Customer Ratings & Reviews

Low apwrateure allows for great shallow depth of field shots. Great autofocus too! Also has a manual focus. Prime lens so no zoom

a perfect option for those who start, super light and versatile

Shoots great portraits and is very clear. I have been a big Sony fan for a while now when it comes to cameras.

Great lens to have for Sony a7 camera. I use this lense for potrait pictures.

Really good lens for the price, I really don’t have any complaints.

On my A7R2 with the very latest firmware (as of August 2016), the lens was taking way too long to auto focus. Very annoying. I shoot models and was missing too many shots. I returned it for full refund. This was such a shame as it was small, light, with very sharp focus. At a decent price.

The Sony 50mm f/1.8 is an impressive lens considering its affordable price. It’s lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry everywhere. The f/1.8 aperture delivers beautiful background blur and performs very well in low-light situations. Sharpness is very good, especially for portraits, street photography, and video. Autofocus is quiet and accurate, which is great for both photos and video recording. Colors look natural and contrast is solid, exactly what you expect from Sony. This lens is a great option for anyone looking to get into prime lenses or wanting an affordable 50mm without sacrificing image quality. Highly recommended for both full-frame and APS-C Sony cameras.

Okay. “Nifty fifty” ? Yeah more like MUST HAVE. This lens is must have for anyone owning a compatible camera. I’m overly impressed with this thing. Paired with my a7iv

As someone looking to stretch their photography budget without sacrificing creative control, the Sony FE 50 mm f/1.8 delivers a remarkable blend of performance and affordability. Strengths & Highlights • Compact, Lightweight Design: At just around 186 g with a petite 68.6 × 59.5 mm frame, this lens is delightfully travel-friendly—perfect for street, travel, or daily carry kits.   • Budget-Friendly Full-Frame Option: With a modest price point near $250, this is easily Sony’s most affordable full-frame 50 mm autofocus prime—making it a prime choice for emerging photographers diving into low-light and portrait photography.   • Good Sharpness and Contrast: Expect impressively sharp center performance—even wide open at f/1.8—with contrast-rich imagery that carries beautifully through many use cases.    • Character and “Vibe”: Users note the lens renders with a distinctive aesthetic—micro-contrast that imparts a gritty, film-like quality, especially appreciated in portraiture.  • Simple, Effective Build: The plastic construction keeps weight low, while the rubberized focus ring offers smooth manual control, making it comfortable to handle despite not feeling premium.   Considerations & Trade-Offs • Autofocus Is Modest: The autofocus relies on a basic DC motor, resulting in slower and sometimes noisy performance—especially noticeable with moving subjects, in low light, or during video shoots.      • Edge Softness and Flare: While center sharpness is excellent, corners can be soft at f/1.8. Lens flare and vignetting are visible wide open, though they steady out as you stop down.    • Bokeh Quality: The lens delivers smooth bokeh, particularly at closer distances, though some reviewers noticed texture or cat-eye shape toward frame edges.   • No Stabilization or Weather Sealing: There’s no OSS (optical stabilization) or weather resistance—common for the price point, but worth noting if shooting in challenging environments.   ⸻ Bottom Line If you’re stepping into full-frame photography or looking to expand your lens lineup on a tight budget, “Pocket-Sized Prime, Big-Hearted Results” truly hits the mark. It delivers stellar center sharpness, lightweight portability, and that classic 50 mm character—all at a price that won’t break the bank. Just be mindful of its autofocus limitations and softness at the edges—but for static scenes, portraits, and low-light setups with careful technique, this lens more than earns its keep.

The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Standard Prime Lens for E-mount Cameras, available at Best Buy, is a highly regarded lens that offers exceptional value for both amateur and professional photographers. This lens is designed for Sony's full-frame E-mount mirrorless cameras, but it also works seamlessly with APS-C models, providing a versatile focal length equivalent to 75mm on crop-sensor cameras. One of the standout features of this lens is its large f/1.8 aperture. This allows for beautiful, creamy bokeh (background blur) and excellent low-light performance, making it ideal for portraiture, street photography, and low-light shooting. The wide aperture also enables faster shutter speeds, helping to capture sharp images in dimly lit environments. The build quality is solid for a lens at this price point. While it's constructed mostly of lightweight plastic, it feels sturdy and compact, making it easy to carry around for day-to-day photography. Weighing just 6.5 ounces, it is incredibly lightweight, which makes it a great travel companion or for photographers who prefer a more minimal setup. Optical performance is impressive, with sharpness being a notable strength of the lens. It delivers crisp images with great detail across the frame, even at its widest aperture. The autofocus is fast and relatively quiet, making it suitable for both photography and video recording. However, it’s not as silent or snappy as higher-end lenses, but for most users, it performs well enough. The price of the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is another highlight. It offers excellent image quality and versatility at a more affordable price than many other lenses in the same category, making it a great option for those who want high-quality shots without breaking the bank. In terms of downsides, the lens can exhibit slight chromatic aberration or fringing in high-contrast areas, but this is easily correctable in post-processing. Additionally, it doesn't have the premium build or weather sealing that more expensive lenses offer, but this is understandable given the price. Overall, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Standard Prime Lens is a fantastic choice for those looking for a budget-friendly, high-performance lens. It provides sharp, beautiful images, great low-light performance, and a fast aperture—all while being lightweight and easy to use. If you're looking for a versatile prime lens for portraiture or everyday shooting, this one is an excellent option available at Best

Truly my favorite lens ever. I’ve had several pieces of glass that are great for uses and occasions, and really shine in one way or another. This lens is a perfect one-and-done-r. You can take this thing anywhere and be happy as can be with it. Landscapes, night out with friends, sunsets on the lake, weekend trip to NYC, vacation at the beach, wildlife reservation/zoo, anything. Add this to your collection, and you’ll never wanna take it off.

This lens is a perfect to my wife and I's digital journey as we strive to become podcasters and bloggers. This lens provides amazing depth of field and blurred backgrounds to give that professional photographer look. Bought it open box and it was very affordable for how great the quality is when taking photos.

The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is an exceptional piece of equipment for photographers looking to elevate their craft. The lens is compatible with E-mount cameras, making it a versatile addition to your gear. The f/1.8 aperture provides beautiful bokeh and low-light capabilities, allowing you to capture stunning images even in challenging lighting conditions. The compact size and sleek black design make it easy to carry and a great option for on-the-go photography. I highly recommend this lens to any photographer looking for a reliable and high-performing lens for their E-mount camera.

Start with the good. For the price, it's got great image quality. It's small and feels decent in the hand and on the camera. Of course there are much better FE 50/55mm lenses for the a7, but their prices are much higher. I've read complaints still about the price: yes, Canon and Nikon have even cheaper nifty fifties, but this is the cheapest FE lens and I'd still call it a good value if you can't afford the better options. Now, the not so good. So plenty of professional reviews have covered this, the Auto Focus is s..l..o..w. It rakes focus back and forth quite a bit each time you activate the autofocus even if you are focusing on the same object. If you have pre-focus on, you will notice moving every couple seconds as well, which I found quite annoying. Also the sound is noticeable, this is a cheap AF motor and it shows. One bonus though, because of the motor, if you like using MF or DMF, this focus by wire actually feels almost like you are using a direct focus mechanism. Compared: I have used the Sony/Zeiss 55mm and it is totally silent and very very fast. Super sharp, better bokeh, wonderful handling. If you can afford it, that's the lens to get. If you have APSC (a6000, NEX, etc), I would suggest the original SEL50F18 if you never plan to move up to full frame. It's a great lens and has the silent and fast AF motor. Overall I would still recommend this lens as long as you know the shortcomings, but I would not call it a great lens, good 4 star performance.

This lens is a solid choice for someone that's starting to get into photography. 50mm is a fairly decent focal length I'd say and the f/1.8 aperture is good to let in as much light as possible. Everything looks sharp and the size is very compact and weighs nearly nothing. The autofocus is pretty slow however, slow and noisy. If you were to record videos with this, an external mic should already be taken into consideration, but if you were to use the onboard mic, the motor is very audible Overall, it's pretty nice for photography

This is a good all around Lens. Even though I don't use it often, It is a must have lens. It is fast and small enough to use when you need to travel light or just need to grab a quick shot.

I am loving this lens. It has worked well thus far and would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a 50mm lens.

The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Standard Prime Lens for E-mount Cameras has quickly become my go-to lens for a myriad of photography purposes, and its stellar performance has left me thoroughly impressed. Designed with versatility in mind, this lens proves to be an essential tool for photographers of all levels. Lightweight Wonder: One of the standout features of this lens is its incredibly lightweight design. Weighing in at just under 7 ounces, it's a featherweight addition to any camera bag. This makes it an ideal companion for those who are always on the move or looking to keep their gear kit compact. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a beginner, the portability of the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 makes it a practical choice for any shooting scenario. Versatility at f/1.8: The lens's wide aperture of f/1.8 is a game-changer, allowing for stunning depth of field and exceptional low-light performance. This feature is particularly beneficial for beginners looking to experiment with creative compositions or capture impressive shots in challenging lighting conditions. The ability to achieve a beautifully blurred background (bokeh) adds a professional touch to portraits and other close-up subjects. Sharpness and Clarity: For a lens in its price range, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 delivers impressive sharpness and clarity. Whether you're shooting portraits, landscapes, or everyday scenes, the lens consistently produces images with remarkable detail. The 50mm focal length provides a natural perspective that closely mimics the human eye, making it suitable for a wide range of subjects. Starter Lens Excellence: This lens is a fantastic choice for beginners diving into the world of photography. Its simplicity and ease of use make it an excellent starter lens, allowing new photographers to focus on developing their skills without being overwhelmed by complex features. The 50mm focal length is versatile enough to handle various scenarios, making it a lens that can evolve with a photographer as they progress in their journey. Affordable Excellence: One of the most compelling aspects of the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 lens is its affordability. Despite its budget-friendly price tag, it doesn't compromise on quality. It's a prime example of Sony's commitment to providing accessible, high-performance optics for photographers of all levels. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Standard Prime Lens is a lightweight marvel that excels in meeting the diverse needs of photographers. Whether you're a beginner looking for your first lens or a seasoned professional seeking a compact, versatile option, this lens delivers on multiple fronts. Its combination of portability, wide aperture, and affordability makes it a must-have addition to any photographer's toolkit.

If you were looking for a cheap native prime for your Sony a7xx camera well here it is. Unfortunately it is a very mediocre lens. If you have an APSC e mount the 50 1.8 OSS is a much better investment. The big downfall of this lens is a very poor AF motor. This is the slowest focusing native lens. There is a firmware update that makes it OK. I would imagine that AF would be brutal with the a7r or s. Completely forget tracking with this lens. Now for the good. This lens is small, light, inexpensive, and the optics are actually pretty good. I no longer have any cheap 50s but optically this lens seems competitvewith any cheap 50s out there. So if you want a small light fast 50 and can live with slow AF then this is your lens. If you have a larger budget the 55 1.8 has a great AF motor, is better wide open, and just a beautiful match for the sony a7xx cameras.

The perfect nifty fifty lens. Gets the job done for what I need. Can be slow and loud sometimes but otherwise does what I need it to do.