Sony mirrorless users have the best of both worlds. They can use first-party lenses and have ample options in third-party accessories. In fact, most users today get the chance to buy cost-effective lenses from Chinese and German third-party lens manufacturers, which are also spectacular in real-world use. If you are looking to purchase a new second lens, then these offerings can be of help. After all, they have received our highest accolades in our reviews. Let’s have a look.
Sigma 16mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary
The Sigma 16mm is designed with 16 elements in 13 groups and 9 round aperture blades. Its close-focusing distance is 9.8 inches, its filter size is 67mm, and its maximum magnification ratio is 1:9.9. The lens is perfect for Sony’s APS-C users due to many reasons. For instance, you get a fast aperture of f1.4, good weather sealing, fast autofocus, and also get nice bokeh. The image quality is sharp, despite having such a wide aperture. It is perfect for landscape, documentary, street, and travel photographers who want to go wide.
Laowa 20mm f4 Zero-D Shift
The Laowa 20mm f4 is a tilt-shift lens for Sony users. It has a 94.4° angle of view, and also includes 2 aspherical elements and 3 ED elements. There is also a 14 14-blade aperture, a close focusing distance of 25cm, and a shift of ±11mm for full-frame cameras. The lens excels at controlling distortion, the bokeh is pretty smooth, great sharpness, and there is 360° shift capabilities. Architect photographers will love what it can do, and all under $900.
Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 Di III VXD
Tamron has created many great zoom lenses, and the 35-150mm is one of them. With 21 elements in 15 groups, the lens has 9 aperture blades, a maximum focusing distance of 13 inches on the wide side, and 33.5 inches on the telephoto side. There is also a maximum magnification of 1:5.7 at 35mm and 1:5.9 at 150mm. The lens gives you beautiful image quality, has the best autofocus with the Sony a1, and it is weather sealed really well. In fact, it is not too sharp, which means you won’t have to spend hours retouching the pores.
Rokinon 50mm f1.4 AF FE
The Rokinon 50mm f1.4 is another excellent lens that can be used for various genres. The lens has been created with 9 elements in groups, including 3 aspherical elements and 9 aperture blades. It also has a 2.89-inch diameter, a maximum magnification of 0.15x, and a minimum focusing distance of 1.48 feet. The image has contrast, good sharpness, and beautiful bokeh. The metal build is also great, and the autofocus works pretty well. There is no weather sealing, but the lens is amazing.
Zeiss 135mm f2.8 Batis
The Zeiss lens is the last lens on the list and an excellent option. The 135mm f2.8 is designed with 14 elements in 11 groups and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.87 m. Other features include a maximum magnification of 0.19x, 9 rounded aperture blades, and an OLED display for distance and depth of field. The lens is very sharp, offers exceptional colors, and the lens has overall good feel. The lens is weather sealed, and the focusing is quite fast.
