In this Sony FE 28mm f/2 lens review (sel28f2) I will go over everything you need to know using hands-on experience and tons of sample photos! I also had both conversion lenses for the review which includes the 21mm f/2.8 Ultra-Wide Angle Lens (sel075uwc) and the 16mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens converter (sel057fec).
The Sony FE 28mm f/2 lens is very lightweight and has a small form factor. The consequence to this compact e-mount lens design is some distortion that is noticeable as you will see below. The $448 US price point is reasonable in my opinion considering the sharpness and overall build quality of the lens. Focus is very fast and near silent which will work out well for video users.
The Sony FE 28mm f/2 Lens is a fixed focal length design with 3 aspherical elements including a AA (advanced aspherical) lens and 2 ED elements, plus multi-coating throughout, which helps provide very good optical performance into an overall compact lens design. I say “very good” optical performance and not excellent, due to the lens distortion present. If you are shooting in Jpeg mode however, the camera does a great job correcting for this.
See sample photos below and the highly detailed video review for more details..
Key Features:
- E-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
- Aperture Range: f/2 to f/22
- APS-C Effective Focal Length = 42mm
- One AA Element & Two Aspherical Elements
- Two Extra-Low Dispersion Elements
- Linear Autofocus Motor; Internal Focus
- Dust and Moisture-Resistant Construction
- Nine-Blade Circular Diaphragm
- Optional Ultra-Wide & Fisheye Converters
- Minimum Focus Distance = 11.42″ / 29 cm
- FIlter Thread = 49mm
- Weight = 7 oz / 200 g
- Price = $448 US @ BHPhoto
Sony FE 28mm f/2 Lens – Video Review
I put together this high quality video review for those that prefer watching as opposed to reading 😉 It’s in HD and I highly recommend watching it in full-screen mode and selecting HD 1080P quality. It’s really awesome to watch YouTube videos in the living room on the smart TV as well…
Sample Photos
I took a ton of sample photos with the 28mm f/2 Lens and with both conversion lenses using my Full Frame 36mp Sony A7r.
Around the house.
The Basha Kill Wildlife Preserve is always a nice place for some landscape shots.
Some real world sample photos from this awesome farm that we went to for Layla’s school field trip. Apple Pond Farm
Some interior barn photos.
I always enjoy viewing lens fall off, and below is a good example of that.
Chickens be clucking… Even @ 1/160sec the head on that chicken below is moving all over the place! Crazy fast head movement captured…
Lens Distortion
Check out the lens distortion in this real world scene when comparing Jpeg vs Raw images as shot by my Sony A7r.
And another:
Lab Testing
In the lab you will also notice the distortion, but more importantly get a much closer look at the lens sharpness you should expect via the 100% crops from around the frame…. Wide Open f/2 Test:
Minimum Focus Distance Test:
21mm f/2.8 Ultra-Wide Angle Lens (sel075uwc)
Key Features:
- Converts 28mm f/2 Lens into 21mm f/2.8 Ultra-Wide Lens
- APS-C Effective Focal Length =
- Transmits EXIF Data to Camera
- Built-In Petal-Type Lens Hood
- Minimum Focus DIstance: on FE 28mm f/2 Lens, Auto focus = 9.4″ (24 cm), Manual focus = 7.9″ (20 cm)
- Weight = 11.2 oz (318g)
- Price = $248 US @ BHPhoto
Adding the 21mm f/2.8 lens converter gives you a wider view of the world as you will see below. The distortion is fairly heavy, but the camera corrects for this if you are shooting in Jpeg mode.
Note the size increase.
The same bridge seen from above, but wider now with the adapter mounted and in jpeg mode.
Distortion Testing
Here is a raw vs jpeg so you can see the real distortion that this lens combo has.
16mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens converter (sel057fec)
Key Features:
- Converts 28mm Lens to 16mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
- APS-C Effective Focal Length =
- 180° Angle of View
- Transmits EXIF Data to Camera
- Built-In Petal-Type Lens Hood
- Minimum Focus Distance on FE 28mm Lens: 8.8″ (22 cm)
- Weight = 14.8 oz (418 g)
- Price = $298 US @ BHPhoto
Adding the 16mm f/3.5 fisheye converter lens gives you that 180 degree wrap around look depending on how the composition is made.
And the bridge seen again for reference to the other photos above.
Around the house..
Note how you can see the edge of the house on the right and the playground on the extreme left, thanks to the 180 degree view.
My Nephew David took these photos of Jase and I really like the way they turned out! Perfect to show off what the fisheye lens can do in the real world with some family fun.
Basha Kill Wildlife Preserve:
Conclusions
For the money I find the FE 28mm f/2 lens a very good value for the dollar. It’s pretty darn sharp across the board although the distortion is pretty significant when shooting raw quality. The 21mm f/2.8 ultra wide-angle lens converter gives you a nice boost in width while only slowing down to f/2.8. The 16mm f/3.5 fisheye lens converter is much larger and heavier, but it does a really good job overall I would say. It is nice to have the three lens kit depending on your budget, camera bag size and weight requirements, etc.. Having the option to go wider and fisheye can really bring your creative aspect up a notch depending on the scene. The fisheye tends to work best with symmetry usually, but that rule can certainly be broken.
These three lenses are a pretty affordable options from Sony, because the GM, G, and Zeiss lenses cost way more in comparison. However, you can always go fully manual with the very affordable and good quality Rokinon, Samyang lenses and many others. Check out all the available lens options in my E-Mount Lens Guides This Way >>
I hope you got what you needed out of this triple lens review, and please feel free to ask questions or comment below as always, Jay
