My Favorite Lenses for the Sony a7 III, Sony a7r IV and Sony a9 II - 2019 Edition
The Sony E-Mount has been my go to system for the majority of the year. At this point, the mount has matured to a point where there is a wonderful selection of lenses, with an expanding selection of first party lenses and an expansive array of 3rd party options.
I’ve had the chance to shoot with a variety of lens combinations throughout the year, and to that end, this is my End of the Year list of my favorite lenses to use for different situations.
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
The standard lens for most photographers and situations, the 24-70mm is a great focal length range and the constant fast aperture of f/2.8 allows you to shoot in trying lighting conditions. Keep this one in your kit and on standby.
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
When you can’t get close to the subject or when you need to get a tighter shot in general, this lens picks up the baton from the 24-70mm f/2.8. With built in stabilization, it allows you use slower shutter speeds to get the shot. An essential piece of any kit and one of the lenses I’ve used the most this year.
Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM
An absolute beast of a portrait lens, the 85mm f/1.4 G Master lens gives you the ability to shoot very pleasing photos that flatter the subject with buttery bokeh blur, an aperture dial with a de-clicker option for video use. Amazing color rendition, the only drawback is the weight, which for the image quality, isn’t that bad of a tradeoff unless you’re trying to mount this on a gimbal, but for photography it is absolutely fantastic.
Sony 85mm f/1.8
Take everything above about the 85mm f/1.4 GM, cut the weight, size and price, make the autofocus faster and lose 2/3 a stop of light, and that’s the 85mm f/1.8. For less than half the price of the GM variant, this lens does not compromise on quality. Unless you absolutely need all the light all the time that the f/1.4 offers, you can get this lens and still make fantastic shots.
Sony 50mm f/1.4 ZA
The 50mm f/1.4 ZA combines Zeiss optics with a lowlight dominating f/1.4 aperture to create images that can stun in the right hands. Swirling bokeh, sharp images and the ability to shoot in low light, it’s one of my favorite lenses for street photography and portraits as the sun goes down and the street lights flicker on. It has the potential to be a beast in concerts and shows.
Sony 55mm f/1.8 ZA
The little brother to the 50mm f/1.4 ZA, it’s an ultra lightweight lens that gives you a tighter shot by 5mm and a slightly sharper image. This is a perfect lens for mounting on a gimbal and getting gorgeous footage. Highly recommended choice for a prime lens.
Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM
For sports photography, this lens can help cover the distance from one corner of the field to the other. Starting at 100mm and going to 400mm, it allows you to create tight portraits of the action. To really help take photos with this, attach a monopod for smoother panning while following the action. You can also grab a teleconverter (x1.5 or x2) to get more reach out of this lens. Just be aware that when using this, you’re not only multiplying your focal length but your aperture as well, so a 400mm f/5.6 becomes an 800mm f/11.
Sigma 24mm f/1.4 ART
A wide angle prime lens that opens up all the way to f/1.4, this lens comes in handy when it comes to getting sharp shots in tight spaces where there might not be a lot of light. Really sharp, as expected from an ART lens.
Sony 24-105mm f/4 G OSS
An optically stabilized lens that covers a wide focal range from 24-105mm, this lens works well for video work because it has built in stabilization. With a max aperture of f/4, this lens doesn’t work to well as the sun goes down for action, but for an all around lens, this is hard to beat for the amount of control if gives you. A personal favorite for situations where bringing both the 24-70 and 70-200 GM lenses might be overkill.
Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8
A lens that combines a prime portrait perfect focal length with ZEISS optics, this lens creates absolutely gorgeous images when wide open with swirling bokeh in the background of your image. It’s lightweight and made specifically to make use of the Sony Alpha system, making it a great choice for portrait photographers if you’re looking for a lightweight option for your kit.
All of these lenses are ones I’ve had the pleasure of using throughout the year and each has their particular use case, but they don’t have to be specifically used for. Try them out, experiment with them, and be sure to tag me on socials @CreeseWorks to let me see what you’ve done with them.