I would give the autofocus more credit to the camera rather than the lens. I've used the lens on an a7sii, a7iii, and now a7siii and the a7siii out performs any of those cameras by a lot. Great video either way, makes me wanna use my 50mm.
@@miloslav4075 the thing is, you really have to get the firmware update. Before the update it's indeed pretty horrible but after you update it seems to be all good! If you have updated and it still looks bad, then dang that sucks :/
It’s a great first prime. If you’re on a budget and just picked up something like an a7iii used, this is a great option! I’ve used mine for paid work and it worked just fine even though I also have premium lenses like the sigma 35mm 1.4
I had this lens for a while and I used it all the time! I loved it for portraits and short films! I got rid of it and got a Viltrox 85mm f/1.8, but I do miss that 50 1.8 and its quick autofocus
i LOVE my viltrox 85mm.. it dunks on my 24-70mm sigma art lens.. but I still scooped this 50 because of it's size, and 85mm was shit for shooting photo/video in small music venues.
As I understand it: in low light with a smaller aperture, Sony cameras will either very quickly pop the aperture wide open (and minimise depth of field) to quickly grab accurate autofocus using PDAF, or switch to CDAF only. CDAF is much slower than PDAF, and it's possible that you've stumbled upon the tipping point of where this kicks in: f/7.1. Quite happy to be corrected on this! AF-S and AF-C might be a factor in determining which option it chooses.
Before this latest firmware, that focusing issue that you displayed at 7.1 was how it focused throughout the entire apeture range. It was SO annoying. I think everyone who speaks about how bad the autofocus is, including myself, is remembering this focus behavior. But I must admit it does look better with this update. This was a great video Chris!
I just recently saw it in a shop and I couldn’t believe it was this cheap, I wasn’t even considering 50 f1.8 but for this price I think it’s a great lens to have in your bag if you can 😊 great video mate 🤟🏼
0:45 it is not a bunch of numbers, it's a pretty easy naming scheme.Electret Condenser Mic - Wireless 2(2nd gen.) Bluetooth. ecm-w2bt really not that hard. That's why the sony shotgun mic is called ecm-b1m
If you're not a pro and not a pixel peeper, then it's absolutely fine optically - especially for the price. Let alone it's used price. With the A7III the AF became fine in my opinion. My issue with it as a pixel peeper and having the occasional job shooting stuff is that, I couldn't always tell exactly where my focus was. I made several tests and the focus plain was either uneven or the glass was uneven ... or something ... It would be in sharp focus in one spot of the focus plane and then not in another close to it, and then in focus again beside that, and it was like that all over the frame. I then tested with other somewhat inexpensive lenses (like the Canon EF 50/1.8 on an MC-11 adapter) and they were exactly as you'd expect - In sharp focus towards the middle and then gradually less and less sharp towards the edges and corners. I couldn't live with it, but had I not been eager to get the most flawless lens within my budget I could get, this 50 would have been fine. If you have a full frame Sony E camera, and you take pictures of your kids in the zoo/park or at a birthday party, family and vacation photos, get this one. You'll be happy with it. I only couldn't use it because I would maybe have a job where the ID tag on a healthcare worker's shirt was the actual subject, and had to be in sharp focus, and I needed to be able to trust that I wouldn't come home after hours of shooting to discover that it wasn't as sharp as I needed it to be in the otherwise perfect shot. That turned me off the lens, but it's light, and looks pretty cool on the camera, and if you use a fill flash, you'll get deadly sharp images with it - like with most lenses. Even the dreadful-in-less-than-perfect-light kit lens is deadly sharp when the light is perfect. AF was slow on the A7 and A7II, and I haven't heard anything about it working better on those yet, but maybe it does. See if you can find that out before you get this lens to use with the first two generation bodies.
super interesting; especially as your review really tested the lens for video work. I Looked in the equipment list but couldn't find the thicker black solid microphone you are using in the actual video?
I bought the Viltrox 24 because of you, I want to get the viltrox 50 because of you, but now you're also making me want to get this one. Hands down a really great review! super helpful! learning so much from you! taking notes Chris! haha! thanks for this!
I have this as a cheap little lens as a spare/extra and I think it’s good. I think it’s reputation has been ruined by gear snobs, and people that compare it to the Zeis 55, which it’s not unfair as this is a bargain cheap little lens. I liked it 👍
One of the things I hate about “Prosumers” or people who buy gear for work, They “tend to gate keep” a lot. “If you don’t use this or that, then you are not a “Pro” But I’ve come to learn that every single gear has to be looked at with fresh eyes independently of any review because 8.5 out of 10 times literally everything that has a bad review ends up not being as bad as the exaggerating people on those reviews.
I have a few sony primes but I actually, for some reason feel like this is my favourite. There’s just something I really like about it and I love the 50mm focal length. Thanks for giving it some love
Actually that's "shockingly" good compared to what I've been hearing about it. Seems like the new Sony bodies have given it a new breath of life with their leading focusing systems.
Great video! Really good to see a more recent video about this lens since the firmware update. I picked this up on Amazon for £139 last week. More to see how it compares to my other lenses. I mainly use Sigma and Tamron lenses with some Sony. I’ve had the odd GM before but sold those as they are too much lens for me as a hobbyist. This 50mm arrived, sent my Amazon in a bag, not a box and got a partial refund. It ended up costing about £105 new and I have to say, as a light, walk around 50mm prime it’s really decent. I only take photos so the focus motor doesn’t bother me! Everything else about it for that money is well worth it! I’ll be using my 85mm Sigma DG/DN f1.4 for wedding portraits etc but my day to day, this was a steal! :)
The Autofocus issue when you stop down is the point where phase detection stops working, and the camera switches to contrast detection only. This also happens for example with the 2.0 teleconverter on the 200-600G
@@chrisbrockhurst one good thing about Sony is they opened their E-mount up to 3rd party manufacturers & we have plenty of bread & butter options now.. Personally for my 50mm I use the Samyang 45mm F1.8 & very happy with it 😎
For personal use not professional use - I’m taking it on a trip to use if I get tired hauling the “beast” around (Tamron 35-150 f2.8). It’s really light weight to have in the bag as a 2nd lens when traveling. I just bought a small light weight flash unit too just in case for our trip. Sony a7iv and Sony a6400 cameras.
Nice job, I had that lens for a while and then sold it because I didn't use it much and I prefer the 85mm focal length but it's still solid lens for the price! I look forward to what you have to say about that mic. I was just looking at that yesterday...
Thanks Jake. The mic is very practical in terms of no wires but comes in hot for when i hold it close like in this video, for clipping on a shirt or jacket its actually decent.
Great video mate. As usual I watched your video right through to the end despite already having the 55mm Zeiss 1.8 it's good know if I needed a back up this would be a decent choice. I really like your channel as you don't over hype stuff nor dismiss gear unfairly unlike many other content creators. Good balance of high end gear reviews along with budget stuff that is often overlooked.
Nice! It would be interesting to see a review on the Laowa 9mm f/2.8 manual lens...another lens I've seen somewhat "polarized" reviews on...just like this Sony 50mm you reviewed. Thanks as always!
I had this lens when I first bought a used NEX-5T from the thrift store back in the end of 2019/beginning of 2020. Bought the lens from Focus Camera weeks after I bought the camera and when I used the lens in the NEX-5T, it was amazing. One of my favorite pics I took in 2020 before the lockdown was taken with the NEX-5T and the 50mm 1.8 lens. Once I switched to the A7III later that year, I tried the lens and I didn’t like how the images looked. Then I rented (and eventually bought) the Zeiss 55mm 1.8 ZA and sold the 50mm 1.8 on eBay to someone in Tucson. Personally, Sony should make a second generation of this lens without the cheap plastic feel/material and a quiet AF motor.
I've owned this lens for some years now and honestly, you cannot go very wrong with a nifty fifty. There are definitely some drawbacks here and there, but for the average photographers it gets the work done. Overall super performance for its price.
The AF issue at higher apertures is the camera switching from contrast detect to phase detect AF (I could be saying it backwards). I’m pretty sure there’s quite a few lenses that will switch at higher apertures but for some reason due to the build of this cheap lens it happens at f 8.0 which is pretty crummy. My old kit lenses used to do it at f11. My 35 1.4 gm does not do it though. Can’t remember if my 85 1.8 or 55 1.8 do it though.
Chris, you tried really hard, but for me, no, I thought it looked awful! Mind, you .my first lens bought with my A7iii was the 55 and I keep going back to it for it's form factor and lovely IQ. Using it currently on the A7C and it is such a joy. I know that pitting the 50 f1.8 against the 55 is just not a fair fight but I appreciated your analysis and honest thoughts.
A bit of an update- I did buy this lens, used ( but like new - thanks Henry's Camera!) on impulse just to see for myself how it performs. Trying it out on an A7C and can attest that the auto focus and eye focus. both human and animal, work fine. OMG, it is noisy to focus, though and Chris, you have given this lens a fair and balanced review. It really does feel cheap in the hand but the results are decent and a bit dreamy looking on first impression. This would not be the lens that I would grab to take with me for night photography or video work, but yes, it could be the one thrown in the bag for walk around and probably flatters in a portrait session. I am anxious to test it against my 55 f1.8 to see how much they differ in regards to IQ. On my copy of the 50 f1.8, the auto focus is noisier than on my 90 f2.8 macro lens as a comparison.
As a replacement upgrade lens will it work well on the Sony NEX7? & how better would the video quality be compared to the 18-55mm kit lens? I ask because I am a new beginner
Hello ,great video, Which lens will you suggest for interiors photography & street photography and cinematic style video if my budget is not more than 2000usd (is there any single lens that works for both photography and videography or any 2 lens which I can buy for my Sony a7iii/a7iv ) please advice
It’s a really nice lens! I’ve got to say though, as much as I’ve loved my switch to Sony, I miss the quality of Canon’s RF50 1.8. It’s an equivalent lens and it’s SO good! Super sharp and just delightful.
I have been using it with my Sony a1 just for grins, least expensive kens with the most expensive camera, but it's actually very sharp in the middle. Don't get me wrong it's a cheap lems but for the price a great starter prime lens.
Always Cooper content,. It's a plenty usable lens for folks who just need shallow DoF and have a kit lens. I could probably get a ton of work done fine with this 50 1.8 and a 24-105 f4. I just wouldn't WANT to. haha
I have two copies of this lens and using it for video on my A7iii for a talking head video the focus continues to pulse. It’s much worse with older Sony cameras like my A7ii, but it won’t sit still for video and so I don’t use it very much. I could have gotten a bad couple of lenses, I did get them very cheap secondhand. .
I own this lens and think it's great. Even though it's not the most high end optics it performs great for everything I need. I have never heard clients complaining about vignetting and chromatic aberation. It is loud ehen focusing though, but if you use external audio, which I do most of the time, it's a non issue. And I got it for 150 in mint condition 😂
@@anzak9284 if it’s on the hot shoe it will probably be picked up. Depends on the mic and the environment. A very directional shotgun mic maybe wouldn’t
@@mali_astronaut I think I will get Sony Zeiss 55mm f.1.8 instead, read many reviews and comments on RUclips and definitely makes noise with sonya7 III, autofocus isn't great either. Thank you for your reply!:))
I had that back in the days when it came out used it with a7rII and a7rIII and liked it pretty much all the time ... I had no real issues with it ever ... eventually I did switch to sigma lensed tho' ... but kinda miss the light and small lens just for that ... the native Sigma 50mm Art lens is big and heavy .... but f1.4 and sharp and comically better ... but AF is not that better actually ;)
Thank you so much for making this video! I've been taking some videography classes lately, and last semester for my final project in one of those classes I made a video comparing this lens with a CCTV 50mm C-Mount lens on my A6400. I do find the autofocus to be too loud, so for talking head videos I normally just set the focal depth and be done with it. Using both lenses in manual focus, it's really more of a fair comparison than you would think. This lens excels as a B-roll lens, or for any other application where sound isn't an issue. If you haven't already done it (I'm too lazy to search your old videos) how bout a little time spent on the versatility of the SEL28F20 with its ultra-wide adapter? I'm working on a video about that right now and I would love to get your take on it.
I need a more secluded yard to just run around and play with autofocus and randomly aim at stuff. My neighbours think I am weird af. This seems like a good catch-all lens for plinking around.
Try an autofocus test indoors or other even slightly dim environments and then tell us how good it is, lol. Of course it will work fine like it did in your test where it was so bright outside that you had to set your SS to 1/3200, lol
are you aware that the corner of the frame are not in focus since they are further away from the center? some people wronfully judge corner sharpness because its just not in focus...
I stand corrected. My experience was from gen II bodies. I had updated firmware a while back, but didn't know they updated it to v3, so I dusted mine off updated the firmware and tried it again on 3rd and 4th gen bodies. On the a7RIV it was indeed snappier in AF-C with AF-S being a bit slower. a7RIII was pretty much the same story. IQ-wise it definitely shows its limitations on high megapixel bodies. Mine is definitely not as quiet as the one you have. I forgot how much BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! BUZZBUZZBUZZ!!! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ! when focusing it drove me up a wall. So I won't compare it to a sloth on Quaaludes anymore. I'll upgrade it to a caffeinated tortoise that's hyperactive. It's not going to supplant the 50 2.5 anytime soon, but I still plan to keep it, because I got it when I got the OG a7, and I have a soft spot for my original lenses -- this one and the Sony 28 f/2.
It’s a nice lens, it produces nice images and videos, would love an update that is sealed and internal focusing without the protrusion. F7.1 looks to be a contrast AF thing
I’d love to see your thoughts on the Tamrin 17-28. Definitely seems like the best wide angle lens / blogging lens for full frame e mount, as it’s faster than the Zeis 16-35 f4 which is ideal cuz it’s a lot tougher to get a shallow depth of field at ultra wide angel focal lengths, but also much cheaper and lighter than the 16-35 gm. Plus it zooms internally to boot!
I have it and it is great as long as you shoot in landscape. I got the 24mm later looking for improvement but rarely use it as it doesn’t have the flexibility, has more focus breathing, don’t need F1.4 most of the time and it is more noisy.
Hey how are you? The Audio is nice, you sound different though. A little more on the high tones? I'm waiting for my DJI mic to arrive. And waiting. And waiting. Still waiting... . As for the lens, I like it. I'll stick to the 55mm F1.8 . That's just too good. I need to have some of the 50mm F1.2 goodness though...
I bought the lens but decided to return it after 1min of use. The autofocus was really loud :/ Which is a shame! I wish it would be silent... But you can buy it and use it for b-roll stuff :)
I prefer much more the Samyang 45mm 1.8 for countless reasons : - Improved sharpness - Improved micro-contrast - Much reliable AF - More silent AF - Better color science; gorgeous and natural for portraits - More versatile 45mm (although this one is more personal). - Less bulky (my small margin)
My sony 50mm 1.8 goes brbrbrb rbbrbrbrbbbrbr REALLY loud. And the focus seems to hunt a lot too. Do you reckon it could be because I am using it on Sony A7R II ?
Great video! I've been a mobile photographer for years now lol...I don't have a ton of money but love photography and decided to dive in...I got a brand new Sony A7R2 and the 50mm 1.8 and Sony 24-105 g and my mind is blown...I know the A7R2 is old but I'm taking AMAZING pics with it and would like your opinion on my purchase...its so addicting to just take pics with a real camera thanks for looking at my comment and have a good day
The auto focus on this lens was bad on the older bodies that existed when the lens was released (A72 and A7R2). Anything later than those bodies this lens works a dream. I bought the 55mm 1.8 based on the reviews (I had the A7R2).... but totally would have been happy with this lens.
@@anzak9284 As I said… I believe it works well past the ii version cameras… but I can’t say for sure. You have 2 options. Go searching for reviews and only pay attention to any review done with iii or later and make the decision based on that…. Or just buy it from a place that you know you can return it if the performance is not good enough for you.
I like the image quality of this lens but I hate the autofocus. It’s probably because of my camera but the focus accuracy is bad for portraits. If they bring the autofocus up to level of the 85 and 35 f1.8s, it’d be even better, in my opinion
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I would give the autofocus more credit to the camera rather than the lens. I've used the lens on an a7sii, a7iii, and now a7siii and the a7siii out performs any of those cameras by a lot. Great video either way, makes me wanna use my 50mm.
agree, tried this one on a7sii and it took like 5sec to be fully focused, horrible
@@miloslav4075 the thing is, you really have to get the firmware update. Before the update it's indeed pretty horrible but after you update it seems to be all good! If you have updated and it still looks bad, then dang that sucks :/
It’s a great first prime. If you’re on a budget and just picked up something like an a7iii used, this is a great option! I’ve used mine for paid work and it worked just fine even though I also have premium lenses like the sigma 35mm 1.4
The sigma 1.4 35 I've used is absolutely insane. Very heavy though 😅
I had this lens for a while and I used it all the time! I loved it for portraits and short films! I got rid of it and got a Viltrox 85mm f/1.8, but I do miss that 50 1.8 and its quick autofocus
i LOVE my viltrox 85mm.. it dunks on my 24-70mm sigma art lens.. but I still scooped this 50 because of it's size, and 85mm was shit for shooting photo/video in small music venues.
I have this lens and I love it. For the price it is incredible. Ideal for getting those creamy b-roll shots.
Okay, I'm buggin' out...2 of my favorite RUclipsrs in the same place. Now that's cool.
As I understand it: in low light with a smaller aperture, Sony cameras will either very quickly pop the aperture wide open (and minimise depth of field) to quickly grab accurate autofocus using PDAF, or switch to CDAF only. CDAF is much slower than PDAF, and it's possible that you've stumbled upon the tipping point of where this kicks in: f/7.1. Quite happy to be corrected on this! AF-S and AF-C might be a factor in determining which option it chooses.
Before this latest firmware, that focusing issue that you displayed at 7.1 was how it focused throughout the entire apeture range. It was SO annoying. I think everyone who speaks about how bad the autofocus is, including myself, is remembering this focus behavior. But I must admit it does look better with this update. This was a great video Chris!
What is happening here...? 3 RUclipsrs I follow are in these comments...Starting to see Chris Brockhurst's place is the "Hangout" spot. 😀
Thanks Chris for that test ! ! !
This thing is tiny beast. Great vid dude!
Thanks man. I saw those energy drinks of yours in a shop today for the first time ever in Canada and actually thought of you!
Looked good to me. That 7.1 aperture + is worth knowing about though. Good review.
Thanks Joshua
Hey, great video, I'm wondering what lens do you use at 12:20 on the video please?
I just recently saw it in a shop and I couldn’t believe it was this cheap, I wasn’t even considering 50 f1.8 but for this price I think it’s a great lens to have in your bag if you can 😊 great video mate 🤟🏼
I love this lens! It has its flaws, but the softness and fringing give it a bit of vintage look. Pairs well with the over sharpness of Sony mirrorless
0:45 it is not a bunch of numbers, it's a pretty easy naming scheme.Electret Condenser Mic - Wireless 2(2nd gen.) Bluetooth. ecm-w2bt really not that hard. That's why the sony shotgun mic is called ecm-b1m
If you're not a pro and not a pixel peeper, then it's absolutely fine optically - especially for the price. Let alone it's used price. With the A7III the AF became fine in my opinion.
My issue with it as a pixel peeper and having the occasional job shooting stuff is that, I couldn't always tell exactly where my focus was. I made several tests and the focus plain was either uneven or the glass was uneven ... or something ... It would be in sharp focus in one spot of the focus plane and then not in another close to it, and then in focus again beside that, and it was like that all over the frame. I then tested with other somewhat inexpensive lenses (like the Canon EF 50/1.8 on an MC-11 adapter) and they were exactly as you'd expect - In sharp focus towards the middle and then gradually less and less sharp towards the edges and corners. I couldn't live with it, but had I not been eager to get the most flawless lens within my budget I could get, this 50 would have been fine.
If you have a full frame Sony E camera, and you take pictures of your kids in the zoo/park or at a birthday party, family and vacation photos, get this one. You'll be happy with it.
I only couldn't use it because I would maybe have a job where the ID tag on a healthcare worker's shirt was the actual subject, and had to be in sharp focus, and I needed to be able to trust that I wouldn't come home after hours of shooting to discover that it wasn't as sharp as I needed it to be in the otherwise perfect shot. That turned me off the lens, but it's light, and looks pretty cool on the camera, and if you use a fill flash, you'll get deadly sharp images with it - like with most lenses. Even the dreadful-in-less-than-perfect-light kit lens is deadly sharp when the light is perfect.
AF was slow on the A7 and A7II, and I haven't heard anything about it working better on those yet, but maybe it does. See if you can find that out before you get this lens to use with the first two generation bodies.
Great feedback in here, Thankyou for sharing real world use
@@chrisbrockhurst Well, thanks for your great videos, Chris!❤️
FINALY! I thought I was nuts. I have had great results from this lens too. Thanks for all your fine work Chris. Great job! M
super interesting; especially as your review really tested the lens for video work. I Looked in the equipment list but couldn't find the thicker black solid microphone you are using in the actual video?
I bought the Viltrox 24 because of you, I want to get the viltrox 50 because of you, but now you're also making me want to get this one. Hands down a really great review! super helpful! learning so much from you! taking notes Chris! haha! thanks for this!
I have this as a cheap little lens as a spare/extra and I think it’s good. I think it’s reputation has been ruined by gear snobs, and people that compare it to the Zeis 55, which it’s not unfair as this is a bargain cheap little lens. I liked it 👍
One of the things I hate about “Prosumers” or people who buy gear for work, They “tend to gate keep” a lot. “If you don’t use this or that, then you are not a “Pro” But I’ve come to learn that every single gear has to be looked at with fresh eyes independently of any review because 8.5 out of 10 times literally everything that has a bad review ends up not being as bad as the exaggerating people on those reviews.
I have a few sony primes but I actually, for some reason feel like this is my favourite. There’s just something I really like about it and I love the 50mm focal length. Thanks for giving it some love
Actually that's "shockingly" good compared to what I've been hearing about it. Seems like the new Sony bodies have given it a new breath of life with their leading focusing systems.
Great video! Really good to see a more recent video about this lens since the firmware update. I picked this up on Amazon for £139 last week. More to see how it compares to my other lenses. I mainly use Sigma and Tamron lenses with some Sony. I’ve had the odd GM before but sold those as they are too much lens for me as a hobbyist. This 50mm arrived, sent my Amazon in a bag, not a box and got a partial refund. It ended up costing about £105 new and I have to say, as a light, walk around 50mm prime it’s really decent. I only take photos so the focus motor doesn’t bother me! Everything else about it for that money is well worth it! I’ll be using my 85mm Sigma DG/DN f1.4 for wedding portraits etc but my day to day, this was a steal! :)
The Autofocus issue when you stop down is the point where phase detection stops working, and the camera switches to contrast detection only.
This also happens for example with the 2.0 teleconverter on the 200-600G
im sorry but its time for a MKii version of this 50mm lens.. come on Sony ..time to look after the bread & butter instead of the cream 😎
I agree. But I don’t see it happening
@@chrisbrockhurst one good thing about Sony is they opened their E-mount up to 3rd party manufacturers & we have plenty of bread & butter options now.. Personally for my 50mm I use the Samyang 45mm F1.8 & very happy with it 😎
For personal use not professional use - I’m taking it on a trip to use if I get tired hauling the “beast” around (Tamron 35-150 f2.8). It’s really light weight to have in the bag as a 2nd lens when traveling. I just bought a small light weight flash unit too just in case for our trip. Sony a7iv and Sony a6400 cameras.
Nice job, I had that lens for a while and then sold it because I didn't use it much and I prefer the 85mm focal length but it's still solid lens for the price! I look forward to what you have to say about that mic. I was just looking at that yesterday...
Thanks Jake. The mic is very practical in terms of no wires but comes in hot for when i hold it close like in this video, for clipping on a shirt or jacket its actually decent.
Great review. Was debating a travel lens and you hit all the marks I was concerned about. Thank you! 🙏
Great video mate. As usual I watched your video right through to the end despite already having the 55mm Zeiss 1.8 it's good know if I needed a back up this would be a decent choice. I really like your channel as you don't over hype stuff nor dismiss gear unfairly unlike many other content creators. Good balance of high end gear reviews along with budget stuff that is often overlooked.
Kind words, Thankyou
Solid and timely review of an older lens on newer bodies. I was wondering about how it would do on my new A74
Very very well!
Nice! It would be interesting to see a review on the Laowa 9mm f/2.8 manual lens...another lens I've seen somewhat "polarized" reviews on...just like this Sony 50mm you reviewed. Thanks as always!
This video helped me make my decision
A7iv can’t wait to test it out
you hit every single question I wanted answered about this lens 🔥 lookin forward to some more reviews of budget full frame lenses
Brilliant review! Thanks!
I got this lense, pretty much never use it at 1.8 since its a bit soft and all the other stuff you point out.. But its fine at 2.2 and above..
I had this lens when I first bought a used NEX-5T from the thrift store back in the end of 2019/beginning of 2020. Bought the lens from Focus Camera weeks after I bought the camera and when I used the lens in the NEX-5T, it was amazing. One of my favorite pics I took in 2020 before the lockdown was taken with the NEX-5T and the 50mm 1.8 lens. Once I switched to the A7III later that year, I tried the lens and I didn’t like how the images looked. Then I rented (and eventually bought) the Zeiss 55mm 1.8 ZA and sold the 50mm 1.8 on eBay to someone in Tucson. Personally, Sony should make a second generation of this lens without the cheap plastic feel/material and a quiet AF motor.
Had it. I want another one if I could find it for cheap. It’s good to have a cheap lens that performs as well as this does.
I've owned this lens for some years now and honestly, you cannot go very wrong with a nifty fifty. There are definitely some drawbacks here and there, but for the average photographers it gets the work done. Overall super performance for its price.
Ive had this lens on 2 different occasions and still may pick it up again.
The AF issue at higher apertures is the camera switching from contrast detect to phase detect AF (I could be saying it backwards). I’m pretty sure there’s quite a few lenses that will switch at higher apertures but for some reason due to the build of this cheap lens it happens at f 8.0 which is pretty crummy. My old kit lenses used to do it at f11. My 35 1.4 gm does not do it though. Can’t remember if my 85 1.8 or 55 1.8 do it though.
I like mine a lot. Minimum focus distance is the weak point for me. The viltrox 50 auto focused quicker but I felt the Sony was “smoother”?
Sony was smoother yeh, smoother is also a nice way of saying slower 😅. You can change the speed in camera and then the Viltrox would look similar
@@chrisbrockhurst lol note the “” 😂 and me justifying my purchase lol
Chris, you tried really hard, but for me, no, I thought it looked awful! Mind, you .my first lens bought with my A7iii was the 55 and I keep going back to it for it's form factor and lovely IQ. Using it currently on the A7C and it is such a joy. I know that pitting the 50 f1.8 against the 55 is just not a fair fight but I appreciated your analysis and honest thoughts.
A bit of an update- I did buy this lens, used ( but like new - thanks Henry's Camera!) on impulse just to see for myself how it performs. Trying it out on an A7C and can attest that the auto focus and eye focus. both human and animal, work fine. OMG, it is noisy to focus, though and Chris, you have given this lens a fair and balanced review. It really does feel cheap in the hand but the results are decent and a bit dreamy looking on first impression. This would not be the lens that I would grab to take with me for night photography or video work, but yes, it could be the one thrown in the bag for walk around and probably flatters in a portrait session. I am anxious to test it against my 55 f1.8 to see how much they differ in regards to IQ. On my copy of the 50 f1.8, the auto focus is noisier than on my 90 f2.8 macro lens as a comparison.
As a replacement upgrade lens will it work well on the Sony NEX7? & how better would the video quality be compared to the 18-55mm kit lens? I ask because I am a new beginner
Hello ,great video,
Which lens will you suggest for interiors photography & street photography and cinematic style video if my budget is not more than 2000usd (is there any single lens that works for both photography and videography or any 2 lens which I can buy for my Sony a7iii/a7iv ) please advice
It’s a really nice lens! I’ve got to say though, as much as I’ve loved my switch to Sony, I miss the quality of Canon’s RF50 1.8. It’s an equivalent lens and it’s SO good! Super sharp and just delightful.
I’ll always have a soft spot for Canon, the RF glass is just beautiful and so budget friendly
EF glass must be what you mean. The RF glass is anything but budget friendly.@@chrisbrockhurst
I have been using it with my Sony a1 just for grins, least expensive kens with the most expensive camera, but it's actually very sharp in the middle. Don't get me wrong it's a cheap lems but for the price a great starter prime lens.
Heh I had this lens in my camera bag for my a6400.... never used. Upgrading to a7iii and I thin k b it will get a lot more use.
Awesome video. Would you recommend this lens for product photography?
Always Cooper content,.
It's a plenty usable lens for folks who just need shallow DoF and have a kit lens. I could probably get a ton of work done fine with this 50 1.8 and a 24-105 f4. I just wouldn't WANT to. haha
More cooper coming haha
Yea when u place it on an a7siii or a7iv.... On my a7iii the 50mm 1.8 get used less then my apsc 35mm 1.8 crop lens...... I need to update mine now
I have two copies of this lens and using it for video on my A7iii for a talking head video the focus continues to pulse. It’s much worse with older Sony cameras like my A7ii, but it won’t sit still for video and so I don’t use it very much. I could have gotten a bad couple of lenses, I did get them very cheap secondhand. .
I own this lens and think it's great. Even though it's not the most high end optics it performs great for everything I need. I have never heard clients complaining about vignetting and chromatic aberation. It is loud ehen focusing though, but if you use external audio, which I do most of the time, it's a non issue.
And I got it for 150 in mint condition 😂
Hi Damjan, I am considering getting this lens for my sony a 7III for wedding videos. Can you hear the autofocus from external mic on the camera?
@@anzak9284 if it’s on the hot shoe it will probably be picked up. Depends on the mic and the environment. A very directional shotgun mic maybe wouldn’t
@@mali_astronaut I think I will get Sony Zeiss 55mm f.1.8 instead, read many reviews and comments on RUclips and definitely makes noise with sonya7 III, autofocus isn't great either. Thank you for your reply!:))
I had that back in the days when it came out used it with a7rII and a7rIII and liked it pretty much all the time ... I had no real issues with it ever ... eventually I did switch to sigma lensed tho' ... but kinda miss the light and small lens just for that ... the native Sigma 50mm Art lens is big and heavy .... but f1.4 and sharp and comically better ... but AF is not that better actually ;)
Thank you so much for making this video! I've been taking some videography classes lately, and last semester for my final project in one of those classes I made a video comparing this lens with a CCTV 50mm C-Mount lens on my A6400. I do find the autofocus to be too loud, so for talking head videos I normally just set the focal depth and be done with it. Using both lenses in manual focus, it's really more of a fair comparison than you would think. This lens excels as a B-roll lens, or for any other application where sound isn't an issue. If you haven't already done it (I'm too lazy to search your old videos) how bout a little time spent on the versatility of the SEL28F20 with its ultra-wide adapter? I'm working on a video about that right now and I would love to get your take on it.
I need a more secluded yard to just run around and play with autofocus and randomly aim at stuff. My neighbours think I am weird af.
This seems like a good catch-all lens for plinking around.
Before the update, it was focus breathing all over the place. Always missed shots. Update made it viable for hobbyists and professional work.
Can you please do a comparison of this lens with the 50mm f2.8 macro lens on the A7 4?
Very nice you might just have convinced me to get this one over the more pricey one
Try an autofocus test indoors or other even slightly dim environments and then tell us how good it is, lol. Of course it will work fine like it did in your test where it was so bright outside that you had to set your SS to 1/3200, lol
Is there anyway you can have a non blurry background for pictures with this lens ? I’m new to cameras so I wasn’t sure
Just got it yesterday. impressed so far besides the chromatic aberration on photos
are you aware that the corner of the frame are not in focus since they are further away from the center? some people wronfully judge corner sharpness because its just not in focus...
where is the latest firmware for this 1.8. seems like a pretty solid deal for how it looks like in this video
I really wanna get this lens but I’m using the A7ii with the latest firmware update but the mixed reviews just makes it a difficult choice to make
What would be a good polarizer for this lens ?
I stand corrected. My experience was from gen II bodies. I had updated firmware a while back, but didn't know they updated it to v3, so I dusted mine off updated the firmware and tried it again on 3rd and 4th gen bodies. On the a7RIV it was indeed snappier in AF-C with AF-S being a bit slower. a7RIII was pretty much the same story. IQ-wise it definitely shows its limitations on high megapixel bodies.
Mine is definitely not as quiet as the one you have. I forgot how much BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! BUZZBUZZBUZZ!!! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ! when focusing it drove me up a wall.
So I won't compare it to a sloth on Quaaludes anymore. I'll upgrade it to a caffeinated tortoise that's hyperactive. It's not going to supplant the 50 2.5 anytime soon, but I still plan to keep it, because I got it when I got the OG a7, and I have a soft spot for my original lenses -- this one and the Sony 28 f/2.
did you use firmware version 03? this will fix the focus-problems.
Hey will it give the same results if I used the Sony zv e10 body ??? Thanks in advance
Is it switching to contrast af instead of phase detect above F7.1??
It’s a nice lens, it produces nice images and videos, would love an update that is sealed and internal focusing without the protrusion. F7.1 looks to be a contrast AF thing
For the focus breathing I noticed the camera was on AF-A. Did you try it on AF-C?
Would love to see you review more cheap lenses
on it.,
I’d love to see your thoughts on the Tamrin 17-28. Definitely seems like the best wide angle lens / blogging lens for full frame e mount, as it’s faster than the Zeis 16-35 f4 which is ideal cuz it’s a lot tougher to get a shallow depth of field at ultra wide angel focal lengths, but also much cheaper and lighter than the 16-35 gm. Plus it zooms internally to boot!
I have it and it is great as long as you shoot in landscape. I got the 24mm later looking for improvement but rarely use it as it doesn’t have the flexibility, has more focus breathing, don’t need F1.4 most of the time and it is more noisy.
Will this 50mm 1.8 lens work on a Sony a7c?
Hey how are you? The Audio is nice, you sound different though. A little more on the high tones? I'm waiting for my DJI mic to arrive. And waiting. And waiting. Still waiting... . As for the lens, I like it. I'll stick to the 55mm F1.8 . That's just too good. I need to have some of the 50mm F1.2 goodness though...
did you test SEL50F18F or SEL50F18F/2?
Did you have the new breathing compensation feature turned on on the A7IV?
Won’t work with the 50mm F1.8 unfortunately
Can this lens fit my Sony a6100 without an adapter?
Sony 50mm 1.8 vs sigma 56mm 1.4, which is best.
Please 🙏 reply
I bought the lens but decided to return it after 1min of use. The autofocus was really loud :/ Which is a shame! I wish it would be silent... But you can buy it and use it for b-roll stuff :)
Had this lens, it was horrendous. However ub hindsight that may have been down to the a7r i it was paired with, might have to give it another go now.
great budget lens to start in photography
I prefer much more the Samyang 45mm 1.8 for countless reasons :
- Improved sharpness
- Improved micro-contrast
- Much reliable AF
- More silent AF
- Better color science; gorgeous and natural for portraits
- More versatile 45mm (although this one is more personal).
- Less bulky (my small margin)
That’s pretty decent
hi, can you tell me how i can update it to version 3?
samyang 24mm f2.8 FE mount. It would be interesting!
How noise is this Len for make RUclips videos
My sony 50mm 1.8 goes brbrbrb rbbrbrbrbbbrbr REALLY loud. And the focus seems to hunt a lot too. Do you reckon it could be because I am using it on Sony A7R II ?
Honestly I don’t know, this was a complaint a lot said but mine clearly isn’t that loud 🤷🏻♂️
Seems like a small, light and nice lens to keep on the body
It's on sale right now for $170 on Amazon.
Second. Sony make 35mm f1.2.
From test Sony a7s seems faster
Also a lot of pre 2019 sony lenses has pretty good focus breathing
*Sigma
Solid first prime lens 👍
First comment. And yes this lens is way better than others have said. The new cameras make the autofocus much better.
It’s a no brainer for a first prime lens
@@chrisbrockhurst yup!
But which one do you prefer, the Sony or the Viltrox?
Sony 50mm F1.8 or Sigma 56mm f 1.4 ?
Great video! I've been a mobile photographer for years now lol...I don't have a ton of money but love photography and decided to dive in...I got a brand new Sony A7R2 and the 50mm 1.8 and Sony 24-105 g and my mind is blown...I know the A7R2 is old but I'm taking AMAZING pics with it and would like your opinion on my purchase...its so addicting to just take pics with a real camera thanks for looking at my comment and have a good day
The auto focus on this lens was bad on the older bodies that existed when the lens was released (A72 and A7R2). Anything later than those bodies this lens works a dream. I bought the 55mm 1.8 based on the reviews (I had the A7R2).... but totally would have been happy with this lens.
I can attest to that wholeheartedly. I own both a Sony a6000 and A7ii. This lens although it renders fairly well. Autofocus is horrendous!
Hi , I just purchased Sony A7III and want to get 50mm 1.8 for videos but I am worried about the autofocus, would it work fine on this camera?
@@anzak9284 As I said… I believe it works well past the ii version cameras… but I can’t say for sure. You have 2 options. Go searching for reviews and only pay attention to any review done with iii or later and make the decision based on that…. Or just buy it from a place that you know you can return it if the performance is not good enough for you.
Sold mine because I could never get over the poor minimal focusing distance and the sound of the autofocus when taking stills
I like the image quality of this lens but I hate the autofocus. It’s probably because of my camera but the focus accuracy is bad for portraits. If they bring the autofocus up to level of the 85 and 35 f1.8s, it’d be even better, in my opinion
On the A7IV it’s way better than ever before but obviously not everyone has that
Pls can I use this lens on canon 5D mark II
no
any thoughts on the new rode mic?
Which one?
@@chrisbrockhurst Rode VideoMic GO II
Wish Sony remake this lens like the 35/85 f1.8 series
I don't know if I got a bad apple. The focus breathing is terrible on my a7iii.
get the firmware update! should get better