Sony85mm f/1.8 Full-Frame E-Mount Prime Lens – Ideal for Portraits, Weddings, and Shallow Depth-of-Field Shots

Sony SEL-The Sony SEL-85F18 is an affordable, high-quality 85mm prime lens that delivers sharp images, beautiful bokeh, and excellent low-light performance. It’s a fantastic option for portrait photographers who want professional-level results without breaking the bank.What Makes It Great?• Crisp, Sharp Images – The lens produces tack-sharp photos with amazing detail, even at f/1.8.• Smooth & Creamy Bokeh – Thanks to its 9-blade aperture, backgrounds melt away beautifully, making your subject pop.• Lightweight & Compact – Unlike heavier portrait lenses, this one is easy to carry and comfortable to use for long shoots.• Fast & Accurate Autofocus – Works well in both photo and video, with quiet and responsive AF that locks onto subjects quickly.• Great in Low Light – The f/1.8 aperture lets in plenty of light, making it a solid choice for indoor and evening shots.A Few Things to Consider• No Optical Stabilization – Not a big issue for most portrait work, but handheld video or low-light shooting might require steady hands or a tripod.• Plastic Build (but Solid Construction) – While not as premium as G Master lenses, it still feels durable and well-made.Final ThoughtsFor portrait photographers, event shooters, or anyone looking for a high-quality prime lens, the Sony SEL-85F18 is an amazing value. It delivers pro-level image quality, smooth bokeh, and reliable autofocus, all in a lightweight and affordable package.Final Score: 9.5/10 – One of the best budget-friendly portrait lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras!

An excellent lens, for me, as an amateur, it’s just a gift! Optically sharp, very light glass, I liked the strict design, excellent autofocus, good bokeh in portraits, light weight and of course - cheap price! The case is assembled perfectly, nothing hangs or creaks. For my Sony A7M2 camera this is what I need! I had my eye on it for a long time, but the budget was limited. I was very happy to buy it in January 2024 at an excellent Black Friday price of £379. By the way, if anyone needs a 50mm lens for full format, now there is a new Meike FE AF 50mm f/1.8, it is also on AMAZON, I just bought it too and am very pleased with it. And what’s interesting is that it costs 2 times less than this one. I repeat once again, I’m not a professional, so I don’t look for expensive super bright lenses at crazy prices, photographing based on the principle: it’s not the equipment that shoots, but the photographer!

Very sharp and fast. Affordable and no complaint.

This lens is an excellent performer and represents a good compromise compared to the premium f1.4 GM lens and third party alternatives.The key strengths of this lens for me are- the autofocus is quick and accurate, meeting my needs for portraits - both human and feline.- it features a customisable button and autofocus switch on the lens for convenient control/usability.- build quality is very good - it feels good in the hand without being heavy.- the image quality is excellent and sharp.The aperture of f1.8 is more than usable as I frequently stop the lens down to ensure both eyes and the face is in focus and I like to include some of the background for context. On an A7iii the lowlight performance means that f1.8 is usable in lowlight situations and experience has backed it up. On a higher resolution body such as the A7RIII or A7RIV, noise may be an issue but that is subjective.I came to this after using my venerable Canon EF85mm f1.8 via an MC-11 adapter by Sigma. The Sony 85mm f1.8 is a definite upgrade in every way from build quality to image quality. It’s moderate size and weight means it is always in my camera bag and I have used it in street, landscape, casual and portrait settings without issue.There are cheaper options available but you compromise on build quality and features (control switches and custom button) and there are premium alternatives which offer potentially higher performance. The 85mm f1.8 represents a balanced alternative, priced very competitively with strong performance.

After using 3 months, I can say this is the best 85mm lens in this budget. I just love it, so lovely portrait it can capture. Attached two photos captured with this lens.

Incredible itemGreater low light performanceGood for portraitExcellent bokeh effect

I have shot with this lens in some quite demanding situations. I haven't actually managed to use it for it's intended purpose yet, portrait. The portrait stuff I know it will ace, the low light street photography I do was what I was most curious about, and at the Sony excelled. The only criticism of it is that 85mm is quite a tricky length to frame street shots correctly, so it will take a bit of effort on your part to "zoom with your feet" - but that isn't really a criticism of the lens, but more the focal length. Enjoy, buy with confidence. Quick, sharp, silent AF, good quality sharp, colourful images. I'm happy with this lens.