Zeiss and Sony have a close relationship, with many Sony-made lenses bearing the Zeiss badge. But that hasn't stopped the company from making its own lenses for Sony camera systems, notably the autofocus Touit line for APS-C mirrorless models. The Loxia series, which covers the full-frame format and is compatible with Sony Alpha 7 series cameras, is purely manual focus. The Loxia 2/35 ($1,299) is one of two lenses that are launching the series, and it's a good one, especially if you value its f/2 maximum aperture and smooth manual focus operation. But we give preference to the Sony Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 35mm F2.8 ZA ($798.00 at Amazon) , an autofocus lens that's impeccably sharper and less expensive, as our Editors' Choice—but its focus-by-wire manual focus system doesn't offer the same tactile feel as the Loxia. Zeiss has placed an emphasis on size with the Loxia series. The 35mm lens ($695.49 at Amazon) measures 2.3 by 2.4 (HD) inches, weighs 12 ounces, and supports 52mm front fil...
The Zeiss Loxia 2/35 is a solid choice for manual focus aficionados. It's sharp, well-built, and a pleasure to use.
Strong center sharpness; Excellent manual focus experience; No distortion; Physical aperture ring; Superb build; Dust and splash resistant
Lacks image stabilization; Some edge softness at wide apertures