Sony 24mm, 40mm, 50mm Lens Review: Small Saver

The new Sony 24mm f / 2.8, 40mm f / 2.5 and 50mm f / 2.5 are the three new compact prime lenses, priced at $ 599.99 and will be shipping in mid-May. While they maintain a reputation for quality Sony has established with the G Master lineup, it is their uniformity and small size that come as a welcome surprise.

Uniformity and size are rarely a matter of discussion with respect to lenses. As a video-first manufacturer, 67mm, 77mm, and 82mm are common thread sizes in my gear bag. But it seems that with every new lens I buy I have to factor in the cost of a new ND filter or a step-up or down ring. These three new lenses all easily share the same 49mm filter thread.

Then there is weight and size. It’s no secret that bags with full-frame camera gear are heavy, and lenses play no small part in this. Sony’s G Master lens lineup is notorious for having a line of large, bulky lenses with a very premium price tag. But this new trio of lenses are smaller and lighter that fit in a compact bag or your jacket pocket.

All three of the new Sony Prime FE lenses are the same height and width.

Each of these lenses has an aperture click toggle, an autofocus toggle, a program button and an aperture and focus ring. They are all weather-sealed and 2.5 inches (64 mm) in diameter, while being only 1.8 inches (45 mm) long. This uniformity is particularly helpful when a camera is balanced on a gimbal, where often the gimbal will have to rebalance with each lens swap. I was able to balance my A7C with a 24mm attached on the Jhinu Crane M2, then could easily turn for 50mm without imbalance for tight shots.

*To the right of each lens is an aperture click switch.*

*Each lens has a focus switch on the left side.*

Weight also plays an important role here. Xiuen Crane M2 There is a $ 200 handheld gimbal built for phones, action cameras and point-and-shoot cameras. 24mm f / 2.8 weighs 162g (5.71oz), 40mm f / 2.5 weighs 173g (6.10oz) and 50mm f / 2.5 weighs 174g (6.13oz). Add 50mm to the 509g A7C, the heaviest of the three lenses, and at 683g, I was still under the Crane M2’s 720g (1.5GBB) weight limit. He left me enough headroom to put my Rode VideoMicro mic on the camera.

A full-frame camera with a G master lens on a gimbal that is small is really remarkable, and my arms are always grateful.

*The Zhiyun Crane M2 is rated for cameras up to 720g (1.5,000b).*

*I was able to mount a shotgun mic on my camera with no weight limit on the gimbal.*

Because prime lenses typically have fewer lens elements than zoom lenses, they are often sharper and have less chromatic aberration. Primes typically have wider apertures that can give in a single light or provide greater creative control over the depth of field in an image. At f / 2.8 and f / 2.5 maximum aperture, neither of these three lenses will win the competition for the bokeh bokeh or the lightest-gathering ability. But on a full-frame Sony camera, they provide sufficient separation between subjects and pleasing blurred backgrounds. Overall, they all capture sharp images with a soft, graphical focus falloff. Although I had no other prime lenses within the $ 600 price range to compare them, I was impressed by the lack of sharpness and chromatic aberration in the aperture range.

Photos taken with Sony 50mm f / 2.5G

For a head-to-head comparison between these new Sony Prime and other lenses within this price range, check out the awesome video Gerald undo Put together It covers everything from qualitative aberration to minimum focus distance with pixel peeping for nitpick-y between us. While I agree that Bokeh from Sony Prime shows too much of its blade in high aperture, I don’t see chromatic aberration on the Sony 40mm and 50mm that is noticeable enough in real-world shots.

Photos taken with Sony 40mm f / 2.5 G

During my time with these three lenses, I did most shooting with 24mm. When shooting in RAW, this 24mm has the right amount of warp on the edges, which both powers the subject and brings the viewer’s eye to the center of the frame. This is exactly the effect I am seeing from a wide-angle lens, but for those who prefer a more linear image, it may be off-putting. It is a great lens for selfie and architecture. I could also see myself using this lens for vlogging, when both I and my environment needed to be captured.

Photos taken with Sony 24mm f / 2.8 G

The 40mm and 50mm focus is equally stunning. When opened to maximum aperture f / 2.5, the background tends to blur towards the goose. And while the 40mm can handle portraits, it is also wide enough to work for some landscape shots.

40mm vs 50mm taken from the same location at ISO 500 f / 2.5.

Each lens has dual linear motors for fast and quiet autofocus, which is perfect for video shooting. There is little focus on breathing, but it is not enough to be regular that there is a problem. I wish the minimum focus distance was a bit closer, however, especially at 24mm where the closest focus can be is 9.4 inches (24 cm). The $ 550 Sigma 24mm f / 3.5 has a 4.25 inch (10.8 cm) minimum focus distance, and when taking pictures of flowers, for example, it can bring close attention to a flower viewer, a place we can hardly afford. Ever doing. It’s hard to pull that shot with a Sony lens.

*I was able to pack my Sony A7C with one of three lenses, and the two remaining all in my fanny pack.*

*The bag came off easily and there was extra space for the hand sanitizer and my wallet.*

Although these primes are the least expensive in their category, I loved shooting with them, they have the same size without compromising the control available at the click of a button, quality, or weather seal. I can switch between them without rebalancing my gimbals or even adjust for really different controls – they all feel the same in front of my camera.

Sony has finally given me an experience I still have with the G Master lens: portability. Taking three prime lenses on a walk is something I would never do because a zoom lens saves space and weight. But with these three lenses, I was able to carry a single fanny pack and did not feel burdened by their weight.

On the video front, I welcome three lenses that all share the same filter thread so that I don’t have to deal with multiple sets of step-up or down rings for my ND filters. I also appreciate the near silent autofocus and the ability to turn clicks of the aperture ring on and off.

While taking this photo, my Sony A7C’s autofocus system recognized these lenses as a face.

*The 40mm and 50mm lens hood has filter threads on both the lens and lens hood for easy mounting.*

*When paired with the Sony A7C, these lenses make for a compact package.*

The new Sony 24mm f / 2.8, 40mm f / 2.5, and 50mm f / 2.5 are all compact without compromise and at a price that is high but not out of reach. You can get faster lenses, you can get less expensive lenses, and you can also get smaller lenses. But you’d be hard-pressed to find this combination of portability and performance in anything else in Sony’s lineup.

I’m welcoming Sony’s big bang for quality cameras and lenses that won’t break my back either. Next stop: compact zoms with sharp, continuous aperture, please.