Sony 55mm F1.8 Sonnar T FE ZA Full Frame Prime Lens - Fixed

Sony

The Sony 55mm f/1.8 lens has to undoubtedly be the most underrated Sony E-mount lens in my collection. If I remember correctly, this was actually the first lens that I purchased when I got into the Sony system. I bought it, very shortly after bought the Sony 28mm f/2, and then the 55mm f/1.8 was put into storage for the last two years.

I didn't put the 55mm f/1.8 away because it was lacking in any sense. This is quite possibly the sharpest Sony lens that I own. It definitely is if you consider DxOMark standards. According to DxOMark, the Sony 55mm f/1.8 is currently the third sharpest lens in the Sony lens lineup (https://www.dxomark.com/lenses/brand-sony/mounted_on-Sony_A7R_II-1035/launched-between-1987-and-2016/mount_type-Sony_FE/focal-from-1-to-1500/aperture_max-from-0.95-to-45/launch_price-from-0-to-13000-usd/sensor_brand-Sony#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo).

I orginally put the 55mm f/1.8 into storage because I was at a point in my photography career where I needed a wider prime, hence purchasing the 28mm f/2. 55mm was simply too narrow for my everyday work. I do a lot of photography in crowded locations and 55mm would mean getting a lot of tight headshots and that was just not what I was looking for.

When I shoot film, I only use 50mm lenses. This isn't because I prefer the 50mm focal length, but simply because the lenses are cheap and it's the only focal length that I own for the Nikon F3. Because I was, in a sense, forced to use only 50mm lenses, I've gotten quite accustomed to them. Framing is predictable and results are repeatable. This made me want to try the Sony 55mm f/1.8 again, just to see if I enjoy it as much as with film.

To test the lens out, I decided to head to The Needle Lounge in Lakewood, Washington to get some tattoo photography. This has really come to be my standard for testing camera gear. To me, this setting provides me with more real world conditions than shooting test charts and still life.

The shop is adequately lit but lighting is still difficult and not perfect. Usually when the artists tattoos, they have a light overhead to help light where they will actually tattoo. Because the light is so close to the tattoo and artist, it is extremely contrasty and sharp.

One of the reasons to buy the 55mm f/1.8 is of the course the f/1.8 aspect of the lens. A large aperture to get that narrow depth of field. In this type of setting I wouldn't really shoot wide open because I want a bit more depth of field to get various aspects of the scene in focus, but did so just to change things up a bit.

Looking at the pictures below, you can get a sense of how narrow the depth of field is at f/1.8. Focus is fading from one finger to the next. Where the focus is on the machine tip, the center of the Aztec calendar tattoo is already starting to be blurred because it's on the curve of the client's deltoid.

One of my favorite things about using 55mm in general is that it is very close to the magnification of my eyes. This means that when I raise the camera to my eye, the image replication size is almost 1:1. This makes framing even easier than with a 50mm lens. 55mm is still a few mm short for my eyes but I think this is as close as I'm ever going to get.

I also really enjoy the contrast and colors on this lens. Reviewers like to talk about the Zeiss "3D pop" and if there is such a thing, this lens has it. To me, the picture below is the perfect example of this pop. Just look at the client's face and the separation from everything else. It's as if there is that extra dimension that really makes the image pop.

Overall, this is a pretty amazing lens in use. If you're looking for a standard focal length prime lens, I would highly recommend you check this one out. It is very sharp, capable, and well suited for really anything. It is currently mounted on my A7Rii and I feel like it's going to be on there for awhile as my main everyday walk around lens.