§ 01 Other use cases

Best Portrait Lenses for Sony A

Portrait lenses for Sony A covers 14 lenses in the Lens Arena database, spanning 50–135 mm. Launch prices start around $699. Releases span 2006 to 2016.

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Our picks

From manufacturer specs
PickLensKey figureWhy
BrightestMitakon Speedmaster 85 mm f/1.2f/1.2Brightest maximum aperture here at f/1.2, 0.4 stops brighter than the next (Samyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF at f/1.4).
LightestSony DT 50 mm f/1.8 SAM170 gLightest here at 170 g, 5 g less than the next lightest (Sony 85 mm f/2.8 SAM).
Best third-partySamyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IFf/1.4Next brightest third-party lens (Samyang) at f/1.4, after Mitakon Speedmaster 85 mm f/1.2 (picked above).
NewestVenus Optics LAOWA STF 105 mm f/2 (T3.2)Mar 2016The most recent release here, from Mar 2016.
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Sample frames from the top lenses

One frame per lens
Photo taken with the Mitakon Speedmaster 85 mm f/1.2 by Robert Petro – _H5A9105
Mitakon Speedmaster 85 mm f/1.2 by Robert Petro
Photo taken with the Sony DT 50 mm f/1.8 SAM by londonexpat – le Bellevue
Sony DT 50 mm f/1.8 SAM by londonexpat
Photo taken with the Samyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF by attila.stefan – Füredi Szüret 2026 _ FP2244M
Samyang 85 mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF by attila.stefan
Photo taken with the Venus Optics LAOWA STF 105 mm f/2 (T3.2) by bdrc – asd-_ASD2930
Venus Optics LAOWA STF 105 mm f/2 (T3.2) by bdrc
Photo taken with the Sigma 70-200 mm f/2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM by Croydon Clicker – 1902 Deckert
Sigma 70-200 mm f/2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM by Croydon Clicker
Photo taken with the Sony 70-200 mm f/2.8G by Simmo Yorkshire – Autumn light rays
Sony 70-200 mm f/2.8G by Simmo Yorkshire
Photo taken with the Sony 70 200mm F2.8 G SSM II by mstoecklin – Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
Sony 70 200mm F2.8 G SSM II by mstoecklin
Photo taken with the Sigma 85 mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM by Darren S. – Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned
Sigma 85 mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM by Darren S.
Photo taken with the Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135 mm f/1.8 by Paul de Roode – Caligo
Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135 mm f/1.8 by Paul de Roode
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How we chose

Primes from 70 to 135 mm (full-frame equivalent) at f/2.8 or brighter, plus constant-aperture f/2.8-or-brighter zooms inside 50–200 mm. Macro lenses are listed separately. Picks come from manufacturer specifications: the brightest maximum aperture, the lowest weight, APS-C and third-party options, and the most recent release. We do not rank on sharpness, bokeh or autofocus, because we have no test data for them. Use the sample frames and video reviews on each lens page to judge those.

All 14 portrait lenses for Sony A

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