8 Best Cheap Lenses For Sony
Do you have a Sony and want to take your photography to a new level with some help from some cheap lenses for Sony cameras? Makes sense, as lenses enhance the quality of your photos and offer many features to make the whole photography experience a lot better.
Fortunately, both expensive and affordable lenses are available to users, meaning everyone can find the perfect lens regardless of the budget. Let’s take a look at some of the best cheap lenses for Sony cameras.
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1. Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 (Overall Winner)
Sony’s FE 50mm f/1.8 lens is ideal for taking portraits, but it can have other applications as well. The f/1.8 aperture delivers outstanding image quality where the background is defocused. The lens, which is quite compact and lightweight, allows users to shoot night scenes and take photos in dimly lit interiors as well.
It’s also useful to mention the lens comes with an innovative optical design to achieve clear, high-quality photos by minimizing distortion and chromatic aberration effectively. In addition to the affordable price, this lens is made to be durable, fast, and agile. The lens is ideal for full-frame E-mount cameras.
2. Meike MK FE 50mm f/1.7
If you’re a beginner in the world of photography, you probably think you only need Sony lenses for Sony cameras, but it doesn’t have to be like that. A smart hack that experienced photographers will probably tell you is that you can seek for third-party lenses that are compatible with your Sony camera and achieve the same effect — high-quality images.
Meike lenses are not only affordable but also compatible with Sony FE E-Mount mirrorless cameras. Due to the aperture of f/1.7, this lens has a high light intensity, and it allows for precise recording even in poor light conditions. The body of this multi-layered lens is made of metal, and it’s easy to adjust. Since the front element is multi-coated, the lens effectively reduces flare and ghosting, thus allowing you to capture some creative images. Meike’s lenses for Sony are suitable for portrait photography, but also for product and landscape photography.
3. Neewer 35mm f/1.7 (Budget Winner)
Here’s yet another third-party producer that makes lenses for Sony cameras. Neewer’s lens is compatible with Sony E-Mount digital mirrorless cameras such as NEX 3, NEX 3N, NEX 5, and others. If you prefer autofocus, this lens may not be for you. But if you’re into manual lenses or you’re up to the challenge, then the Neewer 35mm f/1.7 is worth taking into consideration. Manual focus is specifically designed for smooth focusing operation, high-speed, single-focal-length, and overall amazing shooting experience.
Due to the f/1.7 aperture, the lens allows you to take great photos in dim areas and at night. Compact and sophisticated design makes this lens a truly beautiful piece of equipment in addition to an amazing performance. Neewer used the multi-coated technique for optimal contrast and sharpness. The body of the lens is made of metal, which makes is solid, sturdy, and durable. Portraits, food, scenery, landscapes, the lens has multiple applications.
4. Samyang AF-E 35mm f/2.8 Ultra Compact
Samyang released a number of lenses for Sony and Canon cameras. This particular lens is compatible with Sony E-mount interchangeable lens and full-frame cameras. Beginner and experienced photographers who are looking for tiny and compact yet powerful lenses will definitely love this one. The small pancake lens fits easily with the rest of your equipment and comes in handy when you’re on the go.
The Samyang AF-E 35mm f/2.8 features autofocus, but also comes with seven elements in six groups, two aspherical lenses as well as one high refractive lens with Ultra Multi-Coating. Thanks to autofocus, minimum focusing distance, and a slightly wide angle, this lens is particularly useful for environmental portraits, travel photography, street shooting, and taking photos of landscapes. Bear in mind the lens isn’t created for video, just for still photography and you need to be prepared for some noise when you’re using autofocus.
5. Sony DT 35mm f/1.8
Looking for a lens for your A-mount Sony camera? Then this might be the solution. The Sony DT 35mm f/1.8 allows you to shoot anything from landscapes to portraits. The f/1.8 aperture is bright enough to allow handheld shooting in low-light conditions meaning you can take photos at night and in dim interiors. Its small and lightweight nature is unobtrusive on the camera and fits perfectly into the bag or even in your pocket, making it ideal for traveling.
The glass-molded aspherical lens improves the optical stability and precision to create sharper and more visually accurate images with minimal distortion. Keep in mind the lens is not zoomable, so if you are looking for a lens with a zoom this may not be the right one for you. But if zoom is not a crucial requirement this lens can be of huge help for your overall photography experience. It’s also affordable, making it a great solution for aspiring photographers who want to boost the quality of photos at a reasonable price.
6. Sony DT 50mm f/1.8
Above in the article, we’ve already discussed the Sony FE 50mm lens, but unlike the previous one which is compatible with E-mount cameras, this lens is suitable for A-mount devices. The Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 boasts a large aperture that will give you great portraits and amazing images even in dim interiors or when shooting at night. Interestingly, this lens is one of the first fixed focal length lenses in the DT series designed specifically for DSLR cameras with an APS-C sensor.
What makes this lens so useful is the variety of features including SAM, or smooth autofocus motor, which directly rotates the focus mechanism for smooth operation and quiet performance. The lens also comes with distance encoder, which delivers high-precision flash metering that is undisturbed by reflection from the background. Unlike most lenses with conventional aperture, the Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 has a circular aperture which enhances the bokeh effect of the blurred background. For comparison sake, the conventional aperture creates unappealing polygonal-shaped defocused points of light.
7. Sony E PZ 16–50 mm F3.5–5.6 OSS
The Sony E PZ 16–50 mm F3.5–5.6 OSS is compatible with E-mount cameras, but owners of A-mount devices can also use it. The lens is retractable, meaning when powered it expands, but returns to its “starting” position when powered off. That way, the lens can fit easily into your pocket or bag. When expanded, the lens has a surprisingly large zoom range and its power zoom capability in autofocus mode provides fast, smooth, and quiet shooting experience.
Besides still images, the E PZ 16–50 mm F3.5–5.6 also allows you to record videos. The addition of Optical Steady Shot image stabilization system decreases the effect of camera shake. At the same time, ED glass and aspherical lens elements reduce aberrations and give you images of exceptional quality.
8. Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN
When discussing affordable lenses for Sony cameras, it’s impossible not to mention Sigma’s products. Sigma has a great range of lenses for Sony, Canon, and other cameras, and they come at different prices to suit everyone’s budget. This particular lens is specifically designed for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and it has the equivalent of the angle of view as a 38mm.
Suitable for E-mount cameras, the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 DN provides excellent correction for distortion, field curvature, and color aberration thanks to three-glass mold aspherical lenses. The super multi-layer coating decreases ghosting and flare while providing sharp and high-contrast photos even at maximum aperture. Autofocus operates in a quiet manner and makes the lens an excellent option for both still images and videos.
Finding the Right Lenses for Sony
Finding cheap lenses for Sony cameras is pretty easy because they come at a variety of prices, and one can also find third-party lenses. Throughout this post, you’ve seen some amazing examples of lenses that are not only conveniently priced, but also outstanding in terms of quality of images they provide. Consider whether you prefer manual or autofocus, both video and still images or just the latter, zoom or no zoom before you make the final decision on which lens is most suitable for your camera.
Originally published at https://lumoid.com on July 3, 2019.
