The 6 Best Lenses for the Sony A65
The Sony A65 is a great camera. If you don’t have a lens or are searching for another lens, this will talk about the best 6 lenses for the Sony SLT-A65.
More specifics are below, however if you are in a hurry, here is the list:
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- Standard Lens - Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT
- Portrait Lens - Sony 85mm F1.4 ZA CZ
- Zoom Lens - Sony 28-75mm f/2.8
- Wide Angle Lens - Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
- Fisheye Lens - Sony 16mm f/2.8
- Macro Lens - Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Beneath, the top Sony lenses are divided by type of photography. Also included are more alternatives ranging in price.
Standard Primes
Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT
- Outstanding optics.
- Small and light weight.
- Can be difficult to find new.
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM)
- Circular aperture.
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A superb mix of light weight and very small size. Smooth and quiet autofocus is powered from a built-in motor..
Rounded aperture blades allow you to close down by 2-stops and still have close to a completely circular aperture. The result is gorgeous bokeh and more versatility in controlling your depth of field.
Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm f/1.7
- Built-in lens hood.
- Amazing value.
- Light and compact.
- Widely available used.
- Coupled autofocus.
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This is one of the first lenses from the release of the A-mount. On account of how old the lens is, the autofocus is controlled by a motor built into the A65 camera body.
Mechanically coupled autofocus can be sluggish and fairly noisy. However, if that’s not a problem for you the picture quality is terrific. {The bokeh is eye-catching and you’ll end up getting a classic rendering|You’ll end up with a classic look and pleasant bokeh.
Another large benefit of this lens is the cost. It’s drastically less expensive than the Sony 50mm f/1.8 and also could be the lowest priced lens on the list.
Sony 50mm f/1.4
- Outstanding optics.
- Optical multi-coatings.
- Circular aperture.
- 55mm filter threads.
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A little bit faster than the f/1.8, nevertheless that can make a difference when you are working without much light. That definitely comes at an additional expense.
It is still a lightweight and compact lens that works well on the A65 and will fit into almost any camera bag.
A possibly more affordable alternative is the Minolta AF 50mm f/1.4. Keep in mind that copies can be quite challenging to get a hold of in good usable condition. It also uses physically coupled autofocus, which is slower and louder than lenses with built-in motors}.
Portrait & Telephoto Lens
Sony 85mm f/1.4 ZA
- Incredible bokeh.
- Excellent value used.
- T* coating to reduce flare and increase contrast.
- Astonishingly sharp wide open.
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Sony wanted to show off with this lens. The lens was built by Zeiss. The ZA (Zeiss Alpha) denotes that Zeiss created the lens exclusively for the Sony A-mount.
This lens is extraordinary. Razor sharp corner-to-corner with brilliant colors that creates amazing portrait photos.
Potential downsides are that it is a lttle bit on the heavy side on account of being built like a tank and it can seem slow to autofocus. Take into account, that you’ll run into those same issues with any f/1.4 85mm.
Minolta Maxxum AF 85mm f/1.4
- Possible to find a good used deal.
- Superb image quality.
- Uses autofocus coupler.
- Double-Gauss design.
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In terms of price, the lens fits between the others. Locating a used lens in usable condition will likely be challenging due to a small available supply.
The lens does have autofocus, but it uses a mechanical coupler and is driven by an in-camera body motor. This means the lens will be sluggish and somewhat loud.
The lens is an older 6 lens element Double-Gauss design. That’s not a negative as the lens renders a distinct appearance that is not able to be produced using a contemporary lens.
Sony A65 Zoom Lenses
Sony 28-75mm f/2.8
- Very usable zoom range.
- Great value used.
- Constant aperture.
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM).
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A fast zoom lens that is perfect for night events, travel, indoor shooting, and family photos. The autofocus is quiet and the lens is well designed.
The lens is often compared to the legendary Zeiss 24-70mm lens, but it’s approximately half the weight and costs less. Both create pro images.
Sony 55-200mm f/4-5.6 SAM DT
- Telephoto zoom range.
- Great for portrait or wildlife photography.
- Smooth Autofocus Motor (SAM).
- Inexpensive.
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While still delivering outstanding results, this is a cheaper solution. Even though it’s not a pro lens, so assuming that you do not expect all the bells and whistles, it is a very good lens.
For a telephoto zoom, it offers a terrific range for shooting photos of wildlife, children outdoors, and sports.
The autofocus is fast and it renders sharp photos. It is made out of plastic, which helps reduce weight.
Sony 75-300mm f/4.5-5.6
- Super telephoto zoom lens.
- Great for portrait or wildlife photography.
- 2.81 inches in diameter and 4.81 inches long.
- 55mm filter threads.
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This is a super-telephoto lens due to the zoom range. It is an outstanding affordable alternative for when you need a lots of reach.
The lens is only 2.8 inches (7.1 cm) in diameter, 4.8 inches (12.2 cm) long, and is 1 pound 2 ounces (510g). While not light, many professional zooms are several times that weight.
For just a little improved capabilities you can look for the Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SSM ED G-Series, however plan on spending just about double the price.
Wide Angle Lens
Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
- Has a aspherical lens elements.
- Optical multi-coatings.
- Great value when purchased used.
- Circular aperture.
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Incredible quality for the price if you want to capture beautiful wide angle shots that a standard zoom can’t get. Distortion, especially of vertical lines is minimal or non-apparent unless you are intentionally trying to create an distorted perspective.
Along with being awesome at taking gorgeous landscapes, it’s an excellent lens to travel with. The lens is wide enough so that when you see something you will be able to get everything you see into the Sony A65’s frame.
Sony 20mm f/2.8
- Great for landscapes and architecture.
- Coated optics for clarity and definition.
- Rear focusing system for fast autofocus response.
- 72mm filter threads.
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It’s a well-corrected lens that does an amazing job of reducing lens distortion. Furthermore, a tremendous amount of effort has been put into minimizing internal reflections and flare.
The result is an impressive lens that is ideal for landscape, architecture, and astrophotography. The rear focusing system means the front element does not rotate meaning you won’t have any challenges using a polarizer or different filter.
Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 DX II
- Wide angle zoom lens.
- Hardened Alumite finish.
- Advanced optical coatings.
- All metallic moving parts.
- Designed for APS-C Sensors.
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It does not have extremely fast autofocus, but the AF/MF focus clutch helps make it an outstanding option for manual focusing. A push or pull of the focus ring will switch the lens from manual to auto focus.
The Tokina has a larger aperture when compared with the Sony 11-18mm, which is not a huge issue for architecture or landscape photos. Where you will observe a big difference is during astrophotography. That’s a scenario where you will want to have the 1-2 stop advantage the Tokina supplies.
Fisheye
Sony 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye
- Sharp corner-to-corner.
- 4 built-in filters: Normal, 056, B12, A12.
- 8 inch minimum focus distance.
- Aspherical and Extra-low Dispersion elements.
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Having built-in filters is a very good addition due to the fact the lens has a petal-style hood which means a lens filter cannot be attached to the front of the lens.
- 056 - Accented contrast for black and white photos.
- B12 - Correct color by eliminating red tones.
- A12 - Correct color by eliminating blue tones.
This lens has just about everything you could need from a fisheye lens. You will obtain corner-to-corner sharpness without vignetting while still obtaining exaggerated distortion.
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye
- Internal focus.
- 180 degree angle of view.
- Manual focus.
- Minimum focusing distance of 12 inches (0.3m).
- Designed for APS-C sensors.
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The lens contains a bulbous front that means lens filters can not be attached. It has a detachable petal-style hood that you’ll want to confirm that it is included if you buy a pre-owned lens.
Quality will be some what hit or miss because of the very low price. Most owners are quite pleased with the results they get. It is still important to fully test out the lens when you receive it to make sure it isn’t a bad copy.
Macro Lens
Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro
- 9 aperture blades.
- Focus range limiter.
- High contrast and resolution.
- 55mm filter threads.
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A perfect balance of size, working distance, and value for the Sony A65. The autofocus can be a little noisy, but for taking macro images, manual focus is the way to go.
For ideal results at 1x magnification the lens really needs to be stopped down. Doing that will also give you a larger depth of field, which is very useful for macro.
Sony 50mm f/2.8 Macro
- 10.4 ounces (295g).
- Focus range limiter.
- Focus Hold button for full creative control.
- 55mm filter threads.
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A 50mm is not that good for 1:1 magnification due to how little working distance you’ll have. At 1:1 magnification, the front lens element will end up being about 2 inches (5 cm) away from the subject.
This lens performs well at copy work, close-up, and tabletop photography. It makes it easy to get closer to a subject than a standard 50mm lens, and is perfect for nature photography if you want to fill the frame with a small subject, such as a flower.
Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 Di SP A/M 1:1 Macro
- Available in a variety of camera mounts.
- Improved resolution, chromatic correction, and optical coatings.
- Super Performance (SP)
- Focus clutch to switch between AF & MF.
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The focus ring feels great when manually focusing, and it also has autofocus. Closed down at least a couple of stops and you’ll get tack sharp shots.
Also, be cautious when purchasing it as it is produced for several camera lens mounts.
Used A-Mount Camera Lens Prices
Prices are regularly in flux. Over the past few years, interest in film photography has been rising. Due to the fact that there are Minolta 35mm film cameras that use the A-mount, some additional demand is added to the price of lenses.
The Sony A-mount also doesn’t hold a sizeable share of the market. As a result, there are fewer third party options available and the lenses produced by Sony are occasionally on backorder.
To obtain the least expensive price, check out prices on multiple websites. For pre-owned lenses, be ready to make a purchase when you find a bargain as they will not last long.
What Lens Mount Does the A65 Use?
The Sony A65 uses the Sony A-mount. It’s also the same as the Minolta A-mount. This is because Sony acquired Konica Minolta’s imaging division in 2006.
The A-mount was created by Minolta for the introduction of interchangeable lens cameras with autofocus in 1985. It is still Supported by Sony.
Standard Lens Cap Size
55mm filter threads are the most common, but honestly the filter sizes are sporadic. Older Minolta lenses have 49mm filter threads.
Additionally, there are a good number of lenses that have larger filter threads than 55mm. It isn’t hard to find to see 72mm or 77mm filter threads. It would have been helpful if Sony lenses needed only 2 or 3 different filter sizes.