Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS Review - Review 2022

Sony has paid more than attending to its total-frame Fe lenses in recent years than its APS-C Due east family, simply in that location are nevertheless plenty of photographers using cameras in the Alpha 6000 line. The Due east 50mm F1.8 OSS ($299.99) covers a short telephoto field of view when paired with an A6000. It's a field of view that's a bit tight for everyday use—the E 35mm F1.8 OSS is a better choice if that's what you lot want—merely it's a solid choice for portraiture. The lens is quite abrupt, compact, and affordable, though it lacks the all-weather design you get with a pricier, total-frame FE lens like the Zeiss Sonnar T* Fe 55mm F1.8 ZA.

Blueprint

The E 50mm ($348.00 at Amazon) is rather small, coming in at but 2.4 past two.iv inches (Hard disk), vii.i ounces, and supporting 49mm front filters. Its barrel is aluminum, available in your choice of silver or black. A reversible lens hood is included.

Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS : Sample Image

The lens projects an paradigm circle large plenty for employ with an APS-C sensor camera, similar the Alpha 6000, 6300, or 6500. Its field of view is near equal to a 75mm lens mounted to a full-frame camera, making information technology a solid option for portraits.

You can mount the lens to a full-frame Alpha vii II series camera. By default the paradigm sensor volition automatically crop to an APS-C size, reducing image resolution. Yous can set up the Alpha vii II to shoot without the ingather, but you'll become a strong circular vignette effectually your image if you practice.

Autofocus is quick and accurate, simply manual focus is also an option. Turning the focus ring activates the focus motor to adjust internal elements, a method that allows for compact construction, just doesn't offering the tactile feedback you become from a mechanical manual focus mechanism. The ring turns freely, without hard stops, which isn't the near pleasant manual focus experience, as information technology can exist difficult to judge which management or how quickly to turn the ring to suit focus for a shot.

Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS : Sample Image

Optical stabilization is built in, a large plus for Sony shooters. As of at present, the only APS-C model with congenital-in stabilization is the Blastoff 6500. Putting stabilization in a lens makes it possible to go well-baked, handheld shots at longer shutter speeds, and as well works to steady handheld video.

The 50mm focuses to about 1.28 anxiety (0.39-meter). It'southward a fine working distance for portraiture, but if you're a fan of using a longer lens as a daily driver, y'all'll notice yourself backing upwardly from subjects to focus.

Image Quality

I tested the E 50mm F1.8 OSS with the 24MP Blastoff 6500. At f/ane.8 it scores 2,284 lines per moving picture height on Imatest's center-weighted test. Paradigm quality is strongest at the middle of the frame, but falls off as yous move away from the center—showing most 1,815 lines in the heart third. That's all the same better than the 1,800 lines we want to see at a bare minimum, but just barely. Results at f/2 are similar.

At f/2.eight the overall sharpness score improves to 2,482 lines, with a center that tops 2,800 lines and middle and outer parts of the frame that are as well strong, effectually ii,175 lines. There's comeback all around at f/four, with the boilerplate score hit ii,665 lines, with most of the frame approaching that score.

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The lens is at its best at f/5.6 (3,051 lines) and f/8 (iii,034 lines). Diffraction sets in at narrower apertures, cutting resolution at f/11 (2,827 lines), f/16 (ii,502 lines), and f/22 (1,542 lines).

Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS : Sample Image

Distortion is a nonissue; the lens shows about none. Illumination is a business concern, however. Corners lag behind the center by -2.3EV and -2EV at f/1.8 and f/two, respectively. Portrait photographers may appreciate this natural vignette, just if you don't you tin can enable automated correction in-camera when shooting JPGs, or utilize Lightroom CC to correct the consequence in Raw images. At narrower apertures the arrears is inside -1EV, which nosotros consider to be negligible in field conditions.

Conclusions

The Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS is a solid option for photographers invested in the APS-C system. Its short telephoto field of view is a cracking choice for portraiture and for general utilize when you're not in a confined space. A broad aperture design blurs backgrounds, and works with the stabilization system to cyberspace sharp images in challenging light. It'south not a fantastic general purpose lens—the slightly wider East 35mm F1.8 OSS is a better choice if that'southward what you're looking for. Merely if you desire something tighter for portraiture or to complement a wider prime number similar the Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.viii ZA, the Due east 50m F1.8 OSS is an excellent way to become.