My Top 3 E-Mount Lens for Shooting Portraits

Back when I first got my Sony Alpha a7ii there weren't that many lens to choose from, but now there's an adundance of lens to use ranging from Sigma to Zeiss. In this article, we’ll cover my favorite choices of portrait lenses for Sony’s E-mount and some alternative lens.

What makes a good portrait lens?

A lot of people associate a good portrait lens with the ability to create nice and blurred backgrounds while keeping the subject in focus. This is generally achieved with a fast f-stop like f/1.8 (this also depends on whether you're using a full frame). 85mm is probably the most popular focal length for portraits, but I like to also experiment around with other focal lengths which is why this list contains lens of different focal lengths.

Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8

This is honestly one of my favorite lens for shooting portraits. I have taken it with me on every trip. The build quality is great and the lens is super fast. This lens also has built-in image stabilization for those hand shot moments. The lens also has an OLED display which displays the distance and depth of field, but I don't use it very often.

Check out full review of the Zeiss Batis 85mm here.

Alternative Lens

Sony SEL85F18 85mm f/1.8

While this lens doesn't have the same build quality as the Zeiss, it has the same focal length and aperture at half the price. This is a great lens if you're getting started in photography and don't want to invest over $1000.

Sony FE 70-200mm f/4

If you don't like using fixed focal lengths, this lens is for you. It includes Optical Steady Shot which will help you shoot when you're not using a tripod. The lens has a certain degree of weather resistance as well.

Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8

Just like the Batis 85mm, this lens is build very well. I generally don't recommend using wide angel lens for portraits due to perspective distortion. This lens is generally better for full body shots that incorporate the background.

Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0

What? Another Zeiss lens? What can I say? I love how well made Zeiss lens are. This lens is quite unique because of the unconventional 40mm focal length. I actually really like it because it sits inbetween 35mm and 50mm. It's perfect for shooting portraits and street photography.

Alternative Lens

Sony Sonnar 35mm f/2.8

This lens is a much more traditional focal length at 35mm. It's also cheaper than the Batis at around $800.

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

This lens is a much more flexible since you can go from 16 to 35mm making it good for those moments you need a wider field of view and something more traditional like a 35mm.

Conclusion

Link to all the photos are in this album.

Which lens do you guys like to use for shooting portraits? Let me know in the comments section below!

Links to all the lens are here:

• Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8
• Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2.0
• Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8
• Sony FE 70-200mm f/4
• Sony SEL85F18 85mm f/1.8
• Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
• Sony SEL35F18 35mm f/1.8