Sony E 11mm f1.8 Lens: A Unique Wide Angle and Relatively Fast Capabilities
If you are looking for an ultra-wide-angle lens that can capture dramatic and immersive images, you might want to check out the Sony E 11mm f/1.8.
This lens is one of the newest additions to Sony’s E-mount lineup, which is designed for APS-C cameras. But is this lens a good fit for your needs? Let’s find out by looking at some of its pros and cons.
Pros and Cons of the Sony 11mm f1.8 Lens
Pros
- The lens has a very wide angle of view of 105 degrees, which allows you to capture expansive landscapes, architecture, interiors, and astrophotography. The lens also has a rectilinear design, which means it minimizes distortion and preserves straight lines.
- It has a fast aperture of f/1.8, which allows you to shoot in low-light conditions and create shallow depth of field effects. The aperture also has seven rounded blades, which contribute to smooth and circular bokeh shapes.
- It has a compact and lightweight design, weighing only 165 g and measuring 59.5 mm in length. This makes the lens easy to carry around and use on smaller Sony cameras, such as the a6000 series.
- It features a fast and quiet autofocus system, which uses a linear motor and an internal focus design. The autofocus is accurate and reliable, even in low-light situations. The lens also supports Sony’s Eye AF and Face Detection features, which are useful for portrait photography.
- The lens has good optical performance, with low distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. The lens also has a Nano AR Coating II, which reduces flare and ghosting. The lens delivers sharp and contrasty images across the frame, even at wide apertures.
Cons
- The lens has a fixed focal length of 11 mm, which means you cannot zoom in or out with the lens. This might limit your compositional flexibility and creativity, especially if you are used to using zoom lenses. You might need to switch lenses more often or crop your images in post-processing to achieve different perspectives.
- It does not have optical image stabilization (OIS), which means you might need to use a higher shutter speed or a tripod to avoid camera shake. This might be an issue for some users who prefer handheld shooting or video recording.
This lens is for someone who is looking for an ultra-wide-angle prime lens that can handle various shooting scenarios, such as landscapes, architecture, interiors, and astrophotography.
Conclusion
The Sony E 11mm f/1.8 is an impressive ultra-wide-angle prime lens that offers many benefits for Sony E-mount users. It has a very wide angle of view of 105 degrees that allows you to capture dramatic and immersive images, a fast aperture of f/1.8 that enables low-light shooting and shallow depth of field effects.
It also has a compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to carry around and use on smaller Sony cameras, a fast and quiet autofocus system that supports Sony’s Eye AF and Face Detection features, and a good optical performance that delivers sharp and contrasty images across the frame.
However, this lens also has some drawbacks that might deter some potential buyers. It has a fixed focal length of 11 mm that might limit your compositional flexibility and creativity. It does not have OIS or other features such as a focus distance scale or an aperture ring.
It has a very short minimum focusing distance of 15 cm that might make it difficult to focus on distant subjects or infinity. And it has a high price tag that might be out of reach for some budget-conscious buyers.
So, is this lens worth buying? Well, that depends on your needs and preferences as a photographer. If you are looking for an ultra-wide-angle lens that can blow your mind, and you don’t mind the fixed focal length, price, and short minimum focusing distance of this lens, then this lens might be a no-brainer for you.
But if you are looking for a more flexible, affordable, or easy-to-use ultra-wide-angle lens, then you might want to look elsewhere.
I hope this review article was helpful for you. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. And remember, the best lens is the one that makes you happy.
Happy shooting!