SG-image 35mm F1.4 first impressions and comparison with Viltrox 35mm F1.7
Hi you guys.
Just got the SG Image 35mm f/1.4 today and took it out for a little first test on my Fujifilm X-E5. I shot a few different Fuji recipes, and all of these are SOOC.
Edit: I bought it from someone who must have gotten it for testing. Might be pre production. I have no affiliation with the brand
I also compared it directly against the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7, and there are some pretty noticeable differences.
Sharpness & CA
The Viltrox is clearly the more technically corrected lens, at least from what I can see. It's sharper to my eyes basically across the board, and it handles chromatic aberration noticeably better.
The SG Image can get pretty wild with purple fringing when shooting wide open, especially around high-contrast subjects and light sources. Some of the shots with leaves/branches against the sky are particularly crazy. 😂
I also noticed that the colors change slightly depending on aperture with the SG Image. Wide open vs. around f/4 can give a somewhat different rendering. The Viltrox seems much more consistent in this regard.
Bokeh
This is where I think the SG Image has a pretty nice advantage.
The bokeh feels smoother and more interesting, and there's a little bit of swirl going on in some shots. It's subtle, but I really like it. It gives the lens a bit more character compared to the Viltrox.
Reflections/highlights aren't handled quite as nicely, though. The Viltrox seems to keep those under better control.
Night shots
I also took it out at night and honestly, I really like the look.
The purple fringing is definitely there, especially wide open around bright lights and high-contrast edges. So if you're looking for a perfectly corrected modern lens, this probably isn't it.
Flare isn't anything particularly special either. It's not terrible and doesn't completely destroy contrast, but it's not exactly beautiful. It has this kind of butterfly-shaped flare that I'm still trying to decide whether I like.
The little starburst effects from point light sources are actually pretty cute, though. I got a few shots where I really liked the look.
Build / handling
This is probably my favorite part of the lens.
The build quality feels really damn good. The focus ring is nicely damped, the aperture ring has a satisfying click to it, and the whole thing just feels like a much more premium piece of hardware than the Viltrox.
And the lens cap + square hood? Fucking sick. 😂
The hood looks fantastic and gives the lens a really distinctive look.
On the X-E5 the lens is also nicely balanced, although with the square hood and lens cap attached it gets pretty front-heavy and almost wants to tip the camera over when you put it down.
Overall
I'm a sucker for a good deal, but because I don't know the official Price, I can't really say anything about whether it's "worth it" just yet.
But as a first impression, I think it's a really interesting lens.
The Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 is clearly the more competent lens: sharper, better CA control and more consistent rendering across apertures.
The SG Image has different qualities. There's more bokeh and it is nicer, the build quality is on another level and it looks amazing. The downside is that wide-open aberrations, especially purple fringing, are very noticeable.
For low-light/night photography, I actually really like the look I'm getting from it despite its imperfections.
TL;DR: Viltrox = sharper, better corrected, better CA control. SG Image = better bokeh, more character, much nicer build, but significantly more purple fringing wide open. Whether that's a good trade-off probably comes down to what kind of rendering you're after.
This is just my first little test, so take all of this with a grain of salt. I’ll probably have a better idea of what I actually think about the lens after using it for a few weeks.
Imgur Link
https://imgur.com/gallery/first-ride-with-sg-image-35mm-f1-4-comparison-with-viltrox-35mm-f1-7-shot-on-fuji-x-e5-H3bS1hF
