After testing all my manual 50mm lenses, lets check out a newer construction – Sony FE 50mm F1.8. I bought it as a budget, AF capable, full frame 50mm prime. Will it beat the older lenses? Lets find out.
The lens is quite large for 50mm, but weighs only 165 grams without caps. As of June 2023 you can still buy it new for about 180 EUR. Used ones are usually 50-70 EUR cheaper.
Obviously, there is a lot of vignetting at F1.8, reaching well into the middle of the image. Things get much better at F2.8, with only the corners still showing quite a bit of vignetting. Stopped down to F4, there is only slight vignetting in the corners and outer edges of the image. Surprisingly, it stays that way up to F22. Color rendition is excellent and contrast is good.
As you would expect from a modern lens, the sharpness at wide apertures is very good, but not excellent. The image is a bit soft. From F2.8, sharpness is excellent throughout the frame except at F22, where it seems softer. Lens produces slight barrel distortion.
This is a pretty good lens for its price, but it’s not much better than the old ones. If you need AF or better coatings, go for it. But if you already have a good 50mm legacy lens and don’t mind using 40+ year old glass, you’ll be fine without this one.