Lots of photographers love their Sony a7 IV. To support it, you need good lenses as your foundation. Good lenses cost a lot of money, but you can still get really worthwhile ones for less. We’re not talking about buying used like every YouTuber will recommend. Instead, we’re discussing brand new lenses! Here’s what we think is the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000. And more specifically, we’ve reviewed each of them.
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Table of Contents
How We Chose the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000 for Great Photos
Here’s some insight into how to use this guide to the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000 for great photos:
- 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.
- For this roundup, we’re focusing on full-frame lenses. If you’re shooting with an APS-C camera, then other lenses might be a great choice. Those lenes are also far more affordable. But specifically, this guide is the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000 for great photos using a full-frame camera.
- We’ve reviewed every lens for the Sony FE mount. You can take a look at our comprehensive guide right here.
- Sony calls the Sony a7 IV the basic camera. So we’re sticking with lenses that aren’t the highest end offerings. These lenses are all under $1,000.
- We’re focusing on some of the fastest lenses when it comes to autofocus. Just because you’ve got a G Master doesn’t mean we think it’s one of the best lenses for the Sony a7 IV. In fact, it might not focus as quickly.
- These lenses are all weather resistant. We’ve tested them in tough conditions, and they kept working.
- You’ll be very impressed at how these lenses perform in most cases.
- Of course, check out our review of the Sony a7 IV.
The best Lens for the Sony a7 IV Under $1,000: Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2
There are several reasons to like Tamron here. First off, there’s the longevity involved here. The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 is the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000 because of its versatility. It’s fully weather resistant and that means that the long term functionality will be ensured. Plus, you can update the firmware via a little USB port in the side of the lens. Beyond that, it’s lightweight. But most of all, the autofocus works perfectly fine with Sony’s and the image quality is pretty unique. This lens is really a no-brainer choice.
We think that photographers buying this lens will stick with it for several years. But we’re curious to see if manufacturers make more competition worthy of being called the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000.
PROS
- Beautiful image quality
- Works with Sony’s autofocus algorithms
- Weather sealing
- Integrated USB port
- Lightweight
- Feels great in the hands
- Works very well on older Sony cameras if you’re on the appropriate autofocusing type
- Can do pretty well in continuous autofocus
- It’s only $879
CONS
- Slower to focus on moving subjects with the a7r III, but not by much
- Needs a lot of extra help on the older camera bodies. Make sure you’re on the appropriate autofocusing subject type.
Tech Specs
These specs are taken from the LensRentals listing
| Angle of View | Diagonal 75° 23’- 32° 11’ (for full-frame mirrorless format)° |
| Aperture Blades | 9, Rounded |
| Aspherical Elements | 3 |
| Autofocus | Autofocus |
| Brand | Tamron |
| Compatibility | Full Frame |
| Filter Size | 67.0mm |
| Focal Length | 28.0-75.0 |
| Groups/Elements | 15/17 |
| Hood Included | Yes |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Item Type | Lens |
| Length | 4.6″ |
| Lens Type | Normal Range |
| Low Dispersion Elements | 4 |
| Max Aperture | 2.8 |
| Maximum Magnification | 1 to 2.7x |
| Mfr. Model Number | A063 |
| Minimum Aperture | 22.0 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.6feet |
| Mount | Sony E |
In our review, we said:
The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 lens is a follow-up to the previous version. It’s arguably more useful for those who shoot events and portraits. There are also improvements to the focusing speed, the built-in USB port, and more. Overall, the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 G2 is a very solid lens that we enjoyed using.
Other Great Options Worthy of Being CAlled the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000
Here are three other great options that photographers will enjoy. For some photographers, these might be the best lens for the Sony a7 IV under $1,000 for great photos because of image quality, balance, or affordability.
TAMRON 35MM F2.8 DI III OSD Macro
PROS
- Compact (although the Sony 35mm f2.8 Zeiss is still smaller)
- Lightweight
- Class-leading weather sealing
- Excellent image quality overall
- Very affordable (only $349)
CONS
- Plasticky build quality
- Low light autofocus is a tad slow
Our review said:
The colors rendered by the Tamron 35mm f2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F053) are accurate and vivid without being overly saturated. Under certain lighting conditions, the colors produced by the Tamron 35mm f2.8 can be downright painterly. Landscape and portrait photographers alike will appreciate the Tamron 35mm f2.8’s ability to accurately capture their subjects.
Sony 55mm f1.8 FE
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 state:
“Sony has some of the best color rendition around, and if you manage to get everything right in the camera, you’ll have very 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.”
Sony 35mm f1.8 FE
Pros
- Small
- Cost effective and under $800
- Weather sealing
- Sharp: very sharp
- Beautiful bokeh
- The best colors I’ve seen from a Sony lens
- Can focus very closely
- Fast aperture
- With AF-C on the Sony a7r III, it is fast enough for street photography
Cons
- Though this is minor, I wish Sony gave us a working distance and zone focus scale for street shooting
In our review, we state:
“Portrait photographers, event photographers, travel photographers, and street photographers will be thoroughly pleased with the results from the Sony autofocus system and the Sony 35mm f1.8 FE lens. Combine this with the quality of the imaging sensors and the fact that the operation can acquire focusing of moving subjects at f1.8 and you’ll see just how incredible it really is. At this price point, Sony is hitting the ball out of the park.”
