Finest Sony A6400 Lenses in 2022 (e-Mount for APS-C Sensor)

So, I’m guessing you’re right here since you simply purchased the wonderful new Sony a6400, and now you’re on the lookout for some nice lenses to finish your picture package…

There are such a lot of good decisions however what offers you the most effective bang to your buck?

On this roundup I’m recommending my 6 favorite Sony e-mount lenses that pair very well with the a6400.

A few of them are native e-mount lenses, made particularly for the a6 collection’ APS-C sensor, and others are FE lenses, made for the 35mm full body sensor of the a9/a7 collection.

[Related: Check out the full Sony a6400 Review and why it’s actually better than the a6500.]

What’s the Finest Lens for the Sony a6400?

 

Along with all of the Sony FE and E lenses which work with the Sony a6400, there are additionally a number of nice third get together choices obtainable.

Nevertheless, within the pursuits of simplicity, I’ve targeting Sony (own-brand) choices.

Arguably, it’s these ‘native’ lenses that often carry out the most effective, since they’ve been designed particularly for the cameras that share the identical model.

The opposite benefit is that they assist you to use Sony’s assist program if something goes unsuitable with a lens. Sony is nice about getting issues repaired rapidly ought to the sudden happen.

Let’s have a more in-depth take a look at the most effective Sony a6400 lenses proper now.

1. Sony E 24mm f/1.8

Focal Size: 24mm (equal to 36mm)
Weight: 225g (7.9 oz.)
Measurement (Diameter x Size): 63 x 66mm (2.5 x 2.6in)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Minimal Focus Distance: 0.16m (6.3in)

The very first thing you’ll discover while you unbox this lens is the rugged design. In contrast to another lenses, this one has a metallic barrel that offers it a pleasant, sturdy really feel.

It’s often true that you just get what you pay for on the subject of lenses and that’s no exception right here. The Sony E 24mm f/1.8 is an costly lens relative to the value of the a6400, however completely price it for my part.

It presents high quality just like that of different high-end full-frame lenses in an APS-C design. I used to be additionally impressed that regardless of being so sturdy feeling, it’s surprisingly light-weight.

I’d evaluate it in really feel to the Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 – one other glorious Sony lens.

Mounted on the a6400, the Sony E 24mm f/1.8 has a pleasant stability. It’s bigger than among the compact lens choices for the a6400, however the profit is the quick aperture!

At f/1.8, this e-mount lens has wonderful lowlight efficiency, particularly when paired with the excessive ISO functionality of Sony’s lately launched cameras. When you shoot in darkish environments like indoor occasions, that is an superior lens!

Together with the low gentle efficiency, this lens can be tack sharp. That is the place the standard of a great prime lens exhibits!

Even on the widest aperture, the picture was very usable throughout the entire body. The sharpness improves at f/2.8 and most sharpness is reached at f/4.

The metallic focus ring on the Sony 24mm f/1.8 feels easy and has a pleasant grip. The auto focus can be quick and efficient.

The primary downside of this lens is the scale/weight. It isn’t as compact as different lenses however the profit is the sharpness and low aperture.

That mentioned, I’d select more durable and sharper over light-weight in nearly each case. When you’re on the lookout for a do-all, high-quality prime lens to your Sony a6400, the Sony 24mm f/1.8 is it.

I selected this as my favourite due to the focal size mixed with the quick aperture. Over the previous 8 years, I’ve shot with numerous lenses however have honed in on the 35mm focal size.

With an equal focal size of 36mm, the Sony 24mm f/1.8 is a excellent accomplice to the Sony a6400.

At 35mm, you might be vast sufficient to shoot environmental photographs however not so vast that you could’t shoot a pleasant portrait. I feel it’s a true candy spot in lens design, and in style with photographers the world over.

Many photographers say your first prime lens must be “nifty fifty”, however I feel a 35mm is much more versatile than 50mm!

This lens is an funding that provides a versatile, do-all focal size in a well-constructed physique, all rounded off by a helpful most aperture that’ll aid you blur the background and shoot in low gentle. Extremely beneficial!

2. Sony E 16-70mm f/4

Focal Size: 16-70mm (equal to 24-105mm)
Weight: 308g (10.9 oz.)
Measurement (Diameter x Size): 67 x 75mm (2.6 x 3 in)
Filter Diameter: 55mm
Minimal Focus Distance: 0.35m (13.8in)

Whereas I encourage everybody to start out with prime lenses when they’re studying images, finally it’s good to have a mid-range zoom.

Everybody must strive a major to study to “zoom along with your toes” however when you perceive what focal lengths produce what kinds of pictures, it’s superior to have an multi function zoom.

It permits you to carry only one lens and have numerous totally different focal lengths to work with so you might be able to shoot any topic.

When you resolve you might be prepared for a mid vary zoom, I’d extremely advocate the Sony 16-70mm f/4 because the one to get to your Sony a6400. It covers a variety of focal lengths and has a fixed f/4 aperture.

It could possibly shoot landscapes on the vast finish and nonetheless create a pleasant sharp portrait with easy bokeh to separate your topic type the backdrop.

One other good thing about a large angle lens on the Sony a6400 is for vlogging, or taking selfies – making use  of the a6400’s front-facing display, the vast angle view level permits you to get your head and upper-torso in shot, whereas nonetheless together with numerous the background.

The Sony 16-70mm f/4 additionally has a comparatively compact design. It tucks properly right into a pocket or jacket, making it the one lens you may take with you to shoot quite a lot of scenes. Mixed with the a6400, it makes a pleasant do something combo!

In order for you tremendous compact, take a look at the 20mm pancake lens beneath, however if you need a large zoom vary, the 16-70mm is a superb alternative.

Moreover, I’m very glad with the sharpness of this lens. It supplies distinctive high quality for the big selection of focal lengths.

I actually recognize the metallic design of the Sony 16-70mm f/4. It feels sturdy and rugged. It’s the heaviest lens on this evaluate, however the high quality/flexibility make it greater than price it.

My one grievance about this lens is the slower auto focus because of the minimal aperture of f4. When you’re taking pictures darkish, indoor scenes, it is perhaps somewhat sluggish, particularly if you happen to’re taking pictures transferring topics.

The sooner prime lenses on this evaluate are more practical in darkish scenes with transferring topics.

Whereas the load is a downside, the Sony 16-70mm f/4 nonetheless weighs 150g (5 oz) much less than the a6400 digital camera physique.

This supplies a good stability whereas remaining a lot lighter than equal setups from different digital camera producers.

One other downside that I observed was the lens distortion at wider focal lengths. Due to the APS-C crop issue, this lens has to make use of a wider focal size to attain the identical full body equal (i.e. 16mm lens to look like a 24mm full body lens).

The distortion is suitable – it simply creates a barely totally different look than you’ll see from the complete body equal. It doesn’t hassle me an excessive amount of, however is price mentioning.

The profit to the APS-C design is that lenses might be smaller than their full body counterparts making the general setup way more compact.

I’d say the Sony 16-70mm f/4 is the most versatile zoom lens and an ideal alternative for somebody trying to make use of one lens for all the things!

3. Sony E 20mm f/2.8

Focal Size: 20mm (equal to 30mm)
Weight: 69g (2.4 oz.)
Measurement (Diameter x Size): 63 x 20mm (2.5 x 0.8in)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Minimal Focus Distance: 0.2m (7.8 in)

Out of the six lenses on this evaluate, that is essentially the most compact by far! When paired with the Sony a6400, it feels extremely gentle/compact, and makes the arrange an absolute pleasure to make use of.

It nearly felt extra like a point-and-shoot digital camera than a top quality mirrorless setup.

Due to the compact pancake design, this can be a nice incognito mixture!

When you’re seeking to have an interchangeable lens digital camera setup, that also places the smallest digital camera between you and your topic, the Sony 20mm f/2.8 is it!

Just like the Sony 24mm f/1.8 talked about above, this lens has a extremely good focal size. Though 35mm is my favourite, a barely wider 30mm equal is a superb second alternative.

It sits in a candy spot between a extremely vast angle lens just like the 10-18mm talked about beneath and the traditional 50mm lens.

It’s an ideal setup for taking pictures all the things from journey and journey to household and portraits – it’s a do-all lens for all kinds of topics.

With the ultra-compact and light-weight design, the Sony 20mm f/2.8 shouldn’t be fairly as sturdy feeling as among the different lenses talked about right here.

Nevertheless, as a result of it’s so gentle, I feel it will survive a drop fairly nicely, even with out a lot metallic within the design!

The lens distortion because of the vast focal size of this lens was tolerable particularly for taking pictures outdoor. It may not be excellent for portraits however was fairly efficient for many different topics.

The autofocus of the Sony 20mm f/2.8 is quick and efficient, one thing that surprises me contemplating how inexpensive this lens is.

At f/2.8, this lens was reasonably quick and will deal with darker scenes, particularly when paired with a great low gentle sensor just like the one within the Sony a6400. When you want a sooner aperture, the newer f/1.8 model reviewed right here is an efficient possibility.

One sudden however good characteristic was the lens hood (see right here for different Sony equipment). It protects the entrance factor very well and permits you to toss this digital camera in a backpack with out having to make use of a lens cap.

It additionally retains rain/snow off the entrance of the lens when taking pictures outdoor throughout inclement climate.

Total, a really spectacular lens in an ultralight package deal!

4. Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS

Focal Size: 10-18mm (equal to 15-27mm)
Weight: 225g (7.9 oz.)
Measurement (Diameter x Size): 70 x 63mm (2.8 x 2.5in)
Filter Diameter: 62mm
Minimal Focus Distance: 0.25m (9.8in)

Broad angle lenses are usually my favorites so this was the primary Sony APS-C lens I owned.

This lens permits you to create dramatic panorama pictures with an equal focal size just like the 16-35mm full body lens (my favourite Sony lens).

The Sony 10-18mm f/4 is your best option for these Instagram-worthy big-landscape-small-person-style pictures.

The tremendous vast to vast zoom vary of this lens permits you to seize the complete scene in a single body, in addition to being an ideal match for filming your self with the front-facing display of the Sony a6400 – a certain hit with vloggers.

Most vast angle lenses are very giant and heavy however this lens stays fairly compact! I spend numerous time mountaineering with it tucked in my jacket or climbing with it zipped right into a small case on my harness.

I additionally recognize the all-around sharpness of this lens. It may be tough to discover a vast angle zoom lens with sharpness all the way in which to the corners.

This lens does a fairly good job, particularly for the value!  I did use this lens on my Sony a7RIII a couple of instances (it covers the complete body for a portion of the focal size, about 12-17mm).

On the excessive decision of the a7RIII I do discover some loss in sharpness, but it surely’s wonderful when taking pictures at 24mp on the Sony a6400.

The draw back of utilizing the Sony 10-18mm f/4 on a full body digital camera is the intense distortion you get at 12-17mm – itt really works finest on a crop sensor digital camera just like the a6400.

After utilizing and abusing the Sony 10-18mm f/4 for a number of years, I used to be impressed with the glorious construct high quality. It has extra plastic within the design than I’d like, however regardless of that, it’s surprisingly sturdy.

I repeatedly take it climbing, snowboarding, mountaineering, and tenting and it by no means had any points.

The auto focus is quick and efficient and with such a large focal size, I nearly by no means had points with getting correct focus.

When you study hyper-focal distance, you’ll perceive that with a 10-18mm lens, nearly all the things will likely be sharp by way of many of the body so long as it’s targeted at or past about 1.5 meters (5 ft).

One downside is the f/4 aperture, which doesn’t carry out as nicely in low-light conditions.

When you’re on the lookout for a lens to shoot the celebrities along with your Sony, I’d recommend a large angle prime with an aperture extra within the f/2 vary, equivalent to the wonderful and inexpensive guide focus Rokinon 12mm f/2, reviewed right here.

Auto focus has turn out to be a will need to have characteristic for me however if you happen to’re taking pictures one thing as static as the celebrities, guide focus will suffice.

Total, the Sony 10-18mm f/4 is one in all my favorites due to the versatile focal size and high quality picture it produces!

5. Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS

Focal Size: 35mm (equal to 52.5mm)
Weight: 154g (5.5 oz.)
Measurement (Diameter x Size): 63 x 45mm (2-1/2 x 1-13/16in.)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Minimal Focus Distance: 0.3m (0.99ft)

Virtually all of the newbie images tutorials recommend a “nifty-fifty” lens. And for good cause!

They’re cheap, sharp, and nice in low gentle. Plus, they train you to “zoom along with your toes”.

The Sony 35mm f/1.8 is a superb possibility for these on the lookout for a 50mm equal on their a6400.

You’ll end up being extra intentional with a major lens just like the Sony 35mm f/1.8,  as a result of you must transfer round to get your picture framed as an alternative of simply zooming in or out to incorporate/exclude topics.

This lens suits the invoice for an cheap, quick prime lens, and will positively be on the buying record of all Sony a6400 homeowners.

The Sony 35mm f/1.8 has a pleasant compact design that pairs nicely with the a6400. The quick f/1.8 aperture permits you to shoot in darkish scenes, even with transferring topics.

The 50mm focal size is a superb possibility for taking pictures quite a lot of topics whereas nonetheless permitting you to attain lovely bokeh.

My foremost grievance with this lens is that it isn’t as sharp as I’d anticipate for a mid vary prime lens. It suffers at wider apertures and doesn’t get a lot sharper till you cease down quite a bit. There may be room for enchancment within the design.

What it lacks in sharpness, it makes up for in simply how inexpensive this lens is, and it’s light-weight and compact design.

Regardless of being a principally plastic design, it simply survived getting dropped!

The auto focus is quick and efficient. For these on the lookout for a typical focal size lens at an inexpensive worth with a quick aperture, this may be a sensible choice.

Total, a stable alternative for these on the lookout for the basic “nifty fifty” for his or her Sony a6400!

6. Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS

Focal Size: 50mm (equal to 75mm)
Weight: 202g (7.1 oz.)
Measurement (Diameter x Size): 62x 62mm (2.4 x 2.4 in)
Filter Diameter: 49mm
Minimal Focus Distance: 0.39m (15.3 in)

This lens unexpectedly caught my consideration. I wasn’t certain I would love it however I discover myself utilizing it greater than I anticipated.

The 75mm equal focal size is considerably particular to taking pictures portraits or extra compressed topics. You may create some lovely bokeh and draw the viewers eye to the sharpest topic.

Lens compression is a superb device to convey backgrounds nearer to the viewer and make it really feel like a backdrop is nearer than it truly is.

The f/1.8 aperture on the Sony 50mm f/1.8 will make for some dreamy bokeh that isolates your topic from the backdrop.

The opposite lenses reviewed right here simply can’t create that basic portrait look in addition to this one.

Additionally, the telephoto focal size of the Sony 50mm f/1.8 will create pleasing pictures that present correct proportions of faces in portraits.

I’ve at all times been informed that 85mm is the best portrait focal size so this 75mm equal may be very shut.

When you’re taking head-shots or photographing individuals, this lens is a superb alternative.

The quick aperture and longer focal size of this lens had been packaged into an impressively compact/light-weight design. Different lenses with these specs are usually a lot bigger/heavier.

The Sony 50mm f/1.8 does have a principally plastic design (making it very gentle) however the sturdiness is debatable.

At simply 202g (7.1 oz.) it balances very well on a small mirrorless digital camera just like the Sony a6400.

When it comes to sharpness, this lens is fairly good… particularly for the low worth level.

Total, the Sony 50mm f/1.8 is a wonderful alternative for somebody seeking to take lovely portraits with out breaking the financial institution on a quick prime telephoto lens.

At this worth level, I’d positively advocate it to portrait photographers as one of many first lenses to purchase for the Sony a6400.

What Sort of Lenses Work with the Sony a6400?

Sony produces two foremost kinds of lens for its ‘E-mount’ mirrorless digital camera our bodies – ‘FE’ and ‘E’ lenses.

The ‘E-mount’ refers back to the Sony mirrorless mount itself, which is moderately complicated, since E lenses and FE lenses are totally different.

There’s additionally the A-mount, which is for the Sony distinctive Translucent Mirror sort digital camera our bodies, however I received’t be masking that right here.

When you see a Sony lens that comprises an ‘E’ (versus an ‘FE’), which means it’s been designed for Sony APS-C sensor vary of digital camera our bodies – i.e. the Sony alpha a6400, and different a6xxx cameras.

Sony ‘FE’ lenses alternatively cowl your entire 35mm body of a full body digital camera. As such,FE lenses can be utilized on all Sony mirrorless cameras, even the crop sensor Sony a6400 (albeit at a 1.5* focal size multiplication).

When you’re planning to someday improve to a full body Sony physique, or maybe already personal one and want to share lenses, it’s usually advisable to benefit from FE lenses which can be utilized on each physique varieties.

Nevertheless, the Sony ‘E’ lenses are often smaller, lighter, and way more inexpensive than their full body (FE) counterparts, so it’s swings and roundabouts.

I wish to have a combination of each kinds of lens to cowl my bases, and I like to recommend you contemplate the identical strategy.

The best way to Select your First Sony a6400 Lenses

The very first thing I assess when choosing a lens is what I plan to {photograph}. Landscapes, wildlife, weddings, adventures, portraits, journey… all of them have totally different necessities on the subject of selecting a lens.

Once I shoot portraits, I’m at all times seeking to create good bokeh so I’ll select a mid vary telephoto lens with a low aperture (f2.8 or decrease).

If I’m taking pictures a panorama, I’ll select a large angle lens to convey a broad scene into view.

As a result of I shoot each weddings and journey sports activities, I wish to have a variety of lenses that cowl a full vary of focal lengths.

Along with some topic particular lenses, I additionally wish to have one thing that covers a broad vary that may be an on a regular basis lens after I’m unsure what I’ll be taking pictures.

When you purchased the Sony a6400, you might be in all probability on the lookout for lenses that go with its compact but highly effective design. When you select the correct lens, this digital camera can match properly in a jacket pocket!

I feel all the choices beneath pair nicely with the a6400 holding with it’s small type issue. Take a look at my prime lens decisions for the Sony a6400 within the desk beneath and skim on for all the main points.

Regularly Requested Questions

What lenses are appropriate with Sony a6400?

Any Sony normal e-mount (for APS-C) and FE-mount (for full body) lenses are appropriate with the Sony a6400. Sony a-mount lenses will not be appropriate with out using an adaptor.

What mount is Sony a6400?

The Sony a6400 is e-mount for Sony mirrorless cameras. As such, it may well settle for lenses made for APS-C or full body Sony cameras.

Is the Sony α6400 appropriate with Sony E mount lenses?

Sure it’s. The Sony a6400 can settle for any Sony normal e-mount lens or full body FE-mount lens. The previous provide weight and value financial savings, whereas the latter provide higher construct and picture higher high quality.

Sony a6400 Lens Suggestions | Ultimate Phrases