mount and covers the full-frame sensor. At 35mm it suits street, travel and everyday picture-taking, where one focal length keeps you framing quickly as scenes change. The fixed view also makes you move to frame, rather than zoom from one spot.

The f/1.8 aperture covers dim interiors and evening streets without pushing ISO far. The trade-off is a lean feature set. There is no stabilisation and no fluorine coating, so low-light work depends on your technique and shutter speed. That matters most if you shoot handheld in dim places.

The lens weighs 7.4 oz (210 g) and measures 2.56 in (65 mm) across and 2.5 in (63.5 mm) long. It is a small, light full-frame prime, so it fits a walk-around kit without weighing you down. A screw-in filter must match the 58mm thread.

A 35mm prime on full frame places a person inside their surroundings. It suits street photography, travel, interiors and environmental portraits. You step closer to tighten the frame or back away to include more of the scene. The result is a natural balance between your subject and the setting.

The f/1.8 aperture gathers much more light than the slow end of a standard zoom. You can keep working in cafes, at dusk or under street lights. Wide open, it also blurs a busy background at portrait distance, so a subject stands out. Stopping down a little brings more of the scene into focus when you want context.

Nine aperture blades help the opening stay close to circular when stopped down. Out-of-focus highlights then render round and smooth, which matters at night when lamps and signs sit behind your subject.

The closest focusing distance is 1 ft (29 cm). That is enough to frame a plate, a plant or a market stall from across a table. The optics specification scores 86 out of 100.

The lens is weather sealed, which helps keep dust and moisture away from the internals. That makes it easier to shoot through drizzle or a dusty trail without worry.

There is no image stabilisation. At 35mm, camera shake is easier to control than at long focal lengths, so many hand-held shots stay safe. In dim light you still need a fast shutter speed or a steady hold, because the lens cannot correct shake itself.

The front glass has no fluorine coating, so it will not shed water or oil the way coated glass does. Expect more frequent wiping in rain. The features score is 52 out of 100.

The design includes aspherical elements. Their specially shaped surfaces help correct optical faults such as distortion. That is useful for street work, where building lines often run across the frame. Two elements are included to reduce chromatic aberration, which helps limit colour fringing on high-contrast edges.