Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs
- Price: $168.00
- GBP 107.00
- Calculate Shipping
- In Stock
Not compatible with 35mm or "full-frame" digital SLR cameras
At first glance the Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT Autofocus Lens looks like a standard prime lens, but being a DT lens designed to cover Sony APS-C sized chips, it should correctly be perceived as a short telephoto lens. Its cost, design, and overall size all lead the tyro to comfortably accessorize their kit lens, and begin developing a library of optics for their camera.
Note! Not compatible with 35mm or "full-frame" digital SLR cameras
- This bright 50mm lens (75mm equivalent in full/frame 35mm format) is a short-telephoto focal length suitable for portraiture, low-light and candid imagemaking.
- Focusing down to an impressive minimum focusing distance of only 13.4" (34cm) is aided by the inclusion of Sony's Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM) smoothly driving the lens system.
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length |
50 mm Comparable APS-C Focal Length: 75 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/1.8 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Sony Alpha, Minolta AF |
| Format Compatibility | DSLR (APS-C Sensor) |
| Angle of View | 32° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.12' (34 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.20x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:5 |
| Groups/Elements | 5/6 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 49 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 1.77 x 2.76" (4.50 x 7.01 cm) |
| Weight | 6.00 oz (170 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 112 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
98%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Lightweight (82)
- Fast / accurate auto-focus (64)
- Easily interchangeable (63)
- Consistent output (54)
- Nice bokeh (42)
Cons
- Slow focus (14)
- Weak casing (14)
- Plastic construction (3)
Best Uses
- Low light (78)
- Weddings (46)
- Night photography (42)
- Landscape/scenery (23)
- Portraits (15)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (52), Semi-pro photographer (22), Casual photographer (21), Photography student (3), Pro photographer (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (60), Yes (8)
Most Liked Positive Review
Great Lens
I just got this lens a couple of weeks ago and I love it! It's a great sharp, portrait lens. I'm using in on a sony a230. I also have the sony 70-...Read complete review
I just got this lens a couple of weeks ago and I love it! It's a great sharp, portrait lens. I'm using in on a sony a230. I also have the sony 70-300 and the 18-55 and while both of those have their place the 50 1.8 is much nicer for portrait work and it's also great for getting shots indoors or with less light since it can get to 1.8 aperture. Many people have said that it's too fragile and cheaply built, but I don't see any problem with it as long you're not banging it around. The only thing that is a bit of a bummer is that it is a different size/attachment style from my other lenses and so my sun hood doesn't fit on it, but that's not a huge deal.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
One of my favorite lenses
Use for low light shots indoors. Also use for people pictures. After getting used to the lens, I can blur the background out by setting to f/1.8. Tried using outdoors, but lens...Read complete review
Use for low light shots indoors. Also use for people pictures. After getting used to the lens, I can blur the background out by setting to f/1.8. Tried using outdoors, but lens is not ideal for scenery: too narrow field of view. Also when outdoors and using a circular polarizer, the sun easily catches the filter and may ruin the shot. Needs a lens hood of some kind, one that will cover the filter. Another annoyance is that you must set the circular polarizer after focusing, since that part of the lens rotates when focusing.
Pictures are sharp and clear.
Reviewed by 112 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
It have must quality than others. And fast focus y great bouke.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
my wife and i are general hobbyist and very much enjoy this lens. It is probably worth more than we paid as we have found it to have very fine optics.
You should buy one.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Weak Casing
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Macro Photography
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Video
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I am a DP that works on a shoestring budget and needed a fast lens, this was the perfect option. It made given light shoots possible. I would recommend this to any Alpha DSLT Videographer.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Sports/Action
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
-very good image quality at the center and the edge of the frame,
-insignificant chromatic aberration,
-small distortion,
-fairly well corrected coma,
-very good work against bright light,
-quite fast autofocus.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
If you need a decent portrait lens and don't have a large budget, get this one. Lovely. So happy I made the purchase.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
- Loud focus
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
Using this lense with my NEX 7 with great results. Images are sharp and it is quick to focus. The only drawback is it is a bit noisy when focusing while shooting video. Other than that this is a great buy.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
- Tough To Attach
- Weak Casing
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Macro Photography
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I thought a fast prime lens for [$] was a great deal, but I am disappointed. Poor build quality, images not sharp. Worst thing is that the plastic mount is bad, my A-65 consistently did not recognize the lens. I am returning the lens.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I love this lens.
Ii's a perfect match for my A390.
Very sharp and it forces you to get creative(because you can't zoom in and out).
Thumbs up for the best online site on the planet earth !
B&H ....you guys are the best!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I shoot a lot of bands. This lens is perfect. I can capture the mood without a flash. Takes clear crisp pics. Depth of field great too.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by shutterbug62
depth of field
Images shared by shutterbug62
low light
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
Great lens, the f/1.8 is usefull for nice portraits. Highly recommended.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I will use it in my next photo courses
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
Cons
- Poor in Low Light
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
Things that are great about it
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
This is a secret weapon for portrait photography! We wish we would have known about it when we first purchased our Sony a55. Photos are so crisp and the bokeh is spectacular.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Weak Casing
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I have been shooting with lens on my A55 for about 4 moths and must say that was very impressed with the quality considering the price I paid!
This lens produces very sharp images, (at least with the A55) and performs very well in low light conditions.
I love the bokeh it produces. It is not my everyday lens because it is not zoom, but that is not why I got it. The f/1.8 is a must have for portrait photography.
It is not a quite lens, but that doesn't bother me. It has a fairly fast auto focus but I able to get the most out of the lens in a complete manual mode. (That's just my preference)
If you are deciding what to get after your kit lens look no further. It will quickly become one of your favorites considering the price to quality ratio!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Portraits
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I just got this lens a couple of weeks ago and I love it! It's a great sharp, portrait lens. I'm using in on a sony a230. I also have the sony 70-300 and the 18-55 and while both of those have their place the 50 1.8 is much nicer for portrait work and it's also great for getting shots indoors or with less light since it can get to 1.8 aperture. Many people have said that it's too fragile and cheaply built, but I don't see any problem with it as long you're not banging it around. The only thing that is a bit of a bummer is that it is a different size/attachment style from my other lenses and so my sun hood doesn't fit on it, but that's not a huge deal.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Images shared by Dave
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I bought this lens primarily as I had no prime lenses, and wanted a nice wide aperature for low light photography. This lens offers terrific quality and performance for its price, I think you'd be very hard pressed to get better without at least doubling the price.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Weak Casing
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
I use this lens for indoor family "portrait" type shooting. The bokeh I can get makes for more effective shots, and it performs better in low-light than my previous lenses (lower end Tamron and Sony kit lens), which for someone who shoots principally handheld is a plus. A good, basic lens. Those with a bigger budget and a keener interest might do well with something higher-end, as build quality doesn't feel like it would stand up to heavy, aggressive use.
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Blurry Focus
- Slow Focus
Best Uses
- Macro Photography
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
This is my first prime lens. I purchased this because I need a little something more for flower/outdoor/macro nature shots. I've had it about a week and so far it's not disappointing at all. Winter really isn't the season for nature macros but it handles snow and the plethora of light nature has to offer during the day. My low-light evening shots were great too. I was blown away by the focus and the contrast this lens provides. I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to using this lens heavily in the spring/summer months. I may be an amateur photographer but I've handled many lenses, this lens feels durable not plasticy.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
My first lens other than the kit lenses that came with my Alpha 300. This lens is everything I had hoped it would be. Love the clarity and the ease at which it creates a blurred background (bokeh?).
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sony SAL-50F18 50mm f/1.8 DT AF Lens for Alpha & Minolta Digital SLRs:
This is a great portrait lens. This lens is sharp as a tack and brought my A580 to life. It is much better than the kit lens that came with the camera. The price is very good also.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Filters & Filter Kits
- Price: $7.09
- GBP 4.52
- Price: $27.95
- GBP 17.80
Hoods & Covers
- Price: $5.65
- GBP 3.60
Cases & Wraps
- Price: $15.99
- GBP 10.18
What's in the Box
- 1-Year Sony Limited Warranty
Why Shop at B&H
Make your online shopping trip personal with our online Live Chat representatives. You can easily reach an in-house expert while browsing our site for your shopping needs. We have the most highly-trained staff in the industry who are pros in their fields, and their professional expertise will help you get the most from your purchase.
Place your domestic order with us for shipment via any UPS, FedEx Economy, or FedEx Priority shipping methods by 4 PM ET Monday through Thursday or 11 AM ET Friday and your order will be shipped that day. Visit our Shipping Delivery Times page for further details. Delivery times are subject to payment verification.
We appreciate your purchase from us, and we understand that sometimes the products you buy don’t turn out to be the right choice for you. We guarantee your peace of mind with our 30-day return policy. With no standard restocking fee and few restrictions, you’ll enjoy a return process as easy as shopping with us. Please visit our Return Policy page for further details.
We’ve made iPhone and Android mobile apps available for your service and shopping convenience. Use filtered search to find and purchase almost any item we sell and ship worldwide. Download product manuals and guides for many popular items. See high-resolution product images in close-up detail. Manage wishlists and view order history. Visit our Mobile Apps page to download.
See sample Newsletter
Help
Company Information
B&H Resources
