Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount

Sony
96 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Tamron
100 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount

85 out of 100 low confidence 6 reviews

The Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 FE lens is praised for its exceptional optical quality, delivering tack-sharp images with smooth bokeh and minimal chromatic aberration. Users love it for wedding and portrait photography, but note it is very large and heavy for a mirrorless lens, making it less ideal for casual walk-around use. The build quality is rock-solid, and the aperture ring with de-click option is a nice bonus, though the price is high and the lens is specialized.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness wide open
  • Smooth and pleasing bokeh
  • Minimal chromatic aberration and distortion
  • Rock-solid build quality
  • Aperture ring with de-click option
Cons
  • Very large and heavy for mirrorless
  • Expensive price point
  • Not ideal for casual walk-around use
  • Focus-by-wire system
  • Heavy for long carry
👍 Optical quality 5
👍 Build quality 4
👎 Size and weight 5
👎 Price 3
👍 Bokeh 3
👍 Aperture ring 3

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

92 out of 100 medium confidence 13 reviews

The Tamron 28-300mm super-zoom wins praise for its lightweight design, versatile focal range, and solid image quality. Users appreciate the compact build and smooth zoom mechanism, but note the slow aperture and trade-offs in sharpness compared to more expensive zooms. Verified reviewers find it an ideal travel lens that pairs well with Sony bodies.

Pros
  • Lightweight design
  • Versatile 28-300mm focal range
  • Smooth zoom ring operation
  • Compact build for travel
  • Good integration with Sony bodies
Cons
  • Small maximum aperture (f/4-7.1)
  • Reduced sharpness vs. premium zooms
  • Not an internal zoom lens
  • Slow autofocus at high fps on some bodies
👍 Build quality 3
🤔 Sharpness 3
👎 Aperture 2
👍 Weight and portability 3
👍 Zoom range 4
👎 Autofocus performance 1

Scores

Portrait
Sony
98
Tamron
86
Budget
Sony
88
Tamron
95
Professional
Sony
95
Tamron
84
Video Cinema
Sony
94
Tamron
81
Macro
Sony
93
Tamron
91
Landscape
Sony
70
Tamron
86
Wildlife Sports
Sony
79
Tamron
85
Street
Sony
83
Tamron
81
Travel
Sony
63
Tamron
81

Specifications

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-MountTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min35 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm300 mm
Elements1420
Groups1013
Aspherical Elements23★
ED Elements12★
CoatingZeiss T* anti-reflective coatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/1.4f/4
Min Aperturef/1.44-7.1
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades11★9
Build
MountSony ESony E
Formatfull-framefull-frame
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.52 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread67 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSSMVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance35 mm★190 mm
Max Magnification0.23x1:2.8★

Pros & Cons

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount

  • Strong bokeh (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong aperture (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong af (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong macro (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

  • Strong versatility (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile

Pricing

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD is $649 cheaper (3.3x less).

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount0.103score per dollar
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD0.357score per dollar

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD offers 3.5x better value for money

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Verdict

★ Winner: Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Scores 100 overall, wins 4 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

Sony FE Distagon T-Star 35mm f/1.4 ZA Full-Frame E-Mount Better at:

StreetPortraitProfessionalVideo Cinema

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD Better at:

BudgetTravelLandscapeWildlife Sports

Also Consider