SonySEL50F18 E Mount APS-C 50 mm F1.8 Prime Lens - Silver

I don't usually give 5 stars in these reviews, but this lens has almost made my old Nex 3 feel like a new camera.For taking pictures of people it is head-and-shoulders above all the other NEX lenses I've tried (this one is my fourth lens). Essentially, the f1.8 aperture lets in so much light that (together with the image stabilisation) the camera can use _far_ quicker shutter speeds to get any given shot, which means much less blur and, in practice, lovely sharp pictures. The f1.8 aperture also beautifully de-focuses the background of shots, making for simpler compositions which emphasise the main subjects in the frame. Also, unlike many fast primes, this one is pin sharp right down to F1.8.Of course the 75mm-equivalent focal length makes this something of a single-purpose lens, but don't let that put you off - it's a purpose which most people will be needing a lot, and there's nothing wrong with doing one thing well. Here's a real-life example:Last year I went to a wedding. A lovely occasion, but the ceremony was indoors and it was a dull grey day. I used the stock zoom lens that came with the Nex (the 18-55mm one) and for the whole day none of my pictures came out; they were all blurry because people moved too fast and I couldn't respond in time to catch fleeting moments, and that was because the zoom lens can only do about f5 at its 55mm zoom end, and in any case it isn't very sharp at that focal length.Then, last weekend, we celebrated the Christening of my little son. A lovely occasion, but the ceremony was indoors and it was a dull grey day. I used this lens, and every single one of my photos came out perfectly - beautifully. No need for flash, no need for high ISO. I was even happy setting the camera to default automatic settings and letting my friends take pictures for me, because I trusted the lens to get a good picture. I have never been able to do that before!One thing I have found is that I need to take one step further backward than I'm used to, because the lens can't focus close-up. You need to be a few feet away from your subject.In every other respect this is the best money I've invested in photography since buying the camera. I was nervous about buying because this is more expensive than the entry-level lenses in the Nex range. It turns out that there's is a very good reason for the difference - it simply has a much better 'sucess rate' in getting the right photo first time than any other lens I've used; it complements the money I originally invested in the Nex camera and adds a different dimension it didn't have before.

PRICE WHEN REVIEWED: £180(2nd hand from Amazon Warehouse Deals)Comparison setup:Sony NEX-3NSony Alpha 5100 (sucessor of NEX-5N)Pentax K-S2 + Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 SCMPROs+ completely silent AF (not even the built-in microphone of the NEX-3N and Alpha 5100 can record AF changes)The Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 SCM is a bit lighter and only costs £90 but it is as loud as a mini chainsaw.+ very high build quality (tightly assembled metal and plastic combination)+ tight fit on NEX bodies+ absolutely beautiful bokeh+ almost no chromatic abberation+ well-controlled colour fringing+ vignetting is easily corrected in JPEGs by the camera+ AF can be micro adjusted by 5100 and higher level bodies (I didn't need it though because it seems to hit AF spot on, but I will rebtest with AF depth cardboard test)+ manual focus ring is very smooth, turns slowly but accurately and does not wobble+ the front element does neither extend nor rotate, making polarised UV filters easy and a joy to use+ the optical image stabilisation is impressively effective and makes video recording a truly positive experence (I never liked taking videos, but this lens changed my habbits)The Pentax K mount system is very poor for videos as the body's shake reduction does neither come close to the efficiency of the Sony E mount lenses nor can it compete with the Sony Alpha 7R II's 5 axis body sensor stabilisation. Canon EOS used ro be the kind back in 2006 but Sony Alpha models are now the new regime in the land of mirrorless interchangeable lens systems.+ 49mm filters are cheaper and more portable than 77mm+ very sharp at f1.8 (I don't care about the corner sharpness because I'm a casual hobby shooter and will not sell images nor do I need to pixel peep and debate about pixel sharpness) and is sharp until f11 at which point diffraction (image softening) occurs+ relatively light+ very attarctive, discreet design with high quality finish (it just feels nice and not like a toy as the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II which is my least favourite lens of all times)+ decent weight distribution even on smaller bodies like the Alpha 5100 (the NEX-3N is a tad larger and heavier)+ resists flare very well+ Sony NEX and Alpha bodies allow you to still zoom in 2x which is very handy because then you can frame better without having to spend time cropping images all dayCONs- included lens hood is a bit flimsy/thin and is completely useless for filter users (I use a polarizer, so after I failed to access the filter when.the hood is on I put it back in the box and never touched it again)Pentax is the only camera manufacturer that applies common sense here and adds a little detachable door on each lens hood to allow polarizer users to access and turn their filters.I seriously do not understand why other camera manufacturers do not have this.- AF speed could be higher (but it is fine for normal use unless action photography is a must)It is noticeably slower than other f1.8 lenses for classic DSLRs- not weather sealed (dust will eventually male its way into the lens and settle, so you better not remove the lens from your camera unless you upgrade the body)- the lens is a little bit on the long side (the Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 SCM is much shorter, but this is counttered by the oversized yet fully weather sealed K-S2 body)- closest focal distance is rather far (but about 10cm closer than Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 SCM)- AF speed depends on camera body (the Alpha 5100 was slightly but noticeably faster than the NEX-3N)- black glossy paint scratches a bit too easily (this was not a problem on my Canon EF 17-40mm f4 USM which was made of super high quality rippled plastic, but the Sony's outer lens body is made out of metal which will scratch instantly)VERDICTAfter having played withe the Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 SCM and Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II, the Sony E 50mm f1.8 OSS is more than a clear winner.It beats it's larger and heavier rivals in all aspects except speed, but it is still fast enough for 80% of shots.What really annoyed me was thw lens hood which reminded me of the rubbish hood used with the Canon EF 85mm f1.8 USM - terrible and the plastic is so thin that it would break on medium impact whereas the fmhood for the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 USM still goes strong despite seemingly uncountble scratches :SAlternative:Olympus 45mm f1.8 (Micro Four Thirds) but then you lose a lot of bokeh background and foreground blurring capabilities.If you work around an airport or anywhere where people wear ear protection or are half deaf anyways, go for the Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 SCM but note that the Pentax bodies are much heavier then the Sony NEX and Alpha cameras.

This is a great lens, my photo's and videos look so much sharper with a prime lens

The best value prime lens from any manufacturer tends to be the “nifty fifty”, as it is usually relatively inexpensive and tack sharp and this is no exception. This lens has great build quality and is a really good match for my Sony A6400. It is not too large, making it easy to keep in my Thinktank Mirrorless Mover 10 bag. I was impressed that it came with a lens hood included.Unlike the FE full frame version, this lens has optical stabilisation, making it ideal for low light conditions when photographing static objects. However, I have mainly used it as a portrait lens as the 75 mm full-frame equivalent focal length is ideal for taking pictures of grandchildren. I have been really impressed how well the lens autofocus mechanism works in combination with the face and eye detection 4D tracking system of the A6400. I took 520 photographs this afternoon and was really impressed by the “keeper” rate. Even with the lens at f/2.0 or 2.2, the vast majority of photographs had the toddler’s eyes in extremely sharp focus, with a nicely rendered bokeh for the background, despite the fact that they were constantly on the move.Strongly recommended