DXOmark (Click here) published the full Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 FE lens test and the results are extraordinary! It’s the best autofocus lens ever tested at DxO and the second best lens ever tested at DxOmark (full ranking here) after the manual focusing and 4 times more expensive $3999 Zeiss Otus.This is what DxO writes about the lens:

In fact, the Zeiss Sonnar has similarly high peak sharpness and outstanding uniformity with less than 5% loss in sharpness across the field at any given aperture value. Transmission is outstanding but while both distortion and chromatic aberration are quite well controlled, some slight CA is evident throughout the aperture range though it decreases when stopping down.

On paper at least the Zeiss Sonnar T* FE 55mm f1.8 ZA may seem somewhat unadventurous and over-priced given the f1.8 maximum aperture. In reality the lens is a bright 1.8TStops, and image quality is outstanding. Even the $1,000 price seems quite reasonable.

Yes, compared to the Zeiss Otus there FE version has 2/3 stop less. But damn, it costs 4 times less and gives you an almost “Otus” performance! Well done, Sony-Zeiss. We need more lenses like that for the new FE system!

If you don’t own the lens these are the directs tore links to grab one:

USA/Canada: Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, SonyStore US and Sonystore Canada.

Europe: Sony DE, UK, FR, IT, ES, NL, BE, CH, AT, SE, FI, NO, PT