10 Lenses to Pair with the Sony a7r IV for Sensational Studio Shoots

If you’re going to ante up for the Sony a7r IV and you do a lot of studio shoots, you might want to consider using these incredible lenses.

The Sony a7r IV is going to be one powerful camera, and we’re sure many photographers will decide to splash the cash on the Full Frame Mirrorless beast once it hits stores later this year. If you’re a photographer who does a lot of studio shoots, and want to be able to get the best out of the 61 Megapixel sensor, you’re going to need lenses that can resolve a ton of detail. In this roundup, we take a look at 10 lenses perfect for studio shoots.

All of the lenses we selected offer incredibly sharp optics, fast apertures, blazing fast autofocus performance, and they are all built solidly. The lenses will be well suited to studio shoots, and will work on any Sony E Mount camera (not just the Sony a7r IV). So, if you want lenses that will help you produce gorgeous images during your studio shoots, you should consider the lenses we have listed below.

 

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Very affordable
• Extremely sharp
• Fast-focusing
• Stellar build quality

Cons

• May need some micro-adjustment out of the box
• No weather sealing

Buy now ($799.99): Amazon

 

Rokinon 50mm F1.4 AF FE

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Contrasty images
• Sharp photos
• Beautiful bokeh
• Metal feeling build on the exterior
• Autofocus that works pretty darned well

Cons

• Autofocus isn’t as fast as Sony’s
• Really wish it had weather sealing, but the price point isn’t really for that
• Pretty big

Buy now ($499): Amazon

 

Zeiss Batis 85mm F1.8

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Great colors, though the 25mm f2 edges it out. At the same time, these colors are a bit muted–as is what Zeiss will do with portrait lenses so as not to create too many issues with post-production
• Compact size for a lens like this
• Weather resistance
• Extremely fast and accurate focusing
• Very sharp, though many of Sony’s native offerings are sharper

Cons

• Only f1.8
• Skin tones rendered very blue for us and generally need to be warmed up
• The top LCD display is pretty useless on a focal length like this

Buy now ($922.19): Amazon

 

Pro Tip: Buying a new camera and new lenses can be costly: you’re going to want to make sure that your significant investment will last as long as possible. We can’t stress enough just how important it is to clean your gear regularly. At the very least you should have a basic lens cleaning kit so that you can take care of dirt, dust, and other debris that will attach itself to the front element of your lens. But we highly recommend having a full camera cleaning kit so that you can take care of all of your gear correctly.

 

Sony 85mm F1.4 G Master

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• 11 Aperture blades are the most of any autofocus portrait lens made so far
• Big, but very balanced with the Sony a7
• Aperture control around the lens is nice
• Fast autofocus performance
• Nice color rendition for portraiture
• The best bokeh of any 85mm lens we’ve tested
• Weather sealing
• Wonderful for skin tones

Cons

• Expensive

Buy now ($1,798): Amazon

 

Sony 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Great image quality in most situations
• Sharp performance, again in most situations
• Optical stabilization
• Fast-focusing performance
• Very silent stabilization
• Internal focusing design, and one that is pretty small for what it is. In fact, it’s about on par with a DSLR lens designed for the same purpose.
• Push/pull focusing ring
• Lightweight
• At last, a focusing scale that actually works!

Cons

• The colors just aren’t there compared to many of Sony’s other lenses. Perhaps this was done specifically for portraits, but you’re mostly going to rely on the capabilities of the Sony sensors–which are very good

Buy now ($1,098): Amazon

 

Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM Art

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Sharp
• Beautiful bokeh
• Fast autofocus
• Not as contrasty, so better for skin tones
• f1.8 aperture
• Weather sealing
• Not as heavy as the 85mm f1.4

Cons

• Not a darn thing

Buy now ($1,226.61): Amazon

 

Pro Tip: Having a quality camera, and sharp lenses are only part of the equation if you want to be able to produce breathtaking images during your studio shoots. Having quality lighting is just as important as well. Being able to control your lights remotely, and being able to dial in the exact power you need effortlessly will make your studio shoots go so much smoother. The Profoto B10 is hands down, one of the best lights we have ever used. Not only can you use this beauty in the studio, but you can also take it out on location with your thanks to the rechargeable battery. If you want killer lighting, you owe it to yourself to check out this light.

 

Sony 135mm F1.8 G Master

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Excellent image quality
• Preferred focal length for portraiture
• Dust and moisture resistant
• Sturdy magnesium alloy construction
• Lighter than most 135mm lenses on the market

Cons

• Lacks stabilization
• Priced higher than Sigma’s 135mm f1.8 Art lens

Buy now ($2,134.09): Amazon

 

Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Weather sealing
• Sharp optics
• Fast-focusing in pretty much any situation
• Nice bokeh
• Small and lightweight
• Considerably under $1,000
• More than good enough for what most photographers will need to do: there is going to be much less measurbation in this review than normal.

Cons

• Some folks may gawk at the fact that it isn’t a Sony G Master lens and will fetishize the G Master series in the same way Canon shooters put L glass on a pedestal vs. many others

Buy now ($879): Amazon

 

Sony 24-70mm F2.8 G Master

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent image quality
• Well built
• Lots of versatility
• Sharp output
• Fast autofocusing abilities
• Fairly compact for what this lens is

Cons

• We’ve seen better bokeh, but this isn’t horrible.
• Tends to be heavy, though not as heavy as Nikon’s and above everyone else’s offerings

Buy now ($1,864.59): Amazon

 

Pro Tip: If you have dreamed of having ultimate control over the lighting in any studio, you may want to check out this incredible photography tutorial. Shooting in a studio is one thing, but knowing how to light your subject correctly is another matter altogether. This complete guide from Tony Corbell (former presidential photographer) will show you how to harness the power of the lights in any studio so that you can create truly stunning portraits. This guide will take your skills to new heights, and it won’t break the bank.

 

Sony 70-200mm F2.8 OSS G Master

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

• Great image quality
• Nice bokeh
• Fairly compact for a 70-200mm f2.8 lens.
• Good build quality
• Can focus pretty fast with the latest cameras

Cons

• Pretty pricey

Buy now ($2,598): Amazon