Oh photography . . . So appealing and dynamic, yet it has the potential to be so financially draining for beginning enthusiasts trying to get a quick fix with fascinating images - and Sony has done an excellent job with "Making (you) Believe" it's extremely easy to capture great images with their trendsetting mirrorless cameras.
In fact, my initial decision to pursue photography professionally was aided by the release of the Sony A6000 back in 2014. This was the same year my youngest son was born and, in the following year, his mother and I were preparing for his first birthday. At that point I decided I was going to be his photographer for life.
Of course, I refused to half-step on this endeavor, so after days of research the Sony mirrorless system seemed to be the appropriate choice - despite their limited lens selection. I must admit that I purchased a Nikon D5100 a few years prior, which I made very little use of due to a lack of desire to learn how to use the camera. Sony's system felt seemlessly satisfying for new photography enthusiasts, such as myself, with little to no familiarity or attachment to "the other" brands - and this was with images that were Straight Out of the Camera (SOOC).
Although I had so much enthusiasm, there was one factor limiting my ability to be a great photographer (so I thought), which was . . . you guessed it . . . dinero. No, not dinner . . . moolah, money, the financial responsibility which comes with trying to keep up with the latest, greatest, "best" gear on the market. Lucky for me, I didn't become a GAS-head (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and I was willing to take the time to work my way up to the higher quality gear - which is a current work in progress.
The moment I decided to spend $700 on the Sony A6000 and unboxed it, I felt like a professional at first click . . . on automatic mode of course (Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Scenic) . . . yeah. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with using a camera system's auto mode, but you come to understand what you are missing when you learn how to use the manual, aperture-priority, or shutter-priority modes - or maybe that only applies to those who like to be in control.
The Sony A6000 was packaged with a 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 Power Zoom (PZ) E-mount lens, with Optical Steady Shot (OSS) for stabilization. I also took advantage of purchasing Sony's 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 E-mount lens, also with OSS, for $149. This was an easy purchase when comparing the $800+ cost of other lenses with similar reach in focal length. At that time, I could not justify investing $1600+ on lenses, especially when I knew I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I will admit that my first lenses served me well, but as you learn more you begin to realize how ignorant you were before.
It didn't take long for me to analyze and compare the quality of my images to professional grade images and realize something was missing, separating me from the seasoned professionals. Of course, there is far more to consider and acknowledge when it comes to "good" photography, but for the sake of this blog, I am focusing on the question most beginning photographers spend too much of their time debating - What lenses will make my photography great? In retrospect, I realized that purchasing the "best" or most "professional" lens was NOT what makes someone a "great" or "professional" photographer.
For about 3 months, I continued to thoroughly research the Sony lens lineup by reading articles and reviews from other users to see what type of ratings these lenses were receiving. The problem with placing a lot of weight in this area is that everyone's perspective and experience level is different, so it is extremely important to understand the differences between good and bad image quality, which can also be subjective. My perspective is that image quality is a direct correlation between the fluent clarity, detail, and bokeh witnessed in a pre-processed image, as well as the dynamic range captured in an image that allows you to produce an exceptionally post-processed photograph. I will acknowdledge that I believe a majority of the amazing images we see are a direct result of talented photo/image editors using effective photo-editing software. This doesn't mean that someone is unable to capture "superb" images SOOC, but it does challenge the responbility for a beginning photographer to be aware of and become familiar with their camera system system of choice, as well as the rules of photography. However, mastering the software tools for editing will place you above the rest. I recall telling myself that I would not use photoshop - that I would maintain the original quality of all my images. Even with that mentality, a photographer must be able to process their images for a clean and refined look that allows their images to pop truly stand out - there is an art to photography beyond framing and bokeh. However, it is much easier when framing and bokeh are on point SOOC, which is where lens selection is key.
Once a photographer has determined the type(s) and aspect(s) of photography to showcase, then selecting the appropriate lens becomes easier. In focusing on Sony's less expensive lens line up, I would particularly like to save beginning photographers a little time and money, at least until you are able to regain your investment and repurpose it on the more expensive lenses. Trust me when I say it is futile to buy a series of inexpensive lenses to achieve the ultimate result of great, superb, or exceptional images. You would be better off buying one or two lenses that suit your purpose, until you can know and do better.
Here are a few key points to keep in mind:
1) Light is a key aspect in photography and aperture has a huge impact on how much light is able to hit the sensor - too much or too little light will make or break your image.
2) Focal length is not directly equivalent to the height and width of your framing - lenses designed for crop sensor cameras with the same focal length as a lens designed for the 35mm full-frame equivalent sensors will not frame and image with the same height or width when at an equal distance from the subject.
3) Although bokeh is highly dependent on the lens' aperture specifications, a lens with an aperture of F1.8 may not render the same quality bokeh as another, this is based on the shape of the blades. In addition, you can achieve a nice smooth bokeh with lenses where the aperture does not open as wide, or the lens isn't as "fast", by adjusting the distance(s) between your lens, the subject, and the background.
Ok, so the take-away from above should be that aperture is important when it comes to lens selection. Prime lenses normally offer lower aperture settings and they are known as being "faster" lenses - which has absolutely nothing to do with shutter speeds or power zoom rates.
My first recommendation is to consider purchasing a Prime lens (a lens with only one focal length/no zoom) and a PZ lens. The reason I recommend a PZ lens is because a lot of the focus rings in the less expensive lenses will not necessarily have a smooth focus ring, particularly not over time. This is important because the lack of smooth focusing will be annoying in videos and may even prove to be annoying when trying to nail your manual focus if the focus ring sticks and jumps. The down sides to having a PZ lens is that they are a little more expensive than manual zoom lenses and if you drop/bang the lens, or dirt/sand gets inside of it, then your power zoom may be affected and potentially malfunction. This means that you either should learn how to disassemble, clean, and reassembe the lens to resolve the issue (as I have done with my 16-50mm PZ), or be prepared to pay to get it serviced and fixed. Unfortunately, I haven't heard many great reviews about Sony's servicing on their products.
Now that we know to pay attention to lenses with lower aperture specifications while looking for a Prime and a PZ lens, we can move into the focal lengths to consider. Theoretically, longer focal lengths allow for more clarity and capture more detail when focusing on subjects at further distances. I only say "theoretically" because I have encountered instances where I used some of my zoom lenses to take a picture of a subject with a shorter focal length and longer focal length, yet when digitally zooming into the images on the computer or in the camera, the clarity and amount of detail captured appears to be equivalent - this is how/when you start to realize you get what you pay for with your lens purchases. I have not yet noticed this issue with my slightly more expensive 18-105mm F4 G OSS PZ E-mount lens ($599). Nevertheless, think back on what I mentioned in key point number 3 about being able to "achieve a nice smooth bokeh . . . by adjusting the distance(s) between your lens, the subject, and the background". Well, longer focal lengths essentially give the appearance that the subject you are focusing on is closer to the lens, while the out-of-focus background appears to be further, creating a shallower depth-of-field (DOF). This means that you can still potentially get that nice smooth bokeh affect you're looking for even with a zoom/telephoto lens with higher aperture / slower "speeds" than some of the "faster" Prime lenses.
Oh, but don't forget about key point number 2, "focal length is not directly equivalent to the height and width of your framing." The Sony A6000/6300/6500 are all Advanced Photo System type-C (Classic) sensors - they are cropped smaller than the 35mm equivalent sensors by about 1.5 times. This means that if you want to achieve approximately the same height and width of your framing on an APS-C sensor camera that you would have on a full-frame equivalent camera, you would have to multiply the focal length on the APS-C camera's lens by 1.5 and the product would be the 35mm full-frame equivalent lenses' focal length. For example, having a 16mm E-mount (designed for APS-C) lens on the Sony A6000 will give you the approximately the same height/width framing of a 24mm FE-mount (designed for full-frame) lens on a 35mm full-frame equivalent sensor camera like the Sony A7ii (16mm x 1.5 = 24mm).
Now you must decide if you want an E-mount lens designed for the APS-C format cameras, or an FE-mount lens designed for the full-frame equivalent format cameras, because both lens types can be used on either camera type. Just remember that the lens will not increase/decrease in size, so whatever your decision, you're stuck with the framing of the smaller item (sensor, or lens design). My general recommendation is that if you plan on upgrading to a full-frame sensor Sony camera, then you should go ahead and purchase the FE-mount lenses. My only disagreement to that statement, so far, is in the case of comparing Sony's 50mm F1.8 OSS E-mount ($299) to their 50mm F1.8 FE-mount lens ($249). For only $50 more, the E-mount is far better than the FE in the following areas: faster auto-focusing, the E-mount has OSS whereas the FE doesn't, and the E-mount feels more durable compared to the FE. Faster auto-focusing and OSS help you get clearer images quicker and more often - there's nothing like trying to have a client hold a pose just because your lens is slow at focusing, or finding out that your image is blurrier than expected because you didn't have the assistance of OSS. In all fairness the Sony a7ii has built-in image stabilization, so it is helpful, but not necessary in the FE lens. The Sony A6000, on the other hand, does not have built-in image stabilization. Although you're cutting your framing down to about what you would get on a 75mm focal length on a full-frame equivalent sensor, you'll be much more pleased with the use of, and results from, the E-mount lens.
The only other less expensive (compared to other lenses not listed in this blog) prime lens I would consider for the Sony APS-C mirrorless series cameras is the 35mm F1.8 OSS ($449). This will give you the framing equivalent of a just over 50mm on a full-frame sensor. However, you may find that your DOF on the 35mm is not quite as shallow as it is on the 50mm, which can be good or bad depending on what you are trying to achieve.
By now, you should have a basic understanding of the factors involved in deciding to purchase your lens. In addition to the lenses listed above, I also own Sony's 28-70mm 3.5 -5.6 FE OSS lens, as it came with my purchase of the Sony A7ii back in 2016. I have tested and/or purchased (and returned) Sony's 16mm F2.8 E ($249), 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS FE ($999), 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS ($1,099), 24-70mm F2.8 GM FE ($2199), and the Sonnar T 55mm F1.8 ZA FE ($999). Based on my use of each of these lenses, if you are on a tight budget, I would recommend purchasing Sony's $299 50mm F1.8 E OSS and the $599 18-105mm F4 G E PZ OSS. I would recommend both of these lenses for the full-frame sensor equivalent cameras as well only because my experience has given me the impression that they are a few of the best lenses Sony offers in their price ranges (under $600). They will get the job done and you will be able to profit off them and repurpose the funds towards larger investments in the future, after you've learned how to master you craft with what you have.
Just remember, mastering photography is about more than just the lens. I would even argue that the best and most humble photographers may believe they have mastered their equipment far before they may master their craft.