Best Lenses For Sony a6500 – Top 7 Picks (NEW Guide)

Sony E PZ 18-105mm	Sony E 10-18mm	Sigma 30mm
BEST OVERALL best for both stills & videos Optical Steady Shot image stabilization	PREMIUM CHOICE Extreme wide-angle field of view Constant f/4 aperture	BEST BUDGET Great low light performance Impressive sharpness and image quality
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Last updated on June 1st, 2021 at 05:59 am

Sony’s mirrorless cameras have made their place in the world of photography and videography both. And without a doubt, the performance is remarkable with these cameras. Whenever you choose a new body, the main and a somewhat confusing issue is the selection of lenses for your camera. We’ve deeply evaluated these seven best lenses for Sony a6500 that will fulfill your need of shooting in every situation. These are the best overall performing lenses for Sony’s APS-C format cameras and especially for Sony a6500. To save you from the hassle of finding the best lenses for your Sony camera we have combined all the best options, from wide-angle to prime and extreme zoom focal lengths everything is covered.

Comparison Table: Best Lenses For Sony a6500

NAME	Sony E PZ 18-105mm	Sigma 30mm	Sony E 10-18mm	Sony E 35mm	Sony E 50mm	Sigma 16mm	Sony E 18-200mm
APERTURE	f/4	f/1.4	f/4	f/1.8	f/1.8	f/1.4	f/3.5
AUTOFOCUS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IMAGE STABILIZATION	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
WEIGHT	0.94 lbs	0.58 lbs	0.49lbs	0.33 lbs	0.44 lbs	0.89 lbs	1.15 lbs

Sony a6500 Lenses Reviews

1. Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens

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When it comes to Sony zoom lenses for crop sensor bodies, there is one option that one can’t forget because of its functionality and versatility. Sony 18-105mm f/4 G OSS is an all-rounder lens that can fit into almost every situation.  

Build-quality & performance:

The build quality of this lens is outstanding, and it feels like a rock metal constructed body and weighs only 427g. With this machine, you get an excellent versatile zoom range from 18mm to 105mm with a constant f/4 aperture, and the best part is it’s a power zoom lens. Using this lens with a gimbal makes it a perfect combo, as the length of the lens doesn’t extend physically; instead, it performs zooming in and out internally, so the balancing of a gimbal is not affected by zooming.

In my opinion, if you want to buy one lens that fits overall in every situation, then you should go for this lens. It produces stunningly sharp images with well-saturated colors. It’s incredibly sharp in the center but a little soft at the edges. To sum it up, it will surprise you with the produced image quality whether you use it for stills or videos. Sony’s internal focus design offers fast and accurate autofocus system and minimum focus distance of 1.5. While using this lens on my Sony a6500 and my previous Sony a6300, I never faced any focus issues; it works absolutely well.

Features:

Bottom Line:  

This is surely a must-have lens for Sony a6500. I carry this every time with me while recording in new places or covering an event where I am not sure about what scenario I’ll be facing. Its zooming range gives me an extra advantage to set my focal length according to the required needs. It covers most of the focal lengths which are useful during shoots, and I don’t even need to rebalance my camera on a gimbal. All thanks to Sony’s internal zoom functionality.

You all know well, how hard and time-consuming it is to change lenses again and again for different focal lengths because then you also have to balance the gimbal accordingly. This lens is truly a savior for me in this respect. Just get this monster lens without any hesitation for stills or videography, and once you use it, you are definitely going to fall in love with its performance and versatile nature.

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2. Sigma 30mm f/1.4

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Quality & Performance:

It’s a perfect combo with Sony a6500, its sharpness, colors, image quality each and everything is absolutely crazy. A light-weighted premium quality lens that gives you a superb bokeh, shallow depth of field and edge to edge sharpness. It works pretty well for both photographers and videographers, produces stunning, crisp portraits and same goes when it comes to videography.

If you love to photograph in Brandon Woelfel style, in city lights or at night, then this thing is king at this and a right choice to carry on because of its wide f/1.4 bright aperture and super sharp image quality. The autofocus also works smoothly with precision and grabs focus real quick. On Sony a6300 it is a little bit slower than other Sony lenses, but on a6500 I haven’t faced any focus lag.

Sigma has designed it with a stepping motor for better auto-focus system that works quite accurate and fast. One thing which is missing in this lens is image stabilization, but with Sony’s internal five-axis image stabilization in a6500 one doesn’t require an image stabilized lens. It is because your camera will handle shakes internally. In my opinion, one shouldn’t miss out this beautifully made Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens because its sharpness, image quality, and low lightning performance are amazingly great.

Features: 

 Bottom Line:

This one is one of the best performance prime lenses by Sigma for mirrorless cameras. If you ask me for best three lenses for your Sony a6500 and that too in a limited budget, I will suggest you go for Sony 18-105mm for versatile situations, Sony 10-18mm for wide-angle shots and this beast by Sigma 30mm f/1.4 as a prime lens specially for low lighting conditions and for where you want a super crispy bokeh effect in your portraits or video as well. This lens will cover most of the work and situations perfectly.

It’s a must buy prime lens that one should have with them all the time and especially in such a good price range it’s worth the money. I will rate it 5/5.

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3. Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS

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Quality & Performance:

The lens is made mostly with metal that feels much solid, and the good thing is it very much light in weight. It’s an ideal choice for Architecture and landscape photographers because of its super-wide field of view. Also, those who make vlogs or any YouTube content can get really good viewing angle from a lens with such focal length. The silent and fast autofocus system is really useful while recording videos.

The thing which I liked the most in this lens is the constant aperture. Throughout the zoom range, you’re going to get a constant f/4 aperture that will help you shoot in low light conditions. Seven blade circular aperture is constructed in this lens that gives a more natural and nicer bokeh effect which makes portraits and videos a bit more cinematic. With such a wide-angle view, this lens still delivers crispy sharp image quality with excellent contrast. Sony’s OSS (Optical Steady Shot) image stabilization technology has made it easier to capture blur-free images and controls camera shakes while shooting videos.

Sometimes while recording videos on gimbal there are few shakes which we can’t control/remove in the post-production process, there this lens gives an extra advantage with a6500 by minimizing jerks and gives extra smooth footage.

Features:

Bottom Line:

It’s a must-have lens for the owners of mirrorless cameras, whether you’re into photography or video making thing. This lens is an ideal choice to carry on. With 10-18mm focal length, landscape and architecture photography is fun shooting and for filmmakers, such wide angle will give you a stunning cinematic and wider look to establish your shot/scene. It’s super compact and everyday travel lens for your Sony a6500.

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4. Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS Lens

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Quality & Performance:

A nicely built prime lens with durability, it doesn’t feel like metal, but yes it’s made up solid. 35mm focal length will give you equivalent to around 50mm focal length on APS-C cameras. Such focal length is an ideal choice for shooting portraits. It’s a fast wide-aperture lens with f/1.8 that delivers a nice shallow depth of field by making background blur. In low light situations or in dark places where light is not enough, f/1.8 aperture will enable you to shoot without any issue.

Sony has also enabled this prime lens with image stabilization to handle camera shakes while shooting handheld, whether its aperture, autofocus, image stabilization, or focal length. This lens is an all-round prime lens in all these categories, and in such price, it’s worth the money. Sony’s 35mm 1.8 OSS will produce a very minimum level of barrel distortion. At f/1.8 lens is not much sharp, which I did not like but on f/2.2 it delivers nice sharp image quality and good color contrast.

The autofocus mechanism is good as always. When it comes to Sony lenses, one doesn’t have to worry about focus mechanism because it works smoothly and quietly on almost all Sony lenses. People who are into film making can use this lens for close up or tight shots. It’s a nice focal length for such work where you want to show emotions or dramatic look of your subject/person.

Features: 

Bottom Line:

 If you’re looking for a budget lens that too with wide aperture better low light performance, image stabilization, and good image quality then in such good price range I would suggest you go for this great value product by Sony. It’s absolutely reliable and usable in various situations.

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5. Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS

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One of the sharpest lenses for Sony APS-C cameras that fulfill the need of photographers who love to take sharp, stunning looking images. It provides a short telephoto field of view that is a great choice for portrait photography. The lens delivers an excellent color combination and accuracy in shots; photographs created from this lens look so real amazing that you feel the scene.

Quality & Performance:

A Perfect lens for beginners who want to practice the art of photography and also for pros. Sony has designed this prime lens for those who want to have tight shots, especially for portrait photographers. Wide f/1.8 aperture will bring to the background a smooth blurriness, and your subject being focused will pop out. What I like the most about this lens are its sharpness and nice colors. Its field of view is around 75mm on full-frame cameras so for portrait lovers it is absolutely fun shooting with Sony’s 50mm f/1.8 OSS. It’s not an everyday lens but a dream lens for wedding and event photography where you want more detailing and a beautiful bokeh effect.

The lens is compact, weighs around only 7 ounces, and you can get it at a very affordable price, so anyone who wants to have a budget lens for their mirrorless cameras can go grab it. At f/1.8 the center sharpness is amazing, but at edges, it falls a little bit. Nevertheless, getting down at f/2.8, the sharpness looks stunning. If you want crisper and overall sharper look in images, I would suggest you use it at f/4 as its performance becomes optimized at this number.

Features:

Bottom Line:

A superb dreamy bokeh, great autofocus mechanism, and image stabilization. What more could you want at such a good price tag? If you’re a complete newbie to photography and need to buy just one good lens for photographing people, then I would suggest you get this lens. Wide fast f/1.8 aperture will provide amazing background blurriness. With image stabilization system, you can get sharp images in even low light. Its field of view is tight if that’s an issue for you then I would suggest you go for Sigma’s 30mm or Sony’s 35mm, but if it suits your need, then you’re good to go with this lens.

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6. Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E

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Quality & Performance:

Solid weather-sealed lens made up from durable Thermally Stable Composite (TSC). 16mm focal length is versatile and can be used in many scenarios by photographer and filmmakers alike. People who love to shoot landscape or nature photography can now shoot in bad weather conditions too. All thanks to Sigma’s weather-sealed constructed lens body.

There is no doubt in Sigma products when we discuss image quality of their lenses; they work great and don’t disappoint the users. It delivers a very pleasing bokeh effect and shallow depth of field. With wide f/1.4 aperture, your subject will be in focus and background will be a super blur. On extreme corners of images, you may find a bit drop in sharpness, but in the overall frame, it delivers super sharpness. Detailing on images captured from this lens is also pleasing.

Sigma has designed this lens with a super multi-layer coating that helps in creating contrast-rich photos and reduces lens flare and ghosting. Auto-focus system works precisely and quickly both on stills and video. On Sony a6000 it takes a few seconds to grab focus while shooting video but on Sony a6500 it works absolutely well.

Features: 

Bottom Line:

This wide prime lens is amazing and can perform well in versatile situations. In low light conditions, indoors or at night, it works absolutely well. With 16mm focal length, you get a nice wide viewing angle that is helpful for vloggers, landscape & street photography. In such price range, this lens is an absolute go-getter product for your Sony a6500. It will amaze you with its quality performance.

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7. Sony E 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS

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Quality & Performance:

The Sony E 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS is a great choice for people who don’t want to switch lenses again and again and get irritated by carrying multiple lenses while shooting. It allows users to operate in a variety of situation whether you want to shoot a landscape with a wide-angle view or want to fully optimize its ability to extreme zoom into your subject. Mostly extreme zoom lenses are built with cheap plastic that doesn’t feel good and reliable, but this one is mostly constructed with metal that feels quite premium and durable.

It produces a nice sharp image and especially at the long ends, the images look much sharper. Sony’s refined optical performance controls distortion well with the help of aspherical lens elements. Extra-low Dispersion glass elements have also been built that provide superb contrast and resolution.

Sony has offered Optical Steady Shot with Active Mode image stabilization system that handles camera shakes really well; as a result, you will be able to capture sharp images. Especially for videography, it will stabilize your footage in a smooth way. Standard stabilization also gives nice results, but active mode enhances your shot more, and the footage looks cinematic.

Features:

Bottom Line:

If you want to invest in a lens that can be useful in multiple situations and also that is reliable, then this option is good to carry on. Lens with such focal length will do almost all of your work but in low light conditions it may trouble you because its aperture is not that bright, For daylight usage it works perfectly from wide-angle to super extreme zoom shots, but for low light conditions it’s not an ideal choice, then you need to carry one more lens with you with bright aperture. Other than this, I haven’t found any issues using this lens with Sony a6500. It’s a good combo for people who need to use their gear in run and gun style.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): About Sony a6500 Lenses

Q: What lenses are compatible with Sony a6500?

A: All these lenses are compatible with Sony a6500. There are few other options too, but I will suggest you stick with these ones. We’ve used various lenses and compared their performance with each one and selected these seven lenses as best performing ones for Sony a6500.

1. Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens
2. Sigma 30mm f/1.4
3. Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS
4. Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS Lens
5. Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS
6. Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E
7. Sony E 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS

Q: What mount is Sony a6500?

A: It got Sony’s E mount. Sony designed it for NEX (New E-mount eXperience)

Q: Can I use a Canon lens on a Sony a6500?

A: No, you can’t use a Canon lens on a Sony a6500 directly. You need to buy a lens adapter for your sony camera to use a Canon lens on a6500.

Q: Is Sony a6500 full-frame?

A: No, Sony a6500 is a crop sensor (23.5 × 15.6mm) APS-C format camera, which is 2.5 times smaller than a full-frame sensor. It got an Exmor HD CMOS sensor.

While buying a lens for your Sony a6500, you should check it first that either this lens will fit on your camera body or not. All the lenses which we’ve mentioned in this article are compatible with Sony a6500.

Q: What is the best all-around lens?

A: Sony 18-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens is one of the best all-around lenses for both stills and videos. The best thing about this lens is that its focal length doesn’t change. It remains the same because of the internal focusing system.

Q: What are the best Sony lenses?

A: There are many lenses in the market, but we will narrow down the list to these three lenses.

1- Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens (Best for Videographers)

2- Sony FE 35mm f/1.8 (A best prime lens for both Photography and Videography)

3- Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS (A must-have lens for Photographers)

Q: What is the sharpest lens for Sony a6500?

A: Sony’s G Master lenses are the sharpest lenses, but they’re much costly, and also they’re mostly for Sony’s full-frame cameras. We will suggest you go for Sigma’s 30mm 1.4 as it’s one of the sharpest lenses for Sony a6500.

Q: What lens do most photographers use?

A: Photographers love to use a focal length of 30mm, 50mm, and 85mm for stills. These three focal lengths are great for any photographer, but if you’re landscape photographer, then you should stick with a wide-angle lens like a 16mm focal length.

These five lenses every photographer should own:

1- Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS

2- Sigma 30mm f/1.4

3- Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS

4- Rokinon 85mm f/1.8 Lens for Sony E

5- Sony E 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS

Conclusion

This was all for Sony a6500 lenses. We tried our best to cover every aspect of this topic, and we hope this guide will help you to select the best lens for Sony a6500.