This will be a review of the excellent Sony 50mm 1.8 lens. You can get it from Amazon
Usually, when you see a 50mm lens, you will immediately think that the lens is a full frame lens. However, not the case in this one.
For some reason, Sony only make this lens compatible with cropped sensor DSLR which is quite an unusual move.
However, don’t let this fool you.
This lens is one of the sharpest lens for Sony Alpha DSLR that I have ever tested.
The sharpness is excellent, both on the center and on the borders. In addition, chromatic aberration and distortion are very well controlled.
It is also very cheap which makes this lens a bargain for the performance!
The only thing that you don’t get is professional build quality (who would expect such thing at this price?)
If you are into shooting with primes and want to take your photography skill to the next level without breaking the bank, then this is the lens for you.
To see my complete Sony 50mm 1.8 review, read on.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Sony 50mm 1.8 Specs
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Official Name:
Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAL-50F18
Focal Length Markings:
50mm
Features:
DT – Only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera
SAM – Smooth Autofocus Motor – Promises quick and silent autofocus mechanism
Full Technical Specs (from Sony’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 5 / 6 |
| Angle of View | 32.2 |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/22 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 1.1ft (0.34m) |
| Filter Thread | 49mm |
| Weight | 6oz (170g) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | 2-6/8″ × 1-6/8″ (70 X 45mm) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 1.5 |
| Available at | Amazon, B&H Photo Video or Adorama |
Optical Performance
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Sony 50mm 1.8 Sharpness
Center sharpness is simply excellent at any aperture, even at the widest aperture of f/1.8. This lens is one of the sharpest Sony prime lens.
Border sharpness has the same characteristics as center sharpness. It is also very sharp at any aperture, even at the widest one.
The point of maximum sharpness seems to be at f/5.6.
See the sharpness test table below if you want to see the complete result.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAL-50F18 Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/1.8 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 50mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAL-50F18 Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/1.8 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 50mm | Great | Great | Great | Great | Excellent | Excellent |
Distortion
Distortion is only visible slightly in this lens. In most shooting cases, it will not be noticeable.
See the distortion test image grid below.
Sony 50mm 1.8 Distortion
Vignetting
Typical for a digital crop sensor lens, vignetting is visible at the widest aperture (f/1.8 and f/2.2).
To remedy this problem, stop down to f/2.8 or more and the vignetting will not be visible.
See my vignetting test chart below.
Sony 50mm 1.8 Vignetting
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is very well controlled in this lens. It can be ignored at any aperture.
See the full chromatic aberration table result below.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAL-50F18 Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/1.8 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 50mm | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
Build Quality
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials
This is a budget lens and hence the build quality is only average. It is made of plastic (including the lens mount).
Focusing
The SAM – Smooth Autofocus Motor – mechanism works well. It is pretty fast for the price. DMF or Direct Manual Focusing is not supported in this lens.
The front focus ring operates smoothly. It rotates during AF operations. However, the filter ring does not rotate.
Note that manual focusing will be a bit delicate because of the small focus ring and short focus path.
Image Stabilization
In the Sony DSLR world, the Image Stabilization is built into the camera sensor, not on the lenses. Check your camera body to see if it has the Image Stabilization feature.
Compatibility
Being a DT lens, this lens is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera. It is not compatible with full frame or film SLR camera.
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some sample images taken with this lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.
Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon
Conclusion
Back to: Menu • Introduction
This is the summary of the Sony 50mm 1.8 lens review.
Given the budget price, this lens has performed fantastic optically. The center and borders are very sharp at any apertures.
Distortion and chromatic aberration are also well controlled.
The downside would be vignetting at the widest aperture (which is typical for any cropped sensor lens). Another one is that this lens is not compatible with full frame DSLR camera (which is quite surprising for a lens in this focal length).
If you are not planning to move to a full frame DSLR and want a sharp, light and cheap lens, by all means this is the lens to get.
Below are the bullet point conclusions for this review.
Drawbacks
- Vignetting is visible at f/1.8 and f/2.2 (typical for any cropped sensor lens)
- Not compatible with full frame DSLR camera
Positives
- Very sharp at any aperture, both on the center and borders
- Great distortion control
- Chromatic aberration is negligible at any aperture
- Autofocus SAM works well
- Lightweight
- Great value for money
Good For
- Portrait lens
- Shooting in low light situation
- Sometimes can be used as a street photography lens
Not So Good For
- All around lens
What Others Are Saying…
by “Christopher Jurado”
The sharpest lens in my bag! Sharp and great colors! I’ve been using my kit lens for a while, and I wanted a lens for portraits. The quality of the images make it my preferred lens, and I only resort to my kit zoom lenses during events where I am unable to get close…
Click here to see the full review
by “M. Mokrzewski Marcinmoka”
You will rediscover photography! Bombarded with messages that switching to a prime will make you a better photographer, I was skeptical at first, but ultimately made the plunge. All I can say is: wow…
Click here to see the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Sony 50mm 1.8 from these sites (best price online):
Make sure you also check out the following related review if you want to see more options.
Hope you enjoy this Sony 50mm 1.8 review and I will catch you in the next one!
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
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