Sony has breathed new life into its APS-C lineup in the past year, with a slew of lenses and cameras. This includes the new flagship APS-C a6700 and the compact FX30 cinema camera, as well as more than enough glass to keep you busy. If you are picking up your first E-mount camera or simply love the smaller form factor that APS-C cameras provide, then you’ll want to learn about some of the best APS-C E-mount lenses.
Awesome Wide-Angle Lenses: 11mm and 15mm
One area that can be weak for crop formats is the wide-angle view. Due to the nature of smaller sensors and the crop factor, we usually end up a bit more “zoomed in” than expected. Sony has addressed this concern with a pair of wide-angle primes that produce outstanding images and benefit from surprisingly fast apertures.
The widest option, which also happens to be a relatively affordable one, is the E 11mm f/1.8. This will give shooters a 16.5mm equivalent field of view and a very fast f/1.8 maximum aperture. This is a beautiful prime if you want to get some ultra-wide imagery.
If you are looking for something that is a touch more premium, you might want to go for the E 15mm f/1.4, which is emblazoned with the “G” branding. Not quite as wide as the 11mm, the 15mm is a 22.5mm equivalent that is faster and potentially a little sharper. You can’t go wrong with either, so be sure to pick up one of these to fill your wide-angle needs.
All-in-One Lens: 18-135mm
Sometimes we don’t want to worry about swapping lenses. In that case, a handy all-in-one zoom is a strong option. Sony offers the E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS for this exact purpose. This lens has an equivalent zoom range of 27-202.5mm, which should cover practically anything you might encounter during everyday shooting or travel. Plus, with optical image stabilization, you should enjoy sharp imagery even at the longest focal lengths.
The lens is relatively compact and lightweight, partly due to the more conservative f/3.5-5.6 maximum aperture range. Easy carry is important for an all-in-one lens. You don’t want to be weighed down as you travel.
We have gone hands-on with the 18-135mm, so be sure to read the review for even more detail.
Fast Everyday Zoom: 16-55mm f/2.8
Those all-in-one zooms are very practical, but sometimes they just aren’t enough. If you are looking for a more serious standard zoom for your a6700, then you’ll want to turn to the E 16-55mm f/2.8 G Lens. This is going to be your APS-C equivalent to the classic 24-70mm, although the 16-55mm has a touch more reach, with an equivalent zoom range of 24-82.5mm.
That constant f/2.8 aperture is what makes this lens special. Having a constant aperture makes shooting much more consistent and it is relatively fast, at that. It’ll be hard to find a solid mid-range zoom that is much faster without costing a lot more and/or being a lot larger and heavier.
Telephoto Reach: 70-350mm
Looking for something with some reach? The E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS is ready to deliver. This focal length seems fairly standard when you talk about full-frame, but on APS-C you are getting an incredible 105-525mm equivalent. The aperture is a touch conservative, meaning that it is best suited to use outdoors during the day but that, along with an APS-C-specific design, makes it quite compact for the reach it provides.
To help make use of the longest focal lengths, the lens has built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization. The XD linear motors keep the autofocus speedy for tracking fast-moving subjects like birds and sporting events. It would be hard to beat this as your telephoto zoom option.
Portrait Prime: 85mm
When you start getting into telephoto primes, it often doesn’t make much sense to develop or make APS-C versions when good, affordable, and compact full-frame options exist. This is why, for the portrait category, we have the only full-frame optic on our list: the FE 85mm f/1.8. It has everything going for it for portraiture: short telephoto focal length, fast aperture, and good autofocus that works with Sony’s latest eye and subject detect AF. You can’t go wrong here.
85s are the common choice for portrait work, although many would argue that an even better choice would be a fast 100mm or even 135mm—they do render faces beautifully. With an 85mm f/1.8 on APS-C, you are effectively getting a 127.5mm lens, which will work wonders for portraiture. It also helps because the 85mm f/1.8 is something that could carry you into your next camera, even if you opt to upgrade to full frame.
Ideal for Video: PZ 10-20mm
There is one lens that is absolutely perfect for FX30 owners and those who want to start shooting video with their APS-C camera: the E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G lens. The 15-30mm equivalent zoom range is just right for most everyday shooting, including vlogging. Plus, it includes Power Zoom, for smooth moves.
It’s a great wide-angle zoom lens, in general, although the internal zoom and compact design make it well suited to gimbal and drone use. Suppressed focus breathing and dual linear AF motors ensure speedy, smooth performance for stills and video.
Overall, for video, this is the ideal lens in Sony’s lineup before going for the gigantic 18-110mm, which is designed for bigger cinema cameras.
Is there any category in particular you want to know more about? Any lens we missed? Drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to reply to your comments and questions.
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