Last updated: October 18th, 2023
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Are you looking for the best lenses for Sony A6000 but aren’t sure where to start? Here are the absolute best Sony A6000 lenses for all kinds of photography, from portraits to wildlife.
The top tips in this guide are based on my 15+ years of experience as a pro photographer.
There’s literally an ocean of lenses that are compatible with the Sony A6000, so in this guide, I’ll help you figure out which ones are most suited for your interests and needs.
But before we go into details, here’s our top pick for the best all around lens for Sony A6000.
 OUR TOP PICK | Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 A top-value everyday lens that's versatile, beginner-friendly, and impressively sharp. It's perfect for everything from portraits, landscapes, and street shots to starry skies. |
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON📸 The Best Sony A6000 Lenses: A Quick Overview
This guide covers a lot of lenses, so here’s a quick summary of our absolute top picks. These lenses cover all kinds of photography, and you can find their detailed reviews further down.
🔍 The Best Zoom Lens for Sony A6000
A zoom lens allows the camera to smoothly change from a long shot to a close-up (or vice versa) by varying the focal length. Zoom lenses are great for casual everyday shots as well as travel photos as they’re very flexible and allow you to shoot from varying distances.
 BEST ZOOM LENS | Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS A highly versatile lens that combines travel-friendliness and telephoto reach. Its mighty zoom range allows you to shoot everything from landscapes and portraits to wildlife. |
See more best Sony A6000 zoom lenses
👧🏻 The Best Portrait Lens for Sony A6000
The best portrait lenses are prime lenses with a focal length of 50mm or longer. These lenses have very wide apertures, allowing you to create stunning bokeh, a shallow depth of field, and better subject-background separation — all of which would enhance your portraits.
 BEST PORTRAIT LENS | Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS And ultra-light and affordable lens that offers everything you could possibly need for stunning portraits. It's very sharp, focuses quickly, and creates beautiful bokeh. |
See more best Sony A6000 portrait lenses
🏞 The Best Wide Angle Lens for Sony A6000
Ever seen a scenery so grand that it just does not fit into your frame? That’s what wide-angle lenses are for. These lenses have a maximum focal length of 24mm and are perfect for capturing wide landscapes, grandiose architecture, and close everyday surroundings.
 BEST WIDE-ANGLE LENS | Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary A budget-friendly wide-angle lens with premium image quality, even in low light. It's perfect for grand landscapes, architecture, and starry nights. It's also sturdy and weather-sealed. |
See more best Sony A6000 wide angle lenses
🎥 The Best Video Lens for Sony A6000
A good video lens should have a fixed aperture for smooth transitions, a wide max aperture for beautiful bokeh, and image stabilization to prevent blurs. If you’re planning to vlog, go for a wide-angle lens with a minimum focus distance of around 0.30 m (1 ft) or less.
 BEST VIDEO LENS | Sony E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS This versatile lens has everything you'd need for high-quality videos & vlogs: a fixed aperture, image stabilization, and a mighty focal range perfect for close-ups, bokeh, and travel. |
See more best Sony A6000 video lenses
⚙️ The Best Prime Lens for Sony A6000
A prime lens has a fixed focal length (e.g. 50mm rather than 17-50mm), and typically, an aperture of f/2.8 or wider. This essentially makes it a bokeh king. For this reason, prime lenses are most commonly used for portraits, but are also very useful for videos and everyday shots.
 BEST PRIME LENS | Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary A small and affordable lens that delivers extremely crisp and sharp photos. It also creates the creamiest bokeh, boasts a premium build quality, and works wonderfully in low light. |
See more best Sony A6000 prime lenses
🐝 The Best Macro Lens for Sony A6000
Macro lenses allow you to get incredibly detailed close-ups of microscopic subjects, such as insects, flowers, and water droplets. These specialized lenses can focus extremely close to a subject so that it appears large in your photo, and every tiny detail can be seen.
 BEST MACRO LENS | Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS This specialized macro lens is super user-friendly, versatile, and one of the sharpest Sony lenses out there. It's perfect for close-ups of tiny subjects and doubles as a portrait lens, too. |
See more best Sony A6000 macro lenses
✈️ The Best Travel Lens for Sony A6000
If you’re looking to travel with your Sony A6000, you’ll want a small, lightweight, and portable lens. A versatile zoom range will also come in handy if you want to shoot a variety of things. If you want to capture starry nights or architecture, consider a low-light lens too.
| BEST TRAVEL LENS | Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS This lightweight & travel-friendly lens has a mighty zoom range that takes away the need to switch between multiple lenses. It's great for everything from landscapes and portraits to wildlife. |
See more best Sony A6000 travel lenses
🦉 The Best Telephoto Lens for Sony A6000
Telephoto lenses are typically used to shoot wildlife, sports, and other far-away subjects. They also allow you to zoom in on landscapes to capture creative perspectives. Telephoto lenses typically have a minimum focal length of 70mm and can go up to 600mm or more.
 BEST TELEPHOTO LENS | Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS An incredibly sharp, lightweight, and travel-friendly telephoto lens that's perfect for wildlife, sports, discreet street shots, and close-up landscapes. It also produces creamy bokeh. |
See more best Sony A6000 telephoto lenses
💰 The Best Budget Lens for Sony A6000
There are plenty of high-quality budget-friendly lenses for the Sony A6000, including macro, portrait, wide-angle, and telephoto lenses. These lenses are typically pretty compact and lightweight, too. Expect to spend up to $300 USD for a good budget Sony A6000 lens.
 BEST BUDGET LENS | Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary A very versatile and budget-friendly lens that's perfect for everyday shots, portraits, street photography, and more. It's extremely sharp and produces beautifully smooth bokeh. |
See more best Sony A6000 budget lenses
📷 The Best Lenses for Sony A6000 in 2023: Reviews
📸 Note: The Sony A6000 mirrorless camera uses the Sony E-mount and has an APS-C sensor, which means that any lens with a Sony or third-party E-mount is compatible with this camera.
⭐️ Best All-Around Lens: Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 ⭐️
The best value standard zoom lens that you can get for the Sony A6000
Weight: 525 g (18.5 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.4 x 11.9 cm (2.9 x 4.6 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.19 m (0.62 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.2x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD is hands down the overall best lens for Sony A6000 in terms of versatility, image quality, and value for money. Its fast f/2.8 aperture is also an awesome upgrade from the Sony A6000 kit lens.
This everyday lens has a wide zoom range that makes it perfect for a large variety of photography niches, including landscape, portrait, street, and events. It can even dabble in some macro, too!
The image quality of this lens is simply outstanding. It is beautifully sharp throughout the frame even when shooting wide open. Moreover, thanks to its fixed f/2.8 aperture and built-in image stabilization, this lens is brilliant for bokeh, videos, and low-light situations.
Though this is not a specialized macro lens, it focuses very closely, so it’s quite useful for detailed close-ups too. Autofocus is very fast, silent, and accurate. Overall, there’s no other standard zoom Sony APS-C lens that offers better value for money.
On the downside, you’ll have to change focus modes and stabilization settings through the menu system because there are no physical controls for them on this lens. There is also some barrel distortion, although this can be easily fixed on editing software like Lightroom.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a versatile general-purpose zoom lens that offers fantastic image quality, beautiful bokeh, and good video capability.
📸 Best Everyday Zoom Lenses for Sony A6000
While the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 is the top pick, there are many other great zoom lenses out there. Here are some more fantastic general-purpose Sony A6000 zoom lenses.
💎 Best Premium Zoom Lens: Sony 16-55mm F2.8
The best standard zoom lens for the ultimate image quality — for professionals
Weight: 494 g (17.4 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.3 x 10 cm (2.8 x 3.9 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.33 m (1.1 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.2x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G is the best zoom lens for professionals and serious amateurs who are after the ultimate image quality.
Compared to the previously mentioned Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8, it delivers even better image quality, has more physical controls, and provides an extra 1mm on the wide-angle side. This is why it’s also on the pricier side.
If photography is solely a fun hobby for you, then you probably won’t care about the differences in image quality between this Sony lens and the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8. Serious amateurs and professionals would benefit from this Sony lens, though, as it does a much better job than the Tamron lens at preventing reflections, flares, ghosts, and aberrations.
With this Sony lens, you’ll get outstandingly sharp results and top-notch image quality throughout the zoom range. Bokeh is also incredibly smooth, whereas the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 suffers from strong onion ring bokeh. Again, this probably only matters to professionals.
Autofocus on this Sony lens is fast, accurate, and silent. The fixed f/2.8 aperture also helps deliver crisp and noise-free results even in low-light situations.
On the downside, unlike the Tamron lens, this lens lacks image stabilization, so if you’re planning to shoot videos, you’ll want to pair it with a gimbal to get smooth results. The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 is also better for portrait and macro shots due to its larger focal range.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want the ultimate image quality & professional-level results and are willing to pay whatever it takes.
🎈 Best “Do-It-All” Lens: Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6
The best all in one lens for Sony A6000 — multi-purposeful & good for just about anything
Weight: 325 g (11.5 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.7 x 8.8 cm (2.6 x 3.4 in)
Filter diameter: 55 mm (2.1 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.45 m (1.4 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.29x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is a versatile all-in-one lens that allows you to shoot everything from landscapes and wildlife to close-ups without having to switch lenses.
Its generous focal range makes it one of the absolute best zoom lenses for Sony A6000 in terms of multi-purposefulness. On top of that, it’s also very lightweight, compact, and portable.
This lens delivers spectacular image quality. There’s excellent central sharpness even when shooting wide-open at 135mm. Distortions and vignetting are minimal, and autofocus is very accurate, quick, and silent.
This lens also comes with built-in image stabilization, so you can get sharp and blur-free photos even when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. Thanks to its close focusing distance and 0.29x magnification ratio, this lens can also be used for casual macro shots.
On the downside, this lens has quite a narrow aperture, so it’s not the best for low-light situations as you might need to use noise-inducing ISO settings. There’s also no weather-sealing, and you’ll notice some edge softness at 135mm, too.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you don’t enjoy having to switch between different lenses and would prefer just one multipurpose lens that can do it all.
🎥 Best Zoom Lens for Videos: Sony 18-105mm F4
A versatile “do-it-all” lens that’s especially suitable for vlogging & everyday videos
Weight: 427 g (15.1 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.8 x 11 cm (3 x 4.3 in)
Filter diameter: 72 mm (2.8 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.45 m (1.4 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.11x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS is another “do-it-all” lens that can’t match up to the previously mentioned Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 in terms of sharpness and portability.
However, it still delivers decently good image quality and more importantly, is a fantastic lens for videos. This lens has a big focal range, built-in image stabilization, and unlike the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 — a fixed aperture which makes a big difference for video quality.
Here’s why this lens has an advantage on videos: its large focal range makes it suitable for many different kinds of videos. At the shorter end, 18mm is perfect for vlogs, and at the longer end, 105mm is amazing for close-ups with smooth bokeh.
The fixed f/4 aperture allows the exposure level of your videos to stay constant as you zoom in and out — making these transitions smooth and natural. This lens is also equipped with image stabilization, which prevents blurs and shakes when you’re shooting handheld videos.
On the downside, there’s visible pincushion distortion (straight lines bending inward), and sharpness decreases towards the corners of the frame. This lens is also quite bulky and not weather-sealed.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you plan to shoot more videos than photos, and want a large focal range suitable for a variety of videos. (If you don’t care about videos, then the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 will deliver much better overall image quality.)
🏞 Best Wide Angle Lenses for Sony A6000
Wide-angle lenses allow more of the scene to be included in the photo, which is very useful for landscape, architectural, and interior photography, where you may not be able to move farther from the scene to include it all in the frame.
An APS-C wide-angle lens has a maximum focal length of 24mm. Here are the best Sony A6000 wide angle lenses, including prime and zoom lenses.
🏞 Best Value Wide-Angle Lens: Sigma 16mm F1.4
A budget-friendly lens that delivers top-quality performance — even in low light
Weight: 405 g (14.3 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.2 x 9.2 cm (2.8 x 3.6 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.25 m (0.8 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.1x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is an extremely sharp wide-angle prime that’s budget-friendly, and yet, delivers premium image quality. It can also tackle a variety of low-light situations thanks to its fast aperture. For its low price, it truly offers spectacular value.
This lens has a sturdy, enduring, and weather-sealed build. It’s also outstandingly sharp edge-to-edge, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.4, which is super impressive. Distortions and flares are also barely noticeable.
Autofocus is excellent as well; it grabs focus impressively fast in both bright and dim lighting conditions, and tracks moving subjects very accurately. On top of that, this fast-aperture lens captures spectacular bokeh when you shoot subjects from a close distance.
On the downside, there’s no image stabilization, but to be honest, the fast f/1.4 aperture takes away the need for it when it comes to photos, as it allows you to get sharp and blur-free handheld shots even in dim lighting conditions.
For handheld videos, though, I recommend using a gimbal stabilizer. Overall, at its price point, you won’t find a better wide-angle lens.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want an extremely sharp wide-angle prime lens that offers stunning low-light performance and great bokeh.
🏞 Top Ultra-Wide Angle Lens: Laowa 9mm F2.8
An ultra-wide lens that delivers close-to-zero distortion & premium optics
Weight: 215 g (7.5 oz.)
Size (WxL): 5.3 x 6 cm (2 x 2.3 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.12 m (0.39 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.13x
Autofocus: No
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D is one of the widest wide-angle lenses you can get for the Sony A6000. The most impressive thing about it is that its premium-quality optics and close-to-zero distortion are very rare for lenses this wide.
This lens really shows close-to-zero distortion: straight lines remain perfectly straight all the way to the edges of the frame. On top of that, it is also incredibly sharp edge-to-edge and very useful in low-light situations.
In fact, it’s one of the best Sony A6000 astrophotography lenses thanks to its fast aperture, ultra-wide field of view, and great coma control. It also has a sturdy build and a very reasonable price — offering excellent value for money.
To top it off, this lens is also impressively compact and travel-friendly. Other ultra-wide-angle lenses with a similar focal length are usually much heavier and twice as expensive, or simply don’t offer an aperture as wide as f/2.8.
On the downside, this lens lacks autofocus, so you’re limited to focusing manually. There’s also some visible vignetting at all apertures and no image stabilization.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want an ultra-wide field of view and don’t mind focusing manually.
🏞 Top Medium-Wide Angle Lens: Sony 24mm F1.8
A super sharp wide-angle lens that dabbles in environmental portraits too
Weight: 225 g (8 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.3 x 65 cm (2.4 x 2.5 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.16 m (0.52 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.25x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA is the best wide-angle lens for you if you prefer working with a focal length that’s closer to the normal eye level.
In fact, while this compact and travel-friendly wide-angle lens isn’t the best for the widest frames, it’s perfect for environmental portraits and street shots.
This lens is very useful in low-light conditions thanks to its bright f/1.8 aperture. Normally, wide-angle lenses aren’t the best for bokeh, but because this lens focuses super closely (0.16 m / 0.52 ft), it’s capable of achieving a shallow depth of field and gorgeous bokeh.
Moreover, image quality is absolutely phenomenal. Even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8, this lens delivers exceptional sharpness edge-to-edge. It also has impressive flare and ghost control as well as very low levels of distortion. Autofocus is fast and accurate, too.
On the downside, there’s no weather-sealing, no image stabilization, and some vignetting when shooting wide-open. This lens is also pretty pricey. With that said, if you’re looking for a medium-wide-angle lens with superb image quality, then it’s hard to find a better choice.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a wide-angle lens with a field of view that’s closer to the normal eye level and you’re a fan of bokeh.
🏞 Best Wide-Angle Zoom Lens: Sony 10-18mm F4
The best landscape lens for Sony A6000 — packs incredible value in a tiny package
Weight: 225 g (7.9 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.4 x 7 cm (2.5 x 2.7 in)
Filter diameter: 62 mm (2.4 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.25 m (0.8 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.1x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS is an ultra-wide-angle zoom that packs fantastic optics and superb performance all in one tiny, lightweight lens.
It’s the widest wide-angle zoom lens you can get for the Sony A6000, and given its useful focal range and compact build, it’s perfect to travel with. In fact, its zoom range is perfect for landscape and architecture shots.
Even when shooting at f/4, this lens delivers incredible sharpness. It also has great control over distortions and chromatic aberrations. Apart from high-quality photos, you also get stunning vlogs and handheld videos with this lens thanks to its built-in image stabilization.
This lens’s image stabilization and fixed f/4 aperture also allow it to perform well in low-light situations. Of course, it’s not as effective in the dark as an f/2.8 aperture lens would be, but you can definitely get some pretty cool night sky shots with this lens.
On the downside, while this lens focuses quickly under bright lighting conditions, it can struggle to focus accurately in low-light situations or with subjects of low contrast. Given its relatively high price tag, it’s also a shame that this lens isn’t weather-sealed.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a lightweight and travel-friendly wide-angle zoom lens that delivers great overall quality for both photos and videos.
💸 Top Budget Wide-Angle Lens: Rokinon 12mm F2.0
An ultra-wide lens that delivers spectacular low-light performance & professional results
Weight: 245 g (8.64 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.2 x 5.9 cm (2.8 x 2.3 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.2 m (0.65 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.09x
Autofocus: No
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS is a budget-friendly wide-angle prime lens that delivers way beyond a budget performance. In fact, this lens offers professional results, spectacular image quality, and very impressive low-light performance.
This lens is also fantastic for astrophotography as it has rock-solid coma control, a fast aperture, and an ultra-wide field of view. For its low price tag, it truly provides excellent value for money.
This sturdy lens is super light and compact, but image quality isn’t compromised one bit by its size: there’s superb sharpness throughout the frame, even wide-open at f/2.0. Distortions are minimal, and the little you see can be easily corrected via editing software like Lightroom.
The biggest downside of this lens, though, is that it lacks autofocus, so you’re limited to focusing manually. Keep in mind that if you’re planning to shoot in the dark, autofocus would be pretty useless anyway.
Another downside is that chromatic aberrations are quite visible at the corners of the frame (also easily removable on Lightroom).
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want the most budget-friendly wide-angle lens without compromising on image quality and performance.
👧🏻 Best Portrait Lenses for Sony A6000
To take the best portraits on an APS-C camera like the Sony A6000, look for a prime lens with a focal length of 50mm or longer. Prime lenses have very fast apertures, which allow you to achieve sharp subject-background separation and stunning background blur (bokeh).
You can also go for a 30mm or 35mm prime lens if you want to take wider shots such as environmental portraits or do some street photography. These focal lengths are also great for casual everyday shots and are a bit more versatile compared to the longer 50mm+ prime lenses.
Here are the best Sony A6000 prime lenses for portraits.
👧🏻 The Best Value Portrait Lens: Sony E 50mm F1.8
A very light & affordable lens that offers everything you could need for portraits
Weight: 202 g (7.2 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.2 x 6.2 cm (2.4 x 2.4 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.39 m (1.28 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.16x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS is hands down one of the best Sony A6000 portrait lenses you can invest in. It’s super light, affordable, and has very few flaws. In fact, it packs incredible value into its low price tag and offers everything you could possibly need to take fantastic portraits.
This lens is especially sharp in the center of the frame, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.8. You also won’t notice any real distortions, and the fast f/1.8 aperture allows for smooth and gorgeous bokeh, which will take your portrait shots to the next level.
Moreover, this lens has built-in image stabilization, which means it will allow you to shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds without seeing blurs. Stabilization will also help you achieve smooth handheld videos. Autofocus is very fast, accurate, and silent.
On the downside, at fast apertures, there are some chromatic aberrations at the edges of the frame (which you can easily remove on programs like Lightroom, though). This lens also isn’t weather-sealed.
All in all, if you’re looking for an affordable lens with all the important traits needed for stunning portraitures, then look no further than the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a budget-friendly prime lens that offers all you could ever need for capturing stunning portraits.
👧🏻 The Sharpest Portrait Lens: Sigma 56mm F1.4
The best Sony A6000 portrait lens for razor-sharp results & the creamiest bokeh
Weight: 280 g (9.9 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.6 x 5.9 cm (2.6 x 2.3 in)
Filter diameter: 55 mm (2.1 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.50 m (1.64 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.14x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is the best portrait lens for you if you want the absolute sharpest and crispest shots without spending a fortune.
In fact, this lens is significantly sharper than the previously mentioned Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS and delivers even creamier bokeh in comparison, thanks to its faster f/1.4 aperture.
For its small size and low price tag, this lens offers excellent value. It is razor-sharp from edge to edge, even wide-open at f/1.4. It also has a premium build quality and focuses quickly and accurately.
Its fast f/1.4 aperture allows you to capture sharp and blur-free photos even in dim lighting conditions — in fact, you won’t even notice the lack of image stabilization on this lens unless you plan to shoot video.
On the downside, there’s visible pincushion distortion (straight lines bending inward), although that’s an easy one-click fix on Lightroom.
This lens is also not weather-sealed and it’s not the best for videos due to lack of image stabilization. If videos are important to you, then the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS is without a doubt a better option.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want the sharpest and crispest portrait shots with the creamiest bokeh.
👧🏻 Best Portrait + Everyday Lens: Sigma 30mm F1.4
The most versatile Sony A6000 portrait lens — perfect for general everyday shots too
Weight: 265 g (9.3 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.4 x 7.3 cm (2.5 x 2.8 in)
Filter diameter: 52 mm (2 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.30 m (0.9 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.14x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is the best lens for you if you prefer a portrait lens with a field of view that’s closer to the normal eye level.
At 30mm, this lens allows you to capture more of your close surroundings than a 50mm lens would, making it a better choice for general everyday photos, environmental portraits, and street photography.
This lens is extremely sharp across the frame even at f/1.4 and delivers fantastic image quality. Its super-fast f/1.4 aperture allows you to take sharp and noise-free shots in low-light conditions, too. Most importantly, this lens creates super creamy and beautiful bokeh, which is quite instrumental for portraits.
Price-wise, this lens is super budget-friendly. It’s also very compact and focuses quietly and accurately even in dim lighting. It truly is one of the best value portrait lenses that you can get for any Sony APS-C mirrorless.
On the downside, this lens isn’t ideal for videos as it lacks image stabilization. It also isn’t weather-sealed, and there are visible chromatic aberrations as well as some barrel distortion. However, both of those things can be easily fixed in post-processing.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a top-notch portrait lens that’s also useful for general everyday shots.
👧🏻 Best Close-Up Portrait Lens: Sony 85mm F1.8
A top-value mid-range telephoto lens perfect for headshots, events, sports & bokeh
Weight: 371 g (13.1 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.8 x 8.2 cm (3 x 3.2 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.80 m (2.6 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.13x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is a full-frame lens that works perfectly well on the Sony A6000. When mounted on the Sony A6000 (or any other APS-C camera), its field of view is equivalent to a 130mm full-frame focal length, which makes this lens perfect for close-up portraits and headshots.
This mid-range telephoto lens allows you to capture subjects from a large distance and is therefore very suitable for sports, events, and discreet street photography as well. It also offers exceptional value for money when it comes to performance and optics.
This lens is extremely sharp edge-to-edge at every aperture and is resistant to distortions, ghosts, and flares. It’s also the ultimate A6000 portrait lens for smooth and creamy bokeh thanks to its very long focal length and fast f/1.8 aperture.
Its fast aperture also allows for fantastic low-light performance despite the lack of image stabilization. Moreover, autofocus is not only fast and reliable but also completely silent.
The only downside is that there’s strong vignetting at wider apertures, although that’s very easy to fix in post-processing. All in all, this is the most affordable 85mm prime lens with autofocus for the Sony A6000, and for a lens of its kind, it’s also relatively small, lightweight, and inexpensive.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a telephoto portrait lens to shoot close-ups and situations where the subject is far away: events, sports, performances, etc.
🔮 If you’re planning to shoot portraits and lots of detailed close-ups, check out my review for the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS. It’s a specialized macro lens that also doubles as an incredibly sharp portrait lens.
🔍 Best Macro Lenses for Sony A6000
Macro lenses are specialized in capturing extremely detailed close-up shots of small subjects such as insects, flowers, and water droplets.
These lenses have a 1:1 magnification ratio, which ensures the subject appears large in your photo. They also have a close focusing distance of around 0.30 m (0.98 ft) or less so that every tiny detail of the subject can be seen.
To get macro shots of insects and bugs, consider a lens with a focal length of at least 60mm so that you can shoot from further away — if you get too close to them, you might scare them away. For medium-sized subjects like flowers, food, or products, any focal length above 30mm would suffice.
🐝 The Best Budget Macro Lens: Sony 30mm F3.5
The smallest, lightest & most affordable macro lens for the Sony A6000
Weight: 138 g (4.8 oz.)
Size (WxL): 5.5 x 6 cm (2.2 x 2.4 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.09 m (0.3 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 1.0x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro is the smallest, lightest, and most affordable macro lens for the Sony A6000. It has a perfectly versatile field of view, which makes it great for not just detailed close-ups, but also for general everyday shots.
With that said, this is not the best lens to shoot insects with, and it’s also not the most ideal macro lens, but if you’re on a tight budget, then look no further. Overall, this lens delivers impressive image quality. It is extremely sharp at the center of the frame even at f/3.5.
While the edges are soft, this shouldn’t matter for macro shots as it actually gives you a shallow depth of field, which is something you’d want for close-ups. Bokeh quality is very smooth and creamy, and autofocus is very fast and accurate. There are also no visible flares or distortions.
The main downside of this lens is that given its short 30mm focal length and very close minimum focusing distance of 0.09 m (0.32 ft), you’ll need to get very close to the subject you’re shooting in order to get 1:1 magnification.
This can lead you to block out light and cast unwanted shadows. Plus, if you’re shooting insects or bugs, they might get scared by you getting too close and fly away.
This lens is also not a low-light king given its narrow aperture. If you’re looking for a general-purpose prime lens that can tackle low-light situations as well, then the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN is a far better option. Though it’s not a specialized macro lens, it does offer decent close-up capability.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want the most affordable & lightest macro lens and don’t need edge-to-edge sharpness, low-light performance, or the best insect shots.
🐝 The Best Value Macro Lens: Sigma 70mm F2.8
An affordable macro lens that delivers top-notch image quality & low-light performance
Weight: 570 g (20.1 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7 x 13.2 cm (2.8 x 5.2 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.25 m (0.8 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 1.0x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art is the best macro lens to get if you want top-notch macro shots without spending an arm and a leg. By top-notch, I mean truly impeccable image quality.
In fact, this lens produces even sharper results than the previously mentioned Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro and is overall a much better lens for detailed close-ups, too.
This affordable lens offers exceptional value for money. It is razor-sharp edge-to-edge throughout the whole aperture range. It also barely shows any chromatic aberrations, flares, distortions, or ghosts.
On top of that, you’ll get very creamy bokeh as well as fantastic low-light performance thanks to its fast f/2.8 aperture. For a lens of its kind, it’s also really reasonably priced and compact.
On the downside, autofocus is a bit slow. This doesn’t matter much if you’re shooting still subjects like flowers or food, but it’s definitely not ideal for fast-moving subjects like insects and bugs because they may fly away before your camera has had a chance to focus.
If you’re planning to shoot fast-moving subjects, I recommended going for the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro instead.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want top-notch macro shots that are sharp edge-to-edge and don’t plan to shoot many fast-moving subjects such as bugs or insects.
🐝 The Ultimate Macro Lens: Sony FE 90mm F2.8
An extremely sharp lens that offers everything you’d need for the ultimate macro shots
Weight: 602 g (21.3 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.9 x 13 cm (3.1 x 5.1 in)
Filter diameter: 62 mm (2.4 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.28 m (0.9 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 1.0x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS is the ultimate lens to invest in if you’re serious about macro photography and want the absolute sharpest and most detailed results. In fact, this lens is one of the sharpest Sony lenses in the market today and doubles as a close-up portrait lens, too.
This is a full-frame lens, so when mounted on the Sony A6000, you’ll get a 135mm full-frame equivalent field of view, which lets you get super close to your subjects while keeping a great working distance from them.
That’s why this is the best macro lens for microscopic subjects like bugs and insects — you can shoot comfortably from further away and won’t have to risk scaring them away by getting too close or casting unwanted shadows.
When it comes to performance, optics, and ease of use, it simply doesn’t get better than this lens. It is flawlessly sharp at all apertures, even wide-open at f/2.8. Autofocus is very fast and accurate, and bokeh is incredibly creamy and smooth.
This lens also shows no distortions, flares, nor ghosts, and performs excellently in low-light conditions. It’s also very user-friendly. To switch between autofocus and manual focus, you just need to push the focus ring out or pull it back in — there’s no need to flip a switch!
Unlike the previous two macro lenses mentioned in this guide, this lens also has built-in image stabilization, which makes it great for videos too. Moreover, its focal length is perfect for portraits as well.
The only downside is that autofocus can be a bit noisy, which might be disruptive when shooting in quiet environments. However, if you want to have everything you could possibly need to master macro photography, then there’s truly no better option.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want the most user-friendly macro lens to get the absolute sharpest macro shots, and plan to shoot tiny microscopic subjects, like bugs.
🦉 Best Telephoto Lenses for Sony A6000
To take close-up shots of wildlife or subjects far away from you, you’ll need a lens that can reach very far, without the need for you to move closer. That’s where telephoto lenses come in. These lenses allow you to capture subjects from a large distance and they typically have a minimum focal length of 70mm.
If you want to maximize reach, go for a super-telephoto lens, which typically has a focal length of 300mm or more. Here are the best Sony A6000 telephoto lenses.
🦉 Best Value Tele Lens: Sony 70-350mm F4.5-6.3
A very portable & versatile telephoto lens that delivers outstanding image quality
Weight: 625 g (22.1 oz.)
Size (WxL): 7.7 x 14.2 cm (3 x 5.5 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 1.1 m (3.61 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.23x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS is a versatile telephoto lens with a generous focal range that’s suitable for a variety of things, including wildlife, close-up landscapes, sports, and discreet street photography. It even has some macro capability, too!
This impressive telephoto lens packs big performance into a lightweight and compact package — without compromising one bit on image quality. Autofocus is very fast, silent, and accurate. It also tracks moving subjects effectively, which is perfect for wildlife photography.
With its built-in image stabilization, you can take sharp and blur-free handheld shots even at 350mm. There’s also really good ghost and flare control, and very minimal chromatic aberration.
This lens delivers outstanding edge-to-edge sharpness throughout the zoom range, even when shooting wide-open. Though it has quite a slow aperture, bokeh is still smooth and creamy at the longer end, especially at 350mm.
On the downside, because of its dim aperture, this lens is not the best for low-light situations. There’s also some visible pincushion distortion (which you can fix with just one click on editing software like Lightroom).
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a portable, versatile, and outstandingly sharp telephoto lens that’s suitable for a variety of situations.
🌃 Fastest Telephoto Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F2.8
The best Sony A6000 telephoto lens for low-light performance & spectacular bokeh
Weight: 810 g (28.5 oz.)
Size (WxL): 8.1 x 14.9 cm (3.1 x 5.8 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.85 m (2.7 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.21x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD is the best value fast-aperture telephoto lens you can get for the Sony A6000. It packs exceptional quality and optics in a very reasonable price tag, especially given its brilliant f/2.8 aperture.
This is a full-frame lens, so when mounted on the Sony A6000, you’ll get a 105-270mm full-frame equivalent field of view, which is a great zoom range for a variety of photography niches, including wildlife, sports, events, and portrait.
With this lens’s bright aperture, you can also get high-quality, noise-free shots in dim lighting as well as gorgeous bokeh. In fact, if you value bokeh quality and low-light performance, then this is the telephoto lens for you.
Even when shooting wide-open, this lens is very sharp in the center of the frame, throughout the zoom range. Corner-sharpness is also impressive, although there are some soft edges at 180mm.
Flares and ghosts are very well-controlled, and autofocus is accurate, fast, and silent. This lens also has a sturdy build that’s resistant to splash and dust.
On the downside, this lens lacks image stabilization. Granted, the bright f/2.8 aperture does make up for it, but if you’re planning to shoot with a very slow shutter speed at 180mm, then consider using a tripod. (If you’re planning to do a lot of low-light work, a tripod would be necessary anyway.)
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want a fast-aperture telephoto lens that delivers fantastic low-light shots and stunning bokeh.
🦉 Best Super Tele Lens: Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3
The best value Sony A6000 lens for wildlife photography & very faraway subjects
Weight: 1140 g (40.2 oz.)
Size (WxL): 8.6 x 19.9 cm (3.4 x 7.8 in)
Filter diameter: 67 mm (2.6 in)
Minimum focus distance: 1.12 m (3.6 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.24x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM is the ultimate telephoto lens for wildlife photography thanks to its very mighty telephoto reach.
When you mount this full-frame lens on the Sony A6000, you’ll get a whopping 150-600mm full-frame equivalent field of view. On top of that, this lens is also suitable for sports and close-up landscape shots.
The image quality of this lens is nothing short of spectacular. Thanks to its built-in image stabilization, you can get sharp and blur-free handheld shots even at 400mm.
This lens is also very sharp edge-to-edge across the whole zoom range. Distortions, flares, ghosting, and color-fringing are also all kept at a minimum level.
Under bright lighting conditions, this lens focuses very quickly and accurately. It also effortlessly tracks fast-moving subjects, which comes in very handy for wildlife photography.
When you take into account the very generous focal range and reasonable price that this lens offers, there’s truly fantastic value for money here.
On the downside, there’s no weather-sealing, and bokeh isn’t the smoothest. Moreover, because of its dim aperture, this lens doesn’t fare well in low light situations. In fact, your low-light shots are likely to be grainy, and autofocus is also quite slow in dim lighting.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you plan to shoot lots of wildlife and other faraway subjects, and want a top value telephoto zoom lens with incredible focal reach.
🦉 Best Budget Tele Lens: Sony 55-210mm F4.5-6.3
The smallest, lightest & most affordable telephoto lens for the Sony A6000
Weight: 345 g (12.2 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.4 x 10.7 cm (2.5 x 4.2 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 1 m (3.28 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.225x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: Yes
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS is the best fit for you if photography is purely a fun hobby for you and you simply want the most affordable telephoto lens possible.
In fact, this lens is significantly less expensive than all the other telephoto lenses mentioned above. The catch is that its image quality is pretty mediocre.
Let’s start with the positives: this lens is super light and portable, especially for a telephoto lens. It also has built-in image stabilization, which helps you get blur-free handheld shots even at 210mm.
The build quality is pretty solid even though there’s no weather-sealing, and autofocus is reasonably fast and silent. There’s also decent bokeh at 210mm.
Now let’s talk image quality. At 55mm f/4.5, this lens is very sharp edge-to-edge. However, sharpness drops significantly once you reach the telephoto zoom range.
Between 130mm and 210mm, image quality falls below the minimum standard of what’s considered sharp, and you’d have to stop down to about f/8 to get sharp results, which can be quite limiting.
In addition, there’s also some pincushion distortion as well as a bit of vignetting, although both of these issues can be easily fixed with editing programs like Adobe Lightroom. Due to its dim aperture range, this lens is also not great for low-light situations.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want the most portable & affordable telephoto lens and are happy to sacrifice some image quality to get that.
🎥 Best Video Lenses for Sony A6000
There are a couple of things to look for when choosing the best Sony A6000 lens for video.
First, look for a lens with a fixed aperture. This will allow the exposure level of your video to stay constant as you zoom in and out — making these transitions look smooth and natural. You might also want a lens with a wide fixed aperture (f/2.8 or wider) for beautiful bokeh and good low-light performance.
A good Sony A6000 video lens should also have built-in image stabilization. This prevents videos that are shot handheld from coming out shaky or blurry. If your preferred lens doesn’t have image stabilization, you can always pair it with a video stabilizer kit.
If you’re looking for the best vlogging lens for the Sony A6000, consider a wide-angle lens (max 24mm focal length) with a minimum focusing distance of around 0.30 m (1 ft) or less so that you can easily stay in focus while talking to the camera.
Here are some of the best Sony A6000 lenses for videos in 2023. You can click on the links to jump to the detailed review section of each lens.
☀️ Best everyday Sony A6000 video lens: Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
This sharp lens has a great general-purpose zoom range, image stabilization, and a fixed wide aperture that’s great for bokeh & low light. Its close focusing distance of 0.19 m (0.62 ft) at 17mm also makes it excellent for vlogging.
🎥 Best Sony A6000 vlogging lens: Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS
This wide-angle lens has a close focusing distance of 0.25 m (0.82 ft), which is perfect for vloggers who enjoy talking to the camera. You can also showcase more of your surroundings with this lens’s wide field of view. This lens also has a fixed aperture and image stabilization.
🎈 Best “do-it-all” Sony A6000 video lens: Sony E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS
This versatile lens has a large focal range that’s perfect for both close-ups and vlogs. It also has a fixed aperture and image stabilization. Bokeh is beautiful at the telephoto end, and for its generous focal range, this lens is also pretty lightweight.
💸 Best budget Sony A6000 video lens: Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS
Though the fixed 50mm focal length may be a bit limiting, this lens is stabilized, affordable, and has a fixed wide aperture that’s great for bokeh and low light. The focal length is not wide enough for selfie vlogs, though.
🐠 Best Fisheye Lens for Sony A6000
A fisheye lens is an ultra-wide-angle lens that uses strong distortions to help you create visuals from a fish eye’s perspective. If you want to have some fun and get creative with your Sony A6000, then this is a great type of lens to play with.
🐠 Best Sony A6000 Fisheye Lens: Rokinon 8mm F2.8
A top value wide-angle lens that’s perfect for both fisheye shots & astrophotography
Weight: 290 g (10.2 oz.)
Size (WxL): 6.3 x 5.8 cm (2.5 x 2.3 in)
Filter diameter: None
Minimum focus distance: 0.3 m (0.98 ft)
Autofocus: No
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Rokinon 8mm f/2.8 UMC Fisheye II is not only an excellent fisheye lens but also fantastic for astrophotography. This is thanks to its very fast f/2.8 aperture, ultra-wide focal length, and excellent coma control. This lens is also very compact, lightweight, and affordable.
In terms of image quality, this lens is very impressive. It is outstandingly sharp even wide-open, especially at the center of the frame. Edge-sharpness is also superb wide-open.
This lens also has a very sturdy build quality, and its fast f/2.8 aperture allows for sharp and noise-free shots even in low-light situations. In fact, you can get some gorgeous starry night sky and Milky Way shots with this lens!
On the downside, this lens lacks autofocus, so you’re limited to focusing manually. If you’re a beginner, this is very easy to learn, especially on an ultra-wide-angle lens like this one.
There are also visible chromatic aberrations towards the edges of the frame. Overall, though, this is a top-value lens to capture fun, creative, and unique shots with your Sony A6000.
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you want to explore your creativity and take more “unusual” shots without spending too much.
🥞 Best Pancake Lens for Sony A6000
Unfortunately, pancake lenses have nothing to do with delicious breakfast carbs or maple syrup. They’re simply incredibly small and lightweight lenses — so light that you’ll barely feel their weight at all. As you can imagine, these lenses are particularly great for travel and street photography, especially if you’re a minimalist and prefer packing light.
🥞 Best Sony A6000 Pancake Lens: Sony 20mm F2.8
The most compact & lightweight general-purpose lens for the Sony A6000
Weight: 69 g (2.4 oz.)
Size (WxL): 2 x 6.3 cm (0.8 x 2.5 in)
Filter diameter: 49 mm (1.9 in)
Minimum focus distance: 0.2 m (0.66 ft)
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.12x
Autofocus: Yes
Image stabilization: No
Sample photos: Click here
A closer look:
The Sony E 20mm f/2.8 is one of the smallest lenses for the Sony A6000 that you can get. In fact, it weighs a mere 69 g (2.4 oz.) and will essentially make your Sony A6000 feel as light as a point-and-shoot camera. The great thing is that despite its small size, there’s very little compromise on image quality.
When shooting wide-open, this lens is sufficiently sharp across the frame. Its bright f/2.8 aperture helps you achieve sharp and blur-free results even in dim lighting. Moreover, autofocus is fast, accurate, and silent. There’s great ghost and flare control, too.
This lens is also decently affordable, and its wide, versatile focal length makes it suitable for a variety of photography niches, including street photography, landscape, architecture, and general everyday shots.
On the downside, this lens isn’t dust nor splash-resistant. It also doesn’t have built-in image stabilization, although the bright f/2.8 aperture kind of makes up for it. In addition, there’s some vignetting and slight barrel distortion (both of which can be easily fixed on Lightroom, though).
📸 In short, this lens is for you if: you’re a minimalist and want the smallest and lightest high-quality lens you can find.
💭 Final Thoughts on Sony A6000 Best Lenses
I hope this Sony A6000 lenses guide was helpful and that you’ve found some great options here. If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment below. I’ll try my best to help you! 🙂
I hope this comprehensive guide on the best lenses for Sony A6000 has been helpful!
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