Sony FE 50mm f/1.8
Announced March 30, 2016
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Good
The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 provides an affordable, lightweight entry point for full-frame photographers seeking a sharp standard prime. That said, the lens is hampered by a sluggish, noisy autofocus motor and a lack of weather sealing that may frustrate users prioritizing speed or durability.
Weighted from 25 reviewer scores
Pros
- Compact and lightweight design
- Pleasing bokeh for portraiture
- Sharp center performance and solid image quality
- Highly affordable and budget-friendly
- Fast f/1.8 maximum aperture
Cons
- Slow, noisy, and occasionally unreliable autofocus
- Basic plastic construction lacking weather resistance
- Noticeable chromatic aberration and fringing
- Soft edges and corners at wider apertures
- Lack of optical image stabilization
- Launch price $248 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 50mm f/1.8
- Mount & coverage Sony E Full-Frame
- Stabilization None
- Close focus 45 cm (0.15x)
- Filter thread 49mm
- Autofocus motor Manual focus only
- Weight & size 186g (6.6 oz) · 68.6 x 59.5 mm (2.70 x 2.34 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 25 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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To put the overall performance into perspective let’s have a closer look at how the Sony FE 50mm f1.8 compares to some alternatives.
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OpticalLimits 5.5/10
It is embarrassing to witness such an AF in a brand new lens really. Which brings us the question whether this lens is worth it? We are not convinced.
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It is compact, maintaining the spirit of Sony's smaller MILC cameras. It is light and effortless to take with you.
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It has really superb bokeh rendering and great sharpness, too.
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If you're looking for a general purpose lens for your full-frame Sony camera and you're on a budget, then this new Sony lens is a very nice option.
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[...] I think the FE 1.8/50’s annoying AF turns this otherwise solid lens into a flawed lens and I can only recommend to check if the AF is good enough for your needs.
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The appeal of the inexpensive fast 50mm “standard lens” is easy to appreciate and this Sony lens has much to recommend it. However, the edges are relatively soft and the price maybe a tad too high.
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This lens has been a long time coming for full-frame E-mount cameras, and it certainly makes a welcome addition to Sony’s lens line-up if you’re in the market for a fast, well-priced standard prime that offers excellent image quality.
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Great image quality from a wide-aperture standard prime lens, but the autofocus speed lets it down.
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The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is a budget full-frame 50mm lens for the Alpha mirrorless system. Optics are sound, but its autofocus motor is sluggish.
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I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the overall performance of the 50mm, especially in terms of its optical quality.
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If you can wait for it to lock, or will be using the lens for tripod work and can manually focus, it’s quite an outstanding lens.
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At the end of the day, I can HIGHLY recommend this lens. It is cheap in price, great in quality, delivers performance and speed of a $500 lens vs the under $250 that it does cost.
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The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 has a unique place in the world of full-frame mirrorless cameras, as no other manufacturer seems to understand its importance.
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Of course, there are some imperfections with image quality, the most significant being the chromatic aberrations along high-contrast edges and even in the bokeh. [...] But no other serious flaws stand out.
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If you're looking to spend a couple hundred dollars and you want the most bang for your buck out of a lens, like this is the lens you must get.
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This is a swell little lens for just about anything. You can pay more, but you won't get better pictures.
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[V]ery cheap at 250 dollars but not that great to be honest.
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In terms of image quality, it's great, it's fantastic, it's very sharp in the centers, and stopping down to maybe f/5.6 will give you even the best results.
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Not every lens needs to be a super performing high-end professional lens, and for me personally, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is a lens that's very easy to recommend for this reason.
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[...] I think this lens is perfect for people just starting out and looking for that next step above the kit lens.
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So far, I believe I am proving that this 50mm f/1.8 is actually better than GM in terms of the performance more than the money you pay and proving that today's wind is crazy. This little guy is incredible.
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The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is one of those lenses that I think everyone should have and start on. It's a great lens to learn and you get some great results with a little bit of practice.
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For 249 bucks, it is really excellent image quality.
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I would 100% recommend this lens, particularly at the price point. It is super versatile even on the APS-C body, and then particularly on a full frame body it would look awesome as well.
