Last Updated on 03/03/2023 by Chris Gampat
There are a bunch of options when it comes choosing a Sony FE 50mm Lens. In fact, there are more options than ever before. Passionate photographers can reach for a higher end, premium lens or something a tad more mediocre. It all depends on your budget. Check out our guide to choosing a Sony FE 50mm Lens. And if you’re inclined, also take a look at our Sony FE Lens Guide and our Reviews Index.
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Editor’s Note: This blog post was updated in March 2023. This was modified to only include Sony’s own lenses as they make a myriad of 50mm lenses.
Table of Contents
Pro Tips on Selecting the Right Sony FE 50mm Lens
Here are some pro tips on getting the perfect Sony FE 50mm Lens:
- You honestly may not like the 50mm focal length at all. In that case, we invite you to check out the Sony 55mm f1.8 (it’s also on this list). This lens is also one of our Editor in Chief’s, Chris Gampat, favorite for the system.
- Be careful! Sony’s weather resistance hasn’t traditionally been as good as other camera brands’.
- Sony is huge on getting things clinically perfect. But, if that’s not your vibe, there’s a different Sony FE 50mm lens for you. Take a look through our guide.
- One of the best things about Sony is the AI algorithms used to detect faces of humans, animals, and birds. Keep that in mind when shooting.
- Just because a lens is more expensive doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you.
Sony 50mm f1.2 G Master
PROS
- Fast to use on both the Sony a7r III and the Sony a7r IV
- Weather sealing
- Nice render
- Very sharp
- Wow, Sony actually listened to us and allowed a little bit of flare in. Bravo!
- I think over $2,000 is a fair price
- Pretty lightweight
CONS
- A few autofocus issues with strong backlighting
- Two different hard function buttons are a bit odd
- Still has a render that’s nowhere as gorgeous as Canon’s
In our review, we said:
“The Sony 50mm f1.2 G Master is a fantastic lens overall. The autofocus performance is quick and accurate in lots of cases. It will serve street photographers, portrait photographers, and any other professional or passionate photographer well. As we saw, it’s also going to stand up to the elements pretty well. Within the FE lens lineup, it’s the fastest aperture lens. And it also has incredibly smooth bokeh, sharp optics, and decent color.”
Buy now: $1,999.99
Sony 50mm f1.4 G Master
PROS
- Beautiful image quality
- It’s sharp. And after a while, I started to realize that it’s not the Sony clinical sharpness that I’m so used to. Instead, it’s more classically sharp.
- Muted colors compared to so many other Sony lenses.
- Weather sealed
- Fast focusing on the Sony a7r V
- Very sharp on 24MP sensors and infrared conversions
- Lightweight
- 67mm filter thread to match a bunch of their other f1.4 primes
- Tracking people in good lighting is no problem in video mode.
CONS
- Plastic body, but not a bad build quality. We really like metal lenses here at Phoblographer.
- If you don’t want classic sharpness, you’ll hate this lens.
- Can surely suffer from autofocus problems in low light with higher megapixel cameras in the a7r series. Hopefully some firmware will fix this.
In our review, we state:
In terms of image quality, the Sony 50mm f1.4 G Master is sharper than the 55mm f1.8 up until f4 and beyond, where the two lenses are indistinguishable when looking at the images at 100%. We don’t encourage pixel-peeping here, and that’s where this gets even more fascinating. When you’re looking at the photos as a whole, the Sony 50mm f1.4 G Master and the Sony 55mm f1.8 look pretty much exactly the same. And so, photographers that want to walk the line between the classic 55mm and the 50mm f1.2 might want to reach for this.
Buy Now: $1,299.99
Sony 50mm f1.8
Pros
- Pretty decent image quality
- Affordable
- Small
- Fast to focus in good lighting
Cons
- Autofocus is very slow in low lighting even with the a7r II
- Autofocus is a bit louder than we’d personally like, though it’s still pretty quite in real life use
In our review, we said:
“The Sony 50mm f1.8 for the full-frame E mount system is a beautiful lens when it comes to image quality. Like other 50mm f1.8 lenses, that’s its strongest feature.”
Buy now: $248
Sony 50mm F2.5 G
PROS
- Compact size
- Fuss-free hood
- Aluminum build with weather-sealing
- Sharp photos — though maybe a little too sharp
- Good color
- Affordable
CONS
- “Just” an f2.5 aperture
- Mixed bokeh with the occasional edge or soap bubble effect
- Occasional colored fringing
- The similar 40mm focused a bit better.
In our review, we said:
“The Sony FE 50mm f2.5 G isn’t Sony’s most impressive 50mm — but it is only $600 and six ounces. For photographers who don’t want to lug around the new 50mm f1.2 G or cough up $2,000, the f2.5 is a good alternative. It’s plenty sharp with great color and won’t weigh down your camera bag.”
Buy now: $599.99
Sony 50mm f2.8 Macro
Pros
- Small size
- Sharp image quality
- Pretty darn close focusing range
- Smooth bokeh
Cons
- Loud focusing motors, so it isn’t so great for autofocusing video
In our review, we said:
“Here’s where I really am perhaps most pleased with this lens. The colors are very, very nice. They feel almost film-like.”
Buy now: $548
Sony Zeiss 50mm f1.4
Pros
- Incredible image quality
- Great build quality
- Wonderful colors
- 11 aperture blades give you bokeh that you’ll never stop drooling over
Cons
- Expensive
- Pretty big
In our review, we said:
“This lens is absolutely incredible at f1.4 when a flash’s output is added to the scene. Though I encourage everyone to use a flash when they can, even with natural light, it’s still pretty amazing. At f2.8 the lens becomes super sharp and even more so at f5.6 (where I personally find the best balance between bokeh and sharpness).”
Buy now: $1,498
Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 ZA
PROS
- Sharp images
- Creamy bokeh
- Weather-sealed
- Smooth & large focusing ring
CONS
- Lens hood adds a good amount of length to the front
- No depth of field scale
In our review, we said:
“Wide open, this lens will give you desirable results, and that only gets better as you stop down. For the bokeh connoisseurs out there, this is the lens to get.”
Buy now: $998