The best lenses for Sony A6000: here's my pick of best-buy lenses for Sony's slimline range of APS-C format A6000 camera
I think the best prime and zoom lenses for Sony A6000 camera should deliver great image quality and all-around performance, as well as being good value for money

I like the slim build of the APS-C format Sony A6000 body and its successors in the series. I feel that the best lenses should keep the same perspective when it comes to physical dimensions and weight. They usually come bundled with a kit zoom lens, ideal for general shooting. But sooner rather than later, you might want more telephoto reach, a wider viewing angle or a faster aperture for maintaining quick shutter speeds in low lighting conditions, or for isolating subjects within a scene with a tighter depth of field.
The best lenses for Sony A6000-series cameras come in different types to suit a wide range of different shooting scenarios, from general shooting, through landscape and portraiture, to candid street photography and even extreme close-ups with a macro lens. I’ve included a big selection in this guide, and I've personally tested all of them, so you can count on my recommendations to be accurate. Find out more about how I test lenses at the bottom of this guide.
While the lenses covered below are a great fit for the Sony A6000, they’re also entirely suitable for newer cameras in the series, including the A6100, right up to the A6700. To find out more about how these cameras compare, take a look at Sony A6000 vs A6100 vs A6300 vs A6400 vs A6500 vs A6600 vs A6700: how to choose.

Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews Editor. He has used practically every interchangeable-lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium-format cameras, so he has the expertise to select the best Sony lenses for you.
The Quick List
When I wanted to move beyond my kit lens, the 16-55mm G offered shooting convenience with sublime image quality. Read more below…
I think the extended zoom range of this lens, coupled with a fairly lightweight build, makes it a great choice for travel photography. Read more below…
Smart for stills, this Sony wide-angle lens packs a motorized ‘power zoom’ actuator, which works a treat for shooting video. Read more below…
This fast wide-angle prime is great for everything from landscapes and cityscapes to real estate and astrophotography, so I find it very versatile. Read more below…
Here’s a quality optic for when you have to keep up with fast-moving but distant subjects like sports and wildlife. Read more below…
This telephoto doesn’t have the reach of the 70-350mm, but it costs much less, and is surprisingly light and compact, which I like. Read more below…
View the full list ⤵
Add this prime to an A6000-series camera, and I've discovered a combo I can keep in a pocket, with great image quality. Read more below…
This prime lens provides lifesize magnification at an affordable price, but don’t expect too much from its non-macro shots. Read more below…
That wide aperture means I can achieve some dream-like bokeh blur, and autofocus and image quality are top-notch too. Read more below…
The best lenses for the Sony A6000
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Best everyday lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If you like the focal range of your kit lens but want to make a leap to something offering better image quality, this Sony G (Gold) lens fits the bill. The E 16-55mm f2.8 G lens is a sublime optic, with a constant f/2.8 aperture that gives you amazing shooting flexibility in all different lighting conditions. Images are sharp as a tack across the board; there's a little barrel distortion at the very widest end, but it's easy to correct with software.
You might feel the lack of optical image stabilization is a shame but the relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture makes this less of a 'must-have' feature. I think the cost is well-judged but it you feel it's too pricey, check out my next entry which gives a greater zoom range at a lower cost.
Read more: Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G review



Features ★★★★★ | It has a relatively fast and constant f/2.8 aperture, a function button and an AF/MF switch. |
Design ★★★★★ | The solid-feeling and classy construction includes weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Performance is excellent in all respects, although wide-angle distortion relies on auto correction. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pricey to buy but the quality and performance make it good value. |
Best budget everyday lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Sony's pro-level 16-55mm f/2.8 is a great lens, but it only has a 3x zoom range and it's pretty bulky. For half the cost you can get the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS, which is particularly travel-friendly when you only want to carry one lens.
It's cheaper than the 16-55mm G, it's got image stabilization built in and its zoom range is way longer with an equivalent span of 27-202mm. The lens is also compact and portable and still performs well at its telephoto end.
It has a narrower, variable aperture from f/3.5-5.6 but you'll only notice that in dimmer lighting. Like a lot of lenses, this one relies on digital as well as optical corrections, so you may need to check your raw processing software is applying a correction profile. This is a great lens that I love for travel and walkabout photography.
Read more: Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS review
Features ★★★★☆ | The versatile zoom range is top of the features list and the lens also has optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★☆ | Build quality feels pretty good but the lens lacks any weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | It’s good overall but long-zoom sharpness could be better away from the center of the frame. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s good value for a walkabout and travel lens with a generous 27-202mm ‘effective’ zoom range. |
Best wide-angle zoom lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
I feel this is a go-to zoom lens for both stills and video, entirely in keeping with the hybrid ethos of Sony A6000-series cameras. Sure, ultra-precise adjustments of the zoom mechanism can be a little tricky for stills, before you get used to using the lens, but the big upside is that super-smooth and virtually silent zoom transitions are available for shooting video, and the same goes for the autofocus system. Sticking with the power zoom a moment longer, I really like that the lens features both a rotary zoom control ring plus a zoom lever that enables constant-speed adjustments right down to really slow transitions.
There’s also a customizable focus-hold function button, which can come in handy. Another handling plus point is that both the zoom and focus mechanisms are fully internal, so the lens doesn’t physically extend or contract at any settings. That’s a big bonus when using a gimbal for shooting video.
Naturally, any lens is only as good as its optical performance and I like that the design features three aspherical elements, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and one aspherical ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element, delivering excellent sharpness and clarity, and contributing to the lens’s G (Gold) status.
Read more: Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G review



Features ★★★★★ | The videocentric feature set includes a power zoom and very useful zoom range, with a constant aperture. |
Design ★★★★☆ | There’s no aperture control ring but you do get a function button and the weather-resistant design is nicely compact. |
Performance ★★★★★ | It’s impressively sharp and the motorized zoom works really well for video capture. |
Value ★★★★☆ | Considering the up-market build quality, performance and handling, it’s good value at the price. |
Best ultra-wide prime lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
A small lens with a big heart and a big viewing angle, I love how this Sony 11mm shoehorns so much into the image frame. I find it ideal for everything from cramped architectural interiors to sweeping landscape vistas and cityscapes, while its fast f/1.8 aperture makes it equally adept for astrophotography. Buy one and it won’t be long before you wondered how you ever managed without it.
I really like that the lens is designed to be equally adept at shooting stills and movies, boasting two linear stepping motors that deliver super-fast autofocus for stills and smooth, virtually silent focus transitions for movies. The minimum focus distance of 0.15m shrinks to just 0.12m in manual focus mode, delivering a tight depth of field at f/1.8 for close-ups or using the lens for vlogging. Handling benefits from an AF/MF switch is featured and a customizable autofocus-hold button.
I also like that the lens is neatly compact and lightweight, ideally suited to slimline Sony A6000-series camera bodies. Even so, it packs quality glass including three aspherical elements and three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to optimize image quality, while build quality is convincingly robust, featuring multiple weather-seals.
Read more: Sony E 11mm f/1.8 review


Features ★★★★☆ | There’s a customizable function button and AF/MF switch but no aperture control ring. |
Design ★★★★★ | It’s a tough little cookie with a weather-resistant design and removable hood. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is very good but relies on automatic in-camera corrections for distortion and vignetting. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s quite pricey for an APS-C format prime lens but well worth the money. |
Best super-telephoto lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
I think this is a lens with real wow-factor. Take the 1.5x crop factor of A6000-series cameras into account and it gives an 'effective' zoom range of 105-525mm, taking you well and truly into super-telephoto territorty. The lens is ideally suited to fast-paced photographic genres like action, sports and wildlife as well as bird photography, making it a perfect partner for speedy A6000-series cameras.
The optical design includes an aspherical element and three extra-low dispersion elements, all of which contribute to superb image quality throughout the entire zoom range. Controls are customizable too, and Optical SteadyShot expands usability in low light. This is a fantastic lens for a very fair price.
Read more: Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS review




Features ★★★★★ | High-end features include a function button, AF/MF switch and optical stabilization. |
Design ★★★★★ | G-series quality comes to this APS-C format lens with up-market design and weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ | It’s impressively sharp and the XD linear motor-driven autofocus system is fast and snappy. |
Value ★★★★☆ | This is a pricey telephoto zoom for an APS-C format lens but worth the outlay. |
Best budget telephoto lens for A6000
6. Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If the Sony 70-350mm lens above is a little outside your price range, this 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS lens should be a better fit. Its maximum zoom range is a little shorter, but thanks to the 1.5x crop factor of the A6000 and other Sony APS-C format E-mount camera bodies, the lens gives an ‘effective’ zoom range of 82.5-315mm in full-frame terms, so it still gives pretty powerful telephoto reach at the long end.
This lens is light and compact for a telephoto, mostly thanks to the fairly narrow aperture rating, which shrinks from f/4.5 to f/6.3 as you extend through the zoom range. Physically, it enables a much better balance on an A6000 camera, though sharpness drops off a bit at longer zoom settings and could be better at the widest available apertures.
Best street photography lens for A6000
7. Sony E 20mm f/2.8 Pancake
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
So-called 'pancake' lenses are really popular for street and travel photography because they extend only a small distance from the camera body and can stow away in small bags or even jacket pockets. A mere slip of a thing, this pancake lens measures just 63x20mm and weighs a mere 69g.
The effective focal length of 35mm is ideal, and the outfit is small enough for you to shoot candidly without drawing attention to yourself. Like almost all prime lenses it lacks Optical SteadyShot but the f/2.8 aperture rating is faster than that of most zoom lenses.
The only catch is that, when shooting wide-open, sharpness is merely good rather than great and vignetting (darkened image corners) is quite noticeable. At apertures of between f/4 and f/8, though, the image quality really comes alive.
Best macro lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
This is both a nifty fifty and an affordable macro lens with 1:1 magnification. It’s not a Zeiss or a G Master, so it’s designed as an affordable workaday lens for amateurs and enthusiasts. That’s not to say it’s a poor performer – far from it – but with no aperture ring and a modest f/2.8 maximum aperture, I would characterize this more as a macro lens than a 50mm (even though that is the focal length).
If what you want is a fast 50mm prime for regular use, you would probably cross this off the list – but a great choice if you want to photograph insects, flowers or anything else where you want to get in really close for big magnification. Be warned that this lens is showing its age in terms of its autofocus performance!
Read more: Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro review
Features ★★★★☆ | Dual-purpose features make it useful as a standard/portrait lens and for macro shooting with full 1.0x magnification. |
Design ★★★★☆ | It’s a nice design but the inner barrel extends at shorter focus distances, eating into your working distance. |
Performance ★★★★☆ | Image quality is very pleasing and the lens is able to resolve extremely fine detail. |
Value ★★★★☆ | The autofocus range limiter is unusual for a 50mm macro but the lens doesn’t come cheap. |
Best portrait photography lens for A6000
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Portraiture and still-life can be a struggle with a crop-sensor camera, especially if you want nice creamy bokeh, giving a sumptuous smoothness to defocused areas. With an effective focal length of 85mm on a Sony A6000-series body, this becomes a classic lens for portrait photography, at a competitive price.
The f/1.4 aperture rating of the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | C lens enables a tight depth of field, enabling you to create beautifully blurred backgrounds, to isolate your subject. In my tests, I remarked that it’s well-built but small and light, and feels right at home on a compact mirrorless body. Even so, it goes large on performance, with rapid autofocus and superb image quality.
Read more: Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary review



Features ★★★★★ | The standout features are the 85mm ‘effective’ focal length and f/1.4 aperture, ideal for portraiture. |
Design ★★★★☆ | The lens is remarkably compact and lightweight but lacks weather-seals and there’s no image stabilization. |
Performance ★★★★★ | Performance is excellent, from great sharpness where you need it to smooth bokeh where you don’t. |
Value ★★★★☆ | It’s pricier than some Chinese competition from the likes of Viltrox but still very good value. |
Lab data and comparisons
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. You’ll notice that the Sony FE 50mm, E 11mm and E 16-55mm all score particularly well for sharpness, with the last of these putting in an excellent performance for a zoom lens. There’s not much in the way of color fringing but distortions can run pretty high, especially with the Sony E 11mm. As with many lenses designed for mirrorless cameras, some of those in this group rely heavily on automatic in-camera correction for distortion.
Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion. Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel distortion at its shortest focal length, which is less obvious when everything is averaged out. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, take a look at the graphs published in our full standalone reviews.
How to choose the best lens for Sony A6000
All A6000-series cameras use the Sony E lens mount. Sony’s own E-mount lenses have either FE or E in their model names, denoting a full-frame or APS-C format design respectively. All work on A6000-series cameras. Very broadly speaking, an FE lens will be heavier and more expensive than an equivalent E lens, but deliver better image quality. E lenses (again very broadly) will tend to be smaller and lighter.
For shooting at shorter focal lengths and wider angles of view – specifically kit lenses or ultra-wide zooms – you are probably better off with an E lens. The APS-C crop factor of A6000 cameras means that FE lenses offer a reduced angle of view, curtailing their wide-angle capability with the smaller sensor.
If you are buying a third-party E-mount lens, check whether the lens is designed for use with APS-C Sony cameras like the A6000 series, or with full-frame Sony bodies.
Check out our guide to the best Sony lenses if you want to know more
How we test lenses
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the centre of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as is possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).
We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World
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Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com
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