Choosing the best Sony lenses for your camera depends on your budget, of course, but also on a variety of other factors. We’ll run through these below, but first let’s explain the different Sony lenses you can buy.
Sony has two lens systems: the Sony E-mount and the A-mount. Sony E-mount lenses are designed for its current range of full-frame and APS-C format mirrorless cameras, while the A-mount is the system used by Sony’s now defunct range of DSLR-style SLT cameras. If you’re looking for the best Sony lenses to buy, you’re probably going to want an E-mount lens.
And if you’re still shooting on a Sony SLT camera, you might want to consider an upgrade. Take a look at our DSLR vs mirrorless technology comparison, and if you want to stay loyal to Sony, our guides on the best Sony cameras and which Sony A7 camera is best should help you find the best camera for you.
What Sony lens is best for my needs?
To ascertain what Sony lens is best for you, you need to understand Sony’s E-mount and how it is organised. Sony makes mirrorless cameras with both full-frame and APS-C size sensors (see our guide to understanding sensor size). Sony lenses designed for full-frame cameras have FE at the beginning of their name. A Sony FE lens won’t have any reduction in its field of view when using it on a full-frame Sony A7 camera. When using an FE lens on an APS-C camera or in crop mode, it will have a 1.5x reduction in field of view.
If you own a Sony full-frame camera, the best Sony lenses for your needs will be from the FE range.
If you shoot with an APS-C format camera from the Sony A6000 series, the best Sony lenses for you will be from the Sony E range.
But that’s not to say that you should never use full-frame lenses on APS-C bodies, nor APS-C lenses on full-frame cameras. Sony allows its full-frame and APS-C lenses to be used interchangeably with its full-frame and APS-C format cameras, and there are scenarios where each can be advantageous. Check out our guides on when to use APS-C lenses instead of full-frame and what is crop factor to learn more.
The best Sony lenses you can buy today
One of the knocks on Sony years ago was that its lens range was a bit limited. But the company has been very aggressive in recent years in building out its range. As a result, there’s now a Sony lens for just about every occasion. Here we’ve focused on the best Sony lenses to start your collection, choosing optics to cover all of the most common focal lengths.
