Sigma 30mm F1.4 vs Sony E 35mm F1.8

Chances are, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been agonizing for weeks over which of these two lenses you should buy. In this article, I’ll do my best to end your decision paralysis once and for all!

Some quick backstory, I used the Sony lens for a few weeks, but I’ve had the Sigma 30mm for around six years now. If you want just a quick no-bs comparison, here you go, but if you want all the juicy details (and sample photos!), keep scrolling.

Size/Build Quality

Starting off, the Sigma 30mm F1.4 is definitely larger, especially if you attach the included lens hood. It’s a bit heavier (but not obnoxiously so) and the materials feel generally a bit higher quality.

The Sony 35mm F1.8 on the other hand, is considerably more compact/light-weight but is still pretty sturdy in the hand. It feels like the exact kind of lens that APS-C cameras were made for.

Winner: The Sony wins this category in my opinion. The Sigma may be slightly better built, but the Sony is just so much smaller.

Usability/Ergonomics

As for general ergonomics, the Sigma is larger and a bit heavier, thus making it nice and easy to grip. However, there’s no way this big guy is going to slip easily into a jacket pocket. It also lacks optical image stabilization which I think is its biggest weakness.

The Sony, on the other hand, is small and light enough to be comfortably used for one-handed operation while still being just big enough to provide a decent gripping point when using two hands.

It should go without saying that the Sony’s OSS just takes it a step above the Sigma in terms of general day-to-day usability. The Sigma, however, does have a brighter max aperture which, in terms of low-light photography, can off-set the need for OSS.

Winner: I love the Sigma, but the Sony feels a bit better to generally use.

Autofocus

The Sigma 30mm F1.4 is a few years newer, so it has marginally faster and more precise autofocus. The Sony 35mm F1.8 is definitely no slouch, but I have experienced a bit more missed focus (usually in dark conditions).

Winner: the Sony’s AF isn’t a dealbreaker, but the Sigma is the clear winner here.

Image Quality

As for image quality, the Sigma 30mm F1.4 is scientifically one of the sharpest lenses for APS-C. Even shooting wide open at F1.4 results tend to look pretty good (very thin focal plane, though) and stopping down to F2 is pretty much perfection.

The Sony certainly performs well, though, and from my experience we see great centers at F1.8 and decent corners. Stopping down just a bit makes it excellent for landscapes/cityscapes/etc.

As for optical flaws, the Sony doesn’t suffer from any distortion, flaring, or serious chromatic aberrations. The Sigma, however, does have some slight flaring and moderate (but fixable) chromatic aberrations in extreme cases.

Winner: gotta give it to the Sigma here. Both lenses are great, but the Sigma comes out ahead for sure.

Price (big difference)

The price is the biggest difference in these two lenses in my opinion. Brand new, I typically see the Sony around $500 and the Sigma around $350. A big reason I chose the Sigma many years ago was because I was a starving artist (well, I still am, but less so these days lol).

In any case, you clicked on this article so a random guy on the internet (me) can help end your crippling decision paralysis, so I’ll give you a straight answer here: save the $150 and buy the Sigma.

Unless you’re shooting a lot of video on a non-stabilized body, just save some money and get the Sigma. If this article helped you and you want to support my work (ie. more lens tests and deadpan writing), feel free to buy it through this affiliate link as I get a bit of a (tiny) kickback at no extra cost to you. Thank you! 🙂

PS: still can’t decide? Go ahead and read my full reviews for both the Sigma 30mm F1.4 and the Sony 35mm F1.8.