We summarize our experience with all the native Sony E-mount wideangle lenses and a few manualones in the 20-35mm bracket to give you a compact resource for choosing the right lens for your Sony a7.

We have no association with any manufacturer apart from occasionally loaning a lens for a review. Before any short introduction we tell you how long we have used a lens and if we have borrowed it from a manufacturer. But in most cases we have bought the lenses on the market. If you want to support our independent reviews please consider using one of the affiliate links. It doesn’t cost you anything and helps us a lot.

For lenses below 21mm check out our guide to ultra-wideangle lenses for the Sony a7.

If we have left any question unanswered please leave a comment and we will do our best to answer it.

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Sony FE 4/16-35 ZA OSS

Status: Phillip reviewed a loaner from Sony and bought his own copy more than a year ago. He uses it regularly. Jannik owned but sold it in favor of the Loxia 2.8/21.



Jannik: A lovely lens with decent image quality and effective image stabilization. Personally, I tend to shoot always too wide with such a zoom lens although I miss it’s great versatility.

At f/4 the center is excellent across the zoom range, for best corners I would stop down at least to f/5.6, better f/8 where they are quite good.

Pronounced distortion at the ends, average vignetting and annoying ghosting for some scenes but fine most of the time.

This is neither a light nor a small lens but it isn’t huge either. Build quality is good.

A very versatile lens: It covers a very wide focal range with good optical quality and thanks to the stabilizer even on the a7 one can shoot before sunrise without a tripod. The price is significant but justified.

518g | $1348 | full review | sample images

buy from Amazon.com | Amazon.de | B&H photo (affiliate links)

Tokina Firin 20mm F2

Status: Owned by Phillip for a few weeks then returned to Amazon

Sharp across the frame from f/2, excellent by f/5.6.

Moderate but complex distortion, average vignetting and very low CA

Flare resistance can be an issue and sunstars need f/16

Medium size and good handling

Very good price/performance ratio if you can live with the weaker flare resistance

All in all a good lens but the flare resistance can be an issue

490g | $799 | full review | aperture series | sample images

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Canon (n)FD 2.8/20

Status: Used a lot by Phillip then sold to fund the FE 4/16-35. Owned and sold by Jannik.

Jannik: A cheap and capable wide angle option. Contrast, flare resistance and wide open performance are not up to modern standards but at typical landscape settings, this lens delivers.



At f/2.8 the center of the image is sharp but quite strong vignetting, busy bokeh, strong coma and soft corners limit the usefulness of this aperture.

From f/5.6 it is good across the frame, very good at f/8 and for the very good corner performance you should stop down to f/11

Some mustache distortion and average to bad flare resistance.

Medium size and weight. Good price/performance ratio.

All in all a capable landscape lens with some limitations for a decent price.

305g + adapter | $160 | full review | aperture series | sample images

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Zeiss Loxia 2.8/21

Status: Reviewed and bought by Jannik and still used a lot. Also bought by Bastian and in use very often.



Jannik: My favorite landscape lens. It combines all the strengths that I look for in such a lens and inspires me to go out in the dark due to it’s amazing sun stars.

Bastian: a lens almost without flaws, as Jannik has written everything important above and below I will only add that I also love that in can be used with the smaller 67-75mm square filter systems.

Noticeable vignetting , smooth bokeh, low coma and sharp corners at f/2.8. The center is very sharp.

, smooth bokeh, low coma and sharp corners at f/2.8. The center is very sharp. Very good performance across the frame at all apertures. Sharpness peaks at f/5.6. Amazing sun stars.

There is some mustache distortion and field curvature – otherwise we can’t find major flaws

Very small and light, especially compared to the Z-series DSLR sibling. Excellent build quality.

One of if not the most capable landscape wideangle lens which comes at a steep but reasonable price.

394g | $1.499 | full Review | aperture series | sample images

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Canon nFD 2.8/24

Status: Reviewed by Phillip who still uses it occasionally. Owned and sold by Jannik.



Jannik: My favorite FD wide angle lens. Flare resistance and wide open performance are not up to modern standards but it was surprisingly contrasty and sharp stopped down. I prefered it over the 2.8/20 and the 2.8/28.

Noticeable vignetting, busy bokeh, some coma and soft corners at f/2.8. The center is sharp.

Noticeable vignetting, busy bokeh, some coma and soft corners at f/2.8. The center is sharp. Very good performance across the frame at f/8 and f/11. Only the mustache distortion and average flare resistance can be an issue.

Quite small and light.

All in all a very capable and very affordable landscape lens with some limitations.

240g + adapter | $65 | full Review | aperture series | sample images

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Sony FE 4/24-70 ZA OSS

Status: Phillip bought his own copy, reviewed it and then returned it because of the underwhelming performance and high price.

At f/4 the center is excellent to about 65 mm where you should stop don to f/5.6 for very good sharpness.

For best corner sharpness stop down to f/8 where you can expect decent results from 28-60mm, above it is a bit softer and at 24mm it is very soft in the corners.

Pronounced distortion at the ends, average vignetting.

This is neither a light nor a small lens but it isn’t huge either. Build quality is good.

Optically this is the weakest lens of Sony’s lineup, it is stille quite handy because of the wide focal range and good at some things. The recommended price is a bad joke but you can often get it much cheaper an then it can offer decent value for money.

430 g | $1198 | full review | sample images

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Sony FE 2.8/24-70 GM

Status: We haven’t used it yet. The following is based on other photographers reviews.

At f/2.8 the center is excellent (a little less so at 70mm) at any aperture and until 50mm. This can be said about the mid-frame area as well.

Until 50mm the corners are very sharp from f/2.8 but you still gain some sharpness as you stop down.

Moderate to strong distortion at the ends, strong vignetting and average flare resistance. Really smooth bokeh, especially for a standard zoom.

This is a very large and heavy lens. The price is quite high but so is the performance.

After the disappointing FE 4/24-70 the excellent performance of the GM 2.8/24-70 was a bit of a surprise. It performs on a very high level and if you are willing to carry such a heavy lens and pay the price you most likely won’t regret the purchase.

886 g | $2198 | lensrentals.com | fredmiranda.com | ephotozine

buy from Amazon.com | Amazon.de | B&H photo (affiliate links)

Sony FE 3.5-6.3/24-240

Status: We haven’t used it yet. The following is based on other photographers reviews.

Sharpness in the center is excellent at 24mm from f/3.5 and decreases as you zoom in, at 200mm it is not that good.

Corners are not too sharp at 24mm and especially at 240mm, they are quite decent in between the extremes.

Bokeh is quite rough but it has a good magnification ratio of 1:4

At nearly 800 g and with a length of nearly 12 cm it is one of Sony’s largest lenses. The price is really high for the very average performance.

Personally I would prefer to carry a bridge camera like the Sony RX-10 or Panasonic’s FZ1000 over this lens if I wanted a one lens solution – for less money, half the weight and sharper edges. If you value the image quality of your fullframe sensor though, and won’t use the extreme focus settings a lot, it might be a good solution.

780 g | $998 | photographyblog.com | ephotozine.com buy from Amazon.com | Amazon.de | B&H photo (affiliate links)

Zeiss Batis 2/25

Status: We haven’t used it yet. The following is based on other photographers reviews.

f/2: It is sharp across the frame which is quite an achievement but contrast is a bit lower and there is some spherical aberration and significant axial CA. Bokeh decent and vignetting very obvious. For very good coma correction one should stop down to f/2.8.

f/8: Excellent performance across the frame.

Rather lightweight but more volume than expected and very large diameter.

Excellent flare resistance, fuzzy sunstars and not much and not complex distortion. True focal length is closer to 23mm.

This lens performs on a very high level, only the Loxia 2.8/21 is a tad sharper but of course it is wider and not as fast. For this premium performance you pay a premium price and I think the FE 2/28 is often a good alternative.

335 g | $1299 | verybiglobo.com | Datasheet | comparison-test | teardown

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2.0/28 Ultron VM

Status: Reviewed and used a lot by Bastian then sold to fund the Zeiss Loxia 35mm 2.0.



At f/2.0 the center of the image is very sharp, midframe is decent, corners suffer from huge field curvature because of the thick filter stack in front of the sensor. Still very useful in case the corners are not in the desired plane of focus anyway. Very contrasty already wide open.

You have to use f/8 to f/11 to conquer the field curvature but even on the A7rII the corners are looking good then.

Not that much distortion, quite good flare resistance, beautiful 10-stroke sunstars.

Very small and lightweight. When bought used good price/performance ratio but faces strong competition from Sony’s FE 2.0/28.

Capable allround 28mm. Stopped down very good for landscapes (especially the ones with point light sources), wide open nice bokeh.

244g + adapter | $400-600 | full Review | aperture series | sample images

buy from ebay | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Sony FE 2/28

Status: Phillip bought it at the release and still uses it regularly.

Very sharp in the center from f/2 with very smooth bokeh, only

the high amount of axial CA can be annoying.

For best corner sharpness it needs to be stopped down to f/8 but then it delivers.

Vignetting is high, flare resistance very good and distortion must be corrected in post for many images because it is very strong.

All in all a small lens with a very good performance which is quite versatile because of it’s speed. The best price/performance ratio of all native Sony lenses.

200g | $448 | full review | aperture series | sample images

buy from amazon.com | B&H photo (affiliate links)

Zeiss C/Y 2.8/28

Status: Owned by Phillip for some time who doesn’t use it very often.

Good image quality across most of the frame at f/2.8 with significant vignetting and busy bokeh.

significant vignetting and busy bokeh. Excellent image quality at f/8 with the exception of the extreme corners

Good flare resistance, average vignetting and moderate distortion.

Build quality is great, size and weight average. The price performance ratio is decent.

An enjoyable lens which’s strength is landscape photography. Only the soft extreme corners are a bit annoying.

280 g + adapter | $200 | review | sample images

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Zeiss C/Y 2.0/28

Status: Owned by Jannik for some time but sold in favor of the RX1RII.



Good center image quality at f/2.0 with significant vignetting

Good center image quality at f/2.0 with significant vignetting Very good image quality at f/8 with decent corners

Good flare resistance, average vignetting and moderate distortion.

Build quality is great, but it is long and heavy.

Good close up performance with amazing bokeh

Strong field curvature (bent inwards), that results in great plasticity and an even lower depth of field towards the corners than you would expect in an f/2.0 lens. The field curvature can be tricky for landscape shots, careful focusing is important.

An unconventional lens, but one of the best for wide angle shots at close distance with high subject isolation.

530 g + adapter | $500 | review | sample images

buy from ebay | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Pentax K 3.5/28

Status: Owned by Phillip for some time who uses it occasionally

Good sharpness in the center from f/3.5, for very good across

the frame sharpness stop down to f/8.

Excellent flare resistance for a lens of it’s age, still good today. Vignetting and distortion are average for a 28mm lens.

Excellent build quality, average size and weight. The price performance ratio is very good – if you can find one, it is quite rare.

The lens is my favorite manual wide angle lens, especially for landscapes because it doesn’t have any real weakness and simply delivers for a small price.

261 g + adapter | $100 | review | aperture series | sample images

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Sony 3.5-5.6/28-70

Status: Owned by Phillip for a shorter time. Owned and sold after one year by Jannik.



Jannik: The center performance was convenient but I never liked the corners. The colors seemed to be a bit dull compared to most of the other lenses in this list. It’s was a solid lens for documentation work but I wouldn’t recommend it for serious landscape photography.

Sharp in the center from wide open at any aperture but slightly less so at 70mm. The corners are borderline sharp from wide open and don’t improve much at smaller apertures.

Strong distortion, good flare resistance and not that good bokeh.

Build quality is average: It is made from plastic with a rubberized focusing ring. Solid enough but far from exiting.

I can’t recommend to buy it for the nearly $500 it costs new but it is much more affordable used or in a kit with a Sony Alpha 7 series camera and well worth the $250-$300 you usually pay here.

It certainly doesn’t set any records but the performance is solid enough and in light of the very handy focal range and the low price I can recommend it.

295g | $498 | sample images

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Voigtlander 1.7/35 VM

Status: Phillip and Bastian own one and use it a lot

At f/1.7 the center of the image is very sharp, midframe is decent, corners suffer from strong field curvature because which is a result of Sony’s thick filter stack in front of the sensor. If you focus on the corners they are quite good from f/1.7. Bokeh is excellent, especially for a 35mm lens.

You have to use f/8 and focus on the midframe area but then you get very good across the frame sharpness.

Strong vignetting, very little distortion, good flare resistance, beautiful 10-stroke sunstars.

Quite small and light. Price performance ratio is good in Europe and bad in the US so it makes sense to import it from Europe.

My favorite 35mm lens. Exceptional bokeh wide open combined with very good sharpness plus a small size make and the speed make it a very universal lens. If I was limited to just one lens this would probably be it.

238g + adapter | $860 | full Review | sample images

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Zeiss Loxia 2.0/35 Biogon E

Status: Reviewed by Bastian, who has missed it so much after having to sent it back to Zeiss, he bought one and now uses it very often.





At f/2.0 the center as well as midframe region is very sharp, corners suffer from field curvature. Very bad coma wide open (already improves a lot at f/2.8), bokeh a little nervous at most distances. Very contrasty already wide open.

You have to use f/8 to f/11 for best across frame sharpness but even on the A7rII the corners are looking at least very good then.

Almost no distortion, quite good flare resistance, beautiful 10-stroke sunstars.

Very small and lightweight but also very expensive.

Not the best corner sharpess wide open, not the most beautiful bokeh and very bad coma wide open, but excels at architecture and especially nightly cityscapes when stopped down.

340g | $1300 | full Review | aperture series | sample images

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Canon nFD 2.8/35

Status: Owned by Phillip for a few months who uses it occasionally. Owned and sold by Jannik.



Jannik: I’d recommend this lens for every budget landscaping kit. Amazing sharpness across the frame that comes at a great price.

At f/2.8 most of the image is sharp, vignetting is not really an issue, bokeh is decent and coma is not much of an problem so this aperture is fully usable.

From f/5.6 it is very good across the frame, and improves a little at f/8. It has only 5 aperture blades which affects the bokeh.

Some barrel distortion and decent flare resistance.

Very low size and weight. Great price/performance ratio.

All in all a very capable lens for a great price. Highly recommended.

165g | $50 | full review | 35mm FD shootout | aperture series | sample images

buy from ebay.com | ebay.de | (affiliate link)

Jupiter-12 2.8/35

Status: Reviewed by Bastian and sold very soon after that.



At f/2.8 the center looks good but already the midframe suffers from tremendous field curvature. Very bad coma and color cast issues towards the corners. Bokeh a little nervous at most distances. Not very contrasty at any aperture.

Even stopped down to f/11 the corners leave something to be desired (when focused at the center).

Very bad flare resistance, quite some pincushion distortion, interesting 5-stroke sunstars.

Very very small, lightweight and cheap.

Only recommendable for film cameras or in case you want the smallest 35mm availabe and can overcome all of the many shortcomings.

130g + adapter | $80 | full Review | aperture series

buy from ebay | Sony E-mount adapters (affiliate links)

Sony FE 2.8/35 ZA

Status: Phillip bought and reviewed it but then didn’t keep it because it was too expensive to him and he prefers manual lenses.





Excellent sharpness in the center from f/2.8 with quite good corners and decent bokeh.

Doesn’t improve much when stopped down. Corners are sharp but the Canon FD 2.8/35 for example is sharper in the corners at f/8.

Vignetting is high, flare resistance not that great and distortion moderate.

It weights almost nothing and is very small. I think the recommended price is very high and only justified if size is essential to you.

The main argument for this lens is the size. Image quality is good but not $800 good.

120g | $798 | full review | aperture series | sample images

buy from amazon.com | B&H photo (affiliate links)

Sony FE 1.4/35 ZA

Status: Owned and sold by Jannik, who needed a smaller 35mm option but liked this lens.

At f/1.4, the center is very good and the midframe is good. Even the corners show decent sharpness. Bokeh is very creamy wide open. The lens shows some axial CA and significant vignetting wide open. Quite contrasty at f/1.4.

Slightly stopped down, the center gets tack sharp and the corners improve. Contrast gets a slight boost.

At typical landscape settings, the center is excellent and the corners are very good. The midzone desn’t reach these levels. In a shootout with the Vario-Sonnar 3.4/35-70, the latter one had the better midframe region at 35mm and f/8.

Moderate barrel distortion distortion, good flare resistance, average sun stars due to 9 rounded aperture blades ( they have a nice shape but are not as defined as the Loxia sun stars).

Very large and very expensive. We’d recommend it if you shoot wide open very often. At large apertures, it is unmatched in the FE system, the rendering and the bokeh are pretty close to the RX1(RII).

630g | $1600 | buy from ebay | buy from amazon (affiliate links)

Editor’s Choices

All of us have used many lenses and we all have bought and sold some of them for whatever reason. Nevertheless there are a few lenses that simply stick, so we decided to let each of us pick one of the aforementioned lenses and tell you why we keep using it.

Bastian’s choice: Zeiss Loxia 2.0/35

This is one of the lenses that doesn’t fare to well in reviews (not even in my own) but still found it’s place in my bag as it hits the right boxes for what I am doing. I mainly use 35mm for landscape and architecture and I value nice sunstars, contrast, clarity and small size as well as filter diameter and size more than bokeh, coma and edge sharpness wide open. It simply is the right tool for the job.

Phillip’s choice: Sony FE 4/16-35 ZA OSS

If first thought about nominating the Voigtlander 1.7/35 because it packs a lot of punch in such a small hull or the Pentax K 3.5/28 because it offers great bang for the buck but I ended nominating the FE 4/16-35 instead. It doesn’t excel at anything like the Zeiss primes do but it’s performance isn’t far away from the very best lenses and it is so versatile that I usually take it when I don’t know a location very well and many of my best images were taken with it and in the end results matter.

Jannik’s choice: Zeiss Loxia 2.8/21

Although there is the price-performance champion Canon nFD 2.8/35 and a versatile and well performing 4/16-35, my choice was pretty easy here. The Loxia 2.8/21 is one of the most important lenses in my bag and it’s not only without major flaws – it has (currently) unique strengths and adds a signature look to my images.

Closing Remarks

Yes, we didn’t include a bunch of interesting lenses. There are a few reasons for that:

We have reviewed many lenses but there are far more lenses we haven’t reviewed yet and we prefer to know what we are talking about. So with time the list will grow but have some patience with us :). Space. This article is already over 3000 words long and we didn’t want it to become too long. There will be an article about super-wide-angle lenses soon. We decided to split the article because of reason No. 2. Although Samyang offers a few full frame lenses with E-mount, these are just really big SLR lenses with a permanent adapter and we don’t count those as native E-mount lenses. Samyang also has some real issues with quality control and longevity of their lenses.

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Thanks! Jannik, Bastian and Phillip