Wondering about 50/55mm Lenses on Sony
See my Sony mirrorless wish list at B&H Photo.
I doubt that I will pursue the Rokinon 50mm f/1.4 much further, for reasons that are shown in my shootout comparison. However, it may do better at distance, so that is probably worth a gander.
I am wondering about this lineup below, so they are on the way for shooting on an upcoming trip to the mountains.
Comparing the Sony 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar to a 50mm is awkward at best, since 50mm captures 20% more area than 55mm. Still it’s worth a look for general impression, particularly for background bokeh and field curvature and focus shift areas—practical “how did it actually fare out in the field” stuff—the sharpness but also the overall style of rendering, flare control and so on.
- Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA is 778g, 72mm filters, about $1498. Review of Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA.
- Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar is 281g, 49mm filters, about $998. Review of Sony 55mm f/1.8 Sonnar.
- Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 Planar is 320g, 52mm filters, about $949. Review of Zeiss Loxia 50/2 Planar.
More interesting for practical reasons is how the Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 performs in the f/5.6 to f/8 range versus the Sony/Zeiss FE 50/1.4, because the Loxia 50/2 is a diminutive beauty that is much more friendly for hiking. In technical terms, it is not going to be competition for the Sony 50/1.4 at f/2 and f/2.8 in terms of technical ability, but its bokeh is pleasing and it gets really good with stopping down.
The Loxia 50/2 is easily the smallest of the three, notably smaller than the Sony 55/1.8. For hiking that is a big plus, even if its metal build is a bit heaver than the Sony 55/1.8.