Sony - E 50mm F1.8 OSS Portrait Lens (SEL50F18/B)

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Disclaimer: Im an amateur photographer and purchased a Sony a6000 several months ago with the 16-55mm kit lens. I quickly graduated from the kit lens, however, and really wanted to unlock the power of my new camera. After debating between Sonys prime 35mm and 50mm, I settled with this bad boy first. I cant say this is my go-to lens that I leave on 90% of the time, but it definitely fills a specific niche depending on the situation. Thanks to its relatively low f-stop of 1.8 compared to the kit lens, its great for portraits. Even at around f/2.5 to f/2.8, you still get that creamy bokeh in the background with nice subject isolation. To justify its $300 price tag, however, Ive used it for other situations. As a Yelper Elite, Im constantly that camera dork who takes pictures of every restaurant entree I order before shoving it away voraciously into my mouth. With that said, it operates well when taking close up shots. Extreme shots of insects, flowers, etc. would be better justified with a macro lens, although you can consider a cheap alternative from Meike (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BXZ9ALQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to turn this 50mm into a quasi-macro lens. Ive also used it occasionally for street photography, although its large focal length makes it cumbersome to use indoors. You cant really zoom out with your feet once your back hits the wall, ya know? In these particular situations, I will use the 50mm hands-down. Is it the most versatile lens? No. Thats why I also have Sonys 28mm f/2, which I find myself leaving on my camera most of the time. In hindsight I would have purchased my 28mm prime first, given its practicality. However, the 50mm acts as a great sidekick with the kit lens and should eventually find its way into your camera bag, regardless of when you purchase it.

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Im very happy with this lens, it takes fantastic portraits. Instead of writing a long review let me show a few samples for you to see what this lens does. I used a Sony a5100 camera.

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I bought this to use on my new Sony A6000 camera and I have to say its totally blown me and my wife away at how AWESOME the pictures are coming out. Honesty the combo is producing endless stunning photographs and the image quality is 3D like and super sharp. The Kit Lens is something you will not want to use after seeing the image quality difference this camera provides. This lens will get you that awesome blurred background and foreground effect that everybody loves normally see when they pay a professional photographer to take their family or personal photos. If you have a Alpha 6000 camera then this is a must have lens. I was looking at the Zeiss 55mm prime also which has the highest rating as far as quality image goes on DXO Review Site goes for the best prime lenses on the Sony A6000 specifically but it also has a $1000 price tag which really didnt stop me from buying it if i thought it was better but the lack of OSS "Optical Image Stabilization" which helps improve night shots and prevents video distortion was what made me buy this lens instead. I never leave reviews normally due to time restraints but I have to urge A6000 camera owners to please buy this lens for your camera if you want to really make the A6000 spit out superb high quality photographs that when taken right will need zero editing.

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Great Lens! Still trying to learn how to use it better. Im new to photography so Ive got a lot to learn, but this lens is amazing for portraits. Works well with my A6000.

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This is a must have lens for anyone with a Sony a6000. Id say Im an amateur photographer, but this lens can make anything look professional. The aperture is great, is great in low light, and overall is great at portraits and focusing on select items up close. Im absolutely in love with it, my friends love it, and it makes me feel better bout my abilities as a photographer. Just a fair warning to anyone purchasing: This lens does not zoom in or out, and is rather close up, making you have to stand father back from your subjects to get a full frame. But it is not that much of a downside when the pictures come out so perfect.

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IQ is amazing for the price, bokeh is pleasing and the image stabilization I cant praise enough. Im currently looking at a 30x20 print shot hand held at 1/30 sec and its tack sharp.

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Absolutely love this lens, one of the sharpest Ive ever used. Good build quality, good size. Crazy sharp. Stop reading reviews and buy this lens right now, you will not regret it. I took this picture of my daughter, shes smiling at one of our dogs, which when you zoom in you can see hes reflected in her eye. Like I said, crazy sharp lens, just buy it.

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Lightweight. Compact. Great image quality (coming from an "enthusiast" and not a "professional" photographer). The OSS allows you to use a slower shutter speed--good for those quasi-static indoor, poor-lighting shots. Keep in mind that to shoot an image of an a person from head to toe, you probably have to back off 30 feet with a 50mm focal length like this. So if youre used to the lens that comes standard with your camera or a cell phone camera, this focal length is vastly different.

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I cant say enough about this lens... its absolutely my new favorite! I just got a Sony a6500 along with this and one other 18-105 mm lens... the two lenses cover most of what I ever need to shoot. The bokeh from this lens is so milky-smooth, and it performs well in low-light. I absolutely love it!

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Bought for portraits on my a6000. I like the focal length for portraits. Where this lens really shines is outdoor and low light. Some will say its not sharp enough wide open, but Ive found it more than adequate at f1.8. It blows the kit lenses out of the water. Very sharp and very useful. The only negative reviews Ive read say that it doesnt zoom. LOL. Its a prime lens. You zoom with your feet. Great bokeh. Very sharp. Affordable. Unless youre a pixel peeper, youll find it to be a very good lens.

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