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Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 G (SEL50F25G)
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Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 G (SEL50F25G)
£911.54 £592.50
In stock
| Title | Range | Discount |
|---|---|---|
| Sale / Bulk discount | 1 - 2 | 35% |
| Sale / Bulk discount | 3 - 5 | 40% |
| Sale / Bulk discount | 6 - 99 | 45% |
Additional information
| Product code | ACE-58052 |
|---|---|
| Barcode | 4548736130647 |
| Brand | Sony |
| Colour | Standard |
| Model | Sony FE 50mm f/2.5 G (SEL50F25G) |
mrmpal –
This lens is just outstanding. Ive used it on a NEX5R, 6, and 5T. The results are absolutely beautiful, and Id go as far as to say that this is one of the best lenses Ive ever owned.I come from a pro Nikon and Canon background. I dipped my toe in the Fuji waters a few times when I was transitioning to mirrorless, but Ive come back to Sony twice now, in large part for this lens. I prefer it over the Fuji 35mm 1.4. The Sony feels so much more refined, and the image quality is excellent to me. Its essentially silent, and stabilized, whereas the Fujis aperture blades would rattle in normal operationI actually thought the Fuji was broken at first, but thats apparently how they work. And theres no stabilization.Sony video with this lens is a dream, Im still amazed that a rig this small NEX5T and 50mm can produce such excellent stills and video.If youre considering this lens, just get it. It delivers the results the little Alphas sensors are capable of.
Yakthar –
This lens is a wonderful purchase for a NEX line camera. I used this briefly on my NEX3N and the results were excellent. The bokeh is smooth and buttery, and the depth of field at the 1.8 and 2.0 are perfect for portrait work with a beautiful blurred backdrop.Autofocus on this lens was a tad slower than the kit lens, and it seems to cycle in and out of focus at times, but other times it was quick as lightning to focus. This likely was due to light conditions.The main caveat to this lens, and it was a large one for me, is the manual focus ring. The ring itself is beautifully crafted of solid metal with a nice grip on it. The throw is a bit weighted and has a substantial feel to it. The issue is that going from near to far focus with this requires what feels like two or three full revolutions of the focus wheel. I bought this lens for manual focus work not realizing how much turning the focusbywire approach would involve. I ended up returning the lens because it was causing me wrist pain to flick it as much and as hard as I needed for focus.However, if you arent like me and going to be doing a ton of manual focusing, it works wonderfully, has excellent build quality, and is a great choice for portrait work.If the fullframe NEX camera comes out soonish, this would make a great standard 50mm, if that model follows convention and has no crop factor.
BocaCat –
I had been thinking about buying the Sony 50mm 1.8 lens for a while but just couldnt pull the trigger. From other online reviewers, I liked the pictures that were coming from it. I wasnt sure I would use it much and that is turning out to be the case but it is still a great lens and Im glad I bought it. I am able to handhold my A6000 and get a great shot of my cat without flash eye. For the first time, I purchased an openbox item from Best Buy and the box didnt even look like it was opened. The lens is fine. I did tests and cant find anything wrong with it so Im glad I was able to save money. The picture of my cat was handheld at 140, ISO 3200 and it looks pretty clear to me. I recommend this lens if you are looking for a portrait lens for the Sony system.
lgar88 –
I have only had a few opportunities to use this new lens, but so far the images are outstanding. I am very impressed with the quality. I debated on whether to buy this or the much more expensive Carl Zeiss. Im not a professional so I couldnt justify spending that. Im in love with my Sony A6000 and this lens compliments it nicely
Jack –
Been shooting with the 50mm 1.8 lens for a few weeks now after deliberating over longer primes for a while. Its been perfect for me for portraits, sports and low light, Ive yet to be disappointed. Its a brilliantly fast lens, and quiet, and lightweight as well. Highly recommend.
TTime –
Based on other reviews of the Nex 5n and the other Nex lenses, I bought the camera body by itself and then this lens because lens option 2 was unavailable. Im real happy with the lens and camera. Crisp, decent bokeh, good color, quality build. Luckily this lens came available when I ordered the camera body, because I see it is back out of stock. Lense 2 that I want for the 5N just became available tonight after Ive been waiting for some time… So just placed the order for the Zeiss 24mm 1.8. Whenever Sony gets the G zoom produced by early next year, that will likely be lens 3 for this camera for me.
Isabel –
I purchased this lens about 3 weeks ago and I have not taken it off my camera yet. This is a PERFECT portrait lens for my Sony a6000. This lens is fast and it provides super creamy bokeh that makes background blur and subject separation virtually seamless. After a few weeks of much research and consideration between the 50mm the 35mm, I settled for this beauty This lens has exceeded all of my expectations. The speed, the picture quality, the build. Because of this lens I purchased my own studio lights and I am indulging in the world of portrait photography. This is a MUST HAVE in your arsenal. 1010 RECOMMEND
Mito –
I just recently pick up Photography. After researching, I chose the Sony OSS 50mm lens to learn to take portrait photos. With the 1.8, Im getting a clear image with good background blur. Still learning the ways, but this lens is definitely a must for starters.
Craig –
This is the best bang for the buck Sony EMount lens in the lineup, bar none. Its priced well below where it should be, which is rare. Its small, wellbuilt, lightweight, has silent auto focus, is razor sharpeven wide open, and has Image Stabilization. Its a nice hunk of glass that should cost at least 50 more than it does. Its also the perfect size for the Sony a6000, and a great focal length for portraits. It also focuses very close and renders beautifully with great bokeh. A friend, who is a Leica shooter, was impressed with the how the lens draws a scene even before he knew it was made by Sony and only cost . Finally, its a fast lens and perfect for low light. I consider it a musthave for the a6000, etc. cameras.
PHOTOLAC –
I got it refurbished in excellent condition and after a month of using it I just discover it is dusty or moldy on the inside, and no, it hasnt been exposed to temperature changes, it is a studio lens. Once again best buy did it, awful and unreliable
Uppercuts86 –
I love the optical steady shot and clarity this lense provides. Subject separation is beautiful.
HyRax –
Having gotten used to the kit lens, it was time to branch out and that meant getting a portrait lens for that allsoimportant bokeh that everyone looks forAfter reviewing several sample images and opinions about what lens to get, I settled on finding a 50mm portrait lens and got myself the SEL50F18.What a great lens Images are noticeably cleaner than the kit lens, and the f1.8 aperture makes for positively amazing lowlight images. The detail in the subject along with the smoothness of the bokeh in the background is so easy to achieve with minimal effort in shot setup.Auto Focus is reasonably quick and in DMF mode, getting bokeh in the foreground and background is easily attained with plenty of adjustment in the manual focus ring.Construction of the lens is good too. Metal, lightweight, a little on the slippery side when new, but otherwise a tidy package. You get a lens cap for either end plus a hood to eliminate glare from the sun. The SEL50F18 is currently available quite cheap from some camera stores compared to RRP, even cheaper than new units from eBayThe only real con is the simple fact that there is no zoom, but thats why they invented legs to move you closer or further away from the subject. Of course no portrait lens has zoom, but when you learn how to position yourself, youll probably find that you dont need it.If youve never used a portrait lens before, then this is the one to get. Cheap, reliable and produces some seriously tasty images. Highly recommended.
Mike H –
Bought this lens as a fixed focus to shoot different shots. Much better than I hoped for. Added a BW UV filter for protection and so far my shots have come out great. My first fixed focus so I am still getting used to moving the camera instead of using the zoom. Pictures are crisp and clear on my Sony Nex6 still working on taking some low light pictures to see how well it works. Tried out the lens hood and it made a noticeable difference in some of my shots reducing the glare from the bright sunlight.
Frank –
This is a Sony prime lens not a zoom lens that is suited for the smaller APSC sensor type camera. Perfect for the NEX series, and the a5000, 5001 and 6000. These cameras were built to take multiple lenses and gives the user additional tools to work with that go far and beyond a point and shoot camera. It is actually a 75mm lens in 35mm format due to the smaller sensor. This lens is a moderate telephoto that is excellent for portraits and landscapes. Great in low light with an 1.8f. The OSS or stabilizing feature adds to the cost of this lens, but is important because this is not built into the above noted Sony cameras. Quality exterior materials and fine glass makes it an exceptional buy on sale. I suggest you review your pictures and determine the mm setting that you generally use for most of your shots. If for example you have the 1650mm zoom lens actually in 35mm format a 2575mm and most of your shots fit into the far end of this lens at 40 to 50mm framing this lens is faster superior in low light and clearer better optics as a prime lens. It is a definite step up as an additional lens for your camera outfit.
Andy –
Im a intermediate casual photographer. Ive gone through 3 different lenses and this is the one I use most often nowadays for my NEX7. Im pretty satisfied with the other lenses I owned but I was missing one element. What made me decide on this one is based on the dramatic bokeh effect that was pretty difficult to produce on the kit lens and the zoom lens I used for traveling. As soon as I started using this lens my photos dramatically made me look like an experienced photographer and my subjects appear to have more pop especially under darker situations. You have to get used to moving your body in and out as you cant zoom but it made me a better photographer I believe.
DNY062 –
These are my favorite lens Ive been taking photos for 1 and half now and I always go to my 50mm for portraits. Great lens for beginners if you are looking for something with depth.
JDizzle –
Bought this lense for my girlfriend. She has a Sony A5100 Mirrorless camera and wanted a lense that can help take better still shots. The OSS Optical SteadyShot is an amazing feature Shes in love with this lense and continues to find ways to better her shotspics. Sony got this one right
Camera guy J –
This lens has not disappointed me on my Sony A6000. Pictures are clear and headshots have turned out sharp when printed. Im not a pixel peeper so if you are Im sure you could find something you dont like about it in the very far corner zoomed in beyond what the human eye can see if you are a peeper.Dont hesitate to purchase the lens it has quickly become one of my favorites and is often on my camera. One down side I would have is when I switch to a full frame camera I will want to upgrade to a full frame lens but that is not an issue with quality, just my OCD nature to match platforms.sweepstakes
TheSig –
Using on a6300 and a6500. Makes me look like a better photographer than I am. Great low light. Impressive bokah. Its great for landscapes but ended up having to set up too far back for family group photos. Not a fault of the lens, just need a 35mm or smaller for that application.
Mark –
I would highly recommend this lens to anyone. I am somewhat of a newbie to digital photography and must say this lens greatly enhance my shooting ability. Took some really amazing shots with it which I was very much surprise. You wont be disappointed with this purchase.
Mike –
I used it on an A7mkII at the crop setting and it was superb at all apertures except wide open where there was just a slight softening of the very edges in the corners. I dont mind this all as I shoot mostly people. If you use it for architecture you might be able to knitpick he corner sharpness but Ive seen much worse at a higher price. Its a great lens to keep in your bag for when you need it.
lgardiner –
This lens has transformed my photography. My images looks so much more professional and the lens is very lightweight for its size. Im extremely happy with the price I was able to get it at and firmly believe it was money well spent. Its perfect for product and portrait photography, and for those who want to get a nice blur in their background. Best investment I have made for some time.
sheRoxs –
I purchased this for my A6000 camera and it takes great portrait pictures. Definitely can tell the difference between the stock camera and these lens. The quality of the pictures is impeccable. Although you may have to stand further than a stock camera, it takes great pictures of further objects other than portrait photos.
Anonymous –
I am not writing from the perspective of owning many better cameraslenses. I bought the a6000 largely because I could put together the versatility of the kit lens, the reach of the 55210, and the quality of this 50mm for around I later added a used 35mm that is the mate of this one.I find myself over and over carrying this 50mm around. I find I can point it at someone and the lens seems to find the memorable quality that I hardly knew was there. If I am merely describing the joy of shooting with a basic prime in a focal length capable of basic portraits, so be it. This lens for the cameras it serves is a tool for the able who want to travel light and a revelation to those of us discovering what such tools can do at a price we can afford.Precise, good color, easy to focus.
dbilsk442 –
I have been looking for a prime for my a6300 and knew that I wanted to get into portaits so I knew 50mm was the focal length I was looking for. It creates beautiful bokeh, is fast, and is quiet. I am also extremely happy that it matches my silver body a6300
David –
Im loving this lense. Usually I go with Canon lenses and a Metabones adapter for my Sony A7Sii but the autofocus doesnt work as well with this combo. I got the 50mm here for auto focus purposes and it works pretty well. Focuses in a few seconds and doesnt make sound while doing it.
Anonymous –
Need the perfect portrait lens for your sony mirrorless camera Look now further This neat little lens is a fantastic performer for portrait style photography producing sharp images. At F1.8 it produces a fair amount of bokeh to help your subject pop and will also perform amazingly well in low light.
ApexPC.Imgur.com –
At the price of 250, just get it It may not be as sharp as the Sigma 60mm f2.8, but it is brighter and has OSS for those hand held shots. Perfect length for portraits. Bokeh is sexy. Autofocus isnt very fast, but the hit rate is excellent and the image quality is superb. COMPARISON PICTURES BETWEEN SIGMA 30MM, SONY 35MM, AND SONY 50MM Distortion pics included. Tested at f1.4, f1.7, f1.8, f5.6, and f7.1. Focus was on the CPU block. Shot on a tripod with remote app so there is no motion blur. ONLY TESTED FOR SHARPNESS. httpimgur.coma2sqal httpimgur.comapvbHs httpimgur.comakFj2P httpimgur.comaxKsFt SIZE COMPARISON httpimgur.comabkIrQ Overall a fantastic lens for 250. If youre looking for ultimate sharpness and can live without OSS then the Sigma 60mm is the better choice.
thao.n –
Love this lens I bought it when I traveled and its been a great affordable lens. Its gives me the effect that I want in my photos without breaking the bank.
Joshua –
This was the first lens I had ever purchased after getting my a6000 with the kit 1650mm. I did a ton of research, and eventually landed on the 50mm 1.8.After using it primarily for roughly 6 months, I can definitely say that for the money, youd be hardpressed to not pick this up for your Emount APSC stuff. Its sharp, the stabilization is good, and it doesnt bulkup an a6000 to the point where bodybuilders get jealous at the sight of your kit. On the downside, it does hunt for focus in low light, however, its nothing that should scare you from giving one a try.
Mcclki13 –
Im a beginner but this lens has actually captured some really great pictures in both brightdim light situations. I would also have to say this is a lens best for portraits and not so much for landscapes. However, it still takes great pictures in landscape just not as sharp. Also, prepare yourself to move back and forth to get a picture because the lens actually doesnt zoom in or out, while the a6000 camera in a particular setting only allows you to zoom in with the lens on. The focus is also okay sometimes it does take a while to adjust but overall for the price of the lens, I dont mind because my pictures still come out great
HobbyistJ –
Went to see Ella Mai and was extremely torn on this lens vs the 35mm, but after multiple demo shots I went with 50mm for my Sony a6300. Compact, light weight, bokeh is awesome and the low aperture makes this lens a beast in low light. Thanks Best Buy
Alfred –
I cant fully separate the quality of the lens from that of the camera system as a whole. Ergonomically, the lens, paired with the Sony alpha 6000, makes for a compact and nicely balanced combination. I wanted a fast prime lens which, in combination with an APSsize sensor, would allow me to take excellent photographs in museums and similar indoor places where I could not use a tripod. This lenscamera pair has fully met my requirements.
tea –
Great lens. I bought this mostly for run and gun video on a gimbal so Ill speak to it from that stand point. Its a great inexpensive fast lens that focuses well and is sharp. I usually have it at f4 or f1.8 if Im in low light. The OSS still helps even on a handheld gimbal. This was my second prime for the Sony alpha series first was a 19mm Sigma.
alee337 –
Fast focus on the a6500. Great tracking and awesome value. The best bang for your buck. Id find myself shooting with this lens over my Sigma 30mm 1.4 contemporary. That lens seem to hunt too much. I was amazed in bright sunlight that the a6500 paired with the 50mm produced such great bokeh without any nd filter.
Matthew –
Just any other fast fifty out there, this lens doesnt disappoint. When paired with the NEX7 the results are simply outstanding. Perfectly usable wide open, sharp at f2, and even moreso at f2.8. Paired with the effective OSS about 2 stops shutter speed advantage most of the time, and you can simulate the exposures an f1.2 lens would give you very reliably, subject movement notwithstanding.The focus ring is large, smooth, and is dampened perfectly, making manually focusing easy and accurate. The build quality, similar to other emount lenses, is top notch, it feels like a very dense lens.At only this is a lens any NEX owner should have in their kit.
scunnered –
I bought this lens to attend a family members wedding. I was really surprised by the quality, clarity and vibrance of the shots. I have other multi use lenses for my Nex5, but the E50lens will be my go to from now on. Using the camera zoom to the max their was no detectable distortion and I now prefer this to the E3.55.6. I have nothing negative to comment,any amateur would be hard pressed to find a reason not to like this lens
sfreak –
The SEL50F18 is Sonys attempt at a 50mm portrait lens for the Emount line up of cameras. And theyve done a great job.Its a very capable lens both in image quality and low light. It is perhaps the sharpest lens I own for my Nex5R. If you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of the image quality, you can also have some surprisingly good low light shots using not much shutter speed. It is a great lens to leave on the camera all day and wander around town with.The only downsides are its value for money and also its focal length. Bang for your buck, you can do better for less with a different lens at the expense of image quality and focal ratio. As for the focal length, it can make it a pain indoors for example to use 35mm equivalent is 75mm.Overall for the money, it is a great little lens if youre after a sharp lens and can deal with the 50mm. Itd make a great addition to your lens selection.
William –
We are not professional photographers so we were looking for something that was easy enough to use without having to read the manual. Success The manual does help you to learn additional tricks, but the auto shoot on our camera adjusts this lens as necessary, so you dont have to dig through the manual if you dont want to. We use it mostly for family photos, and theyre turning out clear, crisp, and full of color.
Dad of twins –
After a sour experience with the Sigma 30mm f2.8 lens, I returned it and purchased this Sony 50mm f1.8 lens. As expected the field of view is a bit tighter, being in the early telephoto range. With that said it is still very usable indoors as a slightly long, normal lens. You will have to sometimes back up slightly more than you would need with either the 1855mm zoom or the 30mm offerings, but Sonys O.S.S Image Stabilization system works wonders. After using this lens for a few days I started to think how amazing it would be if Canon and Nikon offered IS in their primes such as the 50mm and 85mm offerings. It opens up some interesting possibilities. Right from the get go I noticed this lens focuses faster than the 1855mm zoom set to the long end. Obviously it doesnt focus fast like a phase detection DSLR, but it is definitely useable. You will notice some issues when focusing in lower light, but this is a common occurrence with any lens and AF in low light. This is very welcome as that was one of the only areas I missed my DSLR when using the 5N. Finally I want to point out the fast aperture on this lens is excellent, providing you wonderful out of focus bits in your images bokeh. Set to f1.8 you get a very thin depth of field which can be used to isolate a subject or aspect of the image very well. This is by far the best lens out there for this Sony system and dont be deterred by the focal length, it works just find as a everyday lens as long as you are willing to work with it.
Brie –
Bought this as my first lens other than the kit lens. It takes very high quality photos and is really great for portraits. The low aperture is wonderful for taking photos in low light. Sometimes it is a little difficult to get multiple people in one shot if you are in a small space but other than that it takes really great photos. I havent gone back to my kit lens since I put this one on.
w0werine –
For the money, this is probably as good as images get on the NEX cameras. The lens is very sharp, very fast, camera boots up fast, fast, but sometimes clunky focus. Use this with DMF mode and you have a winner. 1.8 aperture makes your portraits look really good with the background blur. Not the ideal focal length for street photography the choice for that would be the 200 more 35mm, or maybe the budget Sigma 30mm which I love.
myopenid123 –
Paired this with my A6000. At F1.8, this thing bokehs like whipped cream and with OSS, produces crisp low light pictures. The 50mm is great for portraits and street photography, but definitely not for typical landscape or buildings since the angle of view is quite narrow, i.e. you have to stand very far back to keep your subject in frame. All in all, a great performer and I do not regret this purchase.
SGLindo –
I shoot a lot of worship services and 50mm is typically the shortest focal length I use. This lens feels really well made and in keeping with Sonys idea of light weight it certainly delivers. Im not a pixel peeper, however, I do want a lens that will produce a sharp image. This lens does that and the images appear to be sharp throughout all the f stops and from edge to edge. I havent noticed any distortion and chromatic aberration is at a minimum. The bokeh is good, the auto focus is quick. I really dont have anything negative to say about it. Its an affordable lens worth having in your lineup.
Michas –
Pro 1very clearsharpdistortion free although I have only used it in jpeg not rawmode, where presumably any distortions would be compensated for by the camera. Certainly for my needs, I dont think the added cost for the Zeiss lens is justified. 2 The lens hood screws on backwards over the lens body, so storage is compact. 3 solid construction 4 Along with the ability of the camera to average 6 frames, one can get astoundingly good pictures in low light. 4 This may be a con for some but the manual focus ring is very sensitive, enabling very fine focus, but it can take some time to get right. Con 1It seems a bit big and heavy for a nonzoom lens, particularly for a camera of this type, the weight would seem to justify an even faster lens although not at this price. 2 In low light, manual focus is usually necessary with the Nex6.
Rona –
Ive been keeping this lens on the camera instead of the kit lens. The wider aperture really makes a difference in lower light, and I find it to be sharper. I need to use it longer to get a better handle on its performance over time, but so far Im very happy with it. Im not thrilled about the color its silver and the camera is black but that has nothing to do with performance, so not enough of a con to take away a star. Ive had a couple of instances when I was trying to focus on a small spot, using spot focus, moving my focus point to where I needed, and it had a little trouble focusing. But Im not sure if that was user error or the fault of the lens.
cita –
the quality of this lens is AMAZING for the price. but, as other reviewers have mentioned, it gives you a super close shot that you cant adjust so you have to take SEVERAL steps back while shooting. this is okay in wide open spaces. but, in most circumstances, i did not have enough room to take those steps back and i needed to switch lenses to take my photo. i wish i could say it doesnt bother me too much because i love the quality, but its honestly a huge inconvenience.
jeffo –
After reading so many strong reviews I bought this prime portrait lens last month from Best Buy for my Sony a6000 and a5100 cameras.Its light , well made and super fun to use. It focuses right away, great color, nice round bokeh and super sharp even in low light. I also use the sony 1650, 55210 lenses .. happy with those too.I havent given up my Canon dslr, but with this sweet gem, plus my other lenses I can travel light and feel confident in the quality of my photographs when using my mirrorless cameras.
Anonymous –
I made the mistake of buying the a 6300 with the kit lens really not knowing which lenses I should buy early on in getting into the new Mirrorless system. Nevertheless within a few weeks this was the first lens purchase and the pictures were dramatically different from the other lens. Granted this is a prime portrait lens where is the kit lens tried to be somewhat of a jack of all trades, but I can tell you that multiple people are now asking me which camera Im using and which lands and where to get it as a result of seen some of the work with this lens. Im told the Zeiss equivalent is better but for the price you cannot beat this one. A small fraction of the Zeiss and wonderful images with very little effort. Great bokeh and I have actually found this to be an excellent video lens as well. Extremely highquality feel.
Garrett –
Considering Sony doesnt really make good lens for the Emount, the 50mm 1.8 is actually quite good. Sharp, good CA control, quite stabilization, decently quick focus.Buying from BB was a poor experience though. I went in to purchase this one as an open box item. After they found it hidden in the store, it rung up higher than as labelled. When I mentioned to the associate that the price tag is lower than what the computer says, he says nothing, walks off, and comes back 5 minutes later with a new higher price tag stuck on top of the old one where its still readable. Who does that On top of that, he messed up multiple times, just trying to ring it up including my gift card.I got tired of dealing with him and went straight to the CS desk after our transaction, explained what he did and they agreed that it was wrong and refunded me so that it was the original price as labelled.45 minutes just to walk out with this lens.
bwfcnottingham –
This is an excellent lens.I use it on my Sony A6000.Ive done street photography, street portraits, outside stage music shots, indoor low light people, animal portraits, studio portraits and have had some excellent results.When doing moving objects I have sometimes missed the focus, but I think that is me not getting to grips with my new Sony A6000 rather than the lens.I have a Canon 50mm f1.8 for my Canon DSLR to compare against the Sony SEL50F18 E 50mm f1.8. Id say the Sony is a tad sharper at wide open apertures f1.8 to f5 so perhaps allows a little more creativity, but to be honest there isnt a lot in it. The Sony 50mm is however twice as expensive as the Canon, but the Canon isnt their top prime lens it is a budget lens.I recommend the lens, you wont be disappointed. The kit lens that came with my Sony A6000 hasnt been on my A6000 since I purchased this 3 weeks ago, but that is probably down to the nature of the shots I have been takingI clicked and collected the lens from John Lewis, which is an excellent service
KSC –
I use this lens with a NEX7. I bought it for a trip where I wanted a low light lens with autofocus. Id been using an old manual focus MD Rokkor 50mm f1.4 for this purpose with very pleasing results, but for this trip I wanted the added benefit of autofocus. My workhorse lens has been the Sony 18200mm emount original version, and for a superzoom lens, Id been extremely pleased with the IQ and performance. My expectation would be that a 50mm prime would be leaps and bounds better in IQ and in that respect I was disappointed. I dont know whether to blame the supreme quality of the 18200 or lackluster performance of the 50mm, but the sharpness and color rendering was not as significant of an improvement as Id expected in the prime. In fairness, I was mainly using the prime when I really needed the low light capabilities, so that may have hamstrung its competitive advantage. But even in fair light, I was hard pressed to notice a major difference in IQ between the two lenses.Regardless, without a lot of options for lower price fast lenses in the native mount, the 50mm f1.8 did a great job and allowed me to get some shots that would not have been possible with a slower lens even a prime such as the Sigma f2.8 lenses. Focus is not blazingly fast, but is quiet, accurate, and about what Id expect for the NEX camera and adequate for the vast majority of my purposes. The built quality seems solid. I did a week of class IVV kayaking, including a couple waterfalls, with this lens in a drybag strapped inside my boat and it still looks like new. The bokeh could be better, but its good enough. I find the lens small, lightweight and unassuming on the NEX7. Id happily take a quality 50 f1.8 without OSS,like Nikon and Canon offer, over this one, but given the current emount options, this is a solid choice that doesnt break the bank.
Mikethomasad –
The combination of features produce a oneofakind experience, that a few years back would have not been affordable. Compact, efficient and powerful. The 50mm tells it with punched contrast and confident timing. Works perfectly with the NEX, where it was designed to come to life. You have the technical stuff here, so Ill just end with this, the image stabilization is worth the cost of the glass alone. 1.8 plus stabilization lets you do amazing work and reduces all kinds of effort. Its a great buy.
Kalani –
So far with having this a little over a week now, Ill have to say it is really great an for price point it cannot be beat. Very fast an sharp lens. Id highly recommend. It is tough in tight places, just learn to adapt an you will not regret it. Hope you enjoy it if you get it.
YetiPoacher –
After buying the NEX5N I was told by many photographer friends to get a fast fixed lens. I was happy to find out that this lens was wellreviewed and a great value so I decided to buy it.No regrets I have had this for some months and after getting used to it I am able to take some amazing shots with great clarity. The bokeh is also of very high quality and is the most enjoyable aspect for me. The fast fstop allows great portraits as well.The construction is solid and the focus ring is smooth.A definite must have for any photographer.
Danlanta –
This is a great broll lens. Not meant to be a selfie style lens as the field of view is tight. For that you want a 16mm lens.The colors are vibrant and the clarity is excellent.
RedEyeEntertainment –
I read reviews explaining this was a great lens, but I was now prepared for how great. Ive had it for 4 months, and it is a dream to work with. The images look great even wide open, and I love the bokeh effect. The focus ring is very smooth which makes it extremely easy to get your tiny depth of field right where you want it manually. If you use the NEX camera you simply have to buy this lens why else would you buy it. The only drawback is the lack of any indicator as to where your depth of field is on the lens. That would have been nice, but as stated its not hard be accurate with just your eye or the peaking function. At 300 this is almost a steal.
Disney Pic Hunter –
This little guy packs a punch without punching the purse. It offers you great low light capability and good Bokeh for portraiture. The image quality is slightly crisper than my SELP 18105mm, and overall its just a good lens if your starting up a senior portrait or simply need something to take some of your images to the next level this is the lens for you.
JohnQ –
I picked up this lens as part of a bundle with my Sony a6300. I thought I would like a fast lens that could give me some bokeh for portrait type shots. This lens fits the bill. I have taken some shots of the kids and have really been pleased with the images created from this lens. I have attached a picture of a flower I took which I compared to a similar image taken with the kit lens just to seen how smooth the bokeh was. It was nice. Being a fast lens, I have also used in in some low light situations, and combined with the a6300s low light performance I was really happy with the images. I would recommend this as a first prime for anyone with a Sony APSC mirrorless camera and I am sure I will enjoy having it in my bag.
Brian3499 –
Use this on my a6000a6500. Loved this lens. Mainly Use it for portraits. Its very sharp so you get nice crisp clear pictures. Since its a f1.8 you can use it in darker areas and also get nice bokeh from it all at a good price compared to other expensive lenses.
Athena –
This little 50 mm lens is great I actually use it for some of my macro work as well. I just spent a week seaside and took over 300 photos, using this one for much of my work. With the Sony a6300, I get sharp images and great bokeh Every serious photographer ought to have this lens in their kit.
Don –
This lens is very nice, I use it for video. I wanted several lenses with other options so I purchased this one for the purpose of having a small aperture. I use my zoom lens more often than this one, but this is pretty good too. I have no regrets and nothing bad to say about this lens. If you want it, you should buy it because I recommend it. It is exactly what the description says it is. In this case, you get what you pay for this lens is not the best but for what it is, I love it, my zoom lens is much better and way more expensive so thats why I use it, but this one is for closer shots where I can have a smaller aperture. I use this lens to shoot videos even though it is not a full frame lens.
STEVEN –
I have the A6300 and it is a camera that I love. I have all the Sigma prime lenses…the 19, 30 and 60MM. I also have the Sony 55210 zoom lens. It is OK….good for long shots….but I wanted a low light lens. Something for dark city nights. Saw the reviews of the Sony 50MM 1.8 with OSS and decided to try it out. What a great lens. I shot the attached photo at 1030PM on a dark cloudy night. The scene is my back yard. I have a window with my computer light and it is beaming out to the trees. There is some sky glow from the downtown area about 2 miles away. Shot at 8000 ISO F1.8 with an exposure of 25 seconds. When I opened up the file, I could not believe what I saw…..I was not able with my eyes see anything in the back yard…..with this lens….well you can see what it is capable of. Also shot a little flower that seems to be a late bloomer. Great Boket and sharp. These photos are not retouched, They are as they came from the A6300 reduced in size to download to this site. I highly recommend this lens.
naplesvidiot –
Used this along with the VG20 on several interviews and so far Im very happy. Communicates with the impressive VG20 with no issues. Really sweet Bokeh No complaints but give it 4 stars because the auto focus is a just a wee bit slow but it does work when needed. I expected it to quickly snap into focus when target is center framed why do you have to keep turning the focus ring around and around is beyond me when focusing. Cant expect too much for the price. Thanks BH
kaiy.hal –
The price for this is so worth it, especially with the accessories offered. The item came in earlier than expected. Everything looks great, cant wait to test it out. The only thing is, the filters I received were not tiffen… As advertised.
Asiafish –
This is an outstanding lens for the money, and would be a bargain even at a much higher price.I like shooting portraits, A LOT. For serious shoots I use an A77 camera with a 25yearold Minolta 85mm F1.4 portrait lens, but for casual shoots when traveling the 50mm F1.8 OSS on my NEX5n is very hard to beat. It is not as long as I prefer for head shoots FF equivalent of 75mm instead of my preferred 135mm, it is perfect for head and shoulder portraits or people at work portraits.What really surprised me is the quality of bokeh and just how sharp the lens is. Bokeh is creamilicious, almost of the same quality as my Minolta 85 a legendary lens for beautiful bokeh. Sharpness is even better than the Zeiss 24mm from F4 and color is almost as rich, but wide open its a bit soft at the edges. Of course, since I use this as a portrait lens, Im usually shooting wide open and blurring whatever is on the edges anyway.Outdoors in daylight I use a 3 stop neutral density filter to keep this wideopen, and usually keep the NEX5n down under ISO 800. Indoors, Ive shot this lens by firelight and with the OSS still get sharp handheld shots down to 115th second at ISO 800.This is a specialty lens, unlike the old nifty fifties form the film days. As a short telephoto, this is really only used for photographing people or objects, rather than places. Still, I bring it with me more often than I leave it at home. Combined with the also outstanding though far more expensive Zeiss 24mm, this lens is part of an extremely versatile travel outfit.
GWeaver –
This lens has exceeded my expectations for photography. It also takes great nature scenes and pretty good for macro shots. So much better than the stock lens. This stays on my camera at all times unless I need the telephoto lens. Will need to invest in a macro lens in the future.
JESUS –
I live this lens The bokeh is amazing Throw this on a gimbal and you get a very versatil lens that get both photos and video
missdanver5 –
I was looking for a solid 50mm lens to use with my a6000, and landed on the Sony f 1.8 OSS. I had an 85mm was looking for something slightly wider, but wasnt ready to move to a 35mm and this fit the bill perfectly. Only downside is that the manual focus ring isnt all that sensitive and you have to move it quite a bit to focus shots, but if youre like me and youre shooting mostly inanimate objects, that didnt really bother me too much Highly recommend the nifty fifty as a first lens, if youre just getting started
Pete –
Nice short focal length lens for blurring the background of subjects and foreground if you have foreground objects. Set the dial on your Sony A6300 to A then use the wheel to turn the Fstop down low, such as to 1.8. Youll have to back up your distance to the subject to get a shot as wide as with the stock A6300 lens. Cant argue with the price and free shipping.
Sonny P. –
If youre looking for a portraitmacro lens that can also give you tac sharp images then look no further. Couple that with the great value and there is seriously no reason to not get this lens. Even on my much older Sony Alpha3000, images equal perfection. Lens work super well in low light too thanks to that f1.8. I would definitely recommend this lens for anyone, amateur and professionals alike looking for an awesome portrait prime lens.
Todd –
This lens isnt perfect but for the discounted price point, its simply as good as you could ever hope for. The build quality is super solid. The auto focus is fast and responsive and, most importantly, this lens is razor sharp Very happy with this purchase
homerc67 –
What more could you want from this price tag Stabilizationcheck, Bokehcheck, low lightcheck, metal housingcheck, decent focusing ringcheck, included hoodcheck. Say what you want about emount lenses but who else can offer this feature set at this price Certainly not Canon or Nikon. In all honesty this is the third time Ive owned this lens, every time thinking I would find something better but the simple fact is the value of this lens is too good not to own one. Are there better lenses Certainly, but there is no other lens in my bag that I can pull out and think to myself, how in the heck does this not cost more This is by far the smartest lens to own for emount.
Shamir –
Im honestly not sure youre going to find a lens with as many features combined with outstanding Image Quality anywhere else in the world.Its fast. Its optically stabilized. Its sharp across a pretty wide range of F stops. Its fast. Did I mention, its fast f1.8. Come on, people.Stop reading this review and buy it. Youre welcome.
Itechreview –
This was the first lens I bought for my Sony a6000 2 kit lens came with the camera. The focus on this is extremely sharp and the bokeh is very smooth and not distracting at all. The with the f stop at 1.8, this takes great low light pictures too. The only thing, on my APSC sensor, this is actually more like a 75mm instead of a 50mm. Planning on getting this lens for my a6300.
Tony –
This lens is a real bargain. Its as good as any portrait lens Ive ever used, including any of my old German Zeiss Ikon lenses. Excellent for lowlight situations too. I can bump the FS in my a6000 and shoot with ambient light in all but the darkest settings. Focus does tend to hunt a little in very low light situations, but so does practically every other lens. Thats what manual focus is for.
Jack Line –
This lens is used with my Sony a6500. The actual focal length on the a6500 is 75mm. Using the in camera zoom its 75mm 150mm. It has OSS that works with the cameras sensor OSS and together they work really good. Its as sharp as any lens in my bag. Its light, its small, it seems to me to be a quality build. This lens is a keeper.
Byung K. –
I got this lens for my FS5 for a few reasons f1.8 takes in 4x more light than f4.0 the stock needed continuous autofocus OSS prime All of which suit my run and gun style. And it performs as expected. The lens is much much smaller than anticipated, but I consider that a good thing because I like lowprofile shooting. The OSS on this is excellent as well. Be aware that this lens I assume all sony lenses are like this the focus ring is electronic not mechanical, which means true manual focus is not possible. e.g. youll turn the ring half a millimeter and the focus wont change. Not really a big problem for me though. I have cine lenses for that. Another side note is that since f1.8 is really shallow dof, expect your autofocus to be confused a lot. A lot of times itll be focused on the background instead of the subject, but once I get locked on also face detection helps tons, the autofocus sticks. It comes with a neat lens hood that fits very snug in reverse.
agolwala –
This is my first prime lens for my Sony NEX5TL and I am really happy with my purchase. I am newbie to photography and wanted to try primes with high max aperture. Saw this on BestBuy for 200 Open box excellent condition and could not resist. I have clicked pics both indoors and outdoors with challenging light conditions, generally on aperture priority mode with lens wide open. And, the results were fantastic almost every time. Bokeh is amazing. People look more beautiful than they are when shot with this lens. Overall, its a must buy if you are on emount system
Red Eye Entertainment –
Ive had this lens for over a year, and it has served me very well. I tend to use this in manual mode because the autofocus on my NEX5n isnt great, but even without Sonys peaking mode this is very easy to focus. I tend to keep the peaking off because its too distracting, and easier to focus without it. The focus ring is smooth and very capable of nice feathered adjustments even in video. And the image quality is great, I just dont get bad results with this lens.
javorigergely –
I have a standard zoom lens with bad standard apertures 3.55.6, so I needed a lens producing more backround blur for portraits, close up shots about flowers, bugs around 5080mm focal length, so this 50mm equivalent 75mm looked for the best choice for me. It is cheaper, then the 35mm equivalent 52,5mm, and also gives a better focal lenght to my taste. The image stabilisation is a fantastic feature, a lot of 50mm lenses do not have it. In low light situations you can spare 34 ISO steps, which means a great amount of sparing noise on your pictures So it is a small, light, having great image quality, images stabilisation and 1.8 maximum aparture. It is absolutely recommended to have one of these, if you want more exciting and more professional looking pictures.
BobW –
Sharp lens without breaking the bank. f1.8 allows me to shoot faster in low light with my A6400. Light weight, moderate portrait lens which produces great color. I also have the 18135mm kit lens and the Sigma 16mm f1.4 which to me is the complete package for just about anything.
Joseph –
Bought this to add a portrait lens for my recent purchase of a Sony Alpha 6000. Given the selection of portrait lenses for the Sony Emount, this seemed to be the safe bet, considering my camera is new to me, also. This lens takes really nice pictures, with enough bokeh to impress. You cant go wrong with this lens.
Andy –
While I havent gotten to use this lens extensively, I took it with me on a recent trip to Europe and shot some photos with it. I really like the speed and bokeh of the thing. Its a great portrait lens, but I feel that the field is just a little too narrow for a walk around lens. If you want a walk the streets utility lens, Id probably go for the 35mm version, which Ill also buy next. Either way, Im happy I bought it, and Id buy it again.
Daniel –
Very good lens for the price, especially if you are new to dsrlmirrorless cameras. I am new to cameras and the kit lens made me feel like I had another glorified point and shoot camera. However, after using this lens with a large aperture, the boke that you get from this lens makes all your photos suddenly look very nice. This lens really made me feel happy about my camera purchase. I would highly recommend this for portraits mostly outdoors unless you have some distance in the house. Until I purchase some other lenses, I dont see myself using my kit lens that much.
krazygreekguy –
Great lens Topnotch quality. Any photographer should have various lenses for different use cases.
DisappointedCustomer –
I bought this lens, only to find that the top glass of the lens is not leveled. I could see that the thickness of the black ring just on top of the glass was not even at one side was around 1 mm and the other was around 2 mm. I returned the lens and went to another shop to check the same 50mm 1.8 E mount lens. The issue is less serious, but still exist.The issue may be due to the black ring thickness, or the top glass is not leveled one side is higher than the other side. If that is the glass issue, it means that the glass is not perpendicular to the axis. Of course, I have no instrument to measure.
Myxo –
This lens provides fantastic bokeh and clarity. And 50mm is great for portraits. This is a musthave for any sony croppedsensor camera.
Hbomb17 –
Im choosing a portrait Lens between sigma and Sony. I choose the lowest aperture and I love it because of bokeh effect. I like the build of sony too. Plus the open box deal makes me go with this lens. Since Im starting to learn photography. Im hoping best buy they will have good deals also on their wide angles of 1619mm or even the 30 mm in the future.
MrD in NYC –
Lens is nice and sharp, provides extra kick in dark conditions, and has a pleasing shallow depth of focus when open wide. However, the big flaw with this lens is the same with other Sony built emount lenses the turning distance from endtoend focus is absurdly large. You really have to spin that focus ring a lot which makes manual focusing in situations where the distances are changing quickly nearly impossible. But the stabilization, which is lacking in third party lenses, is extremely helpful, especially for video.
Twistall –
The kit lens that came with the alpha 5100, a zoom lens, took great pictures but distorted straight lines. This lens does a much better job. The only drawbacks are that its fairly large in comparison, and you have to move around if you want a particular frame composition. You can always crop afterward I suppose. If you want square thats the price you pay.
Debbie –
I am writing this review from an amateur view. I have a Sony A6000 and take candid photos of my family, landscapes, wildlife and flora shots….in other words, what ever I come across in my daily life. I cant speak to complicated details about this lens but just an overview. I shoot primarily in aperture priority mode. I like this lens a lot. I am able to quickly take shots that turn out very well for me. I like the low aperture that allows me to take shots in low light and to have very nice bokeh. I have not had any trouble with it finding focus, but sometimes it highlights an area Im not wanting to be the main focus of my shot. If I let my finger off the shutter and repress it usually then zeros in on what I am wanting to be in focus. The photos I have taken so far are amazing for me. They are very crisp and clear. I feel that for the money, I am getting high quality shots. I also own the Sony 35mm and find the 50mm to be a little crisper in my opinion. I got this lens on sale here at BH specially to use to take senior portraits for my son myself. I am very pleased with the ease at which I can take portrait and other fun shots that look very high quality. I am completely self taught on what I do know about photography, so having an automatic focus lens with in camera stabilization helps my shots to come out usually very good. Overall I am very pleased with this lens and feel that it takes nice shots for my use at a very good price.
Candace –
I read all the reviews before purchasing this lens. Originally I thought of buying the 35mm Sony OSS lens which was recommended as more useful for general all round photography. Whilst I agree for indoor photography and tight spaces this lens is probably too much it is however super for portraits. It is so sharp and I have not regretted my decision to buy it. Ive had good results when on my country walks too.
Jack –
This is used on my a6500 so its more like a 75mm. Using clear zoom its anywhere from 75 mm to 150 mm. The videos and pictures come out very sharp and I am very pleased with how good this lens works. Its superlight and has image stabilization. What else could you ask for
rmrm75 –
I happened to purchase the 50mm first…wrong move due to most of my shots being taken within my small home of moving children…room available was the deciding factor on why I went back to purchase the 35mm I would find myself tripping over things, always looking behind my shoulders to see if I had more room to scoot back with the 50mm, in order to get the shot I wanted. I did keep my 50mm though due to liking this one for some outdoor shots…Ive heard printed photos are better with the 50…I dont know how true this isI use the 501.8 when I want a headshouldersportrait shots of one of my kids. But the 35mm is perfect for general use and if I had a choice of only one…it would be the 351.8 Still a great lens though, exactly why it was kept
McKay –
This is a solid little lens. Minimal distortion at the edges. Highly durable feel. Great portrait lens for beginners and pros alike, depending on the distance you like. Highly recommend, especially if youre just getting started.
Pacf –
I decided to skip the kit lens and just buy the 50 mm. So this is the only lens I have for my A6000. I love it so far, it takes great quality photos, they all look sharp, where the subject really pops. It does have a slow auto focus, but its not a big deal for me. I still have to get used to the fact that this is not a zoom lens So fyi, you have to move around to try to get the best shot, but I definitely recommend it.
Hendys –
This is by far my favorite lens in my collection. Ive been using it on my 6400, so its more like a 75mm, but the glass is fire. Super sharp, took it out for night photos with the family pumpkin patch, etc. and the 1.8 helped like crazy. I know its not the magical 55 focal length, but I wouldnt trade it for anything.
RSARO –
No Disappointment yet. Got on Blacked Friday deal around 200.Absolute value for the price. Very active during low light and its a must to buy when I have Alpha series mirror less. Some samples attached.
Alice –
After doing a lot of research, I decided to forgo getting the kit lense and chose this as my first lense to be used mainly for taking product photos. Ive loved it so far Takes very professional looking photos My only complaint is that I thought I would be able to be a little closer to my subject…I believe that is my own novice error and dont blame the lense
Shao –
This lens is absolutely essential to the Sony Alpha Series line of cameras. Just YouTube the difference between the quality of a kit lens and a prime lens and youll see what I mean.In case your getting into photography, zoom lens are lens that come with your camera also known as the kit lens. But because its a kit lens, the zoom lens doesnt really excel in any one area. Thats why a prime lens this lens is absolutely essential in portraits Be weary, prime lens do not zoom unlike your kit lens so you need to be more creative with your shots The advantage of a prime lens is that it takes better quality photos
JMG2 –
Love this lens. Any pictures look good when the background isnt in focused your main object is clear and sharp. I mostly take photos of my family or food so it is perfect for that use. The only downside is that you have to be quite far from what your taking a picture of. So its hard if your a dinning table and trying to take the picture of the plate right in front of you. I would have to put it across the table
thechemist –
This lens is as close to nocompromises as an inexpensive lens can be. Image quality, and sharpness are fantastic. Ive had no trouble with chromatic aberrations or distortion, and vignetting is manageable. I love the metal construction. Sony designed high quality glass while managing to keep the overall package inexpensive and including OSS stabilization In my mind theres no excuse to not own this lens if youve purchased a a5000, a51000, or a6000 camera.
UserNex7 –
I am a huge NEX fan. Have the 7 and 5t along with the Zeiss 24, sel35f18, and 55210 besides the kit lenses. This is an amazing value for money. The build and the optics are excellent. I like the focus ring much more than the 35f18 which is impossible to manually focus, at least the copy I received. So when I tried this, I was extremely pleased. I was debating between this and the zeiss 55 which works with full frame as well. But, I went with this after seeing the overwhelming positive reviews and the discounted price a few months ago. Have been very pleased and would definitely recommended this lens. Must have if you own an E mount APSC.
Anonymous –
Have fallen in love with this lens Great depth of field and versatility. Would highly recommend this lens for beginner or veteran photographers.
james –
Im a beginning photographer looking to expand my lens arsenal. So far Ive been very happy with the lens performance. Super crisp shots, great bokeh, fast focusing and going down to 1.8 really allows you to shoot well in low light. Im shooting it on an a6000 and really have been very happy with the shots Im getting on it. Since its a crop sensor lens, the 50 is really like a 75 so its tough shooting indoors where you cant back up a lot to get the shot you might need. But thats really my only complaint, and thats not really anything to do with the lens, just a heads up. Very happy with the purchase.
Bigfoot –
The alpha 6000 is the best camera Ive ever owned and the Sony 50mm f1.8 prime lens is the icing on the cake. I bought the camera with the two kit lenses and they are great for their intended purposes. I decided I would buy the prime 50mm to have a 1.8f stop lens . WOW does it add another dimension. It is not only a fantastic portrait lens it loves peoples faces it added the ability to take pictures in very low light , great night scenes , sunrises and sunsets. My family and friends think I have become a real photographer
Jared –
Id say this is the first lens you should buy after getting an a60063006500. At 250 its a bit of a steal. Great portrait lens. Fast and provides great bokeh. Maybe the 35mm is better suited for your needs, but for the price difference Ill take a few steps back when shooting.
David –
I really want to give this lens a 5 star. The quality of portraits I get out of it are as good as even my pro lenses. I bought it for my Sony 6300. I wanted a light outfit for my on location jobs. It worked great until I put it in my bag next to a heavier lend. After that job I noticed a few dents in the thin metal casing of the 50mm f1.8. Also the black paint on the focus ring is wearing off from normal use, after just a few months. I will continue to use this lens until I wear it out. Then I will use my legacy glass until I can afford to buy the Zeiss 55. Buy it for quality, but keep it in some type of a protective covering if you want it to last.
Jamie –
Pros Excellent lens with a very low aperture, I used this for sports photography with a sony a6300, combined with the autofocus it got great shots and is now my go to lens for most situations, its best is when indoors and you need high shutter speeds in which case you need about f1.8f2Excellent image quality and is very lightCons This is a very close in lens so you need to be quite a bit away from the person unless youre doing full on head shots,This can be quite restricting. Thats only as its a 50mm though, it made it perfect for sports as it made it look I was a lot closer to the actionManual focus ring feels a bit cheap so if youre into manual focusvideography with this lens you might want one a bit more comfortable
imagic –
This is an essential lens for anybody seeking sharp images with beautiful background blur. The image stabilization is very effective helps at this focal length. Prime lenses may not be for everybody, but they do perform wonderfully.
MKreviews –
This 50mm was the first lens I ever owned and used it for over a year. It was fantastic Super sharp, good build quality, very reliable lens. Only downside is a lens filter doesnt fit while hood is on.
Richard –
This lens takes some amazingly clearly pictures. If you wanted to own only one prime lens I would highly recommend this be it for your Sony camera. It is great for portrait, low light, and narrow focus. I find unless I need to zoom in more this has become my primary lens when out.
Elnur –
For those who has standard lens, this is the bright and sharp lens which worth every penny. This lens is very useful for portrait shooting and indoor video. Optical stabilisation is so good that I was able to shoot clear handheld images with 110sec shutter speed. Autofocus is quick without any motor sound.
masaccio –
this is a great lowlight prime lens for the a6000 or any other cropframe sony emount mirrorless. Its easy to focus in manual and focuses quickly in auto great for shooting concerts because you can run a high shutter speed and still get plenty of light by opening up the aperture 1.8f for this lens all the way and not have to ALSO crank up your ISO.35mm is also an option with the same overall specs great is you need a wider field of view.
Wesley –
Been shooting solely with the 35mm kit lens for Sony A6000 for the last year and finally starting to expand my options. This lens already brings me closer though not too close to my subject and looks like it will be an especially helpful portrait lens. Love the option to get lover fstop than the 35mm kit lens could offer which allows me to really blow out the background and focus on subject Im shooting. Also love the image stabilization help. Picked up a UV lens cover and polarizing filter as well and I feel like Ill have lots to play with in the coming months.
gd2017 –
This lens actually deseves 4.5 stars. The sharpness is excellent and AF and OSS work very well. My only complaint so far is that there is no manual focus override built into the lens. If there was a switch on the lens like Nikon uses instead of diving into a menu to activate MF, this lens would easily rate 5 stars. Its a solid, lightweight prime that is a joy to use on my A6000.
Ondrea –
So I was hesitant about buying a lens just because I didnt know exactly what I was looking for. I was told by someone who knows cameras that I should look into a 50mm1.8f lens so I waited until I found a decent price in the Used Inventory section and I have to say that I am extremely shocked by how well my pictures come out. I bought my Sony a5100 in February but since I received this in the mail I have not been able to put out it down.
spiralsuncandles –
Disclaimer Im an amateur photographer and purchased a Sony a6000 several months ago with the 1655mm kit lens. I quickly graduated from the kit lens, however, and really wanted to unlock the power of my new camera. After debating between Sonys prime 35mm and 50mm, I settled with this bad boy first. I cant say this is my goto lens that I leave on 90 of the time, but it definitely fills a specific niche depending on the situation.
SASDALLAS –
This is the perfect headshot portrait lens for your NEX 5 7 camera. It is small, lightweight and most importantly, sharp. Like, realsharp. Maybe too sharp for portraits But I would rather have it and apply correction in post than have a soft lens, obviously. So, again Sharp. Sharp. Sharp. Also produces nice color, sharp corners and creamy bokeh. If there is one con, I would rather have same lens in black, but some may like the silver look as well.
Toya –
Its a great len. My brother I are enjoying the pictures we are taking with it. If you get this len if the picture you want to take is not in focus it wont take fyi. Other then that money well spent.
Skaggs –
Absolutely beautiful lens Thanks to this lens I can take nearly all of my portraits on it.
HerbyWeems –
This Sony lens is top quality, and unlike some of the other Sonys is reasonably priced. Silent operation and OSS make the lens very usable. This lens is a perfect match for the A6000 series of cameras. I like the 75mm equivalent focal length. It is the first lens I added after the kit zoom lens that came with the camera.
chris –
Probably get this or the 35mm as your first lens. I would honestly skip getting the kit 1650 lens. Get the 50mm over the Sigma 60mm as its brighter, 1.8 vs. 2.8, and it has OSS, built in stabilization. Yes, its more but not that much for the benefits.This lens is very well reviewed on DXOMARK so sharpness is excellent across frame, distortion low. In fact this test almost as good as the 55mm Zeiss Sony lens that costs 4 times as much It is also really well built. Feels very high quality and solid. Smooth focus ring and very quiet auto focus.
Josh1220 –
While I was skeptical about this lens at first, it has proven to be just as good as a higher priced cine lens, in my opinion. I use this lens for wedding videography and have not had any problems with it with my Sony A7sII. Keep in mind that the focus is electronic, therefore theres no stopper on the focus ring, making it a continual spin lens. It will also take many turns of the focus ring to get something into focus, but this also allows you to fine tune your focus. It is a very hot lens, and if you plan on using SLOG2 or 3, then be prepared to have a very high aperture number when shooting outside due to the ISO requirements when shooting SLOG with Sony cameras. Other than that, I love this lens and its affordability.
RichieRich –
I spent the extra 50 to buy this because it was the newer version 50mm with oss. Used this with a sony a6500. It is absolutely impossible to use the manual focus. Like impossible. The only use can be for autofocus. A producer asked me to rack focus between 2 subjects and it was physically impossible because the barrel needs to spin 360 degrees to rack focus between subjects about 10 feet in distance. By the FE Sony 1.8 50mm and be happy and also save 50. I returned it and bought the FE and am completely satisfied.
Andrew –
Really impressed with this lens. I have been using it indoors in a decently lit warehouse, and the headshots are coming out great with good focus and good background blue bokah. Easy to use, the OSS optical steadyshot seems to work well, fast focus, overall great lens.
Nsulli –
Im giving this 2 stars because I made a mistake when buying. I did not make the distinction that this was an APSC Emount lens. I thought it was fullframe FE.I would have appreciated if the Best Buy employee who sold me the Sony A7III that day wouldve mentioned this to me. I meant to buy a 50mm lens, not a cropfactor 75mm lens.Rookie mistake.Cant comment on the quality of lens itself because I never used it.
EvilPhish –
I initially bought this lens to use for the next few months until I finish saving for one of the nicer models but really, after a few sessions with this one Im pretty satisfied, to the point that Im adding and upgrading other pieces before this one.Focus is fast, optics are clear with a minimal amount of distortion around the edges. Very little chromatic aberration and with such a wide aperture is very easy to throw the background out of focus entirely and make the subject pop.I use it often to photograph bands during their performances and the lowlight performance is stellar. Definitely a musthave in your bag.
Robert –
This lens paired with my Sony A6000 has allowed me to get some incredibly sharp images with very little photography experience. I would not recommend it for handheld video though. Even with image stabilization the footage is very shaky.
Robert M –
I use this with an a6300. It is reasonably quick to focus and produces nice images even wide open. In video mode though things are a bit more problematic. It tends to hunt a little, but worse yet when it does so the motor is quit noisy enough so that it can be picked up on the recording. Like the lens but you will need to move the mic away from the lens to keep it from picking up motor movement.
jessi.m –
My absolute go to lens. Its fast and beautiful. Ive used it for concert photography, portraits, a wedding, landscape, and product photos. This lens is on my A6000 95 of the time. If youre getting into Sony and you dont want to break the bank I highly recommend this lens
Anonymous –
Get it if you want to achieve ultimate compatibility with your camera.This lens is rugged and solid. Its not heavy and nos extra long or bulky like other brands. Unbeatable aperture and quality
MissElaine –
I am a beginning photographer as it comes to things like sophisticated lenses and fstops, but I knew I wanted a great portrait lens for my new Sony NEX5R camera. The sales people at Best Buy were fantastic in asking me what I wanted to achieve from this lens, and showing me the way it would work. I have only started experimenting with the lens, but already feel I was steered right. Thank you Best Buy
suffistikated –
Takes great portrait shots, including in low light.High quality bokeh. Quick and accurate focusing. Image stabilization makes this higher quality than a F1.8 lens.You will be limited to portrait shots with this, unless you stay far away from the subject. The 35mm lens is the sister lens to this 50mm, both very high quality.
MrRay –
I was super anxious about what to get. I stopped in at my local Best Buy and they were super helpful. I originally was going to get the 35mm ART lens, but the price swayed me since I am a beginner. They convinced me to start with this lens until I was more comfortable and certain I needed the 35mm. Since having it for the last 3 months I am very happy with the results. The pictures are incredible And it very fast too. This lens is a must have if youre a beginner. The price is unbelievable as well.
Mysonyphotos –
As a bridal makeup artist, I was looking for a lens that would allow me to take great pictures of my subjects so that I can showcase on my website amymirandamakeup.com.So far I had used a macro lens by nikon and then when I bought my nex 5 followed by the nex 7, I read the reviews of this lens and decided to give it a shot.. It was a great decision since I now take all my bridal photos with this lens. It appears this is a favorite of bridal photographers, as it works quite well in low light rooms. So whenever I got to hotels or the house of the bride to do her makeup, I take this one lens with me, and not even the 1000 zeiss lens that I bought which is excellent but not for this type of work..After doing the makeup of my brides and their guests, I show them the photos of before and after and this is very helpful since each picture is a success and I am not a professional photographer, just an amateur who loves photography with a passion.
Robert –
I did a number of tests on this lens upon receiving it. Focus speed in varying lighting situations, sharpness, color rendition, and OSS performance were checked out.The 50mm f1.8 met my high expectations, and exceeded them in corner sharpness and OSS effectiveness.To put some icing on the cake, I received the lens 36 hours after ordering it.Great teamwork Adorama
Shubham –
We got a price match which is amazing. The lens i was looking from many days, it is great in terms of picture quality.
Lamont –
I was looking for a reasonably priced lens for portrait photos with a wide aperture for indoor shots without the need for a flash. I could not be more pleased with this lens. Clarity is excellent while providing beautiful bokeh. This lens is also wellbalanced for the Sony A6000.
Megan –
This lens is amazing I have been doing more portraits recently and this is the lens to go with. For the price, you cant find much better than this lens. The bokeh is very smooth and lowlight conditions look amazing. My only complaint is that you can not zoom in or out so it can be annoying to move back and forth, but at the same time its worth the price. I dont mind moving a couple feet back to save a couple hundred bucks.
Tony –
I have all the fancy FE lenses for my two A7S but they are so bulky for the 6500 for just casual shooting. i bought my daughter this 50 for her 6000 and was impressed and so I bought one for candids. Lovely depth of field, super fast focus and tack sharp. Or spend a grand on the FE 50 for about the same results minus stabilization. With the 1018 f4 and this you can do almost anything. Really great value.
MikeLopez –
Good Lens and good price. Compliments my a6000 nicely. At 50mm, it is mostly a portraits lens. Thats not to say you cant use it to take a variety of pictures. The focal length at times makes it challenging to take anything but single targets, especially indoors. I feel this is where it is best used for. I dont think I would ever just bring this lens with me without another lens with a shorter focal length like a 19mm, 30mm, or 35mm. On the plus side, the 50mm is less intrusive to the subjects space.For example, I brought this lens with me to the pool hall to take pictures of my brothers as they played. Though it was nice that I wasnt really distracting to them as they played. I found myself having to go as far as 2 tables to capture anything more than just upper body shots. Im pretty sure experienced photographers already know this, just letting those who never used a 50mm APSC lens know what to expect.As for the quality of the photos. Im still a beginner, so to me they look very good. Sharpness is good. AF is silent. I find the photos pretty sharp at f4f5.6. Lowlight is great at f1.8f2.8. Bokeh is good. Video is fantastic with OSS. I really cant complain about anything other than getting used to the focal length. I mostly take photos for enjoyment. So far the pictures taken by this lens have given me joy. I know probably down the road I will get something more expensive and better but for now this will do. There are only 2 50mm60mm e mount lens at the 200300 price range. I chose this over the Sigma 60mm f2.8 because of 3 reason OSS, f1.8, and the fact the SEL5018 uses 179 phasedetection AF points and the Sigma only uses a small portion of the center. Not to mention the price difference is only 90.If there was only one con about this lens, it would be the slow auto focus. It is fairly slow but not so bad. Takes about a second to focus. If youre using this only to take portraits, it shouldnt really be a problem.If youre trying to decide to pick between this and the 35mm f1.8, just know that the 35mm is more of an allaround lens and this one kind of compliments it. I always bring both with me when I go out. My 35mm usually stays on my a6000, while I bring this out for certain situations or when I want a change of perspective and want to keep my distance a bit. Best to get this if you already have a 19mm35mm. You can get a Sigma 30mm or 19mm and this lens for about the same price of the SEL3518. Even better, you can get the Sigma 19mm, 30mm, and 60mm for less than 600. I ended up with the SEL3518 and SEL5018 only because I knew the lingering thought of OSS and f1.8 would always haunt me. I would have ultimately bought the sony e mount lens anyways.
archboy –
This is a good must own lens for the Nex series. While it is not expensive like the Ziess it certainly does its job with some caveat. The aluminum alloy exterior is well done. Light and feels good to use. At f1.8, you can get some nice out of focus background for portraits. Decent AF. While not the fastest in daylight it is more than adequate. Some maybe not like the Bokeh. But I thought it did a good job. The lens is somewhat sharp at 1.8 and gets sharper and sharper as you stop down but there is some softness but you can add it in post processing.
Joseph –
The lens pairs well with the Sony 6000 line. Build quality is good for a lens at this price point. It focuses quickly and well, image quality is good, and users should be pleased with the output. There is little to complain about the lens, and while it is not in the same category of G lens, it is well worth the money for Sonys limited APSC sensor offerings.
posnoc –
This was the first and for a long time only short focal length lens available for the NEX series, but it has always been regarded as a good quality product regardless. It does produce fantastic images, and any video tests from YouTube using the lens will highlight this, but to an absolute prophotographer wanting a companion for the NEX 7 at time of writing, flagship camera, then the new Carl Zeiss lenses far outstrip this in terms of bokeh quality, that is the quality of the out of focus bluriness. But, for 95 of the world, this lens is going to blow you away and is especially lovely for portrait shots of people with very professional looking blurred backgrounds. I have made it overall good because it is a good lens, but not the best, but for the best you will pay upwards of 500, closer to a grand. I rated the value for money down because, like every other NEX lens, lack of choice dictates higher than average prices, with a similar lens for the Micro 34s system being far cheaper, and DSLR lenses of the same spec being way cheaper. All in all, I paid 170 for this lens, boxed, which is a great price as the usually go for 180200. Use this as a basis for your purchase.
TamN –
The 50mm lens has been a wonderful upgrade for my camera. I researched a few different lenses and according to DxOMark, this was as sharp as it gets. For what I paid, Im very happy. The lens is very versatile, shooting almost macro, great portraits, fun streetphotography, low light, it really does a lot. The focus ring is nice to use, with some resistance but no detents. Some may not like the electronic feel of it, but I dont personally mind. At least it doesnt spin like its on ball bearings. I do enjoy the level of bokeh it offers, although at times, I can see poorly shaped balls. Not a huge deal, this is a relatively cheap lens that still does a really great job taking usable photos.
eniarrol –
Ive tried it in a classroom with no windows and did not need a flash. I bumped the ISO to 800 and it worked perfectly. I have to get used to the constant moving of the image in the view finder when focussing but the images just come out great. Trust the camera NEX7 it works well with this lens.I also took outdoors pictures. They came out as sharp I expected this lens to be at f16. I also used the shallow depth of field in a few portraits and the background was blured beautifully. The portrait was perfect.Great lens to have in your bag
jay –
I thought I knew everything….until a young friend told I need this. . Somehow I overcame my conceit and got one. It is 100 worth it. No Zoom NO Prooblem controll of depth of field is stunning . . color, speed no vignette, everything. Befor you spend 5001000 and More, start with this one.
Andy5654 –
Fun lens its gets the job done everyone thinks Im a professional but I have everything on auto its hilariousIm getting paid 500 for each gig easy money with this lens
f717 –
I purchased this lens for my a6300 and have been thoroughly pleased with the sharpness and how fast it is to focus. My Sigma 302.8 is a very sharp lens with great bokeh, but this Sony 501.8 takes almost no time to focusand the bokeh is amazing. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a great performing and budgetfriendly lens for their Sony mirrorless camera.
Luke –
I added this prime lens to my a6000 kit. The pictures are clean and sharp for an inexpensive lens. Until I got this lens I only had a 35mm macro prime lens and wanted a little more reach and this lens accomplished that objective. I would definitely recommend this lens.
Conor –
Having recently purchased an A6000 to upgrade from the A5000 and the SEL30F35 Macro lens I felt the need for a prime lens that offered a good fstop and a reasonable distance. This lens does this and some.The lens is indeed excellent for portraiture with the Zeiss lens offering great sharpness on the subject while offering fantastic shallow depth of field with its low f1.8 aperture, producing lovely photos of the girlfriend against all kinds of blurry, bokeh backgrounds. On the odd moment it works well as a macro lens as well provided you are a little distance away.What really makes this stand out though is the Optical Image Stabilisation OIS, or otherwise known by Optical SteadyShot OSS by Sony, giving you effortlessly clear shots as you move as it automatically focuses on what you want almost every time, not to mention it hunts easily and quickly in video capture. It should be noted that all this is incredibly useful on the Sony emount cameras where there is no touchscreen available.Manual focus through the ring is great as the big focus ring is easy enough to handle, though could be a little smoother and ever so slightly quieter.The shutter still provides noise which frankly Im fine with as I like to know the shot has been taken, yet the lens remains true in that there is no sound as it hunts and focuses.In all I cant fault the lens bar the cost of it. Thankfully I had it on Price Match, so if you can find a similar deal or if you have the spare rainy day stash I would urge you to highly consider this as a first lens
Gigi –
I bought this lens in after the birth of my granddaughter. I wanted professional looking portraits and this lens delivered. Mounted on a tripod with remote release, there is zero motion. I even take many pictures without a tripod and the pictures are clear and crisp. So many people say that there iPhones take pictures that are just as good, but they havent used this lens.
Jay at JP Video Pro –
I bought this lens for my Sony NEXEA50UH Camcorder the 18200mm Servo Zoom Lens has been more than disappointing. However, the camera itself is great especially with this lens. Very shallow depth of field, and still have full use the aperture and stabilization. Granted this lens is primarily used for interviews its still useful for other shots. It also has a great build quality. I give this lens 4 thumbs up
Teamkawi –
This lens is sharp and has fast auto focus AF. It is intended for close up shots but can be used in many ways. I use this as a portrait lens and occasionally on street photography. I do not recommend it if you do not have much space to back up like a room or event hall because it is a prime lens that is 50mm and pretty much it is zoomed in quite a bit. Ideal for portraits.
OCTRAINER –
I bought this based on a friends recommendation. He always takes such good photos. He also recommended that I learn how to shoot with a fixed lens rather than an adjustable one. I have already had a blast taking photos of my family and friends with this lens. I cannot believe the quality of some of the photos. It far exceeds my capabilities as a photographer and I cannot wait to use it some more
Gerald –
The combination of price, image quality, build, smoothness and image stabilization makes this lens a great buy. It takes some getting used to the 75mm equivalent focal length but after using for awhile, Id say this lens is great for street photography. The lens is acceptably sharp wide open but with smooth bokeh and a little bit of purple fringing. However, when stopped down to f4f8, the edge to edge sharpnessdetail is excellent with no or minimal CA and very minimal distortion. Although the autofocus speed is acceptable, it is smooth and the optical image stabilization is very effective which makes it great for video use. The only two things I wish this lens had is a closer focusing distance and if it came in black.
Jimothy H –
This lens looks great, feels great, and performs great. I love the shallow depth of field as well as the large aperture that allows for gracefully soft backgrounds and very sharpcrisp focal points…even in low light If you have a Sony A5000 or other emount, you should really have this lens as well. Its incredibly affordable for its performance.
rlesterusedgoods –
Simple design, electronic focus, no switches. Optics allow real sharpness, with a near silent af motor. Body is a light aluminium casing over plastics, this makes it low cost but also able to take a knock. Af is good, bokeh is pleasing, Ive enjoyed this model of lens a lot.
CreativeT –
Great for portraits This lens is a 75mm full frame equivalent. Its amazing on portraits and a must have in your arsenal. Gives that amazing bokeh look. With a 1.8 wide Open aperture, it gets great low light photography as well The nifty 50
Johnnyblack –
Much better quality than the Kit lens. If you own a kit lens and looking for nice low light picture. This is the cheapest Sony auto focus prime lens you can find.AF Quite slow in low light but priceperformance is great.
Josh –
Love this lense Great bokeh and auto focus is great for how cheap it is. Highly recommended
Gurvir –
Although this lens is almost twice the price of Canons equivalent, I think the money is worth it. This lens paired with the 18105mm F4 and 1650mm F3.55.6 on an a6300 is a solid kit that could cover almost everything you would need in my opinion. The construction is great as is the image quality.
ddrnold –
The quality and features you get from this lens for the cost are unbeatable, the SEL18105PZ being a close second. I think this has the best performance to price ratio for any lens Ive owned DSLR or Mirrorless. the autofocus is quick and silent, the lens is sharp from f4 and higher, it still performs well wide open, but is a bit soft. With all these features you still get OSS which lets you get usable shots with slow shutter speeds.
mariepier.h –
I simply hate this lens. Compared to the same focal on other brands, Sony didnt get the point to do a low cost but high quality 50mm like Nikon or Canon did. The autofocus does sooooo much noise. Its a bit odd since one of the point of going mirrorless is the absence of noise.
mel.b –
I am a huge fan of Sony cameras since they first began their digital point and shoot line. Their NEX line is fantastic and long lasting quality technology Love every NEX I have had and when I upgrade after years I just move to the next NEX model. I always stick with Sony lenses for my cameras as they crisp, clear, and well crafted.
STAN –
Excellent 50mm lens. Sharp and lightweight. Very good for portraits.
Kristine –
This is the first lens Ive ever bought and its awesome I learned from many articles and Youtube videos that the 50 mm f1.8 mm lens is great for portrait photography with a little bit of background and its perfect for me I used this for my brothers graduation ceremony and I had so many amazing pictures by the end of the night.Its a fixed lens and so Im the one who needs to move backwards and forwards depending on how close I want to get to my subjects. Its a little difficult indoors to get a far shot but its much easier outdoors.Ill probably look into an 85 mm lens next, but for right now the 50 mm meets all of my needs.
John –
The kit lens on my VG30 was a bit grainy when shooting a band in a lowlight club. This lens was a great solution. As a prime lens, it doesnt zoom, but it lets in so much more light that I can stand further away and zoom in FCPX or use cams digital zoom, which is the same a cropping in post. Beautiful bokeh when closeup. Image stabilization makes it a winner. Very, very pleased.
ALF –
This is the lens that really shows off my NEX5Ns abilities. Unprocessed RAW photos are super sharp with nice soft bokeh in the background. While not quite as sharp, it is still plenty good wide open so I can take indoor shots in natural light. The inlens optical stabilization lets me shoot as slow as 115 sec without burring, and even down to 18 if I anchor the camera. Like all NEX lenses, this one is wellconstructed with an allmetal barrel that should be quite durable. In low light, it takes longer for this lens to focus than the kit lens at equivalent focal length. Not sure why that is, given that the 50mm lens can open so much wider. This lens would be totally perfect if it was slightly less bulky. I have used other 5055mm lenses for APSC and 35mm film cameras, and none of them are nearly as long as the Sony. Perhaps this is the price one has to pay for inlens optical stabilization
TomsLV –
Most I use this lens indoors to take pictures of my newborn child. Results are just amazing with accurate bokeh, shallow DOF and it is excellent in low light, especially with the NEX5N it is great even at 1600 ISO First I used Nikon 85mm 1.4G via adapter, but this lens has even better results on highlights with very little Chromatic Aberration. This is perfect lens especially for such a reasonable price. The only thing that actually annoys me sometimes is the manual focus, as You I have to turn focus ring even several times in a row to get it into the focus. Although it ends up very precise, it is pretty difficult to focus manually, and I have lost the moment few times because of that. Sometimes it misfocuses when the AF is used, but it is rare. It has good Optical Stabilisation, so handheld photos in low light are not a problem at all. I Have not used the Nikon Lens and also I use my kit SEL1855 lens very rare, since I got this Lens, So I am sure that, If You own a NEX series body, You will not regret a penny if You buy this lens Highly Recommended
Nocturna4Life –
Since purchasing my a6000 four years ago Ive used only the two kit lenses. I finally decided I wanted a better lens for portraits and this lens works amazing for the task. The auto focus works very well and is fast on both my a6000 as well as my a6600 that I recently upgraded to.I purchased the lens as an open box item and have no regrets doing so. It is in like new condition with the original box and accessories.If youre looking for a good portrait lens for your Sony mirror less camera this is a great option that doesnt break the bank
ToshMeister –
My GOD this lens is GOOD That was my first impression. For its price, I dont think you can find a better lens for the Sony A Series. The bokeh is creamy as butter and the image quality is splendid. Ive used it for a couple of portrait shots and its the best Ive ever used Best decision Ive made when it comes to lens. BUY IT YOU WONT REGRET IT
John –
I bought this lens along with an a6000 body for a trip to Europe so will have more thoughts after that. But so far, it seems to produce sharp images with good color. The attached photo was taken in diffuse late afternoon light in aperture priority at f4. No complaints.
wb2trf –
I did some of my standard sharpness and bokeh tests with the Sony SEL 50mm 1.8, comparing it to my alternative favorite, the Canon FD 50mm 1.2. This Sony lens is very good, very sharp with very nice creamy bokeh. AF is very accurate. Over the last two days I shot about 200 frames of my grandchildren, my main subject, indoors, using it. Although I still need to get completely accustomed to shooting with it, it is pretty much everything I hoped for. It is notably sharper than the kit lens, which I have enjoyed using, and, of course, 1.8 vs. 5.6 at 50mm is a huge change. I think it is a great lens if you like to take existing light informal portraits indoors. This is my main use for the Nex.For background of my prior testing, in the past I have tested SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4, Mamiya Sekor 55mm 1.4, Minolta 50mm 1.4, Canon FD and FDn 50mm 1.4 and the Canon 1.2 50mm all on the Nex, all manual focus. Of these the Canon 1.2 50mm was clearly the best for sharpness and bokeh quality. I would say that the Sony 50mm is better than all those and comparablebetter than the Canon 1.2, except that the 1.2 has the additional aperture and the Sony has AF and IS. I expect that this new lens will be my main lens on the Nex, while sometimes using the kit when I need wide, and sometime using a 1.8 85mm Canon for informal portraiture of adults, who are more comfortable if the camera is a little further away.
Raoul –
Im using this lens on an A6300. After reading so much criticism of the kit lens I purchased the body without a lens, so I cant give a comparison. Focus is very fast positive. You have to understand that this camera needs vertical contrast in order to focus. It wont detect horizontal contrast. But in most realworld situations you wont have any problems. This lens feels well made and the hood mount positively for use and also in reverse for storage. If youre looking for a quality mild telephoto emount lens, this is the one you should consider. Images are sharp, with nice contrast………A
Hunter –
The f stop is 1.8 and creates a great background blur for photos. The OSS allows for steady pictures and videos with minimal effort. I previously had the other 50 mm lens without the OSS and did not like how easily it was to blur pictures and shaky video. Overall, great product and I am excited to take some pictures
Stuart –
After reading a few negative and positive reviewers thoughts on the lens, I made the decision to try. I am glad I did. The lens is small and lite, but delivers excellent image quality on my A7. The extra fstop given low light situations helped out with IQ and not needing a flash or adding ISO sensitivity. The pixel peeper in me, did show some softness at the extreme edges, as compared to the FE 55mm f1.8 ZA Zeiss, but its so much cheaper with minor IQ deltas. I like this lens Would I buy it again Yes.
C360 –
I purchased this lens to use as a portrait lens with my a6000 and 5n and have been very satisfied with the results It also works well to get closeups of a baby napping in a crib. Focuses quickly and does well in low light situations around the house. I only wish I had purchased it earlier when I bought the 5n I have the 24mm Zeiss as well and the IQ from this lens is on par with what I get from the Zeiss and with less out of focus shots while hand holding due to the OSS.
Bill –
I am new to mirrorless photography, having used Canon products for decades currently a 5D Mk III and T6s, and use 6 L lenses, so they are the standard for my comments. Mirrorless seems to have some distinct advantages, so I recently purchased an A6000 to play with and compare. Most of my work is event photography and landscapes, so two distinctly different elements. So far, while the electronic aspect of this gear is difficult for me to adjust to, the image quality of this lens paired with the APSC format sensor is quite good. This lens is great for both outside and interior portrait work. It compares quite favourably to the Canon EF 50mm f1.4. The Optically Stabilized feature functions well, compensating for the stop difference between lenses. Auto Focus responds well, with minimal hunting. Canon, you really need to pay attention to this. Bokeh is also comparable. I actually prefer the Sony to the Canon lens for inside event work, due to the OSS function and its comparable speed. For the investment, it is difficult to go wrong with this lens probably one of the reasons I had to wait for stock to be replenished before it could be shipped. My only criticism Sony, try including a case with your lenses. Your build quality is very strong, but you look chintzy compared to Canon, Nikon and Sigma, when the purchaser is required to buy every accessory except the lens hood. Mirrorless is a unique market, and you will attract a larger fan base through stronger support of this type. And B H my thanks for your usual superb service.
yani.c –
This lens is amazing for portrait shots I bought it as a second lens in addition to the lens kit included with my . I use it almost all the time, rarely changing it out because it takes amazing shots of sceneries and especially still objects, nature, pets, and portraits. It is ideal for upclose shots.
Judd –
Considering the price of this lens, any complaints I have are forgivable. The center is super sharp at f1.8, most of the frame by 2.8, and corner to corner at f4. Autofocus is usually very quick and completely silent only in very low light can it struggle to find focus quickly. Image stabilization works well… Im able to get clean images easily at 110 second handheld. The finish of the body is kind of prone to scratches and scuffs. Finally, although Im not a bokeholic, the bokeh this lens produces really is nice. Now I just wish Sony would produce some reasonably priced full frame primes
PLKNJ –
Sony has taken the lead in mirrorless and going with the lead are their beautiful lenses and this one is no exception. If you need a 50mm, which covers small groupings and portraits, then this is your choice.
ric7989 –
I got the lens a couple of weeks ago and I still havent used it low light. The photos I have shot are very sharp. I also have the Sony 35mm and both lenses are very sharp. I plan on keeping both for shooting in low light conditions. It is a durable lens and I believe it is worth the money if you plan on shooting in low light. If not save up for the newer Sony 1655mm lens.
Wann –
My first primeportrait lens. Picture images and video images look sharp and professional like. Played with it capturing images and was overall very impressed. The lens is a little bit slow to focus but not a deal breaker for me. The order came with a lens hood which is a plus. Hope you find this useful. Thanks.
Rachel –
This lens works very well for photographing my newborn grandson and my 3 year old grandson. Amazing photos in a compact lens. I was disappointed when the scheduled delivery through UPS was rescheduled and arrived three days later than originally scheduled. I specifically ordered through BH because of the quick delivery and my limited time visiting my grandkids. The lens was scheduled for Friday delivery and I received the lens the next Monday. Unfortunately, I left on Sunday and had to wait another week to photograph my new grand baby.
gus –
I use it primarily for portraits and my general carry around lens. Once I got a taste for the optical quality of this lens wide open, my SEL18200 a great lens took a back seat. The focus ring is very smooth, and has enticed me, coupled with the Nex7, into using manual focus again very happily, after a 20 year hiatus. Which gives me pictures consistently in focus, and I mean in focus. And did I say resolution which is probably partly due to the ability to focus critically Color, contrast, bokeh, and build quality are all superb, and for a price well below what I would expect to pay for this optical quality. Although this is not a macro lens, I often use it for very close work due the its resolution and ability to achieve critical focus manually on the Nex7.
wmsattny –
I am happy with this. Focus is sharp and quick. OSS works well. It seems precise and well made. It seems large, but this may be because my new mirrorless camera is so small.
Detroit –
Great for low light, good clarity. Dont expect closeup with 50mm. Its ok. Wish I had saved money and got something different.
Sswillinger –
This lens is a good quality 50mm lens with very good optics. Colors and contrast are very good. My only wish is that it was slightly more compact. The quality is better than the short zoom lens that comes as part of Sony a6000 kits, but the compactness of that lens is better. All in all, a good fix focal length lens in the Sony e mount line. It delivers on image quality.
Bashir –
Since i bought this lens i havent used any other lens with my FS100. The image quality surpassed my expectation considering the fact that its a SEL lens not an Alpha or a Zeis. Using this lens with the FS100 you will never need to worry about Low Lighting again. The depth of field is very shallow and once its focused it is extremely sharp even when previewing my shots on a 60 LED screen. The Focus ring quite large so it makes the manual rack focus very easy to manipulate. The only flaw that i realised was the speed of its auto focus. When the object in withing 10in for example its takes the camera around 2030 sec to find its focus point. but anything beyond that it rocks.
Gerald –
I bought this lens for my new A6300 and I have no regrets whatsoever. Its great in low light situations. indoors at ISO 6400 the pictures of my grandkids are sharp and bright. Outdoors is no exception. Its sturdy, well built, and and comes with a lens hood. I removed my kit lens in favor of this and its on most of the time. As others have mentioned, you do need to back ip a little for portraits, but so what Id purchase this again and again. With a 1.8 apature 50mm, its the best in my opinion for my needs and the price wont break your bank . Oh, did I mention the bokeh just a beautiful blurry background
polpetto10 –
the brightest medium telephoto for Sony nex systems at a super price. Optical really very light, and with a sharpness and a higher level of focus. The goal is already very sharp wide open, and closing to f 4.0 5.6 has a nididezza excellent, comparable to the model for full frame zeiss 55 f1.8, at a price of 14. The brightest and versatile optical systems nex kit. I can not find their own shortcomings in this respect. Highly recommended for portraits, both indoors and outdoors is able to provide excellent images, and more stabilized. Only fault, if fault can be said is the lens hood supplied a little ugly aesthetically, but still very effective. Even for video recording is perfect and smoothly, but with all the limitations that can give a short telephoto. This signal shall not exactly lacking in a Sony system, together with the zeiss 1670, and 55210 for the complete kit.
Phil –
Pros Good value for money lens with great range of f stops to allow great range of depth of focus.Cons No. Pretty good so far. Great results.
Denki –
This is probably my favorite lens so far even though its a prime lens, almost nothing stops me from just getting closer of farther away from my subject. F1.8 will give you a very nice shallow depth of field that will instantly make your pictures stand outDont think about it, just get it
Johnathan –
I mainly use my cameras for some candid portrait shots, cityscape photography and video. This lens does a great job with all of them. I noticed that there seems to be a tiny tiny amount of play with regard to the emount connection. I didnt notice that with the kit lens, so I need to read up a bit on whether that is just me or something that others have also noticed. Still, it doesnt really affect what Im doing. I do want to pick up the 35mm but need to wait since that one is quite a bit pricier. On the wish list
gaj4440 –
Nice prime for my a6000. Allows for faster shooting wide open at f1.8 and of course the bokeh for portraits. Dont think of it as just a portrait lens though, nature pics come out great with a tightly focused subject and blurred background keeping your attention where it belongs.
Chris –
Excellent piece of glass. High clarity, very nice bokeh. I actually returned the lens because the focal length was too long for my needs, but that was my mistake. Great for portraitsstreet photography. Not great for full body shots from close up. Would definitely consider repurchasing again in the future.
TVLnj –
A fast prime lens at this price is impressive. So far, its made me look like a professional with the casual shots Ive taken with it. The bokeh is absolutely gorgeous with the f stop wide open. If you have an a6000 or a6300, this is a musthave lens. Looking forward to trying in low light soon.