Sony 20mm f/2.8 lens review with samples
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Here's one of the smallest lenses I've ever tested, an early Sony E-mount optic, which covers an APS-C image circle. It may be small enough to take anywhere but is it really worth £250?
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All pictures taken by me on Sony a7R II and a5100 cameras.
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Bought it mint for about $200. I just love setting it to f/8 and using it on the streets. It’s really good for casual shooting.
Dear Dan. Is it sharp enough for street use on the A6400 ? How about its AF on modern apsc bodies?
@@kaushaltiwari9773 Yes, it’s plenty sharp on my a6300. Autofocus is good as well, although I set it to AF-S with the focus area set on the center of the image.
a short, not lot of talking, detailed, straight into the point.
thank you so much!
you're a legend
I am always excited to see one of your reviews pop up when I research a lens I'm considering. Your systematic method not only informs me about the lens, but teaches about quality shooting and how to look for and work around technical issues! Thanks a ton!
One of my absolute favourite lenses for street and travel photography. Use it from f5.6 through f9.0 and you won't be disappointed. Sharpen up in post if you need to. I've even made a video on how this lens gives you the form factor of a Fuji X100F/V for a fraction of the cost.
Do you think this lens will work for professional photography purposes? On Sony a6000?
@@Nur-hi4kn Good lens but perhaps look at the Sigma 16mm if you're doing client work and you need the best possible results.
Been wondering about this little 20mm for quite a while! Thanks for checking it out :)
This is my first time commenting on one of your videos but let me just tell you that they have helped me make some very good decisions about my lenses. Thank you for your detailed reviews! I also bought this lens a couple of days ago for everyday street photography and while it isn't the sharpest, it does make my a6000 look and feel like a higher-end compact point and shoot.
great reviews, not perfect, but absoluteky more than fine. Its very nice that you always test them with the same chart and on the same spots, that way we always got that refference point. Thanks for your time
This is a wonderful lens. Light, silent, fast AF, good sharpness (is not that is too sharp, but it's pretty even across the frame)... but in my opinion, is the best Sony APSC y terms of colours and also really good in contrast, as well. The only problem for me is that it was not wide enough for landscapes, and too wide for general use. If it was a 24mm it would have been perfect for me.
Just as a side note, I was carring this lens mounted on a a6000 in the lens pouch of a Samyang 50mm f1.2 lens, so that can give you an idea of how small that combination was.PS: In my opinion, overal is better than the Fujinon 27mm f2.8 (lighter, fast AF, not that much focus breathing, and specially better colours)...
This is the cheap 35mm alternative for sony. As the main one is the 900$ 24mm zeiss
Do you think would this lens work for professional photography purposes mounted on the a6000?
Thank you Chris for this review :) I was looking forward to this one to see what you would think about this lens.
I hope you will review Sony FE 70-200 F4 lens soon :)
Thanks, good review. I love how compact this combo is. Brilliant P&S size but with APS C quality.
I do think it's a little pricy for what it is.
I REALLY want this lens. I want to pair this with a Nex 5R (which I have already sourced for £30, it came "broken" with the typical older E mount stuck shutter issue which is an easy fix) and make the smallest Sony APSC "pocket camera" possible.
But given how the price hasn't budged at all I find it hard to justify spending £250 on a vanity project when I already have 3 APSC primes, 2 FF primes and 2 zoom lenses that cover the ultra-wide to standard focal lengths.
I wish it would fall to similar used prices as the 16mm f2.8. I would get that instead but the image quality seems terrible.
"My copy of the lens was well-centered, which I've found to be a slightly rare feature on Sony lenses."
Oof
Always liked this lens and actually loved it before I knew about quality lenses. Image quality is good not great. Silent and accurate auto focus is great. It can be found for cheap and because if its compact size there really is no reason not to have it. Definitely got rid of my 16mm happily and chose this. Find a good deal on this and be happy. Its overall good.
How in the world???
I was just looking for that review yesterday because I was considering wether to get the Sigma 19mm 2.8, Samyang 18mm 2.8 or the Sony!
Splendid timing!
czcams.com/video/Vy2wzLuzQi4/video.html and czcams.com/video/f-nb6BpntFI/video.html help you decide? Still seems like a tough decision.
Hi Christopher, I love all your lens reviews. Keep up the great work!
May I ask if you can do a detailed review on the Fuji XF16 f1.4 lens? Especially for astrophotography. Thank you!
2:22 Sony's great quality control.
Id like to know how it stacks up against the kit lens at 20mm...
I live for that "Howdy Everyone".... every time.
This lens looks perfect. F 2.8 is maybe not alot but Sony is good at high iso.
The best way to show the performance of a lens.
Hey Chris I don't have a Sony equipment but I love all those reviews you make of the lenses. Anything comes from Christopher is the best always for me. Yet I am waiting for that little Canon's 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM ket lens's review from you.
I tested it a few years ago
Would be a good idea to bring this while during a backpacking trip? I have a Sony Nex F3 with the kit lens 18-55 but I want something “smaller”
with a6400 body + 20mm F2.8- would u recommend it for street photography??
and also pls make a comparison video between "Fuji X-E4 with 17mm F2.8" and "Sony A6400 with 20mm F2.8". Please
Hi Christopher, Sometimes I wonder you may pick some vintage lens for review. Not many people review the lens in a systematic way as you did. However, the main theme would be the history and the character of the lens instead of the sharpness or focusing speed. Those are juicy of the old lens. e.g. Minolta, Takumar, Carl Zeiss, Leitz
From a user aspect, there are many versions of one lens across a spectrum of years. It may difficult to pick one.
Well, it just another direction. Thank you so much for reading. =]
I like the idea of this as someone who just enjoys seeing these reviews and how lenses perform, but from a more practical standpoint there isn’t much of a reason to review out of production lenses on mounts not supported by modern cameras as he won’t get any attention from non-subscribers due to far fewer people searching for these lenses for performance.
@@rws531 I believe you are right. from a practical standpoint, vintage lens won't draw huge sponsorship or lots of exposure. But it does have its role for this channel.
First, flexible content to fill the down period. I think reviewing the vintage lens should only be a part of this channel. This channel relies on lens review. However, not every week has a lens announcement or lens release. Then reviewing the vintage lens could be an alternative to maintain exposure. Just be like a happy sharing in-between a "down period". For example, those review can be released in coronavirus period, many cameras or lens production maybe delay.
Second, This channel has the influence. Instead of sharing an existing market, reviewing the vintage lens is like creating a new market and to expand the scope of audience, also, to illustrate a whole new perspective of a camera lens for existing subscribers. I am sure nowadays young photographs are too much emphasis on the latest equipment and technology. They simply overlook the importance of story-telling and the character behind a photo.
Third, Nothing to lose. Most vintage lens cost surprisingly low, but they are very classic and well-known for its characteristic. E.g. Helios 44M 58/2
I really appreciate for reading these. I just love this channel. =] Thank you
Venus Optics announces a new manual LAOWA 10mm f/4 cookie APS-C mirrorless pancake lens (12 elements in 8 groups, 5 blades) about 130g. The world’s widest rectilinear pancake for APS-C with super-low distortion, and high optical performance. Close minimum focusing distance (minimum distance 10cm / 4inches). For Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, L, and Fuji X mount - Price: $299 / 292€ / £249.
The joy of snapshots!
Which one would you suggest for Photography? This Sony 20mm f2.8 or the Sigma 19 f2.8.
Thanks for all the videos.
I love this lens. Makes me want to shoot more.
I think the selling point of this is the size. I would love to throw this on my old a6500 and just have a super powerful, super small camera always at hand.
The lens cap is almost as thick as the lens itself! Very interesting lens!
Any comparison between this and the new Tamron 20mm prime?
Eventually I will test the Tamron lens, yes
Maybe it's time to try the a6100. Funnily enough, Sony AF gets better with each iteration
Could you make a video about how you set up the colors/settings in your camera? Cause the pics are amazing 😢😢😢
Sony should make a full Frame pancake like the Canon 40mm 2.8
I don’t think that is possible for a mirrorless camera. at list as a pancake lens. DSLR using the mirror box to get the distance needed for making 40mm small.
The Sony/Zeiss 35/2.8 is not that far away from pancake dimensions. Unfortunately the price is.
Owning both the Samyang AF 35mm F2.8 is better than the Canon EF 40mm F2.8 STM and takes up less space mounted on an A7.
Can’t believe that the lens is even thinner than the camera, as if that a5100 isn’t thin enough.
I had this lens for a year buy issue was the images looked like they had come out of a Google pixel smartphone. I.e. no quality that takes advantage of the larger sensor and megapixels. At this focal length (30mm) you need something more special like a 1.8 or a 1.4 on apsc.
I wish Fuji would also make a 20mm pancake. I had the 27mm pancake for a while but found it too odd.
Their 18mm is pretty close to that FOV.
Funny hearing it described as an older lens. It is the newest Sony APS-C prime lens.
...it was released in 2013...
There is a new 20 mm f/1.8 FE lens which is litelally 8 times as big and heavy.
True. They haven't released any APS-C primes since then.
Speaking of wide-angle lenses, do you think you'll be able to get a copy of the Tokina atx-i 11-16 2.8 CF for review? I've been wondering what the difference is between the old and new version.
What does "well centered" mean?
So the lens is manual focus but you can shoot in AF?
Have you seen or tested the new "Tokina atx-i 11-16mm f/2.8 cf" I was wondering if it still has the problems that the older one had I couldn't find any reviews on youtube
if you purchased used lens, it might be not updated for PDAF support
This lens + fx30 = pocket cinema camera
Thanks for the great review as always! I am interested how this lens compares to the newly released Tamron FE 20 mm f2.8 on a crop-sensor camera!
Yeah me too
Should I pick this lens over Sony 16mm f2.8?
Chris has a review on that lens, IIRC image quality was poor
Afaik this lens is much better and you can get something around 16mm with the optional wide angle converter.
You can find lens reviews on kurtmunger.com
@@jochenkraus7016 Thanks. That's what I expected. I don't need a converter. I just need a pocket-able lens.
This lens vs an iPhone camera?
What's a great lens upgrade from A6400 kit lens ?
Chris do you plan on reviewing the 35mm XC F2 ?
Eventually, yes
I'm just wondering since the 16 can be modded to be full frame, can the same mods be done to this lens?
It would be awesome to see a review of the Samyang af 35mm f1.4
Look on my channel, and you'll find it
How this lens work with small spaces?
Hello Chris,
I have buy the Sony A7 RII camera new in shop for 1300 euro here in Amsterdam.
I am very interesting in the new Sony lens 20mm fe f1.8
Can we expect a review of this lens in the nearby future?
Thank You,greetings from the Netherlands
Hopefully soon
My images from this one come out washed out straight out if camera. Also highlight are blown out. I have to fix in post.
Just compared it to your video with the Canon EF-M 22mm f2. The Canon is just amazingly good and cheaper at the same time. Sony should have put more effort in this lens, it really falls short for its money.
I switched to Nikon from Canon several years ago, and did not look back. But I still keep my Canon APS-C system mainly for using the 24 mm ef-s, which is a little gem. Tiny, well built and razor sharp. Paid it €170 new. Sony is the most technologically advanced producer nowadays, but still I can't see myself buying one of their cameras. Their lenses are far too expensive, and I can't stand the ergonomics/menus of their cameras.
The EF-M is also much faster without being as expensive as the Sony/Zeiss 24/1.8 :-o
Thank you for this. Is there a difference with the kit lens in terms of sharpness ?
I think it might be slightly better - take a look at my review of it
Slightly better but not much especially if you stop down. Get this only when it's very cheap or you really need a pancake lens for stealth
Hi, can i use the sony 20mm f2.8 on my sony a7iii? Thanks!
Between sigma 19mm 2.8 dn and this lens, which one would you choose for video work with autofocus and in terms of sharpness?
Take a look at my review of that lens, to see the differences :-)
The Sigma lens is usually sharper in tests but not that tiny.
The Sigma 19 has a pumping and breathing AF. Not suitable for video.
would it work on canon ef-m (m6) do you think?
Clicked for the review. Liked and subscribed for Crystal Pepsi
Size is similar to Pentax DA40/2.8, but that is FF lens.
Hi Chris, please guide me in deciding which one is better for me in best image quality with better bokeh. Sony a7r ii with Fe70-300 f4.5-5.6 G OSS or. canon 90d with tamron sp 70-200 f2.8 di VC usd.
you videos are informative and educative. Thanks
There are so many dimensions to that question. You might be a bit better off with the 90D option but it's a very complicated decision taking all the huge differences of those 2 cameras and lenses into consideration
Christopher Frost Photography thank you very much for replying. we love your honest reviews about lenses & cameras. I am watching your videos from 2014.
would you say that it's also suitable for portrait photography?
In my opinion this lens is good for Street and Landscape if you want the smallest most lightweight lens possible. For portrait i would not recommend it though. If you are looking for a lightweight also small APSC lens for portraits wich is also not too expensive, i would recommend the Sony 35mm F1.8 OSS. It is pretty small, has image stabilisation, fast aperture of F1.8 wich gives a nice smooth background as you would want to have with portraits. Also the focal length of 35mm works well for portraits, it is equivalent to a 50 mm on fullframe sensors. Nice and sharps image quality as well. Costs around 350 Euros. Second hand around 250-300.
Crystal Pepsi?!? Where did you dig up one of those?
Hi christopher, Plss review review fuji 10-24mm and fuji 18-135mm. Thanks.
Eventually I will, yes
Chris, please make review on Tokina Opera 50 1.4
I'm trying to get in touch with Tokina to borrow a sample lens for testing
One of the worst lenses I ever had. Maybe a bad copy. Very small dimension and light weight and that's all positive things about it.
Sony's AF feature is cool, but it also makes the model's face out of focus
The image quality is really not the best at all and for what it does it is too expensive. Still, i own it and i use it for one reason. The size/weight. It is good enough for your everyday shooting in all situations where you dont need the best quality, just decent photos with a camera/lens combo that fits in every pocket and covers a focal length wich is pretty versatile. Thats what this lens is made for. Travel light and small and take decent pictures wich probably need some finetuning in editing.
I’m considering this lens for traveling. Thanks for the very helpful information. You’ve given me something to think about.
If the quality is not that good, why not just use the Kit lens? The size is almost the same and you dont need to spend money on the 20mm
@@footballboyz15 i dont use the 16-50 because:
- image quality is even worse than the 20 mm
- it is still 50% bigger than the 20 mm and expands even more when zooming
- it weighs twice as much as the 20mm
- it does not have the aperture of F 2.8
Thats why
@@schnubbel76 What lens do you recomend that is of good quality But is small in size for aps-c Sony?
@@footballboyz15 Hardly an easy answer since i don't know what you are looking for? A zoom lens? A prime lens? Do you need lens stabilisation? Is fast aperture a priority over size and price? You gotta consider all these things.
The smallest standard zoom lenses for Sony APS-C i know of are the Sigma 18-50 F2.8 and the Sony 18-135 F3.5-6.3. They are both almost similar in size and weight. But the Sigma has better image quality and the faster aperture. The Sony on the other hand has lens stabilisation and way more focal range than the Sigma. Price is roughly the same.
You can also have a compromise between the two with the Tamron 17-70 F2.8, wich has less focal range than the sony, but more than the Sigma. It also has stabilisation and a fast aperture of F 2.8. But it is way bigger and heavier than the other two. You see, there is not that one perfect answer to your question.
I personally use the Tamron 17-70, because it's image quality is better than the sony's, but i wanted stabilisation wich the sigma does not have. F2.8 aperture was also important. But i miss the longer focal range of the Sony and i hate that the Tamron is so much bigger and heavier.
I guess my conclusion for you would be to try the Sigma 18-50 F2.8 because you get good image quality and fast aperture in a compact design. IF you can live without stabilisation and with the smaller focal range....
And if you are looking for a prime lens... the Sony 35mm F1.8 OSS is very compact, has stabilisation, fast aperture and nice image quality. Don't know if 35mm is the focal length you are looking for though.
Crystal clear Pepsi? Did you make this video in 1993? Where did you get that Pepsi?
They relaunched it for a limited time a few years ago
What is the equivalet for a full frame camera?
Maybe the Samyang 35mm f/2.8
i have a copy of this and the result was disappointing, centre sharpness is always blur for some reason and even the kitlens beats this at centre
This lens’ front element is a bit weird, it’s slightly soft.. like plastic. I’ve never had problems with sharpness on my copies, though..
I’ve had two of these (at different times) At f4 and above, they were quite sharp in the centre. Even wide open, i can say they’re sharper than the kit lens (the 16-50 i mean, not the 18-135) The edges were softer, but renders nicely above f5.6.
Perhaps you can try to find another one used.. and try the lens to see if it’s any better than your last one.
@@saifaldin_ do you notice that the aperture blades closes not completely round but slightly slanted? or maybe it's just my copy
@@LZXun Meaning it makes a slight oval shape? I didn’t notice something like that on my copies..
@@saifaldin_ yes the aperture is slightly oval when closed down
this lens or the sony 28mm f2 for apsc ?
Very different focal lengths, I like this 20mm + the 35/1.8 OSS for travel.
I watched the living daylights out of this review! :-)
Can this lens be used with a Sony A6000?
I love you ❤
Not time to upgrade from A5xxx to A6xxx for reviews of Sony stuff, or just do crop mode on your A7rii?
Resolution is the same. The A5100 and A6000 sensors are the same. And newer A6xxx models are better in low light but that doesn't matter for a lens test.
I don't understand your way of thinking, there. When I'm doing resolution tests, how would one 24mp sensor give us more information than another? And shooting in crop mode on an a7R II would be even worse - that's just an 18mp sensor...?
@@christopherfrost What I ment to indicate is that the a5100 has a quite old sensor that in my experience have not given new lenses justice. If you only mean to do resolution test then of course 18 MP isn't suitable but perhaps that full frame sensor can produce some better results vs the a5100. But perhaps the a5100 I've tested with both FE and E lenses wasn't representative for yours.
@@JoelBergmark I'm still not sure what you're talking about. I shoot those test pictures at ISO100, using a tripod, where the image quality between various 24pm Sony sensors will be the same. What difference in image quality are you concerned about here, exactly?
@@christopherfrost Oki, I don't have one available to examplify show differences but since its not the same sensor as later models (compare with a6500) and there was a noticeable difference, but can't find the picture to show it but of course my test was not as controlled as yours. If I find the pictures or borrow of a a5100 i will let you know.
I've heard horrible things about this lens for almost 2 years now. For the price and the size and lack of quality in images especially having no OSS, I'd just use my cell phone camera. There's no real benefit with this lens at all. Seems useless really. As always, thank you for the wonderful review. I try to watch them all.
There's definitely an argument to be made for using a cellphone camera over this lens, however your cellphone camera will never be able to resolve the amount of detail that an APSC camera and this lens can.
Stuart Hendricks I get what you’re saying but most regular people don’t care about resolution , other photographers do. With good natural light and artificial light cell phones can create stunning images. Weddings and magazine covers have been done with them. I personally can’t stand shooting with my cell but with the way you can manipulate photos with an iPhone now it’s close to being senseless to carry a camera around anymore. I think I’m a few years camera bodies will be obsolete. Just my opinion. Thank you for the reply.
@@GRJCLyon Mobile imaging is certainly encroaching on the compact camera market share. I too also only carry my a6300 if I know there are specific images I want to shoot for my website or client, otherwise cellphone 99% of the time. Nonetheless, even though the use cases for this lens are limited, I still find it a joy to shoot with when I do. Take care and have a good one. 🙏🏽
Not as sharp as 30mm macro, but half the weight.. At same price I picked 30mm Macro
The Macro is much bigger and has a longer (yet interesting) focal length. Nex with 20mm fits in the pocket of my winter jacket.
The 30mm is a good little macro but not that sharp in the corners at longer distances. It's much bigger too, though more lightweight than its size suggests. The 30mm is better priced, I got the 20mm for £125 used but as new, it's RRP is s little silly.
@@andrewdavies2932You got it at a good price. 30mm is siver which isn't something I love. Image quality at long distance is fine for me. I do get loads of bokeh if I shoot close up.
@@gordonyz4 iirc I paid £150 for the 30mm new after a little cashback. It's a great lens. I have a nice achromat that fits 20, 35, 55 so the macro rarely comes out but a cheap secondhand Nex 5R + the 30mm would be a very nice one lens kit. Sony got travel photography so right with the 5R and these little lenses. A lot of photographers thought they knew better, bought much bigger kits. Then they end up just taking their phone :)
Seems like the "wrong 20mm" ;).
It is very small. I'd say what's wrong with it is the price. The quality is to be expected for such a tiny lens.
@@pizzablender What I meant by wrong 20mm is that everyone else is reviewing 20mm 1.8 FE. Although I prefer review of this one, because I got crop camera and was thinking of buying this actually.
yo yo
I rather get a Sigma 19mm f2.8.
Trolling Sony by taking away their potential f/1.4 customers?
You mean f/1.8?
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