In this lesson we’ll take a look at the options available by Sony and Zeiss, specifically for the Sony E-mount.
First of all, for a complete list of all Sony-branded lenses specifically made for the E-mount, and compatibility with the a7R II and a7S II, click here. The link tells you which features are supported – IBIS, OSS, Autofocus, etc.
Understanding the options
All said and done, there are very few Sony lenses for the E-mount, and new ones are slow coming. I personally do not prefer Sony lenses as an investment, for various reasons. But some of the lenses are world class optically. Depending on what features are important, some might make more sense than others.
First, here’s a quick chart of lens families by Sony and Zeiss for the E-mount, and their main differences and features (I’m ignoring APS-C lenses, though some can be used in APS-C mode or with a Speedbooster):
| Lens Family | Focus | Stabilization | Aperture control | Ergonomics | Disadvantages | Advantages |
| Sony- Zeiss (FE) | AF/ Manual | OSS | Full | Great for stills, poor for video | Uneven focus, lack of full focal length range, the good lenses are not cheap | Compact, some are world-class optically, Zooms! |
| Zeiss Batis | AF/ Manual | OIS | Full | Great for stills, poor for video | Not cheap, same uneven focus problem as with Sony FE lenses, full range of focal lengths not available | Optically my favorite of this lot, weather sealed |
| Zeiss Loxia | Manual | No | No | Great for stills and video | No clear idea where Zeiss is going with this, expensive | Great optical performers, can be declicked easily, transfer of EXIF data |
| Venus Optics Laowa | Manual | No | No | Unknown | Only one lens, a 15mm | cheap |
| Samyang/ Rokinon* | Manual | No | No | Great for stills and video | Poor QC, lack of worldwide support, not color matched, Disimilar optics | 14mm, cheap, Macro options, full range of focal lengths |
| Mitakon Zhongyi | Manual | No | No | Unknown | Just two lenses with different optical results, almost zero support | cheap, close to the Canon 85mm f/1.2 optically, declicked aperture ring |
| Lensbaby Velvet | Manual | No | No | Unknown | Specialty lens, soft glowing effect | cheap |
*Not considering the cine lenses (Samyang and SLR Magic, etc.) because I’ll cover that separately in another lesson.
I’ll be honest, if you are looking for a serious investment in optics and need lenses that deliver, then I’d completely avoid the Lensbaby, Mitakon and Venus Optics lenses. The lack of support is my primary concern. It’s not easy to replace them quickly either.
Rokinon/Samyang have been around for ages, though I have reservations about their service as well. E.g., they have service centers in some countries, but not in India. So your mileage may vary. I do own the 14mm Cine, and I’m totally happy with it. However, since I’ve cracked the lens hood, I can’t replace it without spending more than the lens itself. Caveat emptor.
That leaves Sony and Zeiss. Of this, if your preference is zooms, then Sony is the only one that offers it. And not all of Sony’s zooms are world class. Neither do any of them have an f/2.8 aperture. I hope you considered this when investing into the Sony system.
When it comes to primes, it’s a mixed bag. If you want autofocus, then you could either opt for Sony FE or Zeiss Batis. The latter has limited focal lengths, while the former supports phase detection AF, and has some excellent lenses in its lineup.
Picking primes
Here’s a complete list of lenses at the time of this writing (I won’t be constantly updating this, so don’t assume it covers everything. Numbers are f-numbers):
| Primes | Family f-stop | Samyang/Rokinon |
| Fisheye | None | 12mm 2.8 |
| 14mm | Venus 4 | 2.8 |
| 18mm | None | None |
| 21mm | Loxia 2.8, | None |
| 24mm/25mm | Batis 2 | 1.4 |
| 28mm | FE 2 | None |
| 35mm | FE 1.4, Loxia 2, FE 2.8 | 1.4 |
| 50mm/55mm | FE 1.8, Velvet 1.6, Mit 0.95, Loxia 2 | 1.4 |
| 50/60mm Macro | None | None |
| 85mm | Batis 1.8, Mit 1.2 | 1.4 |
| 90/100mm Macro | FE 2.8 | 2.8 |
| 135mm | None | 2 |
| Supertelephoto | None | None |
| Total lenses (at the time of writing) | 14 | 8 |
As you can see, the list is woefully short of options. Here’s how I would pick them:
Want a full set of lenses and don’t have a lot of money? Pick Samyang Cine primes (I would completely avoid the non-cine primes listed here).
Want the widest apertures possible for a full set? Pick Samyang Cine primes (I would completely avoid the non-cine primes listed here).
Want a full set of lenses and have a lot of money? Go to the next lesson, or buy everything on this list!
Want just a few focal lengths found here? If yes, then:
- Do you need AF? If yes, get the Batis lenses or FE. They are gorgeous in their imagery.
- If no, then get the Loxia lenses.
Between the Batis and FE, it’s not that hard to pick, you need to pick both! They cover 25-35-55-85-90 as of this writing. Surely there was a reason Zeiss released the Batis line the way they did!
For the rest, they are specialty lenses. Nothing wrong with them, unless you’ve made the wrong choice.
Picking zooms
Here’s an extra small list of what’s available:
Kit zooms
| Zooms | All FE |
| Professional level | |
| 16-35 | 4 |
| 24-70 | 4 |
| 70-200 | 4 |
| Kit zooms | |
| 24-240 | 3.5-6.3 |
| 28-70 | 3.5-5.6 |
| 28-135 Cine | 4 |
It’s this or nothing, so it’s completely your call. I was surprised by the quality of the 28-70mm, which is the only FE lens I own. Having owned other kit lenses in the past, I can tell you this one is not really of ‘kit lens’ quality, but can hold its own. I would avoid the 24-240mm unless you have no other options but need it for:
- Family vacations
- Run-and-gun work with AF, and no time to change lenses. With the low light abilities of both the a7R II and a7S II, you might be able to make it work.
What about the 28-135mm PZ cine zoom?
Ask yourself: Will you buy the 28-135mm cine zoom (B&H, Amazon) if there were other options available? If yes, then this one is for you. Key advantages:
- Powered but silent zoom (SSM).
- Declicked aperture.
- Constant aperture at f/4, which is not bad for both the a7R II and a7S II, more so for the latter. However, you can use ClearImage Zoom or APS-C mode to get further.
- Full auto and full manual control.
- Is parfocal.
- Low breathing.
- Tripod collar.
Now here are the key disadvantages:
- Expensive for what you’re getting. Is it really value for money?
- Not stellar image quality for the price.
- Not really that wide at 28mm, and not really that telephoto at 135mm.
- Crappy lens hood.
- Some parts can be repaired or replaced.
- Zoom performance not as advertised.
- 95mm filter thread.
- Heavy, at 1.2 kg
For run-and-gun work and if you don’t have any options this zoom is a great all-rounder.
If you have the time, and need larger apertures and better image quality, then third-party lenses might be better. Here’s a quick matrix to help you make up your mind:
| Features | Sony Cine Zoom | Other options |
| Focus | Full AF | Unreliable AF |
| Stabilization | Doesn’t matter | |
| Zoom rocker | Yes | No |
| Aperture control | Yes | No |
| Wide angle and super telephoto | No | Yes |
| Large aperture for shallow DOF | No | Yes |
| Size and weight | Considerable | Manageable |
My favorites
My favorite primes are (after testing them firsthand, in order of preference):
- Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 (B&H, Amazon)
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro (B&H, Amazon)
- Sony 55mm f/1.8 (B&H, Amazon)
I’ve heard great things about the 35mm f/1.4, and the Loxias, but haven’t tested them yet. As for zooms, I’m not unhappy with them, just wish they had an f/2.8 aperture.