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The lens of the camera is the most influential factor in how your image turns out. It is very necessary to invest in a lens with multiple features that are compatible with each other.
A wide-angle lens has a wide set of frame which allows the photographer to fit in the entire scene in one image. They are available in various focal lengths, which determine the width angle.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the very best wide-angle lenses for the best price.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Sony Wide Angle Lenses
- OUR TOP PICK: Sony - FE 16-35mm F2.8
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Sony SEL28F20 FE 28mm f/2-22
- Sony - FE 12-24mm F4 G
- Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar
- Sony - E 10-18mm F4
Comparison of the Best Sony Wide Angle Lenses
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Best Budget Option  |
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What Does a Wide Angle Lens Do?
The width of a lens is inversely proportional to its focal length. Hence, a wide-angle lens has a short focal length and a wide field of view. A focal length of 50mm and below is considered a wide-angle lens. Such a model comes with its own set of various uses. Some of them include:
Real-Life Effect
Lenses capture two-dimensional images, and it is very essential for a photographer to give their image the three-dimensional feel. Enhancing the perspective of your image makes your image 3-D and gives a feeling of inclusion.
Fits More Than a Human Eye
A wide-angle lens has a broader frame of view than the normal ones. This enables it to fit more scenes into the same frame than the normal lens.
Enhance Perspectives
Such a lens creates a drastic effect on perspective by altering the size, distance, and depth of field of the subject.
What Should I Look For When Buying a Wide Angle Lens?
There are some crucial factors to keep in mind when buying a wide-angle lens. Some of them are:
Focal Length
Since the focal length of the lens is inversely proportional to the width of the field of view, it is extremely crucial that the focal length of your lens should be short and not more than 50mm.
Aperture
The aperture is the opening of the lens through which light enters. Narrow apertures can create images with blurry or dark edges, while wide apertures can cause inconsistent sharpness throughout the frame. To get the maximum sharpness, try to go for aperture in the middle of the range.
ED Glass
Lens distortion is usually found in a wide-angle lens. In order to minimize chromatic aberrations, it is essential that the lens has extra-low dispersion glass.
Quick Take - Best Sony Wide Angle Lenses
Before we dive into our review, here are the best Sony wide angle lenses:
Review of the Best Sony Wide Angle Lenses
If you are in the market to buy a wide-angle lens, below are the perfect options along with all the features to be considered:
Best Overall:
Sony - FE 16-35mm F2.8
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers greatly appreciate the fact that the lens is light and compact, which makes it easier to travel with. It delivers sharp images both indoors and outdoors with its high-end optics, which matches the premium design. With its sharpness all across the frame, swift auto-focus, telescopic reverse zoom, and portability, the buyers find investing in this lens worth every penny.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This product stands out the most because of its SLR technology. Coated with fluorine, the front element is grease, water, dust, and even finger-print resistant. The F2.8 aperture delivers an appealing ‘bokeh’ effect with a blurred background, while the wide lens allows you to take crisp images of the object in front of an expansive background.
Who Will Use This Most
Photographers of various fields will find this lens to be of great use. Traveling photographers will appreciate it because of how portable and dust resistant it is. Landscape and architectural photographers will thoroughly enjoy the premium wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame mirror-less images. And event photographers will find it working best in dark or compact places where flash photography is quite a challenge.
Bottom Line
With various plentiful features, the lens tick boxes for people of different needs. The swift AF/MF switch on it makes it easier to switch between manual and auto-focus mode. Meanwhile, the compact frame and low weight let people take it anywhere they want. The wide high-resolution images complete everything one would want from a wide-angle zoom lens.
Runner-up:
Sony SEL28F20 FE 28mm f/2-22
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers claim they thoroughly enjoy the auto-focus option that is reasonably quick and almost inaudible, which helps them shoot movies and videos without interruption. Also, the lens almost never goes out of focus and gives accurate images. The circular aperture creates a bokeh effect that adds a soft background to the images, giving their photos a professional touch. For most, this is their go-to lens because of how portable and easy to handle it is.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This lens is the most reasonable option on the market with impeccable features. It has nine blades, which create the diaphragm of the aperture that helps create an outstanding ‘bokeh’ effect. Additionally, the lens has super ED glass, which reduces chromatic aberration resulting in high contrasting and good color quality images. Also, the auto-focus is pretty quick and almost inaudible. The approximately symmetric optical formula helps minimize any optical flaws.
Who Will Use This Most
This lens is the perfect option for those who are starting off with photography and are on a tight budget. It is easy to pack when traveling light. Travelers and outdoor photographers love the compact size, lightweight, and dust resistant lens. Event photographers like wedding photographers would prefer it since it performs very well in low light spaces and at night too.
Bottom Line
This lens is the most affordable of all available on the market. It performs well for wide landscape photography and also for subject-based focus images where the background gets blurred with the ‘bokeh’ effect. It has reasonably swift auto-focus, the images are never out of focus, and the resolution is reasonably crisp. To conclude, from amateurs to professional photographers, all would reach out for a standard lens like this.
Best for the Money:
Sony - FE 12-24mm F4 G
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers have started replacing this lens with their bulky lenses. They greatly appreciate how light and compact it is, which makes it very easy to travel with. It is a very affordable option available on the market and also comes with an integrated lens hood, further contributing to cutting down the price. Some report it has minor distortion on edges but is easily fixable with certain software programs.
Why it Stands Out to Us
At such an economical price, this model comes with everything a wide-angle lens should have without compromising on any feature. The integrated lens hood decreases contrast, creating a beautiful flare. 7 blades generate the diaphragm of the aperture, which helps creates a ‘bokeh’ effect. Additionally, the super ED glasses installed help control aberration, which avoids any blurriness on the image.
Who Will Use This Most
Students and amateur photographers who are on a budget will cherish this lens the most. People with an interest in interior photography like real-estate agencies prefer this lens since it works well with dim light photography. Travelers who take photos enjoy it being portable. Plus, the fluorine-coated front lens makes it dust and moisture resistant.
Bottom Line
For such a reasonable price, the lens comes with a mirrorless, SLR system which offers a very wide angle frame, sharp image resolution, and creates a beautiful ‘bokeh’ effect. This product caters to the requirements of people of all professions looking for an economic lens without compromising on any technical features.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
People report that they prefer this lens the most when traveling. The low weight and small size make it portable, and the dust and moisture resistant build makes it sturdy. It is very easy to handle and control. The ridges on the zooming ring make gripping easier. Though the lens shows some distortion like every other wide-range lens, it is easily fixable.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This lens is optically stabilized, which plays a major role in videography. This feature minimizes blurriness caused by vibrations and hand-held photography. Also, the constant focus controlled by the camera keeps video in focus without interruptions. Moreover, the shutter priority feature auto-adjusts the aperture, allowing correct exposure, which results in well-lit photos with rich colors.
Who Will Use This Most
Landscape photographers and videographers prefer it the most due to its ultra-wide lens range as they can shoot videos of a vast array of land. Videographers prefer this optically stabilized lens, which lets them shoot extremely steady videos of swift-moving objects. Moreover, interior photographers love it for its wide lens, which lets them take wide photos in compact spaces.
Bottom Line
This lens creates a dynamic perspective with its ultra-wide zoom feature. It is supported by ZEISS, which ensures all the features perform smoothly without any failure. In all, this product grants professional photographs what it promises and is worth investing every penny in.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers appreciate the fact it weighs 0.5lbs, which is remarkably low. Professional photographers, especially those who travel, find it extremely portable. Also, they appreciate the fact that it is not bulbous, which makes it compatible with filters with a width of almost 62mm. Additionally, the lens stabilization feature omits the need for tripods and also lets one take pictures while on the move.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This lens stands out the most due to its effective image stabilization feature. It comes with built-in gyro sensors and a stabilization lens, which eliminates any blurriness in photographs as well as produces good quality and quiet videos. Moreover, it has a distance encoder that manages the appropriate amount of flash output. Lastly, this ultra-wide mirrorless lens comes with additional features such as built-in ED glass and a fast auto-focus.
Who Will Use This Most
Photographers who are fond of landscapes, oceanscapes, and skyline photography will thoroughly enjoy this lens. Event photographers who work at night-time or indoors will find its built-in distance encoder very useful because it manages the output of the right amount of flash, which is a great aid for flash photography.
Bottom line
This lens comes with more additional features than any other wide-angle lenses on the market. It caters to the requirements of indoor, event photographers as well as travel photographers. Although this lens is not very affordable, with all the exceptional features, this is the best life-long investment.
Aspects to Consider Before Buying
Before you go ahead and invest in the first lens you come across, make sure you look out for the following:
Portability
A photographer usually travels with an entire photography kit. The base camera is already quite heavy, and the kit usually includes multiple other lenses. It is very crucial for the lens to be light-weight and compact in size too.
Intended Usage
The photographer needs to determine what purpose they need the lens for and then settle for the appropriate focal range. The medium-wide range gives wider than normal field of view, while ultra-wide ranges distort the images, almost giving it a fish-eye effect.
Filter Compatibility
If you plan on using filters on your lens, it is very important to keep in mind if the lens is compatible with the filter or not. Some bulbous lenses do not have enough space to attach any filters.
Benefits of Investing in a Quality Wide Angle Lens
Buying good quality wide-angle lenses is a sensible investment since they have a great impact on image quality. The subsequent points will enhance the importance of buying a good quality lens:
Fits the Most in One Frame
Since a wide-angle lens gives a wider angle of view than a normal lens, it allows fitting more into the frame without cropping the edges off. No matter how expansive the scene is, the photographer doesn’t have to move further back or stitch photos together to create the exact image.
Suitable for Both Indoor and Outdoor Photography
A wide-angle lens caters to photographers of all fields. It is wide enough to capture everything in the scene, which makes it ideal for panoramic landscapes. Also, in compact interiors, you can take the picture standing close to the subject yet still taking the image of the entire scene.
Emphasize Foreground Subjects
A wide-angle lens enables everything in the frame to be in focus, which helps add foreground interest to landscape photos. Also, they provide a short focus distance, allowing the photographer to get near to the subject and still include details in the background.
Conclusion
A wide-angle lens caters to people of all kinds, interest, and profession, from the landscape, architecture photographers taking pictures in rugged, expansive spaces to event photographers, or real estate photographers who are trying to fit everything in a shot at small cramped places. You need to acknowledge the intention of use and choose the right wide-angle lens for your needs.
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