Best Sony Lenses for Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras

Looking for the best Sony lenses? We cover everything you need to know. In 2013, Sony surprised quite a few people by stepping into Nikon and Canon territory with the release of a full-frame sensor camera. Until then, mirrorless cameras were mostly seen as smaller-sensor amateur gear, but Sony proved they could bring something genuinely new to serious photographers too.

However, those first cameras had plenty of flaws: electronic viewfinders that were not very clear and could be unreliable, autofocus performance far behind DSLRs at the same price, a limited lens lineup that often required adapters and the loss of automatic functions, and very poor battery life. It took Sony a long time to establish itself against the DSLR heavyweights.

To help you choose, we also published a useful guide to Sony lenses according to the type of photographer you are!

Sony did have one advantage, though: a smaller user base than the two market leaders. That gave the brand time to develop its mirrorless system while knowing that its sales could only grow over time. The second generation of full-frame mirrorless cameras began to attract many photographers, who could see how far this type of camera might go and how it could eventually overshadow DSLRs. The third generation was the real turning point, to the point that Nikon, Canon, and Panasonic all decided to launch their own mirrorless cameras, with Nikon and Canon even doing so at the expense of their DSLR ranges.

Today, Sony is firmly established, and the lens ecosystem it has built attracts more and more photographers. Another major advantage of the Sony E-mount, at least for now, is that it has been opened to third-party brands. Since 2018, those brands have clearly understood the appeal of entering this market. Sigma, Tamron, and Samyang in particular have released some very interesting lenses. We also put together a complete page listing the best Sigma lenses for Sony E-mount.

So here is my list, ordered by focal length from shortest to longest, of what I consider to be the best lenses designed for full-frame Sony bodies. The selection focuses mainly on optical quality, and usually on build quality too. Whatever camera you use, these lenses are meant to deliver the best possible technical image quality.

We have written many articles to help you choose your Sony lens, both by focal length (24, 35, 50, 85mm) and by photography style, such as wide-angle or macro photography.

Here are, in my opinion, the key references to consider if you are looking for a Sony wide-angle lens. The table below gives you a quick overview.

Visual

Lens

Features

Best price

Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM

• Best ultra-wide-angle zoom
• Excellent sharpness at full aperture
• Many comfort features
• Very good AF

Amazon
B&H

Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM

• Best ultra-wide-angle prime
• Excellent construction
• Excellent AF too
• Very good price/quality ratio

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

• Very good UWA zoom alternative
• Very good design
• AF slightly behind
• Tighter focal range

Amazon
B&H

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

• Excellent wide-angle zoom
• Very good optical quality
• Excellent construction
• Many comfort features

Amazon
B&H

Sony FE PZ 16-35 mm f/4

• Very good image quality
• Good build quality
• Well suited to video
• Clickless aperture ring

Amazon
B&H

Sony 20mm f/1.8 G

• Excellent image quality
• High-end design
• Clickless aperture ring
• Fair price for the quality

Amazon
B&H

Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM

• Best Sony 24mm
• Excellent image quality
• GM-level design
• Very bright lens

Amazon
B&H

Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2

• Excellent price/quality ratio
• Very good image quality
• 1:2 macro capability
• All-weather construction

Amazon
B&H

Here are the best wide-angle lenses I recommend for a Sony full-frame camera:

• Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
• Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM
• Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
• Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
• Sony 16-35 mm f/4 PZ
• Sony 20mm f/1.8 G
• Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM
• Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD

The Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 is currently the best ultra-wide-angle zoom lens available for the E-mount. Image quality is excellent, and unusually consistent across the whole focal range. It also offers a wide aperture, useful for astrophotography or low-light work, along with exemplary build quality and a customizable AF button. Autofocus is excellent too, even though this kind of zoom is generally not used for action photography.

Of course, a high-end first-party lens always comes with the same drawback: the price. Expect to pay at least €3300 for one, which is a serious amount of money and means you need to have very high expectations. If you have the budget and a real use for it, you should not be disappointed.

The Sony 14mm made quite an impression when it was released, thanks to a maximum aperture rarely seen on such a short focal length, even though Sigma had already achieved something similar with its 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art. Once again, this is a very high-quality lens, even if some weakness is visible at the edges at full aperture. For this type of focal length, that is already a strong performance. It is a reference ultra-wide-angle lens in terms of optical quality, build quality, AF, and comfort features, with a clickless aperture ring and a customizable AF button.

This time, the price is relatively reasonable for such an ambitious first-party lens, at around €1500. It is worth remembering that Sigma is known for releasing more affordable lenses, and its DSLR 14mm f/1.8 Art was launched at almost the same price. Still, once again, I would advise you to think carefully about how often you will really use such a focal length.

In 2019, Sigma reintroduced its 14-24mm f/2.8 with a design made for mirrorless cameras. Although performance at the longer end is slightly behind, this is a very serious alternative to the two Sony lenses mentioned above. It offers a similar range to the Sony zoom and astrophotography potential close to the prime, despite its slower maximum aperture, thanks to good coma control. The build quality is also very good, with a customizable AF button like on Sony GM lenses. Autofocus is slightly slower, but that is not especially problematic for most uses of this type of zoom.

What makes it so interesting compared with the two Sony lenses above is that it offers the same versatile range and maximum aperture as the Sony zoom for about half the price. An excellent alternative if you regularly use this type of focal length.

A classic zoom range among manufacturers, even if Nikon and Canon now offer slight variations. Nikon had already chosen a 14-24mm range for DSLRs, while Canon went from 16 to 15-35mm with its RF mount. The Sony delivers excellent optical quality, especially when stopped down by one stop. Build quality is top-notch, with a customizable AF button. Autofocus is also up to GM standards, meaning very fast.

Unfortunately, because this is a first-party lens, the price is also high, at more than €2500. Still, for photographers who prefer a lens that covers slightly less ultra-wide angle but includes the much-loved 35mm reportage focal length, or who want more width than a 24-70mm without going too extreme, this is currently the highest-quality zoom option.

In early 2022, Sony released a new wide-angle zoom: the 16-35mm f/4 G PZ, which in a way replaced the older Zeiss collaboration, a lens that was beginning to age and perform less convincingly. Until then, Sony offered the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM, which was quite bulky and expensive. This newer version brings several significant improvements.

First, the 16-35mm f/4 G PZ is Sony’s first G-series zoom lens with a clickless aperture ring and a motorized zoom, called PZ (Power Zoom), which allows electronic control of the focal range via a button on the barrel. Optical quality is said to be excellent at full aperture. There is some vignetting and distortion at the wider end, which is common for this type of zoom. The 16-35mm f/4 G PZ is also the lightest and most compact zoom if you are looking for a 16-35mm for your full-frame Sony camera.

The improvements are definitely there, but they are reflected in the price. The lens costs around €1500, though it is still cheaper than the older Sony Zeiss, which performed less well, even if it did include stabilization, something that is becoming less essential now that our sensors are stabilized.

For video, the 16-35mm f/4 G PZ is one of the best choices for content creators and vloggers. In short, it is an excellent option if you want a lightweight, compact wide-angle zoom with very strong optical performance and modern features. However, if you are looking for a cheaper but still very good alternative for photography, the Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 C is probably the better choice.

A very useful focal length for landscape, architecture, and more recently vlogging. Sony chose to place this lens in the G range, although its design is close to GM level, probably to leave room for a possible 20mm f/1.4. Performance at full aperture is slightly behind, but overall quality is excellent, with a high-end design that includes a clickless aperture ring, a customizable AF button, and extremely fast autofocus.

At around €1000, the price is already a little more acceptable than some of the lenses mentioned above. It is a great choice for anyone looking for a high-end wide-angle lens without going completely over budget. Of course, you can find more affordable alternatives if you are willing to compromise on maximum aperture, such as the Tamron 20mm f/2.8. I wrote a full review of this Sony 20mm f/1.8 on our blog.

This Sony lens is a reference, often described by some photographers as the best 24mm ever made after using high-end 24mm lenses from Nikon and Canon. Admittedly, this is one of the focal lengths that benefits the most from a mirrorless mount, and the Nikon and Canon DSLR options were getting old. With this 24mm GM, however, you get excellent image quality even at full aperture, a GM-level design, a clickless aperture ring, and a customizable AF button. Autofocus is, once again, very fast.

At around €1300, it is more expensive than the 20mm above, but its higher image quality and wider maximum aperture can justify the difference, in my opinion, if you feel that 24mm is meaningfully different from 20mm and you are looking for the highest quality. Otherwise, Samyang and Sigma offer serious alternatives for a lower budget.

Tamron was not exactly known for prime lenses outside its traditional 90mm macro. However, the brand decided to release three f/2.8 prime lenses at once: 20, 24, and 35mm. They stand out thanks to their identical filter size and 1:2 magnification ratio, which almost lets you experiment with macro photography using focal lengths that are unusual for this field. Although this 24mm does not match Sony G and GM lenses in build quality or AF, it does offer an all-weather construction and very high optical quality from full aperture.

Even better, it can now be found for €200! If you do not need ultra-fast AF or a very large maximum aperture, which is perfectly understandable on a lens often used for landscape and architecture, there is little reason to pay more for another lens than this Tamron. If you want to know more, here is our full review of this Tamron 24mm.

Below, I present what I consider to be the best Sony standard lenses, including both primes and zooms in the 24-105mm range. The table below gives you a quick overview.

Visual

Lens

Features

Best price

Sony 20-70mm f/4 G

• Lightweight/compact lens
• Versatile focal length
• Excellent image quality
• Customizable features

Amazon
B&H

Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II

• Best Sony 24-70mm
• Recent upgrade
• Excellent construction
• Customizable features

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

• Great Sony 24-70mm option
• Excellent optical quality
• Very good construction
• Customizable features

Amazon

Sony 24-105mm f/4 G OSS

• Excellent versatility
• Excellent image quality
• Very good AF
• Stabilized lens

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Contemp.

• Excellent image quality
• AF/MF switch
• Lightweight lens
• Fair price

Amazon
B&H

Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

• Very good image quality
• USB-C port for updates
• Versatile lens
• Improved Mk II version

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art

• Ultra-bright 35mm
• Excellent image quality
• Comfort features
• Quality construction

Amazon

Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM

• Excellent image quality
• Amazing AF
• High-end construction
• Clickless aperture ring

Amazon
B&H

Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM FE

• Ultra-bright 50mm
• Excellent image quality
• Clickless aperture ring
• Strong AF

Amazon
B&H

Sony 50mm f/1.4 ZA Planar T*

• Very good 50mm
• Clickless aperture ring
• Excellent construction
• Very good image quality

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN | C

• Unusual focal length
• Quality construction
• Comfort features
• Excellent image quality

Amazon
B&H

Here is the list of the best Sony FE standard lenses I recommend:

• Sony 20-70mm f/4 G
• Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
• Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
• Sony 24-105mm f/4 G OSS
• Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary
• Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 VXD G2
• Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art
• Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM
• Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM
• Sony Zeiss 50mm f/1.4
• Sigma 65mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary I Series

If you need a versatile lens, don’t miss our latest article on the best Sony standard zooms!

In early 2023, Sony released a slightly atypical zoom lens: a standard zoom that starts at 20mm instead of the usual 24 or 28mm. It competes with the brand’s 24-105mm f/4 and the 28-70mm and 28-75mm f/2.8 options from Sigma and Tamron.

It is more expensive than the other lenses mentioned, but it benefits from Sony’s latest optical treatments, allowing it to remain light and fairly compact while still offering a high level of image quality. Reviews show that it can compete with the best GM zooms, and it includes a clickless aperture ring and a customizable button, just like recent GM lenses and the 16-35mm f/4 G. Autofocus is very fast, like on most G and GM lenses, and focus breathing is limited. Optical defects seem to be well controlled, which is not easy for a standard zoom covering such a wide focal length. Note that distortion is very visible if software corrections are not enabled… but who would not activate them on the camera?

For its price, the 20-70mm f/4 G is an excellent choice for photographers who usually travel with a 16-35mm and a 24-105mm f/4 but want to save weight and carry only one lens instead of two. The 20-70mm range covers many types of photography, including landscape, portrait, and street photography. In this case, you get all of that in a single lens, with remarkable quality.

In mid-2022, Sony renewed its 24-70mm f/2.8, the standard professional full-frame zoom, even though the previous version had only been released in 2016. Six years is a relatively short life cycle for a professional lens, which says a lot about how flawed the first version was.

This new version, released at the same price as the previous one, is therefore much more expensive than the Sigma Art version. However, unlike the GM I, it performs better in almost every respect. It is lighter, slightly shorter when collapsed, delivers excellent image quality from full aperture at every focal length, and includes the features of the GM I and the Sigma Art, plus more, such as a clickless aperture ring and an “IRIS lock” switch. Autofocus is even more efficient, and the minimum focusing distance is closer, with almost no focus breathing.

The Sigma Art remains an excellent choice, but this time, if you are willing to spend the same kind of money as the GM I, the GM II is clearly the more relevant option if you want the best Sony can offer.

A classic reportage zoom, the 24-70mm f/2.8 adapts to many situations. Although Sony offers a GM version, it is not especially convincing, particularly compared with more recent Nikon and Canon options, even if the second version improves everything. In the meantime, Sigma offers its own version, which is much more interesting, with very good optical quality, especially once stopped down by one stop, very good build quality, and a customizable AF button. Autofocus is not at GM level, but it is still very fast.

The Sony GM remains very expensive, while this Sigma costs only a little over €1000. In other words, it is currently the best choice in 24-70mm f/2.8, apart from the more expensive Sony Mk II.

A versatile zoom lens popular for travel, the Sony 24-105mm has earned a strong reputation. While many zooms that are a little “too” versatile quickly lose image quality, this Sony delivers very good results from full aperture at every focal length. It is well built, has good AF, includes a customizable AF button, and offers stabilization that can work together with the in-body stabilization found in Sony cameras.

Its price of around €1300 is still high, especially since you can find 24-70mm lenses for less money. Those do not offer as much reach, but they do have an f/2.8 aperture. In situations where stabilization is useful, typically with static subjects, the 24-105mm’s stabilization can still make a real difference.

Seeing Tamron’s success with its lightweight and relatively compact 28-75mm f/2.8, Sigma decided to release something similar. However, Sigma tried to address the Tamron’s weaknesses by adding faster AF, stronger optical quality, and an AF/MF switch. It even manages to be slightly lighter than the Tamron.

Sigma positioned its 28-70mm very well at €850. It is slightly more expensive than the Tamron, but also slightly better in almost every respect. It could have replaced the Tamron in this selection if Tamron had not renewed its lens so quickly.

In response to Sigma’s 28-70mm, Tamron quickly released the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2. It is quite rare to see a lens renewed so quickly, which shows that the Sigma was starting to seriously overshadow the previous version. Tamron therefore slightly revised the optical formula and AF motor to catch up with Sigma, and even added a customizable AF button, although still no AF/MF switch, curiously. The lens also includes a USB-C port for firmware updates and for customizing certain options, such as turning the focus ring into an aperture ring.

Tamron obviously could not price it exactly like the first version, and the brand clearly felt it needed to be appealing enough compared with the Sigma at around €1000. That is still a very decent price for this type of lens with this level of performance.

Sigma surprised everyone with this 35mm. It was indeed Sigma’s first lens to offer an f/1.2 aperture. It is heavy and bulky, but it makes no compromise on image quality, which is excellent from full aperture. Autofocus is good, and the construction is serious, with a clickless aperture ring and a customizable AF button similar to what you find on Sony GM lenses.

At around €1350, the price may seem high, but we should not forget that this is an f/1.2 lens. First-party lenses with the same focal length at f/1.4 are often much more expensive. That says a lot…

At the time of its release, Sony’s lineup was missing a high-quality 35mm f/1.4. There was already a Sony Zeiss 35mm f/1.4, but it apparently did not live up to its ambitions, let alone its price. Sony therefore released a very high-quality 35mm f/1.4, optically even better than the Sigma f/1.2 at the largest apertures, with high-speed AF and a high-end construction. Like all GM lenses, it naturally includes a clickless aperture ring and a customizable AF button.

As mentioned in the Sigma paragraph, its price is quite high at around €1700. It is lighter and smaller than the f/1.2 Art, but Sigma also released a 35mm f/1.4 almost at the same time as Sony. That Sigma is slightly less impressive than the two 35mm lenses mentioned here, but it is also half the price of the Sony.

While many people wrongly thought that the E-mount could not support f/1.2 lenses, something Sigma had already disproved with the 35mm f/1.2 Art, Sony settled the debate with its 50mm f/1.2, following the release of the Nikon Z and Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 lenses. This is a very high-end lens, with exceptional quality from full aperture, a premium design, and all the comfort features of the GM range, including a declickable aperture ring and a customizable AF button.

Of course, such an exceptional lens comes with an exceptional price tag: it costs at least €2300. Still, Sony deserves credit here, because its 50mm f/1.2 is the most compact and lightest in its category, with better quality while keeping the same dimensions and weight as the Sony Zeiss 50mm f/1.4.

Before the Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM was released, the Sony Zeiss was the highest-end 50mm with the largest aperture. Its optical quality and build quality are both very high, with a declickable aperture ring but no customizable AF button. Of course, it remains to be seen what the 50mm f/1.4 II recently revealed by Samyang, or a possible Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art, will deliver.

The Sony Zeiss is very expensive, reaching €1500. Unless you have a real attachment to the 50mm focal length, there are more affordable alternatives. And if you are a true Zeiss fan, there is also the very good Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8, which is almost half the price and only slightly slower.

With its I series, Sigma decided to offer high-quality prime lenses while keeping maximum aperture reasonable, in order to avoid adding too much weight, size, and cost. Here, the brand chose an unusual 65mm focal length, so the lens had to stand apart clearly from all the 50mm and 85mm options. And it does: the construction is excellent, and optical quality is exceptional from full aperture. The lens also includes an aperture ring and an AF/MF switch, but no customizable button.

Available for around €650, its build quality and the images it produces are remarkable. If you like this particular focal length, it should not disappoint, although videographers may regret the absence of a clickless aperture ring, as on all Sigma I series lenses, since it could probably have been added without drastically changing the design.

Below, you will find the Sony telephoto lenses that I consider especially worth a closer look. The table below gives you a quick overview.

Visual

Lens

Features

Best price

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD

• Excellent price/quality ratio
• Very good image quality
• Good construction
• Few comfort features

Amazon
B&H

Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS

• Best 70-200mm f/2.8
• Outstanding image quality
• Many comfort features
• Stabilized lens

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art

• Excellent image quality
• High-end construction
• High-end AF
• Aperture ring

Amazon
B&H

Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

• Versatile quality zoom
• Excellent construction
• Excellent image quality
• Average price/quality ratio

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN MACRO Art

• Excellent for macro and portraits
• AF slightly behind
• Excellent image quality
• 1:1 macro ratio

Amazon
B&H

Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM

• Excellent image quality
• High-end construction
• Many comfort features
• Very fast AF

Amazon
B&H

Samyang 135mm f/1.8 FE AF

• Great alternative to Sony
• Excellent image quality
• Few optical defects
• Many comfort features

Amazon
B&H

Here is a summary of the best Sony FE telephoto lenses. Click on a lens name to learn more about it:

• Tamron Di III 70-180mm f/2.8 VXD
• Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II
• Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
• Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art macro
• Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM
• Samyang 135mm f/1.8 AF

With little direct competition in the 70-200mm f/2.8 range, this 70-180mm is an obvious option. Fortunately, in many situations, the trade-off is not a painful one. Tamron chose to limit the zoom range to 180mm in order to keep the f/2.8 aperture and the same filter diameter as the brand’s two other zooms, the 17-28mm and 28-75mm. Tamron also chose an extending design, as Canon did with its RF 70-200mm, to save even more weight and size. Even so, the 70-180mm delivers very high-quality images, probably better than Sony’s first 70-200mm GM, although performance at the longer end is slightly weaker. Autofocus is also very fast, but less reliable than the Sony GM, with a slightly higher miss rate. Build quality is good, but the lens remains simple, with no extras, not even an AF/MF switch, which does reduce comfort a little.

At around €1200, its price is far lower than what you have to pay for Sony’s 70-200mm Mark I. However, it remains to be seen what Sigma might offer if it decides to design a mirrorless version of its 70-200mm f/2.8 Sport.

Sony recently released a new version of its 70-200mm f/2.8. The first version, as mentioned above, was competing with the Tamron, which was not exactly flattering for a high-end lens, especially one costing more than twice as much. Sony therefore went back to the drawing board and released an excellent 70-200mm GM II, with remarkable image quality, formidable AF, and excellent construction, while saving 500g compared with the first version. It does all this without using an extending design like Canon. As a result, it is lighter than Canon’s RF f/2.8 while keeping the balance, comfort, and robustness of a constant-size design. Naturally, all the usual GM features are present: focus switches, three stabilization modes, a distance limiter and, for the first time on a Sony zoom, an aperture ring.

At €3000, you get Sony’s best 70-200mm. The investment is high, but its performance is unmatched in this format.

This is currently the reference 85mm for Sony E-mount. Although Sony also offers an 85mm f/1.4 GM, that lens is not as good, while being larger, heavier, slower, and much more expensive. This Sigma delivers excellent image quality from full aperture, offers very good AF, and has a high-end construction with the comfort features expected from Sony GM and Sigma Art primes, including a clickless aperture ring and a customizable AF button.

For just over $1000, it is hard not to recommend it, although Samyang offers a slightly lower-quality 85mm f/1.4 for almost half the price of the Sigma. The Sigma does have faster AF, but if that is not essential for you, the Samyang remains an excellent option.

It seems Sony did not initially aim at sports or wildlife photographers when it released its first full-frame mirrorless cameras. That was understandable, given the small number of Sony customers specialized in these fields and the difficulty of offering autofocus capable of competing with DSLRs. Since then, Sony’s AF has improved considerably, and the brand began entering this market with the release of the A9. Still, it took quite a while before Sony started offering suitable lenses. This 100-400mm is a high-end telephoto lens despite its relatively modest maximum aperture, with first-class construction, ultra-fast AF, and very good image quality from full aperture at every focal length.

Because of the “GM standard,” it is priced at €2800, which seems expensive but is fairly logical for a zoom of this type and range. According to rumors, Sony was developing a 150-400mm f/4, which helps put the price of this 100-400mm into perspective. Unless you have high-level requirements and use sports-oriented bodies such as the A9 or A1, there are interesting third-party alternatives from Tamron and Sigma.

Sigma has been offering 105mm macro lenses since the DSLR era, and the DG HSM version was especially appreciated for its aggressive price. By moving this macro lens into the Art range, however, we could expect a higher price but also even stronger optical and build quality. Sigma did not disappoint: optically, it is probably one of the best macro lenses available. Its AF is not the fastest, which is not surprising for a macro lens, but better performance in this area would have been welcome. It is also slightly less comfortable for macro use than some alternatives, such as the Sony 90mm GM, because it lacks focusing distance or magnification indicators and is not stabilized.

That said, its price makes it very attractive at around €750. We can still hope to see a 90mm macro lens from Tamron in the same range, perhaps with more interesting macro-focused features.

For portraits, this 135mm is THE Sony reference. Although the 85mm focal length is also very popular, many portrait photographers love 135mm too, a focal length Nikon and Canon also covered with the 135mm f/2 DC and the renowned 135mm f/2L. The Sony is exceptional in every way, with outstanding optical quality from full aperture, beautiful GM-level construction, all the comfort features of the range, and extremely fast AF.

At around €1850, it is not for everyone, but you get the best of Sony in this 135mm, provided the focal length matches your needs. Zeiss offered the Batis 135mm f/2.8, but its maximum aperture is less appealing when some zooms offer the same aperture and its price remains quite high. If you are ready to spend €1500, you might as well pay the difference for the Sony GM. If you do not want to spend that much, however, there is now an alternative in the next section.

Released in early 2022, Samyang finally offered a 135mm for Sony E-mount. “Finally,” because the brand already had a 135mm f/2, but it was an adaptation of the DSLR version: excellent in quality, but manual focus only. This new lens competes with the Sony GM in image quality, and even performs better in some areas such as flare and chromatic aberration. It also offers very good construction and a lower weight than the Sony, and even more so than the Sigma Art, which is also an adapted DSLR design. Samyang even includes a distance limiter to help autofocus and a customizable button like on Sony G/GM and some Sigma lenses, which is new for a Samyang lens. In other words, Samyang made a very smart move with this long-awaited focal length, placing itself exactly where it needed to be in terms of performance and price.

At €950, almost half the price of the GM, the only real reason you might regret not choosing the Sony is if you need truly sport-oriented AF. Even so, the Samyang’s AF is more than decent, and it may improve further through firmware updates.

Finally, here are the serious references to consider if you are looking for a super telephoto lens for your Sony body. They are summarized in the table below.

Visual

Lens

Features

Best price

Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports

• Long focal length
• Superb image quality
• Very good construction
• Stabilized lens

Amazon
B&H

Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sport

• Excellent price/quality ratio
• Very good image quality
• Many comfort features
• Stabilized lens

Amazon
B&H

Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

• Longest zoom focal length
• Very good image quality
• Excellent construction
• Very good AF

Amazon
B&H

Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS

• Excellent construction
• Very wide aperture for a 400mm
• Excellent image quality
• Lightning-fast AF

Amazon
B&H

Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS

• Brightest 600mm
• Top image quality
• High-end construction
• High price

Amazon
B&H

Here is a summary of the best Sony FE super telephoto lenses:

• Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 S OS DG DN
• Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN S OS
• Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
• Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS
• Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS

In early 2023, Sigma released a new telephoto lens for Sony, the 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, sometimes amusingly referred to as the “Bigma,” as it already existed in EF and F mounts. This new super telephoto lens offers several major improvements over the 150-600mm Sport. In terms of optical quality, this 60-600mm outperforms the 150-600mm and other Sony telephoto lenses. Its new autofocus is also said to be very fast and accurate, almost competing with Sony’s top-of-the-line G and GM autofocus. Stabilization reaches up to 7 stops. Designed exclusively for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, this lens delivers outstanding image quality from full aperture. It also offers strong optical performance across the entire focal range, which is rare. The lens is built to resist dust and splashes.

Despite fairly average flare resistance, chromatic aberrations are well controlled and easy to correct in post-processing. Compared with the 150-600mm, the 60-600mm offers better optical quality, better autofocus, and improved stabilization. The extra weight may be a downside for some photographers, but in my opinion it remains manageable.

In conclusion, if you are looking for one of the best Sony lenses for wildlife photography, the Sigma 60-600mm is an excellent choice. It is versatile and delivers superb image quality. Its price may still seem high compared with the 150-600mm, but its high-end performance and quality explain why.

Sigma recently released its new 150-600mm version designed for mirrorless cameras. Tamron offered a 150-500mm with more compromises than the DSLR version, choosing to stop at 500mm instead of 600mm, with a maximum aperture of f/6.7 instead of f/6.3 at the long end. Sigma’s mirrorless version has the luxury of being lighter than the DSLR version, although it still weighs more than 2 kg, which is not surprising for this type of zoom. Image quality is very good, although slightly behind Sony’s 100-400mm, but the extra reach is a strong argument. The Sigma’s design is top-notch, better than Tamron’s 150-500mm, with fairly fast AF, although not as fast as Sony’s 100-400mm and 200-600mm. It also offers plenty of comfort features, including an AF/MF switch, a customizable AF button, three stabilization modes, a distance limiter, and a switch to adjust the zoom ring’s resistance.

At €1400, it is twice as cheap as the 100-400mm and €600 cheaper than Sony’s 200-600mm. It is even cheaper than Tamron’s 150-500mm, which offers less overall, although Tamron may react and lower the price of its 150-500mm soon.

This is the longest zoom lens Sony offers, with a constant-size design that makes it larger and heavier, but also gives it better balance in use. However, it is hard to clearly favor this Sony over the Sigma and Tamron lenses mentioned above, because the differences are minor in most situations. It has a very good design and the usual Sony comfort features, including an AF/MF switch, three stabilization modes, a distance limiter, and a customizable AF button.

Its €2000 price is still reasonable, but it can be difficult to justify spending the extra €600 compared with the Sigma 150-600mm, which also offers a slightly wider focal range. Unless you prefer the balance of a constant-size lens, the only real reason, in my opinion, to choose Sony’s 100-400mm or 200-600mm over the Sigma and Tamron 150-600mm and 150-500mm options is compatibility with Sony teleconverters.

Sony had to start offering long lenses for sports and wildlife, especially after the release of the first A9, a camera designed for this type of use. As with most high-end long lenses, optical quality is exceptional, and so is the build quality, which is worthy of the GM range. You get all the usual comforts: plenty of switches to control AF/MF behavior, three stabilization modes, customizable setting buttons, and even a “beep” switch. Autofocus is ultra-fast and, paired with an A9 or A1, should make it extremely difficult to miss your subject.

Unsurprisingly, the price is very exclusive, at around €12000. Unless you are very wealthy and have extremely demanding needs, the zooms mentioned above that cover 400mm will be much more reasonable choices.

Alongside the 400mm, Sony released this 600mm f/4. It offers the same options as the 400mm above, with exceptional image quality, excellent build quality, and all the comfort features already mentioned.

Of course, if the 400mm already costs €12000, the 600mm reaches €14000. Once again, unless you have very demanding needs and a very healthy budget, the zooms mentioned above will be much more sensible choices.

I’m reaching the end of this very long article on the best Sony lenses of the moment. We will update it as best we can as new lenses are released. I would like to thank Alex, who wrote this helpful article about Sony lenses. At the time of publication, we have covered Sony lenses quite extensively, and we hope all our articles will help you choose your next lens.

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See you soon for a new article. And for portrait fans, we have also written a review of the best Sony portrait lenses!

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Written by Sylvain PONS

I've been passionate about photography since 2010, learning as I went along. Today, I dedicate myself to guiding others in their choice of camera gear and sharing a variety of tips to improve their photography skills.

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