Rankings
The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary delivers a constant fast aperture in a remarkably compact package, making it ideal for travel, landscape and vlog shooting on Sony APS-C bodies. While image quality is strong in the centre, corner performance and the lack of built-in stabilization are the main compromises.
The Meike 35mm f/1.7 manual-focus prime offers great image quality and build at a budget price, but it suffers from soft corners, vignetting and the lack of autofocus.
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD offers a versatile zoom range, constant fast aperture, and built-in optical stabilization in a relatively compact package. While its sharpness and autofocus are strong points, users note distortion, flare and the lack of dedicated switches as trade-offs.
The Sony SELP1650 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS is a pocket-sized power-zoom lens that excels for travel and vlog video thanks to its built-in OSS and quiet stepping-motor AF. Optical performance is compromised by softness and distortion, and the lack of weather sealing keeps it best suited for good-light situations.
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Contemporary delivers a bright aperture, excellent sharpness and quiet autofocus in a compact package for Sony APS-C bodies. It lacks weather sealing and built-in stabilization, and its focal length is fixed at a 45 mm equivalent, which may limit versatility.
The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary is an ultra-compact, constant-f/2.8 zoom for APS-C mirrorless cameras, offering fast silent AF and macro-like close focusing, while relying on camera IBIS for stabilization.
The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 is a compact, lightweight full-frame standard zoom offering constant f/2.8, fast silent VXD AF and a redesigned optical formula that delivers near-prime sharpness at a strong value price. Reviewers praise its image quality and ergonomics, while users appreciate the USB-C customization, though the lack of in-lens stabilization and a slightly limited wide end are noted.
The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 is a compact, lightweight prime that delivers sharp images and strong low-light performance at an attractive price. Its main drawbacks are a sluggish, audible autofocus and lack of weather sealing, which limit its suitability for video and demanding environments.
The Meike 85 mm f/1.8 SE II delivers premium-class sharpness, excellent bokeh, and smooth STM autofocus at a budget price, making it a strong choice for portrait shooters and videographers. Its plastic construction, limited sealing, and Android-only firmware keep it from being a professional-grade tool.
The TTArtisan 25 mm f/2 is a fully manual, all-metal prime lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. It offers a bright aperture and compact size at a very low price, but its optical performance suffers from flare and soft corners, and it lacks modern electronic features.
Tamron's 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD is a lightweight, travel-friendly telephoto zoom that delivers solid sharpness and silent autofocus, though it lacks built-in stabilization and a zoom-lock. It's well suited for hobbyists and travelers needing reach without bulk.
A lightweight, fast 35 mm f/1.7 prime for Sony E-mount APS-C cameras offering solid sharpness and quiet STM AF, but it lacks weather sealing and shows noticeable vignetting at its widest aperture.
| Attribute | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ lower better | 18 mm | 17 mm | 30 mm | 50 mm | 28 mm | 35 mm | 85 mm | 10 mmbest | 35 mm | 25 mm | 16 mm | 70 mm |
50 mm | 70 mm | 30 mm | 50 mm | 75 mm | 35 mm | 85 mm | 18 mm | 35 mm | 25 mm | 50 mm | 300 mmbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 2.8 f | 2.8 f | 1.4 fbest | 1.8 f | 2.8 f | 1.7 f | 1.8 f | 2.8 f | 1.7 f | 2 f | 3.5 f | — |
| ↓ lower better | 290 g | 544 g | 265 g | 187 g | 540 g | 170 g | 369 g | 255 g | 181 g | 166 g | 116 gbest | 544.3 g |
| ↓ lower better | 73.7 mm | 119.4 mm | 73.7 mm | 103.89 mm | 116.8 mm | 130 mm | 100.2 mm | 64 mm | 41 mm | 31 mm | 29.9 mmbest | 147.32 mm |
| ↓ lower better | 12.1 cm | 19 cm | 30 cm | 45 cm | 18 cm | 33 cm | 65 cm | 11.6 cmbest | 30 cm | 25 cm | 25 cm | 80 cm |
0.357 x | 0.21 x | 0.143 x | 0.14 x | 0.37 xbest | 0.13 x | 0.17 x | 0.25 x | 0.113 x | 0.13 x | 0.215 x | 0.2 x | |
48 months | 72 monthsbest | 48 months | 12 months | 72 monthsbest | 12 months | 12 months | 48 months | — | 12 months | 12 months | 72 monthsbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Performance(1) | ||||||||||||
Image Stabilization | false | true | false | false | — | false | false | false | false | false | true | false |
Mount & Compatibility(2) | ||||||||||||
Mount Type | E Mount | Sony E-mount | Sony E | Sony E-mount | Sony E | Sony E (compatible Fujifilm X, Nikon Z) | Sony E | Sony E-mount | Sony E | Fuji X, Sony E, Nikon Z, Leica L, Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-mount | Sony E-mount |
Autofocus Motor Type | Stepping motor | RXD stepping motor | Stepping motor | DC motor | VXD linear motor | STM | STM | Stepping Motor | — | Manual | Stepping motor | RXD |
Optical(6) | ||||||||||||
Focal Length (Min) (mm) | 18 mm | 17 mm | 30 mm | 50 mm | 28 mm | 35 mm | 85 mm | 10 mm | 35 mm | 25 mm | 16 mm | 70 mm |
Focal Length (Max) (mm) | 50 mm | 70 mm | 30 mm | 50 mm | 75 mm | 35 mm | 85 mm | 18 mm | 35 mm | 25 mm | 50 mm | 300 mm |
Maximum Aperture (f-number) (f) | 2.8 f | 2.8 f | 1.4 f | 1.8 f | 2.8 f | 1.7 f | 1.8 f | 2.8 f | 1.7 f | 2.0 f | 3.5 f | 4.5-6.3 f |
Minimum Focus Distance (cm) | 12.1 cm | 19 cm | 30 cm | 45 cm | 18 cm | 33 cm | 65 cm | 11.6 cm | 30 cm | 25 cm | 25 cm | 80 cm |
Maximum Magnification Ratio (x) | 1:2.8 x | 0.21 x | 0.143 x | 0.14 x | 0.37 x | 0.13 x | 0.17 x | 0.25 x | 0.113 x | 0.13 x | 0.215 x | 0.20 x |
Coating Type | Sigma Super Multi-Layer Coating | — | Sigma Super Multi-Layer Coating | — | BBAR, Fluorine | High-definition nano-coating | — | Super Multi-Layer Coating | Super multi-coated | — | — | — |
Build & Durability(2) | ||||||||||||
Weather Sealing | true | true | false | false | true | false | true | true | — | — | false | true |
Warranty Period (months) | 48 months | 72 months | 48 months | 12 months | 72 months | 12 months | 12 months | 48 months | — | 12 months | 12 months | 72 months |
Physical(3) | ||||||||||||
Weight (g) | 290 g | 544 g | 265 g | 187 g | 540 g | 170 g | 369 g | 255 g | 181 g | 166 g | 116 g | 544.3 g |
Length (mm) | 73.7 mm | 119.4 mm | 73.7 mm | 103.89 mm | 116.8 mm | 130 mm | 100.2 mm | 64.0 mm | 41 mm | 31 mm | 29.9 mm | 147.32 mm |
Filter Thread Diameter (mm) | 55 mm | 67 mm | 52 mm | 49 mm | 67 mm | 52 mm | 62 mm | 67 mm | 49 mm | 43 mm | 40.5 mm | 67 mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers praise the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 for its unprecedented compactness, constant f/2.8 aperture and sharpness that outperforms Fujifilm's own XF18-55mm and XF16-80mm lenses. They highlight the fast, quiet stepping-motor AF, macro-like close-focus and smooth bokeh, while noting the lack of OIS, noticeable distortion, vignetting and chromatic aberration, and the unconventional counter-clockwise zoom.
Everyday users love the lens as an everyday-carry workhorse - they repeatedly mention its tiny size, silent AF, creamy bokeh and macro-like close-focus. The most common complaints revolve around the backward zoom direction, absence of optical stabilization on bodies without IBIS, visible vignetting at f/2.8 and the cheap-feeling plastic hood.
“Perfect everyday carry lens - small enough to forget it's there.”
“Autofocus is silent and fast - great for street and video.”
“Bokeh at f/2.8 is creamy and beautiful.”
Professional reviewers commend the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 for its versatile zoom range, constant fast aperture and solid build, noting especially its sharpness from 25mm onward and effective VC that benefits both stills and video. They do flag the soft wide-end corners, noticeable distortion and flare, and the lack of physical VC/AF switches as trade-offs for its compactness and price point.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the lens's sharpness, fast aperture and lightweight travel-friendly package, while repeatedly mentioning flare, purple fringing and the distinctive "onion-ring" bokeh as common annoyances. The missing external switches and plastic feel also surface in multiple reviews.
Professional reviewers rate the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN highly, highlighting its exceptional sharpness, fast aperture, and quiet autofocus, while noting the lack of weather sealing and its relatively larger size.
Overall sentiment is positive, praising razor-sharp images and creamy bokeh, with complaints about the absence of weather sealing and the lens's size.
Professional reviewers commend the FE 50mm f/1.8 for delivering excellent sharpness, low distortion, and pleasing bokeh at a very attractive price point, highlighting its compact metal-mount construction. However, they uniformly criticize its sluggish, audible autofocus, heavy vignetting at the widest aperture, and lack of weather sealing.
Everyday users love the lens as a lightweight, walk-around prime that produces beautiful bokeh and sharp images when stopped down, especially on APS-C bodies where it serves as a 75 mm portrait lens. Recurring complaints focus on the slow, noisy autofocus, noticeable vignetting at f/1.8, and the cheap-feeling plastic filter thread and hood.
Professional reviewers praise the G2 as a major step up from its predecessor, highlighting its prime-like sharpness, compact form factor, silent VXD AF and useful USB-C customization. While they note the trade-offs of a narrower focal range, increased distortion and the lack of in-lens stabilization, the consensus is that the lens offers flagship-level optics at a far more attractive price point.
Everyday users overwhelmingly appreciate the lens's sharpness, silent autofocus, lightweight design and the ability to tweak focus via USB-C. Common complaints revolve around the missing 24mm wide-end, noticeable vignetting at wide apertures, a plastic feel compared to premium lenses, and an initially stiff zoom ring.
Professional reviewers praise its sharpness, low distortion and quiet STM AF, while noting vignetting, axial chromatic aberration and the plasticky build.
Everyday users love its sharpness, portability and fast aperture, though they mention strong vignetting, occasional AF hunting and the lack of weather sealing.
Professional reviewers praise the Meike 85mm f/1.8 Mark II for delivering premium-class sharpness, superb chromatic aberration control and true T1.8 transmission at a fraction of the price of flagship lenses, while noting the plastic build and modest weather sealing.
Everyday users overwhelmingly appreciate the lens's price-to-performance ratio, lauding its sharpness, bokeh and lightweight feel, though they complain about autofocus hunting in low light, the plasticky feel and lack of robust weather protection.
Professional reviewers praise the lens's size-to-performance ratio, constant f/2.8 aperture and video-friendly focus breathing, but note corner softness on high-resolution sensors and the absence of stabilization.
Everyday users love the portability, low-light capability and silent AF, though many mention soft corners, distortion and wish for better weather sealing.
Professional reviewers generally view the Meike 35mm f/1.7 as a surprisingly capable lens for its price, highlighting its solid metal build, sharp central performance, low chromatic aberration and attractive bokeh.
Everyday users love the lens for its sharp center, creamy bokeh and pocketable size, often noting it outperforms pricier branded lenses, while complaints focus on the de-clicked aperture ring, soft corners and vignetting.
Professional reviewers commend the bright aperture, vintage-inspired handling and solid build, while noting flare, reduced contrast at wide apertures and the absence of electronic contacts.
Everyday users praise the build quality, compactness and affordability, describing it as a fun, creative tool, but criticize the cool color rendering, flare issues and the screw-on cap.
Professional reviewers praise the lens for its portability, smooth power-zoom and effective OSS, but note optical compromises such as soft corners, vignetting and distortion at the wide end.
Everyday users love the lens's size and video-friendly features, while common complaints focus on edge softness, barrel distortion, and the lack of a hood or weather sealing.
Professional reviewers commend its sharpness, compactness and quiet RXD motor, while noting the absence of stabilization and zoom-lock as drawbacks.
Users love the light weight and sharp images at 300 mm, but many complain about zoom creep and the lack of built-in stabilization.
