Lost in the midst of the high profile releases of the 35mm F1.4 G Master (my review here), the Sony FE 14mm F1.8 (my review here), and the yet untested (by me!) Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM is a trio of compact, smaller aperture prime lenses by Sony.  The Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G (my review here) FE 40mm F2.5 G, and FE 50mm F2.8 G lenses are all very nicely built, fully featured, optically sound little prime lenses with smaller than typical maximum apertures.  Each of them retails for roughly $600 USD, which, while not cheap, is considerably less expensive than the larger, heavier, more expensive large aperture alternatives.  In many ways these lenses most resemble the Sigma iSeries in both design and function; very small autofocusing build with a surprisingly premium build.  This review focuses on the Sony FE 40mm F2.5 G lens, a lens likely to be the least popular of the three due to the fact that 40mm remains a somewhat unconventional focal length.  I actually enjoy 40mm and 45mm lenses, as I find them to be a nice compromise between the popular 35mm and 50mm focal lengths.  Though 40/45mm releases have been rare in the past, there have been more of them in the past few years, and I’ve actually done around half a dozen of them, including some on Sony like the Voigtländer 40mm F1.2 (my review here), the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 (my review here), and the Sigma 45mm F2.8 DN (my review here).  The latter two are the most directly comparable, as they have autofocus and are closer in price and size. 

I’ve praised Sigma and their iSeries for the recognition that not everyone wants massive, large-aperture prime lenses.  Many people initially transitioned to mirrorless cameras because they liked the concept of having smaller, lighter gear that continued to deliver exceptional image quality, and in the early years of transitioning to bigger sensor full frame mirrorless cameras that compactness was often lost.  There has been a “Renaissance of compactness” recently, though, and while companies continue to produce the larger, more expensive professional grade lenses, many of them have also begun to supplement those options with smaller and lighter alternatives.  It used to be that the market was bifurcated between “professional” (large, heavy, expensive, but with features) and “consumer grade” (smaller, lighter, smaller apertures, but cheaply made and without features).  Lensmakers have finally figured out that many people want smaller lenses that are still premium in terms of performance and features.  That is the case here, as the 40mm F2.5 G, while very small, is also feature rich and has a beautiful construction…and can make beautiful images.

While there are a few alternatives to this lens from third parties, there really isn’t anything comparable from Sony itself.  The maximum aperture of F2.5 isn’t much larger than the common F2.8 aperture found in certain zooms, but any zoom lens that hits 40mm with a maximum aperture of F2.8 is going to be radically different in terms of size.  The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master is over three times as long and weighs more than 5x as much!  So if this focal appeals to you, you prefer first party lenses (which get the best support and have the best resale value), and you want to travel light, the Sony 40mm F2.5 G might just be a very intriguing option for you.  Check out the photos below or see my reviews (text or video) for more information.

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Thanks to Camera Canada for getting me a loaner of the lens.  They are my personal source for my gear and have been great to work with.   As always, this is a completely independent review.

Photos of the Sony FE 40mm F2.5 G

Photos Taken with the Sony FE 40mm (Full Frame)

Photos Taken with the Sony FE 40mm (APS-C)

Gear Used:

Purchase the Sony FE 40mm F2.5 G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony FE 50mm F2.5 G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase the Sony Alpha 1 @ Camera Canada | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase a Sony a9M2 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Sony a9 Camera:  B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada  | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 
Sony a7RIV Camera: B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Buy DA Merchandise https://bit.ly/TWIMerch

Purchase a Sony a7C @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Peak Design Leash Strap:  Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada  | Amazon UK

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