The Sony 50mm that’s an absolute bargain — Sony SEL50F18F review
The humblest lens in the Sony family
The lens has an optical design that delivers clear images while reducing chromatic distortion.
A must-have for any photographer or videographer, and especially if you’re just starting out or shoot as a hobby: the Sony FE 50mm 1.8. Given its more-than-acceptable quality and low cost, it’s a lens you want in the bag.
Sony SEL50F18F — prime lens (FE 50 mm, f/1.8)
Great value for money. This lens shouldn’t be missing from your kit.
Buy it here — DEAL
The Sony 50mm that belongs in every bag
The 50mm is a fixed focal-length lens that, to be fair, isn’t specialised for any one type of photography — which means it can cover a huge range of situations.
It works perfectly for portraits, since it rarely shows distortion. The classic portrait lens is the 85mm, but this 50mm won’t disappoint.
Plenty of wedding photographers use 50mm lenses for wedding photography, like us at Lifetime Weddings, specialised in wedding photography in Tarragona. It gives you a mid-range frame that keeps you from hovering over the scene, so you can stay at a respectful distance — and for couple portraits it’s a very friendly focal length. The Sony 50mm is a great pick.
For landscape you’d usually reach for a 24mm or wider to get more of the scene. A 50mm pushes you toward tighter compositions, and with care that can still deliver stunning images.
It also works well for street (where the standard is 35mm) and for studio, as long as you have enough room to move around.
Small and light
This lens will surprise you with how compact and light it is. It almost feels like a toy, at 186 g and 10.4 cm long by 8.7 cm wide. A small but mighty lens that gives you pleasant out-of-focus rendering and great sharpness in a tiny body.
Its “weak spot”: autofocus
If you have to pick a downside, autofocus is probably it. Speed and precision in low light aren’t its strong suit. In my experience it can be a little lazy, though honestly still better than some autofocus systems on higher-end lenses from other brands.
Great quality at an affordable price — its real strength
It doesn’t reach the quality of top-tier optics, but its quality/price ratio makes it easy to buy and easy to justify.
It sits around the €300 mark, though you can often find deals like this one.
Buy it here — DEAL
A few photos taken with the Sony 50mm 1.8
More about the Sony 50mm
- Optical design that delivers clear images while reducing chromatic distortion.
- 7-blade circular aperture for smoother out-of-focus rendering (bokeh).
- Maximum aperture of f/1.8 for low-light shooting.
- Compact, very light, and easy to carry.
- Dimensions: 10.4 × 8.7 × 11.9 cm.
Sony SEL50F18F — prime lens (FE 50 mm, f/1.8)
Great value for money. This lens shouldn’t be missing from your kit.
Buy it here — DEAL