My name is Olivier Schmitt and I’m a professional photographer and filmmaker. I approach my work with the simple goal of prioritising creativity over pure technique and my choice of Sony equipment gives me the flexibility to do exactly that.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to try the new Sony wideangle APS-C lenses – 11mm f/1.8, 15mm f/1.4 G and PZ 10-20mm f/4 G and took a choice of cameras with me that would give me the maximum flexibility when shooting: the Alpha 6600, the ZV-E10 vlog camera and even my new Alpha 7 IV. On the face of it, all three lenses can do almost the same job, but I felt that in the field, each one had its own identity and specific function and I was eager to put this theory to the test. I chose to walk around Paris, for the simple pleasure of a visit and to relive the memory of my years as a student there – the genesis of my passion for photography and filmmaking.

With my main passion being filmmaking, I was excited to try these lenses in different situations. Being incredibly light and compact, they are perfect for Vlogging and ‘run & gun’ filming. I always think that the best equipment is the gear you’re happy to throw in your backpack, doesn’t weigh you down and is simply a pleasure to use.

I started with the PZ 10-20mm f/4 G and paired it with my ZV-E10. As a vlogging lens, it’s the perfect focal length. I’m already a fan of the E 10-18mm f/4 but this new lens is even smaller and lighter. In a setup with a grip or small gimbal, the combination of the camera’s built-in stabilisation and the power zoom function on the lens allows you smooth freedom of movement while being able to change angle of view very easily. The speed of focus was faultless and I was able to concentrate on the frame instead of worrying about the camera picking up focus on my face.

For the 11mm f/1.8 I wanted to try something different. I chose to try a long exposure night shot from a bridge over the river using my Alpha 7 IV in APS-C crop mode. The ultrawide angle of view allowed me to capture the dramatic sky and for foreground interest, I waited until a boat passed under the bridge.

I was very impressed with the lack of distortion and the sharpness across the entire frame – even at f/16 – was superb. A lens like this is absolutely perfect for nightscapes, especially if you want to keep the ISO to a minimum and shoot wide open.

I saved the 15mm f/1.4 G to last. It offers a similar field of view to the FE 24mm f/1.4 G master – quite possibly my favourite all-time lens. The bokeh is just beautiful when shooting wide open and there was no noticeable distortion at all. The manual aperture ring is a huge bonus for video work, as it’s often more practical to change aperture this way. I shot with both the ZV-E10 and the Alpha 7 IV and was hugely impressed with the results on both bodies.

In conclusion I found these lenses absolutely perfect for a lightweight travelling setup. After spending all day and most of the evening wandering the streets, it was great to not have a sore back at the end of the shoot! It may seem strange that I used the Alpha 7 IV with the lenses as they’re designed for an APS-C body, but as a filmmaker predominantly, I found they performed flawlessly in Super 35 crop mode. I’m already thinking of situations where the compactness of these lenses coupled with a small body will give me greater flexibility for a wide variety of situations.