The best Sony lenses in 2019: top lenses for Sony mirrorless and Alpha cameras

The best Sony lenses are very good indeed, but come with a price tag to match. We've tried to balance this up with a selection of lenses for different budgets and different users. 

Sony cameras are amongst the best mirrorless cameras you can buy, so it makes sense to choose the best lenses you can afford. If you have an APS-C Sony E camera, for example, you're probably not going to want to stretch to a full frame G Master lens. Our list also caters for Sony's older Alpha format – just hop on over to page 2: Sony Alpha lenses to see our top recommendations.

You'll also have spotted that Sony cameras come in both full frame and APS-C models. Broadly speaking, the full frame models are amongst the best cameras for professionals, while the APC-S models are more for hobbyists and enthusiasts. 

You can use full frame lenses on the APS-C cameras and very often this is the best choice for telephotos, macro lenses and other longer focal length options. But with standard zooms and ultra-wide lenses you must get a lens designed for that format, so we've split full frame lenses and APS-C lenses into two sections to make this more clear. We do have a specific guide to the best lenses for Sony A6000 cameras, by the way.

Read more: The best Sony cameras right now

There’s a wealth of prime and zoom E-mount lenses available, ranging from ultra-wide-angle to super-telephoto. Some up-market lenses are produced in conjunction with legendary optical manufacturer Zeiss, and Sony now also produces its own premium ‘G’ and top-flight ‘G Master’ lenses. These aim for the ultimate in all-round performance and image quality, especially in terms of sharpness and bokeh (the quality of defocused areas within images).

Various autofocus systems are employed in Sony lenses, the more advanced being STM (Stepping Motor), LM (Linear Motor), DDSSM (Direct Drive Super Sonic wave Motor) and RDSSM (Ring Drive Super Sonic wave Motor). Typically, SSM systems are used to move relatively large and heavy groups of elements, while STM and LM systems generally offer virtually silent operation and smooth autofocus transitions during movie capture.

Many of Sony’s lenses also feature optical image stabilization, by the name of OSS (Optical SteadyShot). The system can work on its own or in conjunction with sensor-shift stabilization, as featured in some of Sony’s latest cameras. All of Sony's full-frame mirrorless cameras have image stabilization built in, but out of the APS-C models, it's only the A6500 and A6600 that have in-built stabilization.

Note: We've arranged these lenses in order of focal length, with the shortest first and the longest lenses and telephotos at the end, so that it's easier to find the lenses you're looking for.

The best lenses for Sony E-mount cameras

Full frame FE-mount lenses

1. Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 16-13 | Diaphragm blades: 11 | Autofocus: DDSSM | Stabilizer: No | Min focus distance: 0.28m | Max magnification: 0.19x | Filter thread: 82mm | Dimensions (WxL): 89x122mm | Weight: 680g

Featuring exotic glass that includes two ultra-high-precision XA (Extreme Aspherical) elements, the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master is Sony’s top-quality wide zoom. Other highlights include nano-structure coatings, a keep-clean fluorine coating on the front element, and extensive weather-seals. There’s a fast and constant f/2.8 aperture and, when stopping down, the aperture remains extremely well-rounded thanks to an 11-blade diaphragm. The DDSSM autofocus system is incredibly accurate and the lens also features a customisable focus hold button on the barrel. If you want to buy the best for your Sony A7 or A9 camera, this is it.

2. Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS 

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 17/14 | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: DDSSM | Stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.38m | Maximum magnification: 0.31x | Filter thread: 77mm | Dimensions (WxL): 83x113mm | Weight: 663g

The Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS isn’t Sony’s ‘best’ standard zoom lens for its full-frame cameras. However, compared with the top-flight Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master, this lens is smaller, lighter and feels better balanced on A7 series bodies. It also has a more generous zoom range and adds optical stabilization which is lacking in the bigger lens, and it only costs about two-thirds of the price. Sure, you lose an f/stop in aperture rating compared with the G Master lens, but as a versatile zoom for everyday shooting, we’d go for the 24-105mm every time.

3. Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS

Mount: Sony E | Elements/groups: 17/12 | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: LM | Stabilizer: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.5-0.8m | Max magnification: 0.27x | Filter thread: 72mm | Dimensions (WxL): 81x119mm | Weight: 780g

Rightly or wrongly, many digital photographers hate swapping lenses on their camera and exposing the image sensor to the elements. With its 10x zoom range, this Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS lens stretches all the way from seriously wide-angle viewing to generous telephoto reach – so this could be the only lens you would ever need. As with most ‘superzoom’ lenses, there’s a compromise in terms of image quality. Sharpness is a bit mediocre towards the corners of the frame, and across the whole frame at the longest zoom setting. Colour fringing can also be noticeable around towards the corners. On the plus side, Optical SteadyShot comes in handy if you’re using an early A7 series camera that doesn't have in-body image stablization (IBIS).

4. Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 13/8 | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: HSM | Stabilizer: No | Min focus distance: 0.4m | Max magnification: 0.18x | Filter thread: 77mm | Dimensions (WxL): 85x100mm | Weight: 815g

Sony markets an excellent FE 50mm f1.4 ZA Planar T* standard prime, but it’s eye-wateringly expensive. This top-grade Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens comes at less than half the price. One of Sigma’s first ‘Art’ designation prime lenses in the Global Vision line-up, it’s a major revamp of the company’s previous 50mm lens. The revised optical layout includes an aspherical element and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, in a complex build that includes 13 elements in total. Typical of Sigma’s f/1.4 Art lenses, there’s no optical stabilization. The lens also lacks weather seals but is beautifully built and has a thoroughly pro-grade feel to its construction and handling. The ring-type HSM (HyperSonic Motor) autofocus system is super-fast and whisper-quiet, with the usual availability of manual override. Image quality is excellent but, compared with most 50mm f/1.4 lenses on the market, it’s big and heavy.

5. Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 14/12 | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: HSM | Stabilizer: No | Min focus distance: 0.85m | Max magnification: 0.12x | Filter thread: 86mm | Dimensions (WxL): 95x126mm | Weight: 1,130g

Larger and nearly twice the weight of many 85mm f/1.4 lenses on the market, this Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is quite a handful. A relative latecomer to Sigma’s Global Vision party, it wasn’t launched until late-2016, some two and a half years after the 50mm Art lens. Similar in design to the 50mm Sigma, this lens has one aspherical elements and two rather than three SLD elements, along with a nine-blade diaphragm. Build quality and handling feel almost identical, although the newer 85mm lens adds weather-seals in its ‘dust- and splash-proof’ construction. Sharpness is exceptional across the entire image frame, even at the widest aperture of f/1.4, while colour fringing and distortion are minimal, and bokeh is beautifully smooth. All in all, it’s a large optic that goes extra-large in image quality, making it a great portrait lens.

6. Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 15/11 | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: DDSSM | Stabilizer: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.28m | Max magnification: 1.0x | Filter thread: 62mm | Dimensions (WxL): 79x131mm | Weight: 602g

At its minimum focus distance of 0.28 metres, the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens delivers full 1.0x or 1:1 magnification. That basically means that small objects are reproduced on the camera’s image sensor at full life size. Naturally, if you’re filling the whole image frame with something as small as a postage stamp, the potential for massively enlarging tiny details is enormous. Beautifully built, this lens has up-market handling attractions including a customisable focus hold button, autofocus range limiter switch and Optical SteadyShot. Given that manual focusing is often preferred for extreme close-up shooting, there’s also a handy push-pull mechanism in the focus ring, for switching between auto and manual focus modes.

7. Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 21/15 | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Stabilizer: Yes | Min focus distance: 1-1.5mm | Max magnification: 0.13x | Filter thread: 72mm | Dimensions (WxL): 80x175mm | Weight: 840g

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS is a great lens that’s smaller and much lighter than the f/2.8 edition, and only costs half the price. It's true that a 70-200mm f/2.8 is seen as a 'must have' lens in any professional system, but you pay the price very literally, and there's a weight penalty with the f/2.8 version (below) too. This f/4 lens is cheaper, lighter, a lot less expensive and only one f-stop slower.

8. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master OSS

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 23/18 | Diaphragm blades: 11 | Autofocus: RDSSM + LM | Stabilizer: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.96m | Max magnification: 0.25x | Filter thread: 77mm | Dimensions (WxL): 88x200mm | Weight: 1,480g

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master OSS is simply one of the very finest 70-200mm lenses on the planet. A feast of glass includes one double-sided XA (Extreme Aspherical) element, two other aspherical elements, four ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two Super ED elements. Nano-structure coatings are also applied, plus a fluorine coating on the front element. There’s not one but two autofocus systems, incorporating a double linear motor plus an RDSSM (Ring Drive Super Sonic wave Motor), the latter being used for the heavier forward focus groups. The construction is fully weather-sealed and includes a fluorine coating on the front element. Handling is particularly refined, with an autofocus range limiter, customisable focus hold buttons, and dual-mode stabilization for static and panning shots. Bokeh is excellent, as is sharpness, helped by an 11-blade diaphragm. The only drawbacks are that it’s a big, heavy lens, with a particularly heavyweight price tag.

9. Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master OSS

Mount: Sony EF | Elements/groups: 22/16 | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: RDSSM + LM | Stabilizer: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.98m | Max magnification: 0.35x | Filter thread: 77mm | Dimensions (WxL): 94x205mm | Weight: 1,395g

There’s no denying that the Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master OSS is a large lens, but surprisingly, it’s barely any bigger than the 70-200mm f/2.8, slightly less heavy and no more expensive. That’s despite having twice as much telephoto reach, albeit with a variable aperture that shrinks to f/5.6 at the long end of the zoom range. Although physically only 5mm longer than the 70-200mm, it lacks an internal zoom mechanism so the inner barrel extends when zooming toward the long end of the zoom range. Up-market build and handling characteristics are very similar to those of the 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master lens, but this one adds a variable torque adjustment for the zoom ring. Again, the Optical SteadyShot is very effective and the autofocus system is super-fast, this time based on a combination of double linear motor and DDSSM (Direct Drive SSM) systems.

10. Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS

Mount: Sony FE | Elements/groups: 24/17 | Diaphragm blades: 11 | Autofocus: DDSSM | Stabilizer: Yes | Min focus distance: 2.4m | Max magnification: 0.2x | Filter thread: 95mm | Dimensions (WxL): 111.5x318mm | Weight: 2,115g

This lens is still quite new and we haven't had a chance to test it yet, but all the signs are promising. Fast supertelephoto lenses on full frame cameras are always expensive, and the Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS is no exception, but compared to fast supertelephoto primes it's actually not THAT expensive, and probably just about falls within an achievable price range for keen amateurs. It doesn't boast Sony's G Master badge of optical excellence, and it does have a relatively restricted maximum aperture of f/5.6-6.3, but in the stratospheric world of full frame super-telephotos, this one is both effective and achievable.

APS-C E-mount lenses

11. Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS

Mount: Sony E | Elements/groups: 10/8 | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.25m | Maximum magnification: 0.1x | Filter thread: 62mm | Dimensions (WxL): 70x63.5mm | Weight: 225g

There aren't too many ultra-wide zooms out there for Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras, so it's just as well that Sony's own offering looks like a good one. We've not been able to test this lens yet, so we can't comment on its performance, but the signs are good. It's a stubby little lens that's wider than it is long, and it has a constant f/4 maximum aperture across its relatively modest zoom range. This corresponds to 15-24mm on a full frame camera. The good news is that you get optical image stabilization built in, which is quite rare on an ultra-wideangle zoom lens, and ideal if you have one of Sony's un-stabilized A6000-series cameras.

12. Sony Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS

Mount: Sony E | Elements/groups: 16/12 | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: LM | Stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.35m | Maximum magnification: 0.23x | Filter thread: 55mm | Dimensions (WxL): 67x75mm | Weight: 308g

For APS-C camera bodies, such as the A6000 or A6500, the Sony Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS offers the same ‘effective’ zoom range and constant f/4 aperture as the full-frame compatible FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS. It also matches it for stabilization. The up-market optical path is based on a Zeiss design and includes legendary T* coatings to reduce ghosting and flare, while enhancing colour and contrast. Unlike in the 24-105mm lens, the autofocus system is based on a Linear Motor instead of being DDSSM, but this helps to keep the build as compact as possible. Indeed, at just 308g it’s refreshingly lightweight for such a powerful standard zoom.

13. Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS

Mount: Sony E | Elements/groups: 16/12 | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.45m | Maximum magnification: 0.29x | Filter thread: 55mm | Dimensions (WxL): 67.2x88mm | Weight: 325g

The choice of standard zoom lenses for Sony's APS-C mirrorless cameras is narrower than you'd expect. The 16-50mm 'pancake' standard zoom sold with many A6000-series cameras is very small and convenient but not terribly good optically. Otherwise the Zeiss Vario-Tessar (above) is a good buy but has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and while the brand new Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G fixes that with a constant f/2.8 aperture, it's big and expensive... and none of them have much of a zoom range. This is why we really rate the Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS. It's compact, neat and affordable, it offers a really good zoom range and – unlike almost every other long-zoom lens – it holds it performance even at full zoom. If you use a raw processing program that doesn't automatically apply lens corrections you'll see how much the digital corrections are needed, but if that's the price you pay for this level of optical quality, we'll take it!

14. Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro

Mount: Sony E | Elements/groups: 7/6 | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Stabilizer: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.095m | Maximum magnification: 1x | Filter thread: 49mm | Dimensions (WxL): 62x55.5mm | Weight: 138g

The Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro is really inexpensive and gives good performance. The only drawback is that due to its 35mm focal length, the closest focus distance of 9.5cm for full 1.0x macro magnification puts the front of the lens just 2.4cm from the object you’re shooting. This can cast a shadow over the object if shooting under ambient lighting, as well as scaring away bugs and other tiny creatures you may be trying to shoot. Still, if you only shoot macros occasionally and don't want to spend a fortune on a lens you won't use very often, this lens is simply perfect.

Read more:

• These are the best Sony cameras to buy right now
• Discover the best lenses for Sony A6000 cameras
• We list the best mirrorless cameras you can get