Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro Review

Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro Performance

Sharpness at the centre is simply excellent at all apertures. Fall off at f/16 from diffraction is minimal. The edges do not start off so well, and at f/2.8 are quite soft. Stopping down to f/4 gives very good sharpness and from f/5.6 to f/11 results are again excellent. At f/16 sharpness is still very good.

MTF Chart
 

How to read our charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.

The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution as LW/PH and is described in detail above. The taller the column, the better the lens performance.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony Alpha A7R II using Imatest.

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is highly corrected at the centre, approaching zero. The edges do show some fringing but it is not too apparent in most images and can always be tackled in software if necessary.

CA Chart
 

How to read our charts

Chromatic aberration is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Sony Alpha A7R II using Imatest.

The coatings are effective and even without a provided lens hood the front element is recessed enough to avoid any signs of flare.

Macro lenses tend to be very well corrected for distortion and this is no exception. There is just +0.0548% of pincushion distortion, which for most purposes will not be noticed and hardly needs any further correction.

Despite only having 7 diaphragm blades, the bokeh is still very pleasing. It is not as ultra-smooth perhaps as lenses specifically designed with bokeh in mind, but it is very satisfactory.

Value For Money

The Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens is priced at £499.00 and seems to be the only option for full frame E mount cameras in this focal length.

To see how its value matches up, we can look at the Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/2 Makro-Planar for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, priced at £949, or the SMC Pentax-D FA 50mm f/2.8 macro at £319. The Pentax lens is the closest in terms of specification and does cost rather less than the Sony. The f/2 aperture of the Zeiss commands a premium price. This suggests the Sony lens is reasonably priced, especially considering its generally excellent performance.

For more options have a look at the Top 10 Best Sony E Mount lenses, or have a look at the Top 10 Best Macro Lenses. 

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