My Favorite 50mm Lens!! || 5 Reasons the Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 is My Go-To Choice

[@tbeiber09]

I ended up second shooting a wedding with just this lens 2 years ago and those ended up still being some of my favorite photos. there's just something really nice about this lens. I just picked one up for myself

[@andrewsaraceni]

Congrats on the purchase! I completely agree, it's really a special lens.

[@TCinSoCal]

Just found one of these for $550 in great condition. Can’t wait.

[@andrewsaraceni]

Congrats! That's a great deal, you're going to love it.

[@alen2937]

I just bought mine and it is truly something else compared with other lenses.

[@andrewsaraceni]

Completely agree, it's a special lens for sure.

[@DidYouKnow-t7v]

A neighbor in my building left one (among other things) on top of the garbage can before moving out...that made me buy a a6500, me being a Canon and Ricoh user. I LOVE this lens, it ended up in my hands for some beyond this world reason i GUESS ! LOL

[@andrewsaraceni]

Great pickup! That's about the best luck/freebie story I've heard, camera-gear wise. haha. Always loved the way this looked on my a6500 when I had it.

[@DidYouKnow-t7v]

@@andrewsaraceni cannot agree more, is a portrait and subject beast on the a6500

[@DDHDTV]

since you started with this on apsc, I’m wondering if you ever had the chance to use thr Sigma 56 1.4 then?

[@andrewsaraceni]

Never got to try it, but I did own the Sigma 16mm f/1.4, and tried the 30mm too. Still one of my favorite trios of prime lenses for APS-C bodies.

[@DDHDTV]

@@andrewsaraceni yeah I own those two as well! After 8 years I know am thinking about going FF and was dead set in getting the Zeiss 55. Planned on cropping in on it to close the gap all the way to 85-100mm, but for that, the lens needs to be super sharp. So as far as I understood, I need to crop in by 50%. What's your experience with cropping in so much on the Zeiss?

[@andrewsaraceni]

@@DDHDTV I used to do Clear Image Zoom with the 55mm on my a6500 and the image still looked great. It's a very sharp lens, comparable to the newer Sony GM and G primes.

[@halimrahman]

I've been using the 55mm lens for nearly two years, and I genuinely appreciate the quality of the photos it produces. Recently, I made the decision to "upgrade" to the overkill 50mm F1.2 GM lens, and its f/1.2 aperture is truly magical. However, I'm not ready to part ways with the 55mm just yet. The 50mm F1.2, albeit FANTASTIC, comes with an overkill weight too, making it less practical for casual outings. Therefore, I'll still be holding onto my trusty 55mm for those lighter, more spontaneous photography moments.

[@andrewsaraceni]

They're both great choices (I also now own the 50mm f/1.2 GM), but there's still something special about the 55mm - one of my all-time favorites in the Sony system.

[@DjimmyTrovy]

@@andrewsaraceni Do you still keep the 55mm now that you have the GM?

[@andrewsaraceni]

@@DjimmyTrovy I just have the 50mm GM at this point, I sold off the 55mm.

[@drcarr23]

That is the only thing I missed when I switched from Sony to Fuji. Also that 90mm was amazing too.

[@andrewsaraceni]

Yeah, both of them are classic lenses in the Sony system.

[@Panotaker]

I went for the 50mm 1.8, mainly because it’s only $250, and it’s good enough. I’m sure the 55 is better, but it isn’t $900 better.

[@andrewsaraceni]

The 50mm f/1.8 looks okay IQ-wise, the big thing is it doesn't really compete in terms of AF performance (and I rely on that for run-and-gun work). But Sony figured that out and hit a home run with the 85mm f/1.8.

[@Panotaker]

@@andrewsaraceni I think Sony either fixed that on a firmware update of this lens, or they secretly updated the new ones. I bought a brand new one about a month ago, and mine focuses just fine. I’m sure the 55 is better, but the 50 is smaller, lighter, and a whole lot cheaper. I originally bought it because I bought an A7S3, and didn’t have any Sony lenses, so I bought the 50 to hold me until I got my 24-70 f/2.8, but ended up keeping it, since it works so good. I much rather have the 55 like you got.

[@andrewsaraceni]

That's good to know. I know they've improved copy variation issues with a lot of their lenses over the years too, so I wouldn't be surprised if newer models perform better (also with Sony's AF algorithms being better now in-camera).

[@trezegol2007]

@@andrewsaraceni I own those 3 lenses :))) The 50mm is for sure a great deal for a 1.8 prime lens, but I do for sure agree it just doesn't produce the butter sweet pics the 55mm does, I just prefer the pics that come out of the 55mm. Now I bought the 85mm 1.8 couple of months ago because it was sold for a great deal. Do you have a clip and presentation of the 85mm, how you like it??

[@andrewsaraceni]

@@trezegol2007 I don't own the 85mm f/1.8, but I have a couple friends who do and I've used it before. It's a great value and overall lens in general.

[@Daniel_Zalman]

I actually want to trade in my 50mm GM f/1.4 for the Zeiss 55mm but I keep encountering the occasional complaint about it hunting for focus. However, you are saying that it's more than adequate (I don't shoot sports or lots of fast moving subjects).

[@andrewsaraceni]

I never had any issue with AF and the Zeiss 55mm, and that includes with older Sony bodies with less advanced autofocus (e.g. a6500, a7 III). Not quite as solid as the latest GMs, but certainly more than adequate.

[@Daniel_Zalman]

@@andrewsaraceni Thanks very much, Andrew. The GM f/1.4 is a great lens, but I'm not a pro and I just want something a bit lighter to walk around with. I'll probably get it used and will save the extra cash to save up for something else. Sometimes objectively better doesn't mean better for one's subjective needs.

[@antoniosbarakos4949]

i this lense good choice for wedding videography? or 35?

[@andrewsaraceni]

It's a great choice for weddings, in full frame or APS-C crop mode. 35mm would be good as well if you need a bit wider though.

[@classic.cameras]

Great video. Just got this lens today used for $360 USD and I am so far blown away. The only thing that sucks is maybe the focus hunting in lower light. Otherwise, wow.

[@andrewsaraceni]

Thanks, and enjoy the lens! That's a great pickup for that price.

[@tsizzle]

How’s the noise when changing aperture and auto focusing in photos A mode - AF-S focus mode setting to F22?

[@andrewsaraceni]

Autofocus noise is pretty low; don't think I've ever picked anything up in a video recording. But it will be slightly "louder" than any of the latest G/GM lenses. Haven't tested AF-S at F22, but I'd consider going manual focus if you're at F22, etc. since many of the Sonys go into contrast detect autofocus at those closed apertures and AF can get a bit weird, regardless of lens.

[@raulmedina6223]

Love this lens, sold it once and had to purchase it again, keeping it forever this time around

[@andrewsaraceni]

It's a keeper, for sure!

[@ashwin2101]

How much should i buy it for? How much do you think would be a worthy price for it?

[@andrewsaraceni]

@@ashwin2101 They usually go for around $1000 US new. A used one in good shape for around half that is probably a solid deal.

[@ashwin2101]

@@andrewsaraceni thanks for the quick reply sir, im seeing a deal for a used one for 510 dollars in good condition. And im thinking it over but since the Sony 50mm 1.8 is very very cheap at half the price new and is also very GOOD...i dont know what to do.

[@andrewsaraceni]

@@ashwin2101 No problem! The 50mm isn't as bad as people say, but the 55mm I think is much better in all areas (sharpness, AF, build quality) - it's a good long-term purchase for sure.

[@cameraprepper7938]

I have the Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm 1.8 ZA, I love it because it is so light and compact, I can highly recommend it ! I will NOT call it a 50mm Lens ! I There are two focal length that I do not like, 28mm and 50mm focal lengths, they are boring and always seems either too short or too long. But 55mm is just about that more use full than a 50mm focal length Lens ! A 45mm focal lengt Lens are also more usefull than 50mm, there same with 24/25mm and 35mm Lenses !

[@andrewsaraceni]

You made a great choice! It's an awesome lens.

[@pritamaries]

Am sold, liked and subscribed. :-) I just order a “Like New” 409.00 , from MBP . Thx for your reviews

[@andrewsaraceni]

No problem, thanks for the sub, and congrats on the lens!

[@isabelladavis1363]

Have it love it the more I use it the more I appreciate it … thanks for sharing stay blessed

[@andrewsaraceni]

Thanks Isabella, agreed it's a fantastic lens, enjoy it!

[@vermontmike9800]

Sony purposely made this 55mm instead of 50mm so it could also be used on the APS-C cameras as a portrait lens. Speaking of which, 85mm is what more closely matches the human eye it terms of magnification

[@andrewsaraceni]

Interesting; I wasn't aware of the lens' origin, but I could see that. 85mm seems a bit tight for what the eye sees, unless you're thinking of a very specific situation.

[@vermontmike9800]

@@andrewsaraceni simply bringing the 85mm lens to my eye (SLR) matches my magnification. I think for some, it could be 77mm as that is the alleged reason Pentax made that focal length.

[@18yearsoldnot]

This lens would bring me to Sony, but the fact that Sony and zeiss are no longer best buddies and Sony is excluding their lenses from focus breathing features etc. is pushing me towards Panasonic

[@andrewsaraceni]

Even without Breathing Compensation support, I would say this is still a great lens on Sony bodies. I do hope they increase/add support for third-party lenses for that at some point though.

[@mtbboy1993]

Weird, why?

[@Trigger-xw9gq]

It should be mentioned that the 55 suffers from lens flare and chromatic aberration quite badly.

[@greasyflight6609]

The Zeiss 55mm F/1.8 is a special lens

[@andrewsaraceni]

One of a kind in the Sony system, I completely agree. 🙂

[@waterthaimelon]

Legend

[@nielmorley7405]

excellent practical

[@andrewsaraceni]

Thanks Niel!

[@BJJgurl]

The Sony f1.8 50 is pretty good for photography but with gear drive and bad focus breathing it is lousy for video.

[@andrewsaraceni]

Yeah I've heard some mixed reviews about that lens as well.

[@kifley19]

Great lens that will eventually fail due to its design. The autofocus motor is held by a glob of glue.

[@andrewsaraceni]

Have you ever seen one fail? I know a few folks with years' old models that are still running fine.

[@enfieldlover8145]

got that bad boy

[@andrewsaraceni]

It's a great lens, for sure.

[@PuthethuKollam]

It’s very primitive! We need a new and affordable native 50mm 1.8 good for video..

[@andrewsaraceni]

The 55mm still holds up really well though. Sony really does need to update their budget 50mm, I agree.