Crème De La Crème: 35mm Primes That Will Mesmerize You
35mm primes have a special place in our hearts, and these will stay there for quite some time.
There aren’t many lenses that are more versatile than 35mm primes. These classic lenses are great for portraits, weddings, events, food photography, photojournalism, documentary projects, landscapes, and so much more. While most 35mm prime lenses hit the mark, some go above and beyond and will simply amaze you. In this roundup, we’ll take a look at five 35mm primes that will not leave your camera once you attach them. They’re well built, have incredible optics, and produce gorgeous colors and lovely bokeh. Check them out after the break.
Leica APO Summicron 35mm f2 ASPH
In our review, we said:
“The Leica APO Summicron 35mm f2 ASPH takes shooting with a 35mm lens to another level. You feel connected to it thanks to it being manual focus only. The images have fantastic qualities to them. Using the lens is a joy, thanks to how it feels in hand. The images it renders are so good straight from the camera that you don’t even have to edit them.”
Brett Day – Gear Editor
Buy now: $8,195
Sony 35mm f1.4 GM
In our review, we said:
“The Sony FE 35mm f1.4 GM is a joy to use, and the photos a joy to look at. I found little to complain about. The lightweight design is excellent: the de-click aperture ring a pleasure to spin. The weather-sealing handled some light snow. I love both the colors and sharpness of this lens, while distortions and flare are kept to a minimum.”
Hillary Grigonis – Reviews Editor
Buy now: $1,399.99
Pro Tip: No matter what lenses you use, you’ll need to keep them clean to get the most out of them. Take your lenses out and inspect them before every shoot and give them the once over. Remove any excess dirt, grease, fingerprints, or dust that you can. This will prolong the life of your lenses and will save you time during post. You don’t need an expensive cleaning kit either? This one has everything you need.
Leica 35mm f2 Summicron SL APO
In our review, we said:
“The bokeh is positively gorgeous. Can you go wrong? I think that portrait photographers and event photographers will surely adore the bokeh that this lens creates.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $5,189
Sigma 35mm f1.2 Art DG DN
In our review, we said:
“The Sigma 35mm f1.2 Art DG DN indeed renders very sharp images wide open and stopped down. When stopped down, we don’t see much improvement beyond f4. It’s very sharp overall but not like Zeiss Milvus or Otus-sharp. This is a tool that is designed to be shot in low light and to deliver a look. I think that Sigma is succeeding.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now L Mount: $1,499
Buy now Sony: $1,499
Fujifilm GF 45mm f2.8 R WR (36mm f2.2 Equivalent)
In our review, we said:
“It’s weather-sealed, comes in at a fairly affordable price point, can deliver good colors, and with flash, it can really make scenes pop. Combine this with knowledge of how to get the most from the GFX, and you’ll have great images.”
Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief
Buy now: $1,699