If you are looking for the best lens for product photography with your Sony mirrorless camera, look no further!
This blog post will rank the eight best lenses for product photography for Sony cameras.
We’ll take a look at some of the most popular options and help you decide which lens is right for your needs.
So whether you are just starting in product photography or are looking to upgrade your current product photography gear, read on for the best Sony lenses for product photography!
What are the best Sony lenses for product photography?
If you are looking for a quick answer, here is the list of the best Sony lenses for product photography:
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G (SEL90M28G)
- Sony 85mm F/1.8-22 (SEL85F18)
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (SEL85F14GM)
- Sony FE 50mm F1.8 (SEL50F18F)
- Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA (SEL55F18Z)
- Sony FE 24-105mm f/4G OSS (SEL24105G/2)
- Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G Master (SEL2470GM)
Now, let’s get into the details of each of the above-mentioned Sony lenses and see what makes them so great for product photography.
#1. Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G (SEL90M28G)
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens is our top pick for the best Sony lens for product photography and it is also one of the most popular options among professional product photographers.
The Sony 90mm Macro G lens produces amazingly sharp and detailed photos that are essential in product photography.
It has optical SteadyShot image stabilization built-in, which is great for keeping your shots steady when shooting at lower shutter speeds.
The autofocus is fast and accurate, making it easy to get crisp, focused photos even when shooting close-up macro shots. And if you need to shoot video with your product photography, the Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G lens also has great AF performance when used with Sony’s E-mount cameras that support phase-detection autofocus.
Overall, the Sony 90mm Macro G is an excellent all-around lens for product photography and comes highly recommended by professional product photographers.
What makes Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G especially good for product photography?
The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G is a prime lens, which means that it has a fixed focal length of 90mm. Prime lenses have a better optical quality compared to zoom lenses. 90 mm is also a preferred focal length for product photography as this focal length best describes the product as we as humans see it. Finally, it is a macro lens, which means that you will be able to shoot close-up details of the products.
Quick note: Macro lens doesn’t mean that it is only suitable for macro photography. It can be used for any type of photography, including product photography, portrait photography, and even landscape photography. Don’t be misguided by the word “macro”!
Specifications
- E-Mount Sony lens / full-frame format
- 1:1 magnification ratio & internal focus
- Sliding focus ring for AF/MF selection
- Aperture range: f/2.8 to f/22
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.91 ft (27.94 cm)
- Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
- Focus hold button & focus range limiter
- Maximum focal length: 90 mm
Pros
- Extremely high-quality images (corner to corner)
- Perfect 90 mm focal length for product photography
- Internal image stabilization
- 1:1 focusing
- Very high built quality
- A big and very smooth focusing ring that allows to do incremental focus adjustments
- A true macro lens
Cons
- Quite expensive (~ $1,098.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
#2. Sony 85mm F/1.8-22 (SEL85F18)
The Sony 85mm F/1.8-22 is our second best lens from Sony for product photography.
It is a great all-purpose prime lens for product photography. It has a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, which is great for low-light shooting and allows you to shoot with a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject from the background.
The autofocus is fast and accurate, making it easy to get crisp, focused photos even when shooting close-up macro shots (the minimum focusing distance is: 2.62 ft / 0.8m).
And if you need to shoot video with your product photography, the Sony 85mm F/18-22 also has great AF performance when used with Sony’s E-mount cameras that support phase-detection autofocus.
Overall, it is a great lens that is suitable not only for product photography but also a great choice for portrait photography.
Specifications
- E-mount Sony lens / full-frame format
- Focus hold button & AF/MF switch
- Aperture range: f/1.8 to f/22
- 9-blade circular diaphragm
- Double linear AF moto
- Dust and moisture resistant
- ED glass element for corner-to-corner sharpness
- Maximum focal length: 85 mm
Pros
- Very sharp photos and great autofocus
- Great value for money (~ $598.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
- Perfect focal length for product photography
- Good focusing distance (2.62′ / 80 cm)
- 9-Blade circular aperture creates beautiful round defocused bokeh
- Moisture and dust resistant
- A very compact design
Cons
- n/a
#3. Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (SEL85F14GM)
The Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is our third best product photography lens from Sony.
It is a very fast prime lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4. GM in the name stands for G Master, and it means that this lens is part of Sony’s high-end line of lenses that are designed for professional photographers who demand the highest optical quality and performance. And this lens doesn’t disappoint.
The photos are extremely sharp and detailed, even when shot at the maximum aperture of f/1.4. The autofocus is also very fast and accurate, making it easy to get crisp, focused photos even when shooting close-up macro shots (the minimum focusing distance is: 2.62 ft (0.8m).
Specifications
- E-Mount lens, full-frame format
- Aperture range: f/1.4 to f/16
- AF/MF switch, internal focus
- The physical aperture ring, de-click switch
- Rounded 11-blade diaphragm
- Focus hold button
- Dust and moisture-resistant construction
- The filter diameter is 3.03 inches
- Minimum focus distance: 2.6 ft (0.8m)
Pros
- Very fast Sony prime lens – focusing is a breeze with this lens
- The build quality is excellent and very durable
- Extremely sharp and clear images from corner to corner
- The depth of field is very natural
- Perfect focal length for product photography
Cons
- Expensive (~ $1,798.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
#4. Sony FE 50mm F1.8 (SEL50F18F)
The Sony FE 50mm F/1.8 is our fourth best lens for product photography for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
It is a great all-purpose prime camera lens that is great for product photography.
It has a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, which is great for low-light shooting and allows you to shoot with a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject from the background.
The autofocus is fast and accurate, making it easy to get crisp, focused photos even when shooting close-up macro shots (the minimum focus distance is 1.48 ft (45 cm).
Overall, it is a great lens that is suitable not only for product photography but also a great choice for portrait photography, street photography, and still life photography.
Specifications
- E-mount Sony lens mount / full-frame lens
- Aperture range: f/1.8 to f/22
- Seven-blade circular diaphragm
- DC autofocus motor
- Minimal focus distance: 1.48′ (45 cm)
- Maximum focal length: 50 mm
Pros
- High-quality lens for a very affordable price (~ $248.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
- A lightweight lens with a compact form factor
- Produces very sharp and detailed images
- Excellent image quality
- A large F1.8 maximum aperture enables beautiful defocusing effects
- 7-blade circular aperture creates beautiful bokeh
- Versatile sony camera lens
Cons
- Autofocus can be a bit laggy sometimes
#5. Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA (SEL55F18Z)
The Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA is our fifth best sony lens for product photography.
It is a prime lens from Sony that was created in partnership with the Carl Zeiss company.
It has a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, which is great for low-light shooting and allows you to shoot with a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject from the background.
The autofocus in this lens is fast and accurate, making it easy to get crisp, focused photos even when shooting close-up macro shots (the minimum focus distance is 1.64 ft (0.5 m).
The build quality of this lens is excellent, with a metal barrel and weather-sealed construction that makes it resistant to dust and moisture.
If you are looking for a high-quality lens for product photography, the Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/18 ZA is a great option.
Specifications
- E-mount Sony lens / full-frame format
- Three aspherical elements
- Aperture range: f/1.8 to f/22
- Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1.6′ (0.5 m)
- Nine-blade circular diaphragm
- Dust and moisture-resistant construction
- Maximum focal length: 55 mm
Pros
- A lightweight lens with a very high-built quality
- Extremely sharp Sony lens
- Excellent image quality
- Very fast and accurate autofocus
- Pleasing bokeh
Cons
- Quite costly for a 50 mm prime lens (~ $998.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
#6. Sony FE 24-105mm f/4G OSS (SEL24105G/2)
The Sony FE 24-105mm f/4G OSS is our sixth-best sony lens for product photography.
It is a zoom lens that covers a very versatile focal length range (24 – 105 mm), making it a great all-purpose lens for product photography.
The maximum aperture of f/4 is not the fastest but it is still fast enough for low-light shooting and allows you to shoot with a shallow depth of field.
The minimum focus distance is 1.25 ft (38.1 cm). The build quality of this lens is excellent, with a metal barrel and weather-sealed construction that makes it resistant to dust and moisture.
Overall, the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4G OSS is a great all-purpose lens for product photography that produces very sharp images.
Specifications
- E-mount sony lens / full-frame format
- Aperture range: f/4 to f/22
- G-lens design with 4 aspherical and 3 ED glass (extra-low dispersion) elements
- Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
- Focus hold button; AF/MF switch
- 9-Blade circular aperture contributes to beautifully de-focused backgrounds
- Dust and moisture-resistant construction
- Maximum focal length: 105 mm
- Minimum focal length: 24 mm
Pros
- Sony lens with a versatile focal length range
- Excellent image quality
- Good close focusing distance of 1.25 ft (38.1 cm)
- Dust and splash protection
- Image Stabilization
- Covers an entire zoom range
Cons
- Not cheap (~ $1,398.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
#7. Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G Master (SEL2470GM)
The Sony FE 24-70 mm F/2.8 G Master is our seventh best sony lens for product photography.
It is a high-end zoom lens that covers a versatile focal length range (24 – 70 mm) and has a fast maximum aperture of f/2.8.
The minimum focus distance is 1.24 ft (0.38 m).
The build quality of this lens is excellent, with a metal barrel and weather-sealed construction that makes it resistant to dust and moisture.
When it comes to focusing, this lens has a quick and accurate autofocus, making it simple to capture crisp, well-focused photos when shooting close-up macro shots.
Overall, the Sony FE 24-70 mm F/2.8 G Master is an extremely good all-purpose lens for product photography that produces excellent image quality.
Specifications
- E-mount Sony lens / Full-frame format
- Aperture range: f/2.8 to f/22
- Eleven-blade circular diaphragm
- Zoom smoothness switch
- Dust and moisture-resistant construction
- Nano AR coating II and fluorine coating
Pros
- Excellent image quality with very sharp images
- Solid built quality
- Very versatile focal length range
- Can be used for close-up and wide-angle
- Very silent autofocus
- Dust and moisture-resistant design
- No flare
Cons
- Quite pricey (~ $1,998.00, check the latest price on Amazon)
The Best Sony Lens for Product Photography for Beginners
If you are just starting out in product photography or are on a budget, the best Sony lens for product photography is the Sony 50mm f/1.8 prime lens.
This lens is very affordable (~$248.00) and produces excellent image quality.
It also has a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8, which allows you to shoot with a shallow depth of field and capture beautiful bokeh.
The only downside of this lens is that it has a fixed focal length, which means you cannot zoom in or out.
However, this is not a big issue for product photography as most shots are taken at a relatively close distance.
Overall, the Sony 50mm f/1.8 is an excellent lens for beginner product photographers and we would highly recommend you to get it if you are just starting out at product photography.
The Best Sony Lens for Product Photography for Professionals
If you are a professional product photographer, the best Sony lens for product photography is the Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G (SEL90M28G).
It is a prime macro lens with a focal length of 90mm, which is ideal since this focal length depicts the item as we humans see it.
It has a fast maximum aperture of f/2.8 and produces very sharp images from corner to corner. The minimum focus distance is 0.92 ft (0.28 m), which makes it great for close-up macro shots.
The Best Sony Lens for Product Photography for Experts
If you are an expert product photographer or are looking for the best possible image quality, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is the best lens for you.
This lens is quite expensive (~$1998.00) but produces stunning images with beautiful bokeh thanks to its fast maximum aperture of f/1.4.
The minimum focus distance of this lens is also quite short: 2.62 ft (0.8m), which makes it perfect for shooting close-up macro shots. Overall, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM is the best Sony lens for product photography and produces stunning images that will make your products look their best.
5 Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Sony Lens for Product Photography
Full-frame or Crop Sensor Camera
The first thing you need to consider when choosing a product photography lens is whether you have a full-frame or a crop sensor Sony camera. This is critical because the way a lens works will vary depending on your camera’s sensor.
If you have a cropped sensor camera, you will need to multiply the focal length of the lens by the crop factor of your camera to get the equivalent focal length on a full-frame camera. For example, if you have a 50mm lens on a Sony mirrorless camera with a crop factor of x1.5, the equivalent focal length would be 75mm (50mm x 1.5).
Make sure you take this factor into consideration when choosing a lens for your digital camera.
Focal Length
The focal length of a lens is the distance (in millimeters) from the center of the lens to the sensor. The focal length of a lens is indicated by its name, and you can discover this information on the barrel of the lens. A 50mm lens, for example, has a focal length of 50mm.
For product photography, it is recommended to use lenses with a focal length between 50mm and 120mm on a full-frame camera, or a 35-60mm lens on a cropped-sensor camera. This focal length range is ideal for product photography because it best describes the product as we as humans see it.
Wide-angle lenses (less than 30mm in full-frame cameras) aren’t very useful for product photography, because wide-angle lenses make the product look distorted. If you’re looking to capture a product with a wide-angle lens, you’ll need to get your camera up really close to the thing (to avoid other elements in the product photo). As a result, all of the components behind the main item will appear tiny compared to it, making the image seem unrealistic.
Telephoto focal range lenses may also be used for product photography, although they are considerably bigger and bulkier than standard zoom lenses. They frequently aren’t able to focus close to the subject because of their long telephoto focal length.
Prime Lens vs. Zoom Lens
When choosing a lens for product photography, it is also important to consider the type of lens: prime or a zoom lens.
A prime lens is a fixed focal length lens, which means that it can’t zoom in or out. Prime lenses are typically smaller and lighter than zoom lenses because they have fewer elements inside the lens.
A zoom lens is a variable focal length lens, which means that you can change its focal length by zooming in or out. Zoom lenses are typically bigger and heavier than prime lenses because they have more elements inside the lens. Zoom lenses provide you a wider focal length which can be useful at times, especially if you consider using your lens not only for your professional work but also for traveling and other scenarios.
For product photography, it is recommended to use a prime lens because in general, they have a better optical quality (sharper images) compared to the zoom lenses. Prime lenses also have a wider maximum aperture, which allows more light to enter the camera and produces a shallow depth of field, which allows a better separation of the subject from the background. This is might be important for you if you plan to shoot a lot of lifestyle product photography with natural light.
The best Sony prime lenses for product photography:
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G (SEL90M28G)
- Sony 85mm F/1.8-22 (SEL85F18)
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (SEL85F14GM)
- Sony FE 50mm F1.8 (SEL50F18F)
- Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA (SEL55F18Z)
The best Sony zoom lenses for product photography:
Close Focusing Capabilities
Another important factor to consider when choosing a lens for product photography is the close focusing capabilities of the lens. This is especially important if you plan to do a lot of macro product photography.
For macro product photography, you will need a macro lens with a very low minimum focal distance (MFD). The MFD is the shortest distance between the lens and the subject that you can focus on. For example, the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G has an MFD of 0.91 feet (0.28 meters). This means that you can place your camera just 28 cm away from your subject and still be able to focus on it.
For close-up product photography, you will need a lens with a low minimum focal distance (MFD) but not as low as macro lenses. A standard zoom or prime lens with an MFD of around 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) should be sufficient.
However, if you plan to shoot a lot of very small products such as jewelry in which case you will definitely need a macro lens to allow you to shoot very close-up photos and product details.
Price
Last, but not least is the price of the lens. The lens prices vary significantly, from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. If you are just starting out in product photography, we recommend you pick a very inexpensive Sony FE 50mm F1.8 lens, which retails at approximately $250 (check the latest price on Amazon).
As we mentioned previously Sony FE 50mm F1.8 is a great all-around lens, which is suitable not only for product photography but also for portrait and street photography.
If the price isn’t an issue for you, we recommend you pick Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G or Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (a truly great product photography lens for Sony cameras). Both lenses are great for product photography, but they also come with a hefty price tag.
When it comes to product photography, the price of the lens shouldn’t be your main concern. Instead, you should focus on getting a lens that will produce great results.
Do You Need a Macro Lens for Product Photography?
The last thing we’d like to touch upon in this article is whether you need a dedicated macro lens for product macro photography?
If you plan to shoot a lot of small products such as jewelry, then we definitely recommend you get a macro lens because the close-up capabilities of these lenses are simply unmatched by any other type of lens.
However, if you plan to shoot larger products such as furniture, fashion items, or let’s say candles, then a regular prime or zoom lens will do just fine. Just remember to pick the right focal length as we discussed above.
To Sum Up
This article discussed the best product photography lenses for Sony cameras and five important things that you need to consider when buying a lens for product photography.
Here is the list of the best product photography lenses for Sony cameras:
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G (SEL90M28G) – The best lens for product photography Professionals
- Sony 85mm F/1.8-22 (SEL85F18)
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM (SEL85F14GM) – The best lens for product photography Experts
- Sony FE 50mm F1.8 (SEL50F18F) – The best lens for product photography Beginners
- Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA (SEL55F18Z)
- Sony FE 24-105mm f/4G OSS (SEL24105G/2)
- Sony FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G Master (SEL2470GM)
We hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful.
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Updated on 11.01.2023.
