Sony SEL-20F28 E-Mount 20mm F2.8 Prime Fixed Lens

Oh, wow, this lens is so much better than the 16mm (SEL-16F28). I know because I used to have the 16mm but sold it after getting this one. The 20mm is much sharper, better built, with a nice and versatile field of view. It also takes the two adapters sold for the 16mm (the wide-angle which I had for the 16mm makes this 20mm a 15mm; and the fish-eye which I don't yet have but intend to buy).In case anyone's interested, I own a NEX-6 and an A6000. I have most of the "reasonably priced" Sony E-mount lenses: the 20mm with the wide angle adapter; the 30mm Macro (a nice lens if you can get one for a good price), the 35mm prime (one of my favorite lenses for its field of view and its sharp, high-quality images); the 50mm prime (a nice lens, especially for portraits with good bokeh); the 16-50mm PZ kit lens (which I take along with the 20mm when I want to travel very light but still have a bit of a zoom on hand because it takes good, but not great, pictures as you can see clearly see once you've tried the primes); the 55-210 manual zoom (great range, nice and sharp shots, fairly bulky, but I got it for only $150 so can't complain) and the 18-105 PZ "G" lens (which is a superb carry-around lens if you don't mind its relative bulk--it's long and wide, but not too heavy). I've also tried the Sigma lenses (19 and 30mm) but thought, "These would be OK if they weren't so cheaply made (scratch easily) and so bulky and if they had OSS." So I returned them in spite of their low prices. I've also tried for a weekend, but decided not to buy, the Sony 10-18 and 16-70 zooms and the Zeiss Touit 32mm. These are built with high-quality materials and take great shots but they are way too expensive, in my opinion at least, for the relative increase in image quality over the much less expensive lenses.I'm sure somebody out there will want to quote image tests and pixel peeping comparisons to debate my opinion about this 20mm lens and/or the pricy Zeiss lenses, but my thinking is simply that this "mirrorless" line of medium-format cameras doesn't really need lenses that cost so much. I admit there is a small market for those lenses; they are priced for folks who are willing to spend 2-3 times the money for "something a bit better" (that's how Sony makes back the investment in building lenses that relatively few people will buy). If you really want to step up, I suggest that you skip the APS-C line altogether and buy one of the newest full-frame "A7" camera bodies and any one of the pricey full-frame lenses available for it. With 4 times the money invested, you can see some better images (all else being equal). But switching from APS-C to full-frame means you're not in the same ballpark at all, to use a worn expression. I can say all this with confidence because photography is a hobby for me, not a profession. I'm not taking pictures for National Geographic (I'd love to imagine doing so with my A6000 and one of my pedestrian lenses, but I am not a delusional man). What I am is happy with two Sony APS-C cameras I own. I make use of, and accommodate for, their relative merits. The broad collection of E-mount lenses I have covers most every situation I am likely to get into as a hobbyist. Even better, I bought all my lenses for about 60 cents on the dollar (another hobby of mine is being a bargain hunter).If you're the kind of photographer that I am, then you'll want to know that this SEL-20F28 lens is a very nice lens to have. I bought it as a "new but sold as refurb" here on Amazon for about 40% off its list. For that kind of money, it really shines as a small, versatile lens (i.e., close-up shots and landscape shots are both very good). It's smaller and faster and sharper than the kit zoom; it also costs much more than the kit zoom. I will add that my 18-105 "G" lens takes a noticeably better (sharper, better contrast, less aberrations) picture set at 20mm than this prime does, but then the zoom is only f4.0 (minimum through its range) whereas the prime is f2.8 and it's 1/10th the size. That's why I have both in my lens bag.I hope this long ramble helps someone decide whether or not to buy this lens. If not, hey, reading it was free. Peace.

I got this lil lens to carry around while traveling and doing street photography, it pairs perfectly with my a6700, and it fits on my coat pocket. I really like how you can add a filter directly to the lens or on the hood itself.It's pretty fast, autofocus is quick, it's got focus ring and just feels solid.I had been looking for a small pancake wide angle lens and tried a 14mm, 16mm, 18mm and finally this one. Its exactly what I was looking for, the only thing in wish is it would go down to f/1.8 or 2.0

This is a fine addition to expand your ability to travel light and be discreet. It is not an art lens but does a nice job in the general sense. Image quality is acceptable for most purposes and the 20mm is a nice focal length for general use. My primary use for this is when I want my camera but don’t want bulk. With an a6400, an amazingly small footprint. Fits in a jacket pocket or small purse/satchel with no problem.

Buy this over the Sigma 19mm. I've also written a review about that lens. I'm an armature photographer, and while my composition skills are becoming more proficient I still like to focus on sharpness. To me that is important (although some may argue otherwise). Either way, I love this pancake. Recently I've been shooting a little more wide angle for candids shots. This lens fits the bill! Unlike the Sigma 19mm there is sharpness throughout all aperture settings on this lens. The Sigma seems softer than I like at 2.8. That's my biggest complaint about that lens. This little lens is discrete with is pancake form factor, making it possible to store in a coat pocket if you'd like. This lens is also faster than the Sigma. I'd recommend this for street photography or candids. It is a little pricier then the Sigma but well worth it. I highly recommend this lens.

Super discrete! Allows the a6400 to fit into a jacket pocket or small fanny pack without much issue. When shooting on the street, the camera and lens combo is very light, compact and unremarkable.Autofocus is a touch noisy, especially in video with continuous autofocus. My mic doesn't seem to pick up the noise thankfully. You're not going to use this lens for really fast moments since the autofocus can't keep up - at least on the a6400. Works well enough for casual, moderate pace street scenes or kids.Picture quality is decent center of frame, but off-center it is soft wide open. Stopped down it is mostly okay. Bokeh is not so smooth, but you do get blur for out-of-focus bits. I'd say use this lens at f4-8 and use interesting compositions instead of trying to isolate with bokeh.Take this lens with you on trips where you can sacrifice image quality for convenience.

Makes my Sony A6400 into a point-and-shoot size. It is super cute. This is my first lens upgrading from the kit lens. So far, I am happy with it, if only for its portability. I actually hated the way the kit lens needed to contract and retract when turning the camera on.Can’t comment on the image quality yet. But I can say that it is extremely quiet when taking photos and autofocus is decent. It is terrible in low light, but that’s okay for my purposes. I’ll use my iPhone in darker settings.Paid about $300 by ordering through Amazon warehouse. The first one I received was defective and broken, autofocus didn’t work (tested in Auto and Manual mode) and none of the manual settings (shutter speed, ISO, etc) could be changed in Manual mode. So be careful when ordering a used one.The second one I received is great though!Recommend this lens. So portable and compact.

Product was listed as new. Product I received was used, box had been opened and there was dust and lint on the glass and lens body.

Replaced my A6000 but got this lens to pair with it as a close to pocket-size everyday camera. Very sharp for a pancake lens, and the color rendered is Kodachrome-like--to my eye, anyway.