Well I just ordered my 4th copy! I'll keep this short winded, but when the Sony/Zeiss 35.. F1.4 first came out I ordered and sent back two of them and only kept the 3rd because of immediate work requirements. I was not happy about this but the lens performed from f1.4 to f2.0. The rest was crap! I kept thinking what the hell are people so hyped up on this lens for?
Well, the other day a friend rented the lens and let me slap it on my A7RII and it was like a different lens, it was wonderful all through the aperture range!!!! Since 35mm is my bread and butter lens I went ahead and ordered it again but this time from the other coast at Samy's. So we will see when it comes in on Thursday.
There must be something difficult for Sony and Zeiss to produce a consistent 35mm lens? I have not had this issue with other focal lengths from 21mm-135mm. 35mm lenses have been a constant pain in my arse. I have to carry around 3 different 35mm lenses to cover my bases. I use the Loxia 35mm for landscape/arcitecual style work because the lens is awesome from F8-F11 and I love the manual focus action on the lens. Then I use the Sony/Zeiss 35mm F2.8 for a small walk around lens. This lens is great at f2.8 to f11 with fast auto focus and is really small. If it was a f2.0 I would sell the other 35mm lenses and be done with it. Then I have the Sony/Zeiss(The one I'm mainly bitching about) 35mm f1.4 that is awesome from f1.4 to f2.0. and f2.8 being ok. And this lens just goes downhill from here. It's sharper across the frame at f2.0 than f8???? So I only use this lens from 1.4-2.0.
I guess you can get the Sigma ART - but it does not have the Zeiss pop and bokeh.