Shipping: Sony FE 50mm f/1.8
Get Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 at B&H Photo and see my Sony mirrorless wishlist.
I see the Sony G Master lens lineup as lenses targeted at the bread-and-butter pro and semi-pro market (weddings, portraiture, etc). But the new Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 fills in a hole for compact and relatively inexpensive normal lens. What’s a little odd is the $248 price, which is higher than both Canon and Nikon: Canon’s 50mm f/1.8 STM is $125 and Nikon’s 50mm f/1.8G Is $217. Is the Sony lens better? Maybe—perhaps a fresh design optimized for mirrorless can be better.
I wish the days of 1-year warranties would end: will any vendor besides Nikon step up and stand behind their products for more than one year?
I’ll be taking a look at the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4, though I confess to less than peak enthusiasm; it does not look to be anything exceptional. The ideal lens (which presumably will follow at some point) would be a Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM, to fill out the lens line along the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM.
With an aspherical element, the Sony FE 50/1.8 suggests the promise of performance similar to and possibly than its DSLR equivalents. But the Sony FE being a new optical design specifically for mirrorless, it may have been possible to improve upon DSLR designs slightly.
The FE 50mm f/1.8 is stated to be a double gauss design, which implies optical symmetry in design, which tends to naturally cancel certain aberrations, so its bokeh may well be more pleasing than Sony/Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 ZA Sonnar. Properly stated, it is a double-gauss derivative with some amount of asymmetry, since it has an aspheric element.
But while the MTF for the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 looks reasonably good at f/1.8, is is not nearly at the same level or consistency across the frame as the MTF for the Sony G Master 85m f/1.4 at f/1.4. So you do get what you pay for (price and the 'cost' of carrying a heavy lens).
Still, I’m a fan of a 50mm f/1.8: relatively inexpensive, relatively high performance in a very compact package. It’s a a good complement to a mid-range zoom. The use of the aspherical element to control spherical aberration is a plus: it suggests little or no focus shift, which is a headache with some 50mm designs.
Well worth noting is that on an APS-C crop sensor camera like the Sony A6300, the 50mm f/1.8 makes an excellent and very compact medium telephoto (equivalent to a 75mm in field of view).
A simple, bright, and lightweight normal prime, the FE 50mm f/1.8 from Sony is a versatile normal-length prime lens designed for full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras. Its sleek design makes it well-suited for everyday shooting, while the fast f/1.8 maximum aperture benefits working in low-light conditions as well as offers increased control over depth of field for selective focus imagery.
The optical design incorporates one aspherical element to control spherical aberrations, an employs a double-gauss configuration in order to realize sharper, clearer image quality throughout the aperture range with reduced field curvature. A DC actuator is also employed to provide quick and precise autofocus performance that is also quiet to suit video recording applications. Additionally, a rounded seven-blade diaphragm is featured to render out-of-focus highlights with a smooth, circular appearance. Characterized by its straight-forward design, this go-to lens balances both ease of handling along with enhanced image quality.
- Normal-length 50mm prime lens is designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, however, can also be used with APS-C models where it will provide a 75mm equivalent focal length.
- Fast f/1.8 maximum aperture benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and also avails greater control over focus placement for working with shallow depth of field techniques.
- One aspherical element minimizes spherical aberrations for improved clarity and sharpness.
- Double-gauss optical configuration helps to reduce field curvature and distortions for more consistent image quality from edge-to-edge.
- DC actuator offers quick, quiet, and accurate autofocus performance to suit both stills and video applications.
- Metal bayonet offers increased durability and a solid feel when mounting the lens.
Rounded seven-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.
Focal length: | 50mm |
Aperture range: | f/1.8 - f/22 |
Focusing range: | 1.48 ft / 45 cm |
Angle of view: | 47° |
Number of elements/groups: | 6 elements in 5 groups |
Diaphragm: | 7 blades |
Magnification: | 0.15X = 1:6.7 |
Filter thread: | 49mm |
Weight, nominal: | 6.56 oz / 186 g |
Dimensions: | Approx. 2.70 x 2.34 in / 68.6 x 59.5 mm |
Street price: | about $248 |
Supplied with: | ALC-F49S 49mm Front Lens Cap R1EM Rear Lens Cap for E-Mount Lenses (Dark Gray) Lens Hood Limited 1-Year Warranty |