Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Lens Review: A little nifty fifty for your full-frame E-mount camera
posted Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 4:04 PM EDT
A small, compact and affordable "nifty fifty" is one of those tried and true lenses that just about any photographer carries around or has at least used at one point. Nearly all manufacturers offer one of these lenses, but up until March of this year, there wasn't such a lens for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras. Filling that gap is the new Sony FE 50mm f/1.8, which, with an MSRP of just under $250, is currently Sony's most affordable FE-mount lens.
The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is a no-frills, standard lens with a lightweight, nearly all-plastic (but sturdy) construction. The normal focal length makes it great as a general purpose lens, especially on a full-frame camera. Stick it on an crop sensor, and the resulting 75mm eq. focal length is great for portraiture. In our in-depth Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 review, the tests show this new Sony lens is quite good optically, though there's some strong vignetting when shot wide open. Plus, if you're looking for edge-to-edge sharpeness, be prepared to stop down. All in all, the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is an excellent value for Sony full-frame shooters.
For all the details, including test results from both full-frame and APS-C cameras, as well as build quality, handling notes and sample images, jump on over to our full Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 review. Also, be sure to check out our Flickr album for a selection of real-world gallery images shot by our senior lens technician Rob Murray using our Sony A7R test camera.
