Today I’m reviewing the Sony FE 20mm f1.8 G lens.
This is a lens that proves useful for vlogging and travel videos, providing a wide perspective without excessive distortion.
Its f1.8 aperture enables quality low-light photography, making it a fitting addition to a standard zoom lens in your kit.
Good Background Blur & Nano-Coating Technology
Let’s dive right into its performance.
There is some mild vignetting and at just f1.8, it surprisingly provides good background blur or bokeh, which is often hard to achieve with ultra-wide-angle lenses.
Additionally, the nano-coating ensures resistance to ghosting and flaring when shooting into the light.
Impressive Close Focus Capability
The close focus capability of the lens, down to 7.5 inches, enables incredibly sharp and detailed photos, whether shooting wide open or stopped down for a deep depth of field.
Despite the close focus capability and good bokeh, remember it’s still an ultra-wide lens.
The depth of field may not be as shallow as a typical portrait lens.
Also, the lens’s versatility shines when used in an APS-C mode on full-frame cameras, providing a 30mm equivalent focal length, perfect for street photography or portraits.
Versatile Handling and Build Quality
Finally, the build quality is top-notch, with an aperture ring offering a clicked or de-clicked option, a smooth, linear focus ring for repeatable focus pulls, an AF/MF switch, and a programmable button out of the box functions as an autofocus hold switch.
And lastly, its dust and moisture resistance add a layer of protection for outdoor shoots.
Comparison between Sony FE 20mm lens and G Master 24 1.4 lens
The Sony 20mm lens is presented as a more versatile, interesting, and cost-effective option compared to the 24mm lens. Here are the key points:
- The Sony FE 20mm lens is cheaper than the G Master 24 1.4. It also offers weather resistance.
- The Sony FE 20mm focal length is deemed more interesting than 24mm, providing a unique perspective that doesn’t overlap with 24-70mm G Master lenses, making it a suitable choice for an all-purpose ultra-wide lens.
- The Sony FE 20mm lens is smaller, lighter, and offers optical performance equivalent to the 24mm G Master lens, thereby enhancing its versatility.
- The Sony FE 20mm lens also falls within the ultra-wide focal range of the 16-35 G Master lens and can thus serve as a more affordable and better low-light option to replace it, especially for those who already own a 24-70 lens.
- The 20mm lens could be paired well with lenses like the Tamron 28-75 or Sigma 28-70. This combination offers a wide to standard zoom range coverage and thus provides an economical alternative to buying two G Master lenses like the 16-35 and the 24-70.
- The Sony 20mm lens can also work well as a 30mm equivalent on APS-C cameras, providing a versatile solution for low-light situations and producing a blurry background effect. It is suggested for cameras like the fx30, zve E10, or the a6400/6600.
Having the right gear is only one way to improve photography, and encourages viewers to watch a tutorial video promising to enhance their skills further.
Conclusion
I didn’t really believe all the hype around the lens, but after testing it out and previously using a Nikon 20mm lens with my previous setup, I can see why it’s gotten so much praise.
It’s a good lens that performs well and the focal length isn’t too wide or too narrow or overlaps with many popular zoom lenses keeping its place in your camera bag.
The 20mm lens is depicted as a versatile, cost-effective, and high-performing choice for both full-frame and APS-C cameras, potentially serving various photographic needs effectively.
Check out my other blog post about Sony lenses:
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