f/1.8 Prime Lenses (Patreon)

This is taken from the current A7C eBook but I thought it would be of broader interest for Sony photographers who don't own the A7C.

The f/1.8 prime is usually an affordable prime for most photographers. It strikes a nice balance in that it has an aperture one or two stops wider than most zooms but they are not as expensive or heavy as an f/1.4 prime. Lenses that provide an f/1.4 aperture, 2/3 stop wider than f/1.8, are usually twice the weight and often more than twice the price of the equivalent f/1.8 lens.

With this mind I thought it would be a useful exercise to compare what f/1.8 lenses are available to mirrorless photographers. This exercise shows how well Sony's range of f/1.8 primes stack up against the competition. The Nikon and Canon lenses are not available for E Mount users but I wanted to highlight the gaps in each of these two competitors range of lenses.

Zeiss offer 18mm and 135mm Batis lenses that are light and sharp but this is achieved with an aperture of f/2.8 for each prime and the lenses are usually very expensive. The Sigma 135 f/1.8 Art lens is a solid performer and comes in at an attractive price, but it is a very heavy lens weighing in at over 1.1 KG. The Tamron 24 and 35 E-Mount primes are good alternatives for those on a budget, but both have f/2.8  instead of the f/1.8 apertures.

This list does not include every E-Mount lens, so if you think I have missed one that is sharp, fast focussing and cheaper than the Sony f/1.8 equivalent prime just let me know and I'll add another column.