Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

After a sour experience with the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 lens, I returned it and purchased this Sony 50mm f/1.8 lens. As expected the field of view is a bit tighter, being in the early telephoto range. With that said it is still very usable indoors as a slightly long, "normal" lens. You will have to sometimes back up slightly more than you would need with either the 18-55mm zoom or the 30mm offerings, but Sony's O.S.S (Image Stabilization) system works wonders. After using this lens for a few days I started to think how amazing it would be if Canon and Nikon offered IS in their primes such as the 50mm and 85mm offerings. It opens up some interesting possibilities.

Right from the get go I noticed this lens focuses faster than the 18-55mm zoom set to the long end. Obviously it doesn't focus fast like a phase detection DSLR, but it is definitely useable. You will notice some issues when focusing in lower light, but this is a common occurrence with any lens and AF in low light. This is very welcome as that was one of the only areas I missed my DSLR when using the 5N.

Finally I want to point out the fast aperture on this lens is excellent, providing you wonderful out of focus bits in your images (bokeh). Set to f/1.8 you get a very thin depth of field which can be used to isolate a subject or aspect of the image very well.

This is by far the best lens out there for this Sony system and don't be deterred by the focal length, it works just find as a everyday lens as long as you are willing to work with it.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Used it on my Sony Nex 5N.

Great image quality. At f1.8 is a little soft, but much better at f2.8 and beyond.

Just wish that the auto-focus system was faster. The NEX E-mount 18-55mm is faster, but the quality of the 50mm f1.8 is sooo much better.

The 50mm f1.8lens is on my NEX-5N 90% of the time.

It's a must have for Sony NEX user.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

I just took this lens on vacation to the East coast (Boston/New York). I found the results of the lens fantastic, with great contrast and great bokeh. The 50mm fov is tricky, particularly if using it as a walk around lens. I found I had to switch lenses more than I would have liked. A must own lens if you have a NEX.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

I bought this lens to use with my NEX-5n and was impressed from the start. This lens will generate excelent bokeh on cose-up's and portraits, and is also as good for ladscapes. My favorite use is for my daughter and cats.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

This lens is fast and has great image quality. And the price is reasonable. I hope that someone comes out with a high quality F1.8 e-mount lens in the same price range as the 50mm.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Most I use this lens indoors to take pictures of my newborn child. Results are just amazing with accurate bokeh, shallow DOF and it is excellent in low light, especially with the NEX-5N it is great even at 1600 ISO! First I used Nikon 85mm 1.4G via adapter, but this lens has even better results on highlights with very little Chromatic Aberration. This is perfect lens especially for such a reasonable price. The only thing that actually annoys me sometimes is the manual focus, as You I have to turn focus ring even several times in a row to get it into the focus. Although it ends up very precise, it is pretty difficult to focus manually, and I have lost the moment few times because of that. Sometimes it misfocuses when the AF is used, but it is rare. It has good Optical Stabilisation, so handheld photos in low light are not a problem at all.
I Have not used the Nikon Lens and also I use my kit SEL1855 lens very rare, since I got this Lens, So I am sure that, If You own a NEX series body, You will not regret a penny if You buy this lens!
Highly Recommended!!!

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

I really like the crispness of this lens, ability for low light shooting and quick focus if I'm snapping on the street or at a relative's party. Has image stability as well if I don't turn off that function when using my tripod. Getting quality glass and a GOOD solid tripod escalate the IQ of photos immensely if you're going for a professional looking shot. I bought the Nex-5n body only and this was my first lens and the 24mm was my second... but only in that order because the 24mm was on back-order. I'm very satisfied with the purchase.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

I use it primarily for portraits and my general carry around lens. Once I got a taste for the optical quality of this lens wide open, my SEL18-200 (a great lens) took a back seat. The focus ring is very smooth, and has enticed me, coupled with the Nex-7, into using manual focus again (very happily), after a 20 year hiatus. Which gives me pictures consistently in focus, and I mean in focus. And did I say resolution (which is probably partly due to the ability to focus critically)? Color, contrast, bokeh, and build quality are all superb, and for a price well below what I would expect to pay for this optical quality.
Although this is not a macro lens, I often use it for very close work due the its resolution and ability to achieve critical focus manually on the Nex-7.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

I bought this along with the NEX-7 body. I already own most of the other E-mount lenses along with an NEX-5N body. I usually keep this lens on the 5N & the Zeiss 24mm f1.8 wide angle on the 7.

Resolution and sharpness are very good for a piece of glass in this price range. It isn't that surprising considering the construction; 9 elements in 8 groups. An added bonus is the close focus & very nice bokeh.

This is a very good addition to the NEX line.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Nice to have both a fast lens and and imgage stabilizer.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

This is the lens that really shows off my NEX-5N's abilities. Unprocessed RAW photos are super sharp with nice soft bokeh in the background. While not quite as sharp, it is still plenty good wide open so I can take indoor shots in natural light. The in-lens optical stabilization lets me shoot as slow as 1/15 sec without burring, and even down to 1/8 if I anchor the camera. Like all NEX lenses, this one is well-constructed with an all-metal barrel that should be quite durable.

In low light, it takes longer for this lens to focus than the kit lens at equivalent focal length. Not sure why that is, given that the 50mm lens can open so much wider.

This lens would be totally perfect if it was slightly less bulky. I have used other 50-55mm lenses for APS-C and 35mm film cameras, and none of them are nearly as long as the Sony. Perhaps this is the price one has to pay for in-lens optical stabilization?

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

We get great results using this lens. Great background blure and a very good exposure! We are very happy with this purchase.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Small, lightweight, and deadly sharp with my NEX-7. Range is a bit too short for real telephoto work, but works wonders in low light. OSS very capable.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

I've never had this type of lens so I was curious to see what it would be like. I've been using it as my main lens since I bought it which has been about a month. I love it! Since it's a fixed lens it forces me to move when focusing and think more in terms of composition as well. It's helping me to be more creative with my pictures! It's exposed me to a whole new way of 'seeing' which has been an unexpected bonus.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

This lens on an NEX series camera is a wonderful portrait lens. THe lens is sharp wide open, edge to edge, and has great bokeh. The image stabilization and fast speed also make it a good choice for available light work. My only complaint is that I wish it were a bit smaller.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Considering the price, good build quality, and the OIS, I think this lens is the best value for the NEX system right now. The focal length will not make everyone happy, but there is always a critic out there. The lens is very sharp in the center wide open, and sharp across the frams when stepped down just a bit. The lens is manufatured in China, but from everything I have read there does not appear to be an issue with quality control. If you can't afford the Zeiss, get the Sigma 19mm, 30mm, and this lens, and you'll make the most out of your NEX system.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Based on other reviews of the Nex 5n and the other Nex lenses, I bought the camera body by itself and then this lens (because lens option #2 was unavailable). I'm real happy with the lens and camera. Crisp, decent bokeh, good color, quality build. Luckily this lens came available when I ordered the camera body, because I see it is back out of stock. Lense #2 that I want for the 5N just became available tonight after I've been waiting for some time... So just placed the order for the Zeiss 24mm 1.8. Whenever Sony gets the G zoom produced by early next year, that will likely be lens #3 for this camera for me.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Great points
1. sharp
2. buttery smooth bokeh
3. well built for price

Not-so-good points
1. slow to focus

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

For the price, I don't think there is a better lens. Sharp, (check reviews on line) and well built. You will not be sorry you bought this lens.

Comments about Sony 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens:

Beautiful aperture, amazing actually , for portrait use it is the best lens so far for NEX, only problem is slow AF mode in video and am using NEX-7 so its not that big issue, I highly recommend it for any NEX users