Sony has one of the best lens lines for mirrorless cameras of any manufacturer. Photo: thephoblographer.com [ad_1]
Sony has one of the best lens lines for mirrorless cameras of any manufacturer. Photo: thephoblographer.comPortraits are different: someone loves classic studio shots in perfect lighting, someone at a concert is trying to “reach out” to the artist, and someone prefers night neon cyberpunk. For all these situations, Sony, Sigma and Tamron have some great portrait lenses. Let’s figure out which “glasses” are best suited for your Sony camera.
What should be a good portrait lens
Classic portrait fix (native)
Classic Portrait Fix (Third Party)
Telephoto fix
Telezoom for portraits
For portraits in the environment
What should be a good portrait lens:
- good central sharpness (depends on the overall quality of the optics);
- moderate telephoto focal lengths. The equivalent focal length of 8mm is considered a classic for portraits, but for some genres, “wider” and “narrower” glasses are better suited — more on that below;
- good luminosity. For lenses with a fixed focal length — from f / 1.8, for zooms — from f / 2.8;
- the ability to blur the background and create beautiful bokeh (directly depends on aperture and focal length — faster and longer lenses blur the background more powerfully).
Classic portrait fix (native)
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM
The lens is large, but on full-frame bodies it looks more or less balanced. Photo: cameralabs.comWhen talking about Sony portrait lenses, the first thing that comes to mind is a lens that Sony itself calls the “ultimate portrait fix”. This is the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM. It’s hard to argue with this characteristic: a fast lens of the professional G Master series (lenses with top quality optics, accurate autofocus and convenient controls for professionals) with a classic portrait focal length — what more could you want from a portrait lens?
Cool sharpness, cool bokeh with the ability to powerfully blur the background to visually highlight the model. With such aperture, you can work in a variety of lighting conditions: from ideal studio to night shooting on the street.
Cons — high price (137 thousand rubles at the time of writing) and rather big dimensions (the lens weighs 820 grams).
If you’re willing to sacrifice aperture but get a smaller, cheaper lens, the company has a great option — the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8. The lens costs and weighs half as much, but at the same time provides more than a decent picture for its money.
Classic Portrait Fix (Third Party)
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art was produced not only for Sony, but also for Canon and Nikon. Photo: sigma-global.comThe main competitor of the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM will not be the Sony 85mm f/1.8, which we noted above, but the legendary Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art. We have already spoken about this “glass” more than once, but it would be a crime to miss it in such a rating.
At a cost one and a half times cheaper than the native lens, it produces a picture no worse. Its main problem is the weight of more than a kilogram. Sometimes the lack of stabilization is also reproached, but, firstly, the competitor from Sony also does not have it, and secondly, most of the company’s cameras are equipped with in-carcass stabilization.
If you are not a fan of “heavy metal”, the same Sigma has released an updated model — Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN. This portrait lens is much more compact and lighter (640 grams), while it demonstrates excellent sharpness at all apertures and does not complain about chromatic aberration (green and purple fringing). True, you will have to pay more — at the time of writing the article, the price is 120 thousand rubles.
Telephoto fix
Sony FE 135mm f/1.8GM
Includes a powerful lens hood that saves from glare and flare. Photo: bhphotovideo.comIf you are looking for a lens for close-up portraits (for example, headshots), then telephoto fixes give the most interesting picture with a very shallow depth of field (and, accordingly, powerful background blur). The Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM is a fast prime that few can seriously compete with in terms of optical quality.
At the same time, for its focal length, it is very light (950 grams) — 30% lighter than the nearest competitor Sigma Art 135mm f / 1.8 (1230 grams). It focuses quickly, so it is well suited not only for portraits, but also for weddings, sports and various events.
Videographers will also appreciate it — the aperture ring can work without clicks to create smooth transitions.
Telezoom for portraits
Sony FE 70–200mm f/2.8GM
With this lens, you can take portraits of not only people, but also wild animals. Photo: dpreview.comIf you’re looking for a more versatile zoom telephoto lens, Sony has the Sony FE 70–200mm f/2.8 GM professional fast lens. Such a “machine” will be good for shooting portraits at concerts and various live events when you need to “reach out” to a person. Excellent aperture makes it possible to shoot in reportage (unpredictable) conditions, while in size it is more like a fix — it is convenient when working in crowded places. Fast and accurate focusing plus an optical stub on board. Don’t ask about the price — more than a quarter of a million rubles.
A more budget-friendly alternative is Tamron’s 70–180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD. Of course, it is not so “long” in terms of the range of focal lengths, but it is just right for portraits. The lens has excellent aperture, and the body is relatively compact — this telephoto weighs 815 grams.
For portraits in the environment
Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM
A cool universal fix for street portraits and more. Photo: dpreview.comFor “in context” shots – street portraits and portraits in the environment (for example, for portraits of professionals, when you need to make it clear what a person is doing by including their workplace in the frame), we will need a wider angle lens.
But too wide-angle optics are not the best choice for portraits (due to perspective distortions that do not paint human faces), but 35mm is just right.
The Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM is equipped with professional optics that help you maintain sharpness at any aperture. At the same time, a powerful aperture is great for night city portraits with neon signs and urban aesthetics.
GM series optics cost decent money, so you can sacrifice a little aperture and take the universal Sony FE 35mm f / 1.8. This is a compact lens with fast autofocus and excellent sharpness at maximum aperture. It has beautiful soft bokeh, although chromatic aberration can be noticeable in high contrast situations. But given the democratic price tag — it costs about 60 thousand rubles — this small drawback can be safely forgiven.
Read also:
Chromatic aberration: what is it and how to remove it
The Best Alternative Lenses for Sony Cameras: Sigma, Tamron and More
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