I just want to clear this up that I said "nearly perfect" because it lacks OSS. I would rate this lens as a 4.9 simply because OSS would be great but not necessary.
The lens is sharp corner to corner regardless of aperture. The corners soften very slightly only at extreme f stops. But it's definitely very sharp even at f1.8
Very little CA and distortion across the range. I shoot mostly 2.8 to 4.0 and pictures come out perfect most of the time. The tiny imperfections here and there that I spot from pixel peeping wasn't even worth correcting.
Image Quality is extremely high. It is the sharpest lens I've ever used. It handily beat my 50mm 1.2L on my 5DMK3. I paid $1.6k for the 1.2L and it's hard to believe this lens is only $1k.
I don't know how to explain it but the Zeiss lens renders the image a little different. The colors seems to pop more and it just look livelier than my L series lens.
AF is better than the stock 28-70mm. It generally will lock in faster with less hunting. It works much better in low light conditions. It seems to be more accurate overall.
Focusing ring is smooth. I would say it's above average but nothing to write home about. It works and allows accurate manual focus.
Construction is solid.
It is a bulky lens compared to how compact my A7 is. However, this is nothing compared to the bulk and weight of Canon body and lens I'm used to. I can actually walk around and shoot all day(if I bring 2 extra batteries) with the Sony system. My only comparison for its compactness is against the 35mm Zeiss. The 35mm really inspires me to make it a walk around set up. It can easily slip inside a small bag or hang on my body without getting in the way. I can't say the same with this 50mm. It's not impossible, just more difficult. But there is no comparison with picture quality. The 50mm is clearly superior in every way.
Conclusion: The lens may seem expensive when you only look at its specs. The results are stunning and performance is up their comparable to the legendary Otus lens. At $1k, this is a steal IMHO. A must have lens for anyone using the A7/R bodies.
I will try to post some pictures and update my review. You won't find me dig deep into the technicals since there are more reputable and highly qualified people than me. I will only tell you from a user's perspective and satisfaction of the product.
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SONY 55mm F1.8 Sonnar T FE ZA Full Frame Lens - Fixed (Renewed) $514.95 & FREE Shipping
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This Item  Sony 55mm F1.8 Sonnar T FE ZA Full Frame Prime Lens - Fixed |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $998.00 | $1,298.00 | $1,398.00 | $598.00 | $1,998.00 | -18% $598.00 List: $728.24 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 30 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Auto focus | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| Quality of material | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | CameraSpot | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | ThePixelConnection | Amazon.com | PROCAM |
| lens type | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Wide Angle |
| compatible mountings | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E | Sony E |
| lens design | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
| focus type | Stepper motor | Auto Focus | Auto/Manual | Auto/Manual | Auto/Manual | Stepper motor |
| minimum focal length | 55 millimeters | — | 35 millimeters | — | — | 35 millimeters |
| max focal length | 55 millimeters | 50 millimeters | 35 millimeters | — | — | 35 millimeters |
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Reviews with images
Considered the 7th best lens of all time.
The Sony 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss lens is an excellent choice for any full-frame e-mount Sony interchangeable-lens camera system. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an expert who will complain about the image quality. In fact, DxOMark ranks this lens as the ninth sharpest lenses they have ever tested, of approximately ten thousand tested lenses, with an overall score ranking it as the 7th best lens ever reviewed. What is even more impressive is this is acheived at a price of less than $1,000, when some inferior lenses cost as much as 13 times that.The build-quality is sublime, as expected from a Zeiss-branded lens. Focusing movements are precise and smooth. The f/1.8 is bright, and provides bokeh often described as “creamy.” Given the small-ish size, the lens sits well on the A7R iii camera body. It also feels well-balanced on the smaller and lighter a6500; however using this lens on a crop-senor camera like the a6xxx series you will have a 35mm equivalent focal length of about 78mm, which is more appropriate for portraitures than using it as a standard 55mm lens (which is pretty close to what our eye sees). The quality is great either way, just be mindfull this is an FE mount and therefore optimized for Sony’s Full-frame line of cameras.One noticible omission is a lack of optical image stabilization (OSS) built into the lens. Not an issue per-say as Sony’s A7 and A9 series have built-in 5-axis stabilization, which is what this lens was built for, thus negating the need for additional in-lens OSS. Even the a6500 has built-in stabilization, but if one intends to use this on an a6000 or a6300 for portraits you may be disappointed by the omitted OSS.Attached image: A7R iii 1/80 second, f/8.0, 12,800 ISO. Original JPEG straight from the camera with the other being a 100% crop. Please note, the high HSO of the image will soften the image to a degree. Most people will not shoot at 12,800 ISO.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2018
Set: BaseVerified Purchase
The Sony 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss lens is an excellent choice for any full-frame e-mount Sony interchangeable-lens camera system. You’ll be hard-pressed to find an expert who will complain about the image quality. In fact, DxOMark ranks this lens as the ninth sharpest lenses they have ever tested, of approximately ten thousand tested lenses, with an overall score ranking it as the 7th best lens ever reviewed. What is even more impressive is this is acheived at a price of less than $1,000, when some inferior lenses cost as much as 13 times that.
The build-quality is sublime, as expected from a Zeiss-branded lens. Focusing movements are precise and smooth. The f/1.8 is bright, and provides bokeh often described as “creamy.” Given the small-ish size, the lens sits well on the A7R iii camera body. It also feels well-balanced on the smaller and lighter a6500; however using this lens on a crop-senor camera like the a6xxx series you will have a 35mm equivalent focal length of about 78mm, which is more appropriate for portraitures than using it as a standard 55mm lens (which is pretty close to what our eye sees). The quality is great either way, just be mindfull this is an FE mount and therefore optimized for Sony’s Full-frame line of cameras.
One noticible omission is a lack of optical image stabilization (OSS) built into the lens. Not an issue per-say as Sony’s A7 and A9 series have built-in 5-axis stabilization, which is what this lens was built for, thus negating the need for additional in-lens OSS. Even the a6500 has built-in stabilization, but if one intends to use this on an a6000 or a6300 for portraits you may be disappointed by the omitted OSS.
Attached image: A7R iii 1/80 second, f/8.0, 12,800 ISO. Original JPEG straight from the camera with the other being a 100% crop. Please note, the high HSO of the image will soften the image to a degree. Most people will not shoot at 12,800 ISO.
The build-quality is sublime, as expected from a Zeiss-branded lens. Focusing movements are precise and smooth. The f/1.8 is bright, and provides bokeh often described as “creamy.” Given the small-ish size, the lens sits well on the A7R iii camera body. It also feels well-balanced on the smaller and lighter a6500; however using this lens on a crop-senor camera like the a6xxx series you will have a 35mm equivalent focal length of about 78mm, which is more appropriate for portraitures than using it as a standard 55mm lens (which is pretty close to what our eye sees). The quality is great either way, just be mindfull this is an FE mount and therefore optimized for Sony’s Full-frame line of cameras.
One noticible omission is a lack of optical image stabilization (OSS) built into the lens. Not an issue per-say as Sony’s A7 and A9 series have built-in 5-axis stabilization, which is what this lens was built for, thus negating the need for additional in-lens OSS. Even the a6500 has built-in stabilization, but if one intends to use this on an a6000 or a6300 for portraits you may be disappointed by the omitted OSS.
Attached image: A7R iii 1/80 second, f/8.0, 12,800 ISO. Original JPEG straight from the camera with the other being a 100% crop. Please note, the high HSO of the image will soften the image to a degree. Most people will not shoot at 12,800 ISO.
Images in this review
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Natalia Grotto Dutra
Ótima compra!
Reviewed in Brazil on June 10, 2022Set: BaseVerified Purchase
Natalia Grotto Dutra
Reviewed in Brazil on June 10, 2022
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Anshuman Purkayastha
The best Sony 1.8 prime that you can buy.
Reviewed in India on March 28, 2019Set: BaseVerified Purchase
