Best lenses for Sony a6000??

Kalinadenault · Sep 22, 2016

hello friends, totally new to photography.
I'm into taking pictures of cars, people and animals.

What are the best lenses for these types of shoots?

Thanks

480sparky · Sep 22, 2016

There is no such thing as 'the best'. Of anything. If there were, it would be the only one on the market.

There's far too much that goes into these types of decisions to overly-generalize lenses into things like 'the best'. Size, weight, filter size, filter rotation, focus throw, autofocus, minimum and maximum aperture, presence of aperture ring, number of aperture blades and their shape, minimum focus, AF focus speed, quality of any AF motor, etc. All of these factors are going to impact your decision, and each will need to be analyzed as to how they affect the results you are wanting to acquire.

Think of it this way. Suppose you were asked "What's the best vehicle?" and you answered "Porsche 911". Ever see a farmer hauling a hay rack with a 911? Or a family of 8 on vacation in one?

And more importantly, your budget. "The best" lens may be $3000, but if you have only $750 to spend, it's kind of a moot point.

Braineack · Sep 22, 2016

stick with the kit lens until you can answer that question yourself.

bboyzala · Sep 22, 2016

Kalinadenault said:
hello friends, totally new to photography.
I'm into taking pictures of cars, people and animals.

What are the best lenses for these types of shoots?

Thanks

Yeah start with the lens that came with it. Then as you develop your foundation in photography move towards figuring out which type of pictures you want to shoot with cars, people and animals

http://fotosby.justinzalameda.com

photo1x1.com · Sep 22, 2016

Kalinadenault said:
hello friends, totally new to photography.
I'm into taking pictures of cars, people and animals.

What are the best lenses for these types of shoots?

Thanks

Hi,
it is indeed a difficult decision. Because you can shoot a car with an extreme wideangle lens and it can look really cool, and on the other hand you can shoot it with a long telephoto lens and it can look really cool

.
Anyway - one lens I recommend to anyone is a 50mm f1.8 lens. Sony/Zeiss have a few in that range, the most affordable one being SEL-50F18B for around 300 US$. This is a good modern portrait lens, especially on the a6000 and also a nice lens for photographing kids. Unfortunately E-mount lenses in general are not cheap.
For the rest: if you can show us some sample image in regard to what look you´d like to achieve, we can tell you more.
Plus: as mentioned a pricerange.

Streets · Sep 23, 2016

Kalinadenault said:
hello friends, totally new to photography.
I'm into taking pictures of cars, people and animals.

What are the best lenses for these types of shoots?

Thanks

I, personally, prefer my Sony 18-135 SAM (it says SAL on the label). It never leaves the camera unless I need Macro<1:4 or Tele>135mm, which is seldom.

dxqcanada · Sep 23, 2016

You are going to be a bit limited with zoom lenses for E-mount (as mentioned, if you got a lot of cash you can get some good glass). Fixed focal length is abundant from various vendors.
If you already have the 16-50mm, then I suggest the 55-210mm in addition.

Donde · Nov 3, 2016

I purchased just the body then the Sony-Zeiss 24 1.8 separately. It works for me as an all purpose and surprisingly I can even get some decent macros because of the lens' high quality and the camera's 24 megapixels.

Braineack · Nov 3, 2016

The 20mm 2.8 is supposed to be pretty decent for the price, and it's still relatively small.

I tried the 16mm and it was no better than the kit 16-50mm, and resold it the next day.

greybeard · Nov 11, 2016

Believe it or not, the 16-50 kit lens is hard to beat. I have a Sigma 30mm f2.8 on the way that I am hoping will push the 24mp sensor on my a6000 to its' limits. Sigma also makes a 19mm and a 60mm that get good reviews and are very reasonable in price. But, until you know all the limitations of your 16-50 kit lens you will be stabbing in the dark buying other lenses

Piccell · Nov 11, 2016

Braineack said:
The 20mm 2.8 is supposed to be pretty decent for the price, and it's still relatively small.

I tried the 16mm and it was no better than the kit 16-50mm, and resold it the next day.

If you bought from Amazon you could just return it and they come pick it up for free.

greybeard · Dec 4, 2016

I'm sure that the Sony/Zeiss 16-70 would more than do the job but, it is like $1,000.00!!!. The 16-55 kit that comes with the camera is more than adequate for what you are doing. A lot of the time we are like little boys playing with our toys when it comes to our camera equipment. We just want something new to play with and it has little to do with actually taking pictures. No big deal, I have a Sigma 30mm 2.8 I haven't even unboxed yet. I love buying equipment I don't really need, I have a closet full of the stuff. But, I could do what I do photographically with one camera and 2 lenses.

TG1 · Dec 31, 2016

I would agree to start slowly and build your lens line-up over time as you discover what your needs are. FWIY, I added the 35mm f1.8 prime and couldn't be happier with it as an indoor, low light and general walk around lens.

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r0r5ch4ch · Jan 12, 2017

I agree with all comments here.

Start with your Zoom lens. From time to time you will make a note (mind or paper) which will sound nearly like that: "Oh, would I have a XXX lens". This can mean faster, this can mean sharper, this can mean a different focal length.

Just pay attentions to those little markers and at the end of a not defined time you will have your perfect "To buy"-List.

But keep in mind, the main aspect of a good photo is still the person who takes the photo. It doesnt help anyone, especially not you, if you will buy the best lens but have no idea about composistion, story telling, light, ISO, rule of thirds etc.

So better invest in good workshops/books first.

Greetings

greybeard · Jan 25, 2017

I have had a chance to use the Sigma 30mm f/2.8. Pro side, it is razor sharp. I have compared shots from it with those from my Nikon D750 with a 50mm f/1.4 @ ISO 100 f/2.8 through f/8, and I honestly can't see any significant differences. That is comparing 24mp APS-C to 24mp FULL FRAME. This little cheap Sigma is killer sharp. The Con side to this lens is that it doesn't focus quite as fast as the sony native lenses.