Way back in 2014, Sony rocked the Photography industry with the first full-frame mirrorless cameras to have auto-focus, the A7 and A7R. Arguably it is Sony that has led the mirrorless revolution, converting many photographers over the years.
Fast forward to 2021 and they have the most complete system for full-frame mirrorless – you can get the Alpha A7R IV if you want to focus on still photography, or get the Alpha A7S III if you want to get into the world of motion video creation. As of the date of this blog, Sony has also just announced the Alpha A7 IV, which is very appealing to hybrid shooters and we are really looking forward to having a hands-on experience with this new camera and exploring why people in the industry are calling it a “Baby A1”.
One of the questions we got asked a lot by Sony shooters is “Which lens should I get? Should I get Sony lenses or third-party lenses?” We think Sony made a lot of great lenses and there are many good reasons to choose native lenses. However, we also know there are some third-party lenses that really shine and we thought you should also consider them before you get your next lens.
We have come up with our top three lens recommendations for all categories and you can see why we think you should consider them!
Exceptional corner sharpness, a rare thing for Super-Wide angle lenses. Colour uniformity has also been improved.
Price! At $1,577.00 (at the time of writing), this is a much more affordable lens if you are just dipping your toe into Super-Wide.
Outstanding image quality without breaking the bank, and weather-sealed.
Dust and moisture resistant – essential for serious landscape photographers!
Dust and splash proof thanks to a polycarbonate build, which also makes it lightweight!
Fast and quiet autofocus.
Lens flare and ghosting are minimised to preserve detail and give rich blacks.
Cons
Cons
Cons
Rear filter holder (gels only). This lens doesn’t have native compatibility with front filters, which means no protection for that front element, and no circular polariser without shelling out for a filter holder.
Sharpness does fall off in the corners at wide apertures.
Like its Sony counterpart, this lens only takes rear ND filters. CPL filters require a huge attachment at the front.
World’s lightest constant large-aperture 70-200mm lens! At 435g lighter than the Mark I version of this lens, you can comfortably shoot for hours.
Good quality glass gives you great detail at all focal lengths and aperture values.
Very sturdy build with weather sealing and solid image stabilisation.
11 aperture blades for perfectly circular bokeh and stellar glass for crisp detail.
Weather-sealed and has quick autofocus; perfect for any scenario!
Some of Sony’s best optics that render extremely sharp images with little distortion.
Upgraded silent autofocus motors for significant improvement in function.
At just under $2,000, it’s an affordable and very functional lens.
Note: This lens should become much more affordable in the second-hand market as people upgrade to the Mark II lens .
Designed for both film and photography: this lens can be operated completely silently and features some clever integrations for use with Sony’s cinema cameras.
Cons
Cons
Cons
Price: at around $4,500, it’s a big investment.
No built-in image stabilisation make.
At 1.5kg, this is a heavy lens that will be tiring on long shoots.
