10 Affordable Lenses for Sony Users | 2025

For an affordable lens for your Sony camera, this is the place to start. We’ve compiled a list of ten Sony E-mount primes and zooms that offer unbeatable value for money, meaning that no matter which Sony camera you use, you can kit it out for less. 

Sony’s E-mount has been running since the early 2010s, and thanks to Sony’s historic openness to third-party lens development, there are plenty of optical options developed by manufacturers other than Sony themselves — and these are often more affordable. Sony’s camera range includes both APS-C and full-frame models, and we’ve included lens options for both types (E-mount and FE-mount, respectively). Remember that full-frame lenses will fit APS-C cameras, but not the other way around. 

We’ve ordered our list by price, starting with the cheapest – and everything on this list is available for less than £599. Some, for quite a lot less. So, whatever your budget, you should be able to find a great budget Sony lens to pair with your mirrorless Sony camera!

Whoever said that full-frame Sony lenses always have to be expensive? This nifty-fifty for Sony FE is one of the most affordable lenses the firm has on its books, and it’s an ideal walk-around lens for day-to-day shooting. While it’s not as fast as an f1.4 lens, naturally, having f1.8 is still useful for low light and shallow depth of field, and having a lens that weighs just 186 is no bad thing either. The autofocus is fast and reliable (though video shooters should note that it isn’t totally silent), and there’s also the opinion for Direct Manual Focus, which makes it easy to make manual fine-tune adjustments to focusing after AF has done its work.

On APS-C Sony cameras, this lens delivers an equivalent focal length of 75mm. Together with its f1.8 aperture, this makes it a pretty credible portrait lens, at a fantastic price.

A slimline lens for APS-C Sony cameras (giving a 24mm equivalent focal length), the Sony E 16mm f2.8 Pancake really does live up to its name. When mounted, it barely protrudes more than a body cap, and it weighs just 67g. You might assume, given this information, that the lens is entirely plastic, but there is at least an aluminium trim to make it feel a little more premium. There are barely any external controls, just a non-rotating focus ring that supports Direct Manual Focus. This is one of the simplest lenses you can buy.

Dating back to the early days of Sony’s mirrorless system, this lens isn’t as sharp as those that have come later, particularly when used wide open. It’s best to stop down to f5.6 or so for the crispest results, and things consistently tend to look much better in the centre than in the edges or corners.

Sharpness isn’t everything. Photography is a creative pursuit at heart, and lenses like the Lensbaby Sol 45 allow you to get very creative indeed. It uses an 8.5º tilt mechanism to allow the user to create a small area of pin-sharp focus, surrounded by dramatic and artful blur. The powerful selective focus effect is immediately striking, especially for portraiture, though once you get the hang of it, a Lensbaby can be used for all sorts of different types of images.

Not everyone is going to like the Lensbaby Sol 45’s effect – it’s definitely advisable to take a look at some sample images before you buy to check that it’s something you want to work with. If it is, this tidy and compact lens can provide hours of out-of-the-box shooting fun, and potentially help create some of your most memorable and distinctive images.

In case you thought all affordable lenses were prime lenses, here’s a highly affordable telezoom for Sony’s APS-C E-mount cameras. Delivering a focal range equivalent of 82.5-315mm in full-frame terms, the Sony E 55-210mm f4.5-6.3 OSS provides a great deal of reach without weighing down your setup too much. It also has Sony’s optical stabilisation on board (Optical SteadyShot, or OSS), which means it’s significantly easier to get sharp shots at the tele end of the lens.

The autofocus response in this lens is nice and quiet, as well as fast and accurate. We also like the aluminium finish on the barrel, which makes the lens feel just a little more premium than ones that are all-plastic. One thing to be aware of though is that the Sony E 55-210mm f4.5-6.3 OSS is not weather-sealed, so be cautious about the conditions in which you use it.

When you’re on the hunt for affordable lenses, it’s always worth looking at what third-party manufacturers have to offer. Tamron in particular has a well-deserved reputation for crafting terrific affordable lenses, often doing things that the manufacturers themselves aren’t doing. The Tamron 35mm f2.8 Di III OSD Macro gives Sony users high-quality close-ups for an incredibly affordable price – with a 1:2 reproduction ratio, it reproduces subjects at half life-size on the sensor, and it can focus at distances as close as 15cm. Sharpness and contrast really are excellent, and the lens continues to produce terrific results even when used at its maximum aperture. The weather-sealed body also means you can use the lens outdoors with impunity.

With a 35mm focal length, this also doubles up well as a general photography lens. Bear in mind that its autofocus does make some audible noise, and isn’t quite as quick on the draw as similar lenses like Sony’s 35mm f1.8

Venus Optics has won a lot of fans for its distinctive, unique lenses, available for a host of mirrorless mounts. The Laowa 4mm f2.8 Circular Fisheye is one such lens – it’s not right for every shooting situation, or indeed every shooter, but its arresting circular fisheye images are a great way to do something different with your APS-C Sony camera.

The optical quality of the lens is first-rate, and the short close-focusing distance means you can do what fisheyes do best and create extreme, exaggerated close-ups. Be warned though – it can take some practice to learn to compose with this lens, and it’s likely that your first few images will include a few unwanted feet, a few glimpses of your own head, and potentially even your fingers operating the camera body. With practice, though, you can get completely unique results using this lens.

Sigma’s “DC” lenses are designed specifically for APS-C cameras, and as such are smaller and lighter than their full-frame counterparts. The Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary balances brilliantly on Sony’s E-mount A6000 cameras, providing the shooting flexibility of an f1.4 aperture for a knock-down price. Great in low light, it delivers exquisite sharpness across the frame, with excellent control of chromatic aberration.

The focusing of the lens is fast thanks to the stepping motor autofocus – given how fast the A6000 cameras can focus, this is excellent news. The 45mm equivalent angle of view provides a fairly naturalistic perspective that’s great for street photography, and the nine-bladed aperture diaphragm produces brilliant bokeh. One thing to be careful of – the lens isn’t weather-resistance. Otherwise, there’s not much to criticise here, and any user of APS-C Sony cameras should definitely think about snapping this one up.

Portrait lenses can often get quite expensive, so if you’re looking to shoot portraits on Sony gear and you’re on a budget, the Samyang AF 75mm f1.8 should be a priority lens to acquire. In a flattering, portrait-friendly short telephoto focal length, the Samyang AF 75mm f1.8 is a brilliantly sharp lens, and the f1.8 aperture is great for throwing out backgrounds. It’s not quite as razor-thin a depth of field as f1.4 or f1.2, but it’s more than enough for great people pictures. 

Sony’s own portrait lenses consistently focus a bit faster, but the autofocusing on the Samyan 75mm is still very good – and it’s not like you desperately need the extra speed on a posed portrait shoot. One thing that’s also welcome is how small and lightweight this lens is – at just 230g, it’s not much of a burden to throw into your kit bag and carry to a shoot. 

A “PZ” in a lens acronym stands for “Power Zoom” – this refers to a motorised control of the zooming action in a lens. It creates a zooming action that moves at a constant speed, which is great when you’re shooting video and want a smooth zoom transition while you’re recording. It adds a little to the bulk and weight of the lens, and doesn’t really provide any advantage for stills shooters.

This lens offers APS-C Sony users a fairly generous 27-157.5mm equivalent zoom range, and packs in Optical SteadyShot stabilisation to reduce camera shake when working at the tele end. This is another useful feature for video if you’re planning on some run-and-gun style shots. This probably isn’t a lens for those who are only going to shoot stills – but for video or hybrid shooters, it offers a lot of functionality for a reasonable outlay.

Constant-aperture zooms used to be strictly the province of high-end expensive lenses. However, Tamron is known for its clever creation of affordable optics, and the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 manages to deliver F2.8 all the way through its standard zoom range without compromising on quality or price — and thanks to recent discounts, it’s now better value than ever.

Essentially, this is an affordable alternative to the standard 24-70mm F2.8 workhorse lens, which you would normally expect to cost comfortably four figures. It shaves a little play off the wide end and adds a little at the telephoto, while also retaining a body that is lightweight, portable and moisture-resistant. 

Of course, with Sony full-frame cameras, a lens needs to deliver exceptional resolving performance to match those high-resolution sensors, and we can happily report that the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 Di III VXD G2 passes this test in exemplary fashion. We tested it with the Sony A7R IV, one of the highest-resolution cameras in the Sony stable, and it delivered brilliant clarity with edge-to-edge sharpness. 

FAQs

What is the difference between FE and E-mount Sony lenses?

FE lenses are designed for full-frame Sony cameras, while E-mount lenses work with both APS-C and full-frame cameras. FE lenses can cover a larger image circle, making them more versatile.

How do I choose the right focal length for my Sony lens?

The focal length depends on your photography style. Shorter focal lengths (e.g., 35mm) are great for wide-angle shots, while longer ones (e.g., 85mm) are better for portraits.

Are third-party lenses compatible with Sony cameras?

Yes, many third-party manufacturers offer lenses with Sony E-mount compatibility, but it's important to ensure compatibility and check for firmware updates.

What is OSS in Sony lenses, and do I need it?

OSS stands for Optical SteadyShot, which is Sony's image stabilisation technology. It's useful for reducing camera shake, especially in low light. Consider it for handheld shooting.

What is the difference between prime and zoom Sony lenses?

Prime lenses have a fixed focal length (e.g., 50mm) and offer better image quality and wider apertures. Zoom lenses (e.g., 24-70mm) provide versatility by covering multiple focal lengths.

How can I upgrade the firmware of my Sony lens?

To upgrade Sony lens firmware, visit the Sony support website, download the firmware update, follow the instructions, and connect your camera to your computer.

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