The best Sony E-mount lenses in 2023

We’ve assembled the best Sony E-mount lenses you can get in 2023. Whatever your budget, whatever you shoot, here are the best lenses to buy.

With the Sony E-mount having been going for such a long time (more than a decade!), narrowing down a list of the best Sony E-mount lenses is always going to be a tough ask. Just like Sony cameras, Sony lenses run the gamut in all sorts of ways – there are cheap and cheerful Sony lenses that aren’t flashy, but get the job done. And then there are also dazzlingly sharp professional optics with the latest advanced features like optical stabilisation and super-fast autofocus. Naturally, lenses in the latter category don’t tend to come cheap.

To keep this list navigable and informative, we’ve restricted our selections to Sony E-mount lenses we’ve tested, reviewed and rated. A lens only gets on this list if it has impressed our technical team enough to earn at least four stars out of five, and if we’re confident it’s worth the money being asked for it. That holds as true for lenses that cost $300 or £300 as it does for lenses that cost ten times that.

So, no matter whether you’re using the high-resolution Sony A7R V, the budget-friendly Sony A6000, or the new vlogger-focused full-frame Sony ZV-E1, this guide will have lenses to suit your purposes. And indeed, if you still need to choose your camera as well, we have a dedicated guide to the best Sony cameras, updated with all the latest models in 2023.

If you’re newer to photography and video, you may be feeling a bit at sea with how to go about choosing the right lens for your needs. So, before we start, let’s look at the key criteria to think about when selecting a lens for your Sony camera.

How to choose the best Sony E-mount lens

All the different lens options can be overwhelming, especially to a newcomer to the system. Here are some of the key things to look out for when choosing a Sony lens.

Focal length: This is probably the first consideration on your list when selecting a lens, as the focal length of a lens will radically transform the look of an image. The focal length of a lens is expressed in millimetres (mm), and it governs both the angle of view and the magnification of a scene. Short lenses (8-35mm) produce a wide field of view, and are popular for big expansive scenes such as in landscape photography or group photos at weddings. Long lenses (generally 85mm or more) produce a narrow, zoomed-in view, which brings distant subjects closer and is popular in wildlife photography. Standard lenses (around 40mm-75mm) produce a more naturalistic view, and are often used in street photography.

Zoom or prime? Ah, the age-old question. More ink has been spilled on this than we have space for here, so check out our dedicated guide to zoom vs prime lenses for a rundown on the pros and cons of each type.

Image Stabilisation: The majority of recent Sony E-Mount mirrorless cameras have built-in image stabilisation, or IBIS (In-body image stabilisation), which Sony call “SteadyShot INSIDE” which helps keep your shots sharp and blur free. If you’re looking for additional stabilisation, look for a lens with “OSS” – Optical SteadyShot – as this will work in combination with the in-camera stabilisation to give an even more powerful stabilising effect. If your camera doesn’t feature SteadyShot INSIDE, then you’ll doubly want to look for a lens with OSS, otherwise you’ll have no stabilisation at all.

Aperture ring: While aperture settings can be controlled in camera, many photographers prefer having a physical ring on the lens to change the setting. You may also see references to an aperture ring being “clickless” – this means it doesn’t make any noise when changing setting, which is very handy for video.

Another thing to pay attention to is the crop factor. Sony E-mount lenses come in two varieties – full-frame (Sony FE) and APS-C (Sony E). Full-frame lenses can be used with both the full-frame mirrorless cameras like the A7 series, and APS-C cameras like the A6000 series. The ZV series of vlogging cameras come in both varieties, with the ZV-1 and ZV-E10 being APS-C models, while the newer ZV-E1 sports a full-frame sensor.

(For details of the key differences between the two sensor sizes, take a look at our guide to full-frame vs APS-C: which sensor size is best?)

We’ve divided our guide up into sections, first dealing with full-frame lenses, then picking our favourite APS-C lenses. See the section intros below for an explainer of how the lenses and cameras work with each other…

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Don’t want to wait? Here’s our quick, cut-to-the-chase list of the best lenses for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras:

• Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 G Master OSS II – check best price
• Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art – check best price
• Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G – check best price
• Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE II – check best price
• Sony FE 35mm F1.4 G Master – check best price
• Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master – check best price
• Sony FE 90mm f2.8 G OSS Macro – check best price
• Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master – check best price
• Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | C – check best price
• Sony FE 40mm f2.5 G – check best price
• Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G – check best price
• Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II – check best price
• Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS – check best price
• Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master – check best price
• Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS – check best price

And here are the lenses we rate for Sony E-mount APS-C cameras only:

• Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary – check best price
• Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G – check best price
• Sony E 11mm F1.8 – check best price
• Sony E 15mm F1.4 G – check best price

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Best Sony FE-Mount Lenses for full-frame and APS-C

The following lenses are designed for Sony’s full-frame Alpha cameras, on which they will deliver their stated focal length; i.e. a 50mm lens will deliver a 50mm effective focal length. If you’re using an APS-C Sony mirrorless camera, such as the Sony Alpha A6600, or Sony ZV-E10, these lenses will also work, but with a 1.5x crop factor.

This means they will have a narrower effective focal length than the one listed on the box, e.g. a 50mm lens will behave like a 75mm lens. See our guide to APS-C vs Full-Frame for more on how this works. Some of them may feel also a little large on the smaller camera bodies.

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Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 G Master OSS II

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 77mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.4-0.82m
• Weight: 1,045g
• Price: $2798 / £2599

The Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 G Master OSS II is the 2nd generation of the 70-200 f2.8 lens from Sony, and this new model offers the lightest 70-200mm f2.8 lens for any system, weighing just 1,045g. It also delivers excellent levels of sharpness throughout the zoom range, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a versatile zoom lens. There’s rapid focus, and direct aperture control on the lens, making it easy to use, with great results time after time.

Pros:

• Very light for a 70-200mm
• Excellent sharpness
• Fast, reliable autofocus

Cons:

• Some corner softness at 200mm

Read our Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II review

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Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 72mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.45m
• Weight: 670g
• Price: $849 / £849

This lens is essentially a mirrorless version of a DSLR classic; the original Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art radically rewrote the book on what we could expect to see from large-aperture primes in terms of sharpness. Of course, other firms swiftly followed Sigma’s lead, Sony among them, and so the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art lens for Sony E-mount entered a much more crowded field. How does it fare compared to the competition?

This is an outright stunning lens – in our review we gave it the full five stars, praising its exceptional sharpness right the way through the frame. We also loved its rugged construction and speedy, reliable autofocus. Its main rival from Sony, the FE 50mm f1.4 G Master Lens, is a spectacular lens to be sure, but it’s also almost double the price. While the G Master is both lighter and sharper, the tremendous value of the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art makes it the best choice for most users.

Pros:

• Excellent sharpness across frame
• Tough and weather-resistant
• Tremendous value for money

Cons:

• Some colour fringing at largest apertures
• Some focus breathing

Read our full Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN | Art review.

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Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 72mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.3-0.25m
• Weight: 488g
• Price: $1,098 / £1,399

The Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G is a standard zoom with an unusually wide field of view at its widest end, giving the user a little more range than they’d get from a standard 24-70mm. Sony touts it as a good choice for vloggers and videographers – a label they slap on pretty much everything they produce nowadays – and also suggests it as a lightweight, portable choice for landscape photographers who don’t want to carry too much. With excellent sharpness and a weatherproof build, it certainly makes a goo case for itself in this area. Close-up performance is also first-rate.

The only real stumbling block is the cost – at almost £1,400 or $1,100, this is an ambitiously priced lens to say the least, especially when it’s covering a focal range most photographers will already have options for. Still, if you can justify the expense, this is an all-around excellent lens.

Pros:

• Extended wideangle range
• Very good close up
• Edge-to-edge sharpness

Cons:

• Very expensive
• And there are plenty of cheaper options for this range

Read our Sony FE 20-70mm F4 G review

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Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE II

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 67mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.29m
• Weight: 659g
• Price: $649 / £636

An update to a lens design that first appeared in 2017, the Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE II is yet another compelling argument why mirrorless manufacturers should open up their lens mounts to third-party lens-makers (yes, Canon, that one’s aimed at you). Aggressively priced at £636 / $649, this is one of the cheapest lenses of its type, a wide-aperture prime that produces images with smooth bokeh in the defocused areas of images. Previous Samyang lenses have suffered from middling-to-wonky autofocus, and while the Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE II isn’t the fastest lens on the block, our testing revealed its autofocusing to be consistently fast and reliable in most situations.

Pros:

• Great value for money
• Large aperture with lovely bokeh
• Consistently good optical quality

Cons:

• No aperture ring
• Other lenses are better for action

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Sony FE 35mm F1.4 G Master

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 67mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.25m
• Weight: 524g
• Price: $1,298 / £1,499

The Sony FE 35mm F1.4 G Master lens is another premium lens from Sony, offering superb sharpness even wide open, with excellent handling and operation, in a relatively small and light lens, with metal construction. The lens benefits from silent, and accurate autofocus, as well as a manual aperture ring with both click and clickless operation. As part of the G Master range, the lens is designed for both excellent levels of sharpness, with beautiful and attractive bokeh or background blur. It’s undoubtedly a pricey lens, especially compared to the new Samyang AF 35mm F1.4 FE II lens featured above, but the quality you get for money is inarguable.

Pros:

• Superb resolving performance
• Relatively lightweight
• Characterful bokeh

Cons:

• Autofocus can be slow on old bodies
• Very expensive

Read our Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 G Master review

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Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 82mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.7m
• Weight: 950g
• Price: $2,098 / £1,599

The Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master lens could be considered the perfect portrait lens for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, with superb resolution, even at maximum aperture, as well as attractive bokeh. The lens features fast and accurate autofocus, as well as an aperture ring that can be used with clicks, or clickless.

There are some downsides, in that the lens is rather bulky and heavy weighing 950g, as well as being very expensive, when compared to alternatives from Sigma. However, as we said in our review, the combination of supreme sharpness and gorgeous bokeh is likely to appeal strongly to portrait and wedding photographers.’

Pros:

• Exceptional image quality
• Produces gorgeous bokeh
• Outstanding for portraiture

Cons:

• Bulky
• Expensive

Read our Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master review

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Sony FE 90mm f2.8 G OSS Macro

At a glance:

• Filter thread:
• Minimum focus distance:
• Weight:
• Price: $1,098 / £799

If you’re looking for a macro lens for your Sony camera, then the Sony FE 90mm f2.8 G OSS Macro lens hits the park running. That is to say, it’s excellent; it offers exceptional image quality, being difficult to beat in terms of sheer resolving power. You also benefit from built-in Optical Steady Shot (OSS), helping you keep shots steady and free from blur. Plus, it doubles as a great portrait lens, and can take detailed photographs of any subject.

Pros:

• Effective stabilisation system
• Good at resolving detail

Cons:

• Some corner softness at wide apertures

Read our Sony FE 90mm f2.8 G OSS Macro review

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Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 77mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.8m
• Weight: 820g
• Price: $1,798 / £1,499

The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master lens is a bright 85mm lens, that could be the ideal portrait lens, with impressive sharpness in the centre, even when shooting wide-open. There’s also the excellent build quality that you expect from a G Master lens, as well as dust and moisture resistance. Like other G Master lenses, you get an aperture ring with with clickless option. However, there are some downsides, as it is quite weighty at 820g, and it’s also rather expensive.

Pros:

• Very sharp
• Well-built and sealed
• Lovely aperture ring

Cons:

• On the hefty side
• Quite pricey

Read our Sony FE 85mm F1.4 G Master review

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Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | C

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 62mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.22m
• Weight: 370g
• Price: $699 / £649

Third-party lenses are often a good bet when looking to expand your system, offering premium performance at a cut-down price. The Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | C is a prime lens providing excellent value for money, and is a good budget-friendly alternative to Sony’s own FE 20mm f/1.8 G (featured a few entries down from this one). In testing, we found that this lens handled fantastically on the Sony A7R IV, creating a perfectly balanced setup, and its optical performance was superb. It’s sharp throughout the aperture range, only getting a little soft at f/22.

Pros:

• Solid, weather-sealed body
• Consistently good performance

Cons:

• Aperture ring can’t be de-clicked
• Some focus breathing

Read our Sigma 20mm F2 DG DN | C review

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Sony FE 40mm f2.5 G

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 49mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.25m
• Weight: 173g
• Price: $548 / £629

This compact 40mm prime lens is part of Sony’s range of compact prime lenses, which includes three lenses: a 24mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5, and 50mm F2.5 lens. All compact, with aperture ring and custom function button, making them great if you want to travel light. The Sony FE 40mm f2.5 G lens offers great sharpness, with minimal chromatic aberration, and a metal hood is included. It’s also one of the lightest lenses featured in this list, weighing just 173g.

Pros:

• Terrific value for money
• Very lightweight
• Good optical performance

Cons:

• f/2.5 is quite limited
• Some vignetting at wide apertures

Read our Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G review

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Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 67mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.18m
• Weight: 373g
• Price: $898 / £949

The Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G is an ultra wide-angle prime lens, with a relatively bright aperture of f/1.8, as well as a relatively compact size. The lens has a close focus distance of 18/19cm (MF/AF), and there’s a 67mm filter thread on the front of the lens. There’s direct access to the aperture, with the aperture ring on the lens, as well as the option to use the aperture ring ‘clickless’ meaning that Sony has also considered videographers when making this lens. The lens performs extremely well, capable of delivering sharp images, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8.

Pros:

• Can focus at close distance
• Very sharp, even when wide open

Cons:

• Pricier than the Sigma 20mm

Read our Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G review

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Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 82mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.21-0.3m
• Weight: 695g
• Price: $2,298 / £2,099

The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens is relatively small and lightweight, with an aperture ring, making it a great match if you’re looking for a small(er) lens without compromising on image quality. In our testing we found the lens’ sharpness to be absolutely outstanding – we would have been happy shooting all day at f/2.8, and things got even crisper as we stopped down.

Elsewhere, there’s an 82mm filter thread, and the lens has a relatively close focus distance of 21-30cm. Thanks to its weather-sealing it’s a perfect match for Sony’s weather sealed mirrorless cameras.

Pros:

• Premium design and build
• Small and lightweight for a 24-70mm
• Super detail resolution

Cons:

• Some distortion in RAW files (easily corrected)

Read our Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II review

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Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 77mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.38m
• Weight: 663g
• Price: $1098 / £999

This lens offers a useful zoom range from 24mm to 105mm, with the f/4 aperture helping to keep the size down. Optical steady shot (OSS) means you can use it with E-Mount cameras that don’t feature in-body image stabilisation, and still benefit from optical image stabilisation. When we reviewed this lens we found that it was consistently sharp at all focal lengths, with fast and silent autofocus. The Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS lens is also relatively compact and lightweight, with an impressive resistance to flare. For an all-in-one zoom lens, this one certainly delivers above expectations.

Pros:

• Do-everything zoom range
• Built-in stabilisation
• Excellent sharpness

Cons:

• f/4 won’t be for everyone

Read our Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS review

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Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 72mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.4m
• Weight: 778g
• Price: $1,998 / £2,099

The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master is the largest aperture prime lens for Sony E-Mount cameras, and has answered the calls of Sony fans who have been asking for a lens brighter than F1.4. The lens offers superb sharpness even wide-open at f1.2, and has minimal chromatic aberration. There’s also fast and silent autofocus, an aperture ring (that can be set to clickless), customisable function buttons, as well as excellent build and handling that you would expect from a G Master lens. Some lovely bokeh and background blur make this a great option for portrait photography. It’s also barely bigger than the 50mm F1.4.

Pros:

• Top-flight sharpness, even wide open
• Weather-sealed
• Rapid, silent autofocus

Cons:

• Very expensive

Read our Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master review

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Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 72mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.28m
• Weight: 518g
• Price: $998 / £1,149

If you’re looking for an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, then this could be a great choice, starting at an ultra-wide 16mm, zooming to 35mm. The Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS lens gives sharp images, and with a constant f/4 aperture, the lens is more compact than it would have been had the aperture been brighter. The lens has a solid all-metal construction, and takes a 72mm filter on the front of the lens.

Pros:

• Compact build
• Premium construction
• Useful zoom range for landscapes

Cons:

• Sharpness drop-off in corners

Read our Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS review

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Best Sony E-mount lenses for APS-C only

If you’re using an APS-C Sony camera, you may want to consider a E-mount lens designed specifically for these models. They tend to be lighter than the full-frame optics, meaning they balance better with the lighter APS-C cameras, which can be particularly useful if you’re using something like the Sony ZV-E10 for run-and-gun vlogging. Below are a few of our favourite E-mount lenses for APS-C.

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Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 52mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.3m
• Weight: 265g
• Price: $339 / £289

Built from the ground up for cameras with smaller sensors, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary produces an equivalent focal length of 45mm when mounted to a Sony E-mount camera, making it an excellent choice of walk-around lens. Even though it weighs just 265g, the lens has a relatively sophisticated construction of nine elements in seven groups, including two rear aspherical elements, and treatment with Sigma’s Super Multi-Layer coating.

In use, the lens impresses. Its nine aperture blades deliver soft, rounded bokeh in shallow depth of field, and our testing found it reasonably quick to focus on a Sony A6300 – not as snappy as Sony’s own lenses, but certainly fast enough. It’s quiet, but there is an audible clunk when it engages focus, meaning it’s probably not the best choice for video.

Sharpness, when you nail the focus, really is excellent. This is a lens that’s begging to be used wide open, and your reward for doing so will be crisp and punchy images, with great central sharpness and beautifully blurred backgrounds.

Pros:

• Full of bokeh-licious character
• Very lightweight
• Premium metal build quality

Cons:

• Some noise when focusing

Read our Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary review

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Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 55mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.4m
• Weight: 219g
• Price: $748 / £749

Equipped with a powered zoom mechanism, the Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G is well-suited for video shooters using Sony’s APS-C cameras. The electronic mechanism near-eliminates focus breathing, and its mechanics are entirely internal, meaning it doesn’t extend or retract when zooming. This makes it easier to balance on a gimbal – another boon for video shooters.

It holds focus on the subject when zooming, and in a welcome bonus for outdoor shooters, it also boasts comprehensive weather-sealing. While this is a video lens foremost, as we noted in our review, photographers should find a lot to like in its equivalent 15-30mm focal range as well.

Pros:

• Responsive power zoom
• Resistant to dust and moisture
• Good sharpness

Cons:

• No stabilisation
• Zoom and focus rings hard to distinguish when using viewfinder

Read our Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G review

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Sony E 11mm F1.8

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 55mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.12m
• Weight: 181g
• Price: $548 / £499

Suited to stills and video alike, the Sony E 11mm F1.8 is maybe priced a little high to be a take-everywhere lens, but it is a nice option to throw in the kit bag if you don’t mind the cash outlay. The crop factor gives it an equivalent focal length of 16.5mm, and the close focusing distance of 0.15m with AF or 0.12m with manual focus makes it a solid choice for close-up shooting.

This also means you can make the most of the generous f/1.8 aperture, and in our testing we found that the lens delivered consistently good sharpness in a host of different shooting situations. Can you ask for much more than that?

Pros:

• Good close focusing
• Fast, quiet, reliable AF
• Solid image quality

Cons:

• Maybe priced a little high
• No stabilisation

Read our Sony E 11mm F1.8 review

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Sony E 15mm F1.4 G

At a glance:

• Filter thread: 55mm
• Minimum focus distance: 0.17m
• Weight: 219g
• Price: $748 / £750

The Sony E 15mm F1.4 G is a new ultra/wide-angle lens for Sony’s APS-C mirrorless cameras, such as the Sony Alpha A6600, with a 22.5mm equivalent view. It’s got a bright maximum aperture of F1.4, and has a close focus distance to help give blurred backgrounds. You’ll also find there’s an aperture ring on the lens, which adds to the quality feel of this lens, which is particularly small, and lightweight, at just 219g! If you’re looking for a wide-angle lens for stills photography or video, then this is a great choice, particularly if you’re looking for something lightweight, that can still deliver excellent image quality.

Pros:

• Pleasingly lightweight
• Very sharp results
• Reliably rapid autofocus

Cons:

• Pricier than competitors
• Somewhat plasticky build

Read our Sony E 15mm F1.4 G review

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Text by Joshua Waller, with contributions from Jon Stapley.

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Have a look at more buying guides, especially if you’re looking for the best Sony cameras, or have a look at our latest lens reviews.

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