Sony has delivered what the fans have been asking for with the announcement and release of Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G. It is a full-frame lens designed for mirrorless cameras with an E-mount. This fast, ultra-wide prime lens for Sony shooters is ideal for landscape photography, street photography, astrophotography, and portraits.
Specifications
- Mount: Sony E
- Minimum Aperture: f/22
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
- Focal Length: 20 mm
- Filter Size: 67 mm
- Diaphragm: 9 blades, rounded
- Format: Full-frame
- Minimum Focus Distance: 18 cm
- Vision Angle: 94 °
- Diaphragm: 9 blades, rounded
- Optical Design: 14 elements in 12 groups
- Max Magnification: 0.22x
- Weight: 373 g
- Dimensions: 73.5 x 84.7 mm
Features
Prime lenses usually feature a simple design and the Sony 20mm is no exception. However, the lens offers something a little extra as compared to other lenses in the category. It has a MF/AF swap that allows you to toggle between focus modes, a swap to maneuver between clicked and stepless aperture choice, a handbook aperture ring, and a customizable button on the aspect. Apart from the weight and dimension of the lens, the most amazing function is that there are three settings for handbook aperture that go well with all videographers and photographers. So, no matter what technique you like to use for aperture management, the Sony 20mm f/1.8 G presents it.
Build and Handling
Sony 20mm is a lens that has been clearly designed with portability in mind, with a 67mm filter size, a weight of only 373g, and diminutive proportions of 73.5 x 84.7 mm. The lens is ideal to be used with filters since its entrance does not rotate. It is very compact and balances completely with Sony A9 and A7 series cameras, as well as the APS-C bodies of A6000 series, on which 30mm is the equal focal size. The construct of the lens is stable and feels just the way you would expect from a lens that is moisture and mud resistant.
Performance
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G has a sweet-spot aperture that captures sharp images. The sharpness is outstanding at f/1.8, however you start to see a major soar in it when you cease right down to f/2.8. After this value, the lens ceases to offer improved edge sharpness. And beyond f/8, there is a drastic reduction in picture sharpness, with f/22 being the least sharp. So, it can be concluded that the lens performs best between f/2.8-f/8. Needless to say, the f1/8 and f/11 are greater than sharp sufficient. Apart from this, there is a noticeable vignetting when you take pictures at f/1.8. The autofocus is quiet and fast.
Verdict
The Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G is definitely the product that fills a gap within the Sony FE lineup as it is capable of satisfying the needs of a variety of photographic genres. It offers great picture quality as well as the proper stability of options. It’s lightweight, compact, and most importantly, it is very sharp. All in all, it has all the ingredients that are massively attractive to many photographers.