I originally got my hands on this lens back in 2014 when I was shooting with the original Sony A7R. Back in those days, the E-mount lens options were very limited, but this lens was dropped very early on and was known for the insane sharpness and overall “Zeiss” look that it produces..
In more recent times I picked this lens up used for about $450 US off Ebay, and have been using it on my Sony A74 and now Sony A7C2…
The optical design of this lens is fairly simple compared to the newest Sony GM and G lens designs, but regardless of that the real world results are what matter at the end of the day.
See also
92%
A very well deserved score for a fantastic quick release cage system
This lens shines for sure and you can get a used one for about half retail which is a bargain to say the least… Were talking around $450-475 US used vs $998 US Retail…
In this really long term review I show off a ton of sample photos and a decent amount of sample video, so you can see how this lens performs in all sorts of situations including, portraits, landscapes, street, food, weddings, show cars, and product photography
My New Favorite Lens Is A Forgotten Gem!
My New Favorite Lens Is A Forgotten Gem! -Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Lens Review
An Absolute Gem
Huge fan of the Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar ZA T* lens and I cannot recommend it enough. It's small, lightweight, sharp, has punchy contrast, and produces glorious background butter dreams are made of... All that you can pick one up used for around $450 US which is honestly a bit crazy if you think about the image quality this beast produces...
Bang For The Buck
100
Feature Set
70
Build Quality and Design
80
Ergonomics
90
Auto Focus System
80
Real World Usability
100
Video Quality
90
Real World Image quality
98
Lab Testing Optical Quality
90
Lens Distortion Control
92
Low Light Performance
92
Fun Factor
100
Pros
Super Sharp
Punchy Contrast
Compact Lightweight Design
Awesome for Portraits, Food, Products, Street, Landscapes, and more...
Background butter is awesome!
Great on gimbal
Cons
A little bit of fringing present at the wider apertures
My New Favorite Lens Is A Forgotten Gem! -Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Lens Review
An Absolute Gem
Huge fan of the Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar ZA T* lens and I cannot recommend it enough. It's small, lightweight, sharp, has punchy contrast, and produces glorious background butter dreams are made of... All that you can pick one up used for around $450 US which is honestly a bit crazy if you think about the image quality this beast produces...
Bang For The Buck
100
Feature Set
70
Build Quality and Design
80
Ergonomics
90
Auto Focus System
80
Real World Usability
100
Video Quality
90
Real World Image quality
98
Lab Testing Optical Quality
90
Lens Distortion Control
92
Low Light Performance
92
Fun Factor
100
Pros
Super Sharp
Punchy Contrast
Compact Lightweight Design
Awesome for Portraits, Food, Products, Street, Landscapes, and more...
Background butter is awesome!
Great on gimbal
Cons
A little bit of fringing present at the wider apertures
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