There are some fantastic lenses for the Sony a7r V. But only a few are weather resistant, focus quickly, and provide incredible image quality. Of course, Sony users often demand the most clinically perfect lenses they can get their hands on. So we’re rounding up the best lenses for the Sony a7r V. And guess what? They’re all primes!
Table of Contents
How We Chose the Best Lenses for the Sony a7r V for Those Who Love Primes
Here’s some insight into how we chose the best lenses for the Sony a7r V:
- Our ethics don’t let us speak on products we haven’t fully reviewed within these style of roundups. Luckily, we’ve reviewed all of Sony’s lenses. And these truly are the best lenses for the Sony a7r V if you’re looking for primes.
- The best lenses for the Sony a7r V are weather resistant (at least the ones featured in this roundup).
- There’s a big emphasis on sharpness here more than anything.
- The Sony 55mm f1.8 is no slouch! You’ll be amazed at how sharp this little lens still is despite its age.
- In this list of the best lenses for the Sony a7r V, you can bet you’ll get great autofocus speed.
- Be sure to also check out our guide to Sony FE lenses. Also check out our Sony a7r V review.
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
What We Think
In our review, we state:
The Sony 50mm f1.2 G Master is a pretty great lens. I don’t see a reason to upgrade beyond the 55mm f1.8 if you own it already. If you’re a Canon camera owner, there’s also no reason to jump ship. But if you love the 50mm field of view and want the bokeh, spring for this lens.
Buy It
Pick it up at Amazon or Adorama
Sony 55mm f1.8
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
What We Think
In our review, we state:
Sony has some of the best color rendition around, and if you manage to get everything right in the camera, you’ll have little to worry about in post-production. The 55mm skews warm in most cases, but if that’s not your thing you can always fix it later. Also, the lens encourages chimping because you’ll want to see what you just took.
Buy It
Pick it up at Amazon or Adorama
Sony 135mm f1.8 G Master
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
What We Think
In our review, we state:
Bokeh-hungry photographers will find lots to love about the Sony 135mm f1.8 G Master. Thanks to its 11 bladed circular aperture design, the 135mm G Master is capable of producing beautifully creamy bokeh that helps to isolate your subjects from the rest of the frame. When shooting wide open, the bokeh will sometimes be oval in appearance. Photographers with a preference for more circular bokeh balls will want to stop the 135mm G Master down slightly to achieve that effect.
Buy It
Pick it up at Amazon or Adorama
Sony 14mm f1.8 G Master
PROS
- Weather sealed
- Great colors
- You can focus really close and get nice bokeh
- Autofocus is fast
- Small
- Lightweight
CONS
- It’s almost $1,600
- Shooting with this lens really did feel soulless.
What We Think
In our review, we state:
The Sony 14mm f1.8 G Master isn’t innovative in that it’s a fast wide-angle. Sigma has done this kind of lens for a long time now. Instead, it’s innovative in how lightweight and small Sony made it. Plus, it focuses incredibly fast. More importantly, this lens was made from the ground up for mirrorless cameras.
Buy It
Pick it up at Amazon or Adorama
Sony 35mm f1.4 G Master
PROS
- Lighter than competing lenses
- Fits in the palm of my hand
- Spectacular images
- Weather-sealed
- De-click aperture ring
CONS
- Pricey
- Some photographers won’t like the bokeh.
What We Think
In our review, we state:
With the wide-angle and wide aperture, bokeh balls are oblong towards the edges when the light source is close to the camera. This isn’t necessarily a goof on Sony’s part, but a result of the extreme angle that the light has to bend to enter such a wide aperture. This almost mimics a bit of the swirly bokeh of older lenses, even though the background itself doesn’t appear to twist. The cat’s eye bokeh is most obvious close to the camera, still present from a few feet away, and barely there at longer distances. In short, you’ll notice it in the foreground, but less so in the background.
Buy It
Pick it up at Amazon or Adorama
Sony 24mm f1.4 G Master
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- Weather sealed
- Superb image quality
- Outstanding edge to edge sharpness, even when shooting wide open
- Dreamy, circular bokeh
- Impressive minimal focus distance of 0.79 feet (0.24 meters)
Cons
- Slight color fringing (easily mitigated in post processing)
What We Think
In our review, we state:
In terms of sharpness, Sony knocked it out of the park when designing the 24mm f1.4 G Master. Areas in focus are consistently tack sharp, with no discernible degradation in sharpness when moving towards the corners of the image.
Buy It
Pick it up at Amazon or Adorama
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 in these roundups. 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.