Best Sony lenses in 2026: top E-Mount lenses for Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras
These are the best Sony lenses for the company's full-frame and APS-C format mirrorless cameras, covering everything from ultra-wide-angle to super-telephoto
Sony stole a lead on other manufacturers in the full-frame mirrorless market, and it’s had more time to build up a wide array of companion lenses to suit every need and budget.
I've always been a big fan of Sony’s top-flight G Master lenses. They’re big and beautiful, but expensive, designed to suit the best Sony cameras for professionals. These lenses aim for the ultimate in all-around performance and image quality, especially in terms of sharpness and bokeh. But they’re not for everyone.
Thankfully, Sony makes a range of much more affordable lenses that offer an ideal balance between price and quality, and are usually much smaller and lighter than G-Master lenses. They're perfect for accompanying some of the best travel cameras like the Sony A7C II or the Sony 6700. Sony splits its lenses into both full-frame (FE) and APS-C (E) lenses, but you can use full-frame ‘FE’ lenses on APS-C models too. I've also included a couple of Viltrox lenses in my guide, as I think they offer supreme bang per buck, and are comparatively affordable to buy.
So, without further ado, here are the lenses that I think are the best buys in all the major categories, for both full-frame and APS-C format Sony mirrorless cameras.
Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. Camera lenses are a prime area of his expertise, and consequently, we are fortunate enough to have Matthew as Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer. He has tested the vast majority of camera lenses on sale today – mirrorless and DSLR – including dozens of Sony lenses.
Best Sony lenses
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Best Sony standard zoom lens
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Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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Sony's flagship FE 28-70mm F2 GM is Sony's best standard zoom lens, so why isn't it my favorite standard zoom? Well, while the 28-70mm GM is undoubtedly a masterpiece of a lens – arguably the best full-frame zoom of any focal range you can buy right now – the 24-70mm GM II is very nearly as good, yet it's considerably cheaper to buy. Unless you've got money to burn, the 24-70mm GM II is still the smarter choice.
The FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II is one of the finest examples of the 'trinity' 24-70mm f/2.8 breed. I really like its sturdy, weather-sealed build quality and handling characteristics, with its customizable focus hold function button and switches for AF/MF and zoom lock.
The lens is packed with high-tech, high-precision optical elements, and I love that autofocus is blazing fast for stills and provides smooth and near-silent autofocus transitions during movie capture. There’s no optical stabilizer, but this is only an issue with first-edition Sony mirrorless full-frame cameras that lack in-body stabilization.
Image quality is spectacular in all respects. Even when shooting wide-open, I’ve found that sharpness is simply phenomenal throughout the entire zoom range. But if your pockets aren’t deep enough for such an expensive lens, other strong contenders include the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD G2, and Samyang AF 24-70mm f/2.8 FE.
Read our full Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II review
Features ★★★★★ |
Building on the success of Sony’s flagship ‘trinity’ standard zoom, the Mark II boasts extra features and redesigned optics. |
Design ★★★★★ |
Design extras include adjustable torque for the zoom ring, function buttons and a click/de-click aperture ring. |
Performance ★★★★★ |
Performance is absolutely top-drawer in all respects, from super-fast autofocus to sublime image quality. |
Value ★★★★★ |
It’s naturally pricey for a Sony G Master lens but the Mark II is nevertheless great value for money. |
Best Sony standard prime lens
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I always think that a ‘nifty fifty’ is an essential bit of kit. The Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 is the lens that is most suited to most Sony shooters who love the natural perspective of a 50mm prime.
Impressively light and compact, but not compromising one bit on optical quality, I was blown away by its spectacular center sharpness, even wide open at f/1.4. The 11-blade aperture and advanced element coatings produce smooth, creamy bokeh and keep color fringing virtually nonexistent. Focus speed is also hugely impressive – the dual XD linear motors provide instantaneous, whisper-quiet autofocus that never hunts, making it ideal for both silent event photography and video work. Features like a de-clickable manual aperture ring and dust/moisture resistance further cement its professional build quality.
If you don't really feel the need for the even faster aperture, added size, weight, and considerable extra cost of the Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master, then this FE 50mm f/1.4 is the one to go for.
Read our full Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM review
Features ★★★★★ |
Has all the features and trappings that I’d expect from a Sony G Master lens. |
Design ★★★★★ |
It’s pretty chunky for a 50mm f/1.4 lens, but the build quality is excellent. |
Performance ★★★★★ |
There’s some noticeable vignetting when uncorrected in-camera, but overall performance is superb. |
Value ★★★★☆ |
Sony G Master lenses tend to command a high price and this one’s no different. |
Best Sony telephoto zoom lens
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I’ve always found a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens to be arguably the most essential zoom, even for those who generally shoot with primes, and the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master OSS is a seriously top-flight option.
I'm impressed that the feast of glass includes a double-sided XA (Extreme Aspherical) element, two other aspherical elements, four ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, and two Super ED elements. For tracking action, I also love the super-fast autofocus system, based on dual linear motors plus an RDSSM (Ring Drive Super Sonic wave Motor).
Handling is refined, with an autofocus range limiter, customizable focus hold buttons, and dual-mode stabilization for static and panning shots. For a more lightweight option, I also love the compact Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD, while the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is a more conventional ‘budget’ telephoto zoom.
Read our full Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS review
Features ★★★★★ |
A rank of function buttons, an autofocus range limiter, and dual-mode optical stabilization are just some of the high-end features. |
Design ★★★★★ |
It’s designed and built as a fully pro-grade telephoto lens with a white finish and a rock-solid construction. |
Performance ★★★★★ |
Performance is excellent, from the speed and accuracy of autofocus, through reliable stabilization to superb image quality. |
Value ★★★★☆ |
Shop around and this lens is often available for about two-thirds of the price of the newer Mark II edition. |
Best Sony APS-C standard zoom lens
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There is an older Sony Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS, which is cheaper and lighter than this lens and has optical stabilization, but the maximum aperture is f/4, so the newer Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G is, I think, the best standard zoom for Sony APS-C cameras. As a standard lens with a classic zoom range, the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G ticks nearly all the right boxes.
It delivers sumptuous image quality. Central sharpness is epic even wide open, paired with superb contrast, pleasant bokeh, and excellent resistance to flare thanks to the Nano AR coating. Its XD linear motor drives incredibly fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus, making it fantastic for stills and video. The build quality feels sturdy, featuring full weather sealing, a fluorine front coating, and a customizable focus-hold button.
Handling is very refined, with the addition of a customizable focus hold button, strong build quality, and weather seals. Autofocus is super-fast and deadly accurate. The only drawbacks are that the lens lacks optical stabilization (which requires relying on in-body stabilization) and it suffers from heavy uncorrected barrel distortion at 16mm. However, automatic in-camera and raw software corrections easily resolve the distortion issue. It is a bit pricey, but the performance makes it a premium choice. Overall, I simply love this lens.
Read our full 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 Sony portrait lens
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The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II is unquestionably a great lens, but last time I checked, it was about three times the price of this directly competing Viltrox prime. The Sony is simply too expensive for most of us to consider, unless we're professional portrait photographers or have very deep pockets. This Viltrox lens goes toe to toe in many respects, living up to its ‘pro’ credentials. Build quality feels rock-solid and features extensive weather seals, and handling is a dream. It comes complete with an aperture control ring that has an accompanying click/de-click switch, and there’s a customizable function button that I tend to use for AF-hold.
High-grade optics comprise 15 elements arranged in 11 groups, featuring three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, no less than nine HRI (High Refractive Index) elements, and one aspherical element. HD Nano multi-layer coatings are applied to minimize ghosting and flare, and a keep-clean fluorine coating is applied to the front element.
Autofocus comes courtesy of a VCM (Voice Coil Motor), which is both very rapid and virtually silent in operation, as well as ensuring super-smooth autofocus transitions if your portraiture turns to video capture. Image quality is simply gorgeous, with ultra-crisp sharpness and clarity coupled with beautifully smooth bokeh.
Read our full Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro review
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Features |
There are plenty of features on tap, including a click/de-click aperture control ring and function button. |
★★★★★ |
Design |
The design works really well, from the robust metal weather-sealed build to the controls and VCM autofocus system. |
★★★★★ |
Performance |
The lens does well to combine excellent sharpness with soft and dreamy bokeh, ideal for portraiture. |
★★★★★ |
Value |
At about a third of the price of Sony's own-brand 85mm f/1.4 lens, the Viltrox is outstanding value. |
★★★★★ |
Best Sony super-telephoto zoom lens
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Fast super-telephoto lenses for full-frame cameras are always expensive, but I like that the more modest aperture rating of the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS makes it relatively affordable. I think this lens has a real wow factor. Sure, it’s not a G Master optic, but it looks and handles great.
It’s naturally pretty big and heavy but entirely viable for handheld shooting, helped along by effective Optical SteadyShot. I'm also impressed by the fast autofocus system, which is adept at tracking fast-paced action in sports and wildlife photography, for which the lens is ideal. All in all, it delivers sharp shots time after time, with an excellent hit rate.
Read our full Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS review
Features ★★★★★ |
There are all the up-market controls, switches and handling extras you could hope for. |
Design ★★★★★ |
It’s a necessarily big lens but less of a heavyweight than some, along with robust build quality. |
Performance ★★★★★ |
Image quality is great throughout the entire zoom range, with effective stabilization and fast autofocus. |
Value ★★★★☆ |
It’s pricier than the alternative Sigma lens but not bad value for an own-brand Sony G zoom. |
Best Sony ultra-wide zoom lens
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Completing the trinity of f/2.8 constant-aperture zooms, the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master hits the wide-angle spot. I love that this lens actually goes wider than many competitors, delivering a really extreme 122-degree diagonal angle of view paired with a fast, constant f/2.8 aperture; it is an incredible tool for astrophotography, landscape, and architectural interior photography.
Optically, the lens boasts edge-to-edge sharpness across the frame – even wide open at 12mm – along with its incredible resistance to ghosting and flare thanks to the Nano AR Coating II. Four XD linear motors deliver whisper-quiet, lightning-fast autofocus that easily tracks moving subjects. Despite its complex build featuring three XA elements and robust weather-sealing, I found it reasonably lightweight and manageable at 847g (1.87 lbs).
Downsides are that the built-in petal lens hood is non-removable and lacks standard front filter threads, requiring rear gel filters instead. You will also spot some barrel distortion and vignetting at 12mm wide open, though in-camera corrections easily mitigate this. While it comes with a high price tag, I found its superb image quality, stellar performance, and unmatched versatility make it worth every penny for serious creators, earning its G Master credentials.
Even so, I wouldn’t rule out the Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G zoom, which gives the same ultra-wide viewing angles but is an f/stop slower. And if you don’t feel the need to go so ‘ultra-wide’, the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD is an excellent budget-friendly alternative.
Read our full Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master review
Features ★★★★★ |
The lens features no less than three XA (eXtreme Aspherical) elements) and other specialist glass, plus a new Nano AR Coating II. |
Design ★★★★★ |
Pro-grade build quality is the order of the day but the lens isn’t overly heavy. The hood is typically integral but there’s a gel filter holder at the rear. |
Performance ★★★★★ |
Autofocus is super-fast, image quality is impeccable with superb sharpness and resistance to ghosting and flare. |
Value ★★★★☆ |
It’s much pricier than the competing 14-24mm f/2.8 Sigma lens but goes even wider for viewing perspective. |
Best Sony lens for street photography
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For street photography and when I’m on walkabout or traveling, I really like lenses that are compact to stash, lightweight to carry, and make my camera inconspicuous for candid shooting. At less than an inch thick and tipping the scales at a mere 6oz, this Viltrox lens ticks all the right boxes, qualifying as a ‘pancake prime’.
I also have an older Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens in my collection, but the relatively new 26mm is much more sophisticated. It adds a manual focus mode instead of being limited to autofocus, and has a fully adjustable aperture diaphragm instead of a fixed f/4.5 aperture.
I love the generously wide-angle 26mm focal length for street and travel photography, and there’s more. I like that the lens is full-frame compatible but that I can also use it in crop mode, or on APS-C format camera bodies, where it gives an entirely natural perspective, equating to an ‘effective’ 39mm focal length.
Either way, the actual or effective focal length is coupled with a fairly fast f/2.8 aperture that enables quick shutter speeds for freezing motion, even under dull lighting conditions. That adjustable diaphragm that I mentioned also comes with a physical aperture control ring, which is a neat handling extra. Best of all, the tiny Viltrox delivers excellent sharpness and clarity, punching well above its weight in terms of performance.
Read our full Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 Evo review
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Features ★★★★★ |
The feature set might not look overly exotic but in the context of a pancake lens, it’s relatively rich with stepping motor autofocus and focus/aperture control rings. |
Design ★★★★★ |
Build quality feels very sturdy, with an all-metal construction and weather-sealed mounting plate. The design manages to shoehorn useful features and high-end handling into an ultra-compact build. |
Performance ★★★★½ |
Performance is impressive by any standards and image quality is outstanding for a pancake lens, with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, great clarity and well-controlled aberrations. |
Value ★★★★★ |
The lens costs about three times as much as the previously launched Viltrox 28mm lens but I reckon it’s more than three times as good, making it great value. |
Best Sony macro lens
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Sony’s time-honored FE 90mm macro lens has been looking a bit old and tired for some time now. Enter the new FE 100mm, which is everything I’d hope for (and more) in a top-end macro lens. For starters, it goes extra-large on maximum magnification, boasting 1.4x magnification at its minimum focus distance, instead of the more usual 1.0x. And if that’s still not enough, you can boost it to as much as 2.8x for revealing near-microscopic levels of detail if you add a 2x teleconverter.
While the maximum magnification is highly impressive, there’s a lot more to this lens than just acting as a magnifying glass for your Sony A7R VI. There’s a smorgasbord of handling exotica, including a calibrated manual focus scale (I typically prefer manual focusing for macro shooting), an AF/MF switch, focus range limiter, stabilizer on/off, and an iris lock switch to go with the aperture control ring.
High-performance glass includes two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two XA (eXtreme Aspherical) elements, along with a particularly well-rounded 11-blade aperture diaphragm. Nano AR Coating II and fluorine coatings are also applied. The lens isn’t a one-trick pony either. Great for portraiture or just as a short telephoto prime, it has no less than four XD (eXtreme Drive) linear motors to power its fast and virtually silent autofocus system.
Read our full Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS review
Features ★★★★★ |
Advanced features include four XD autofocus motors, an aperture ring with a de-click switch, refined manual focusing and Optical SteadyShot. |
Design ★★★★★ |
The design is something of a masterstroke, packing 1.4x macro magnification into a reasonably compact lens with top-end handling characteristics and weather-seals. |
Performance ★★★★★ |
The lens is super-sharp and delivers fabulously detailed macro images, along with fast autofocus and great quality in general shooting. |
Value ★★★★☆ |
It’s undeniably expensive for a macro lens but this Sony really is something rather special, making it good value at the price. |
Best Sony APS-C telephoto zoom lens
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I absolutely love the Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS. Delivering a massive 105-525mm equivalent reach on full-frame cameras, it is the ideal companion for wildlife, sports, and outdoor action. Weighing just 625g (1.38 lbs), it offers impressive portability for a lens with such incredible zoom capability.
Image sharpness and contrast are impressive throughout the entire 5x zoom range, even when shooting wide open. The XD linear motor provides super-fast, accurate, and virtually silent autofocus performance that tracks moving subjects seamlessly. The weather-sealed build feels robust, featuring a customizable focus-hold button and built-in Optical SteadyShot (OSS) stabilization.
I did observe a few minor limitations: the maximum aperture of f/4.5-6.3 is relatively narrow, which may require higher ISO settings in low-light environments. The optical stabilization also delivered fairly average performance (around three stops), and uncorrected images show some pincushion distortion – although, with automatic camera corrections enabled, this is easily managed. Overall, this is a lens that’s big on performance but refreshingly small and lightweight for handheld shooting.
Read our full 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. |
Lab test data and comparisons
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions. We take photos of Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts, then use the Imatest Master testing suite to analyze sharpness, distortion, and chromatic aberrations at the centre of the image frame, corners, and mid-point distances across the range of aperture settings (up to f/22).
The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. For zoom lenses, we repeat our test at the widest and longest ends of the zoom range, plus intermediate 'mid-wide' and 'mid-telephoto' settings. Use the dropdown menus to select between them (for primes, the same data appears on all graphs for ease of comparison). Only full f-stops are labelled on the X-axis for sharpness, so, for example, an f/1.2 or f/6.3 lens would correlate to f/1 and f/5.6, respectively.
Two of Sony's prime lenses lead the way for sharpness, namely the 50mm f/1.4 standard prime and the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. However, all the lenses in the group are very good performers in this respect. The Sony 200-600mm super-tele zoom is the least impressive for control over color fringing, but it's still pretty minimal. The huge amount of barrel distortion for the APS-C format Sony 16-55mm at its most wide-angle setting looks pretty alarming. To be fair, though, most modern mirrorless lenses that are designed with compactness in mind rely heavily on automatic in-camera corrections, and this Sony zoom follows suit.
For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.
Center sharpness
Use the dropdown menu to select between wide-angle, mid-wide, mid-tele, and telephoto zoom settings
| Timestamp (f-stop) | Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II () | Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM () | Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS () | Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G () | Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro () | Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS () | Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM () | Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO () | Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS () | Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS () |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | 3078 | N/A | N/A | 2230 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | N/A | 3371 | N/A | N/A | 2359 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | 2500 | 3488 | 1753 | 2299 | 2884 | N/A | 2860 | 2042 | 2759 | N/A |
| 4 | 2726 | 3245 | 1948 | 2281 | 2847 | N/A | 2784 | 2455 | 2982 | 1891 |
| 5 | 2562 | 3052 | 2135 | 2107 | 2429 | 2199 | 2548 | 2492 | 2993 | 2025 |
| 6 | 2465 | 2591 | 2086 | 1955 | 2310 | 2435 | 2365 | 2265 | 2668 | 1849 |
| 7 | 2133 | 2238 | 1885 | 1594 | 1859 | 2144 | 2149 | 1942 | 2207 | 1558 |
| 8 | 1790 | 1766 | 1681 | 1250 | 1542 | 1759 | 1763 | 1650 | 1763 | 1315 |
| 9 | 1430 | N/A | 1387 | 975 | N/A | 1348 | 1276 | N/A | 1365 | 967 |
| Timestamp (f-stop) | Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II () | Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM () | Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS () | Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G () | Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro () | Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS () | Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM () | Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO () | Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS () | Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS () |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | 3078 | N/A | N/A | 2230 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | N/A | 3371 | N/A | N/A | 2359 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | 2711 | 3488 | 1775 | 2059 | 2884 | N/A | 3143 | 2042 | 2759 | N/A |
| 4 | 2978 | 3245 | 2236 | 2116 | 2847 | N/A | 2917 | 2455 | 2982 | N/A |
| 5 | 2868 | 3052 | 2380 | 2015 | 2429 | 2254 | 2723 | 2492 | 2993 | 1856 |
| 6 | 2545 | 2591 | 2084 | 1933 | 2310 | 2416 | 2519 | 2265 | 2668 | 1915 |
| 7 | 2228 | 2238 | 2103 | 1642 | 1859 | 2187 | 2223 | 1942 | 2207 | 1609 |
| 8 | 1768 | 1766 | 1698 | 1265 | 1542 | 1788 | 1769 | 1650 | 1763 | 1279 |
| 9 | 1389 | N/A | 1362 | 958 | N/A | 1339 | 1318 | N/A | 1365 | 985 |
| Timestamp (f-stop) | Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II () | Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM () | Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS () | Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G () | Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro () | Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS () | Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM () | Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO () | Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS () | Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS () |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | 3078 | N/A | N/A | 2230 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | N/A | 3371 | N/A | N/A | 2359 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | 2760 | 3488 | 2170 | 1772 | 2884 | N/A | 3145 | 2042 | 2759 | N/A |
| 4 | 3017 | 3245 | 2406 | 1967 | 2847 | N/A | 2972 | 2455 | 2982 | N/A |
| 5 | 2862 | 3052 | 2246 | 2033 | 2429 | N/A | 2686 | 2492 | 2993 | 1808 |
| 6 | 2624 | 2591 | 2063 | 1924 | 2310 | 2366 | 2513 | 2265 | 2668 | 1885 |
| 7 | 2203 | 2238 | 1946 | 1592 | 1859 | 2170 | 2090 | 1942 | 2207 | 1544 |
| 8 | 1777 | 1766 | 1616 | 1270 | 1542 | 1789 | 1743 | 1650 | 1763 | 1257 |
| 9 | 1372 | N/A | 1343 | 966 | N/A | 1394 | 1354 | N/A | 1365 | 959 |
| Timestamp (f-stop) | Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II () | Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM () | Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS () | Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G () | Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro () | Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS () | Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM () | Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO () | Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS () | Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS () |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | 3078 | N/A | N/A | 2230 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | N/A | 3371 | N/A | N/A | 2359 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | 2542 | 3488 | 1972 | 2042 | 2884 | N/A | 2824 | 2042 | 2759 | N/A |
| 4 | 2604 | 3245 | 2531 | 2281 | 2847 | N/A | 2553 | 2455 | 2982 | N/A |
| 5 | 2723 | 3052 | 2713 | 2141 | 2429 | N/A | 2467 | 2492 | 2993 | 1658 |
| 6 | 2533 | 2591 | 2068 | 1973 | 2310 | 2261 | 2550 | 2265 | 2668 | 1399 |
| 7 | 2268 | 2238 | 2062 | 1614 | 1859 | 2041 | 2066 | 1942 | 2207 | 1419 |
| 8 | 1807 | 1766 | 1709 | 1294 | 1542 | 1711 | 1770 | 1650 | 1763 | 1202 |
| 9 | 1408 | N/A | 1312 | 995 | N/A | 1359 | 1368 | N/A | 1365 | 939 |
Fringing @ f/8
Use the dropdown menu to select between wide-angle, mid-wide, mid-tele, and telephoto zoom settings
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 0.2 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 0.27 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | 0.1 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.32 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | 0.13 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.12 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 0.36 |
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 0.09 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 0.19 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | 0.16 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.32 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.11 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | 0.12 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.12 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 0.36 |
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 0.1 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 0.14 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | 0.33 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.32 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.14 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | 0.15 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.12 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 0.37 |
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 0.29 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 0.18 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | 0.33 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.32 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.13 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | 0.06 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | 0.44 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.12 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 0.39 |
Distortion
Use the dropdown menu to select between wide-angle, mid-wide, mid-tele, and telephoto zoom settings
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | -1.92 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 1.06 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | -1.41 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | -8.54 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.58 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.56 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | -3.2 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | -2.14 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.28 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 3.92 |
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 0.67 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 1.06 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | -0.09 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | -2.61 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.58 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.92 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | -0.71 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | -2.14 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.28 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 4.16 |
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 1.75 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 1.06 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 1.09 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | 0.61 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.58 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.96 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | 0.7 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | -2.14 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.28 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 3.56 |
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II | 1.81 |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 1.06 |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 2.2 |
| Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G | 1.97 |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro | 0.58 |
| Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | 1.87 |
| Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM | 1.14 |
| Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 EVO | -2.14 |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 0.28 |
| Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS | 2.03 |
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments. We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as 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 autofocus speed and the overall quality of the images produced.
Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World
How to choose the best Sony lens
Do I need OSS?
Optical SteadyShot can be really useful if your Sony camera doesn’t feature IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization). It’ll help counteract the effects of camera-shake and ensure you get sharp handheld shots more consistently with slow shutter speeds. IBIS tends to be less effective when shooting with telephoto lenses, so OSS is often featured in this type of lens regardless.
What’s the APS-C crop factor?
Sony’s APS-C cameras have an image sensor that’s the same size as a frame of ‘Advanced Photographic System type C’ film. That’s somewhat smaller than a frame of 35m film, on which full-frame digital cameras are based. The outcome is that the ‘crop factor’ gives a 1.5x magnification in the focal length of lenses. For example, a 50mm lens will give the same field of view as using a 75mm lens on a full-frame camera.
How do I tell if a lens is full-frame compatible?
It can be tricky for the uninitiated to recognize the difference between Sony lenses that are made for full-frame or APS-C format cameras. The clue is in the title. APS-C format lenses have an ‘E’ prefix, whereas full-frame compatible lenses have an ‘FE’ prefix. Bear in mind though, that you can shoot with E lenses on full-frame cameras in crop mode, and with FE lenses on APS-C cameras with no limitations.
Zoom or prime?
Sometimes it’s hard to decide whether a zoom lens or a prime lens will be a better buy. Zoom lenses tend to be more versatile, as they cover a broad spread of focal lengths. However, there’s a lot to be said for the prime lenses, which generally have a wider or ‘faster’ aperture rating and are often relatively small and lightweight. 35mm, 50mm and 85mm prime lenses are particularly popular for street photography, general shooting and portraiture, respectively.
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Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners!
His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related.
In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.
- Gareth BevanReviews Editor