Best Lenses for Sony a9 in 2022
Best Lenses for Sony a9 full frame E-mount mirrorless camera. Here is the full list of top recommended Sony a9 lenses.
Designed for professional wedding, sports and wildlife photographers and photojournalists, the high end Sony a9 mirrorless camera ($4,498 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama) features the worldās first 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS Sensor, blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 20fps and 693 focal point phase detection AF points. In addition, the Sony a9 is capable recording UHD 4K video internally, and shooting with an expanded sensitivity range to ISO 204,800. A high-speed, vibration-free, silent Anti-Distortion shutter vastly extends the range of shooting situations while a mechanical system can only aim for lower vibration and quieter shutter release sound. Moreover, Sony a9 provides continuous tracking of moving subjects for foolproof AF/AE while traditional SLRs can only challenge such AF/AE performance improvements.
Choosing the right lens is not always an easy task. Here we looked at all lenses from Sony and other companies and selected the best choices based on good price, usefulness and high image quality, including leading prime and zoom options from wide-angle to telephoto.
Best Lenses for Sony a9 Mirrorless Camera
Full List of Recommended Sony a9 Lenses
All-in-One Zoom Lens | Wildlife and Sports Lens | Telephoto Zoom | Portrait Prime Lenses | Wide-angle Zoom | Ultra Wide Angle Zoom | Wide-angle Prime | Ultra Wide Angle Prime | Standard Zoom | Standard Prime | Macro Lenses | Lens Optimized for Video | Manual Focus Lenses
Best All-in-one Zoom Lens for Sony a9
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS ($998): A perfect match and convinent choice for Sony a9. Able to cover everything from wide-angle to telephoto in a single compact form factor, this Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS lens uses a variable aperture of f/3.5-6.3 to keep size and weight to a minimum. The ability to switch from wide angle to telephoto without having to change lenses also means that more of those fleeting moments that make great shots will be captured. Also, it has a linear autofocus motor and internal focus design that provides fast, accurate, and reliable focusing. Ideal for landscape, snapshots, portraits and travel where reducing luggage is a priority. And itās an okay solution for those on a budget.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS | $998 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Wildlife and Sports Lenses for Sony a9
The Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens is currently the best native Super Telephoto Zoom Lenses for Wildlife and Sports Photography, and it is able to work with the Sony FE 1.4x & FE 2.0x Teleconverters.
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS ($2,498): Highly recommended! Targeting sports, wildlife, and action shooters, this Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens will satisfy many photographers and videographers who are looking for a bit of extra reach with their full-frame E-mount camera. With extraordinary resolution and fast, precise autofocus it lets you capture distant action with outstanding quality and immediacy. In addition to world-class image quality, this fine lens offers the mobility, reliability, and operability that professional applications demand. In addition, it will also be able to work with the Sony FE 1.4x & FE 2.0x Teleconverters.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS | $2,498 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter | $548 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter | $548 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Telephoto Zoom Lenses for Sony a9
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS ($2,598): Five Stars! Offering unsurpassed rendering and bokeh, blazing AF, and extraordinary image stabilization performance, this Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens is an excellent lens for Photojournalists, sports and wedding photographers. Class-leading close-up performance with a minimum focusing distance of 37.8ā and 0.25x maximum magnification is also ideal for portraits, telephoto macro, and more.
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS ($1,498): Great value for the money: Very solid, high-performance lens, very sharp, great stabilizer. It is as sharp as the f/2.8 version for less than half the cost, but not great when natural light is low. Ideal lens for travel, wedding, sports and wildlife photographers.
Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS ($1,198): Great outdoor lens! This compact and lightweight FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens is super useful and versatile wth excellent sharpness throughout its range. Ideal for travel, landscape photography, but for hardcore wildlife use this lens is simply not long enough, and because of its desighn it will not be able to work with a teleconverter. Works great for both photo and video. Auto focus is smooth, face recognition works, picture detail is outstanding.
In addition, the Sony FE 1.4x & FE 2.0x Teleconverters ($548) are specially designed for the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM & Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lenses. Please Note: these adapters will NOT fit on the FE 70-200 F4 G OSS.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | $2,598 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS | $1,498 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS | $1,198 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter | $548 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter | $548 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Portrait Prime Lenses for Sony a9
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM Lens ($1,798): Perfect lens for portrait photography, highly recommended! For professional portrait photographers and those who want the very highest in quality, the new Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM Lens is the lens you must need and you wonāt find a better FE-mount lens! Incredible image quality! Designed as the ultimate portrait lens, the new Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM telephoto prime lens strikes a perfect balance between resolution and bokeh in a compact package. Perfect lens for portrait photography, and it is actually ideal for a wide variety of subjects! If you want a less expensive 85mm lens, try the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8.
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 Lens ($1,199): Highly recommended! Amazing portrait lens, nearly the same amazing performance as the Sony 85mm GM, but $600 cheaper! It is smaller and lighter than the 85mm GM, has OSS and zero sound when focusing. And The optics, sharpness, and bokeh are amazing! If you are a portrait photographer or love shooting portraits, you will like the Zeiss Batis 85mm.
Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 ($1,999): This Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 mid-length telephoto prime lens is ideal for portraiture, weddings and travel photography. Characterized as an apochromat, the Sonnar optical design helps to virtually eliminate chromatic aberrations and color fringing, and also benefits overall sharpness and clarity. Additionally, a T* anti-reflective coating has been applied that suppresses lens flare and ghosting when working in strong lighting conditions.
Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS ($1,498): A unique 100mm mid-telephoto lens featuring STF (Smooth Trans Focus) technology that can elevate portraits and subjects that benefit from smooth background bokeh to new artistic heights while boasting G Master resolution. It features fast, precise, quiet DDSSM autofocus, and close-up capability up to 0.25x magnification. Built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization minimizes blur that can occur during low light or macro shooting. Additionally, a Nano AR coating has also been applied to reduce lens flare and ghosting for greater contrast and color fidelity when working in strong lighting conditions.
Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 Lens ($598): Budget option with great performance: perfect sharpness and bokeh! This affordable Sony 85mm F1.8 FE lens features a compact, lightweight design for mobility, with high-performance optics and a large F1.8 maximum aperture that deliver outstanding image quality. The 9-blade fast F1.8 aperture delivers beautiful background defocus effects while the dust and moisture resistant design offers robust reliability.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM | $1,798 | Amazon | B&H |
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 | $1,199 | Amazon | B&H |
Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 | $1,999 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS | $1,498 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 | $598 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Wide-angle Zoom Lenses for Sony a9
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM ($2,198): Amazing fast and flexible wide-angle zoom lens! Distinguished by its constant f/2.8 maximum aperture, this lens offers consistent performance throughout the zoom range and benefits working in low-light conditions. No matter what zoom setting or focus distance you shoot at, this lens delivers consistently superb resolution from corner to corner, with stunning background bokeh when required. A compact, lightweight design makes it manageable for active shooting. Ideal for an extensive variety of shooting situations ā landscapes, architecture, close up portraits, sports, action and much more.
Sony Zeiss FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS ($1,348): Ideal for landscape photography! For everyone from landscape professionals to those who want to just dabble in wide-angle photography, this Sony Zeiss FE 16-35mm f/4 is one of best FE-mount lenses: impressive sharpness, fast focusing, reasonable levels of distortion, and a weather-sealed build for protection from the elements. It employs Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, Silent AF and iris (aperture) drive important for movie capture and a 7-blade circular aperture for beautiful defocused backgrounds. If you want a faster wide-angle lens, try the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM lens.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM | $2,198 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G | $1,698 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony Zeiss FE 16-35mm f/4 ZA OSS | $1,348 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Ultra Wide-angle Zoom Lenses for Sony a9
Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G ($1,698): A uniquely designed and widest ultra wide-angle zoom lens! This compact 12ā24 mm ultra-wide-angle zoom lens features the shortest focal lengths available in any full-frame E-mount lens, with stunning corner-to-corner G Lens resolution at all apertures. It is an excellent choice for dynamic landscape and architecture photography. Outstanding mobility and quiet, fast, precise autofocus make it ideal for shooting movies as well as stills.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G | $1,698 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Wide Angle Prime Lenses for Sony a9
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 ($1,299): Highly recommended! Ideal for architecture, landscape, and interior photography, this lensā 82Ā° angle of view pairs with a 7.9ā³ minimum focusing distance for producing creative perspectives and unique close-up imagery. Bright f/2 maximum aperture benefits working in low-light conditions and also offers control over the focus position when using selective focus or shallow depth of field techniques. Distagon optical concept incorporates 10 glass elements within 8 groups and also employs a floating elements design to reduce aberrations throughout the focusing range. Great lens especially for travel and landscape: Superb images! Light and convenient to carry.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 | $1,299 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Ultra-Wide Angle Prime Lenses for Sony a9
Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 ($1,499): Offering incredible sharpness and color rendition, the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 lens an excellent ultra wide angle prime lens designed specifically for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. Well-suited to interior, architectural, and astrophotography applications, the Batis 18mm f/2.8 blends its extremely wide 99Ā° angle of view with a high degree of functionality and it is extremely sharp all the way to the corners. The very large field angle of this super wide-angle lens is perfect for creative shots with unusual perspectives. Consistently excellent image quality right into the corners makes the lens perfect for the challenges of, for example, landscape, astro and architectural photography. If you love the convenience of autofocus, and you often shoot astro-photography, architecture (outdoor and indoor), or shoot in rough weather conditions, we recommend the Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8.
Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 ($1,499): Excellent Manual Focus Wide Angle Prime Lens! Despite its compactness, the super wide-angle Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Lens offers outstanding image performance ā and it is extremely sharp all the way to the corners. Whether architecture, landscape or also three-dimensional subjects in close-up against a spacious background ā this focal length with its large image angle is an excellent addition to the Loxia lens family. It is an absolute must for wide-angle fans who try manual focus often and want to capture even the tiniest details of a special moment in a photo or on film. If you shoot a lot of landscapes and want the best sharpness, like using more compact lenses and the old-fashioned zone focusing (Manual Focus) and the feeling of a mechanical focus ring, we recommend the Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8.
Rokinon AF 14mm f/2.8 FE Lens ($849): Great quality and a much better price than the native lenses. Blending an ultra-wide angle of view with a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture, this 14mm lens makes a great option for Sony shooters looking to get a unique perspective that is well suited to architecture, landscapes, and more. It also incorporates three aspherical and two extra-low dispersion elements to reduce aberrations for clean, sharp images. Super wide!
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 | $1,499 | Amazon | B&H |
Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 | $1,499 | Amazon | B&H |
Rokinon AF 14mm f/2.8 FE | $849 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Standard Zoom Lenses for Sony a9
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM ($2,198): The best 24-70mm lens! The Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Zoom Lens is the ultimate choice for those seeking the highest possible optical performance for portrait, travel and event photography or even simple everyday shooting. Built with three aspherical elements including a newly developed, extremely precise XA (extreme aspherical) element that reduces aberration and delivers the ultimate resolution throughout the entire zoom range and aperture range. ED (Extra-low-Dispersion) glass element and Super ED glass element keep chromatic aberration to a minimum while maximizing resolution and bokeh without any unnatural coloration. To maximize usability this lens also features a dust/moisture resistant design, AF/MF switch, circular aperture, Nano AR coating, compact, a direct drive SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) focusing system that is super smooth and quiet, making it an ideal choice for shooting both still images as well as movies.
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS ($1,298): From 24 mm to 105 mm and F4 aperture throughout the zoom, the new Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens offers consistently excellent corner-to-corner high image quality. In addition to outstanding optical performance, it has a compact, lightweight design for portability and mobility befitting the E-mount system. Fast, precise AF and high reliability add to the broad utility of this fine zoom lens.
Sony FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS ($1,198): If you can’t afford the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens, the FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens will be a great choice for you! It covers a 24mm to 70mm range with a constant maximum aperture of F4, enabling consistent exposure settings at any focal length. This premium lens delivers superlative image quality, and dust/moisture resistance means consistently reliable performance.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens | $2,198 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS | $1,298 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS | $1,198 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Standard Prime Lenses for Sony a9
Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/1.4 ($1,598): Best 35mm lens ever: Perfect lens for everyday use, great bokeh, sharpness and colours! The 35mm focal length makes the Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA an excellent choice for a wide range of photography, from snapshots and landscapes to indoor portraits and night scenes ā producing beautiful bokeh through its bright 9- blade F1.4 aperture. The advanced optical design – including aspherical and āAAā (advanced spherical) lens elements combined with renowned ZEISS T* coating – deliver outstanding image resolution and suppresses reflections for superior contrast clarity.
Sony Zeiss FE 50mm f/1.4 ($1,498): High-performance 50mm prime lens featuring a large F1.4 maximum aperture with outstanding contrast and resolution that are hallmarks of the ZEISS brand. Starting off with the fast f/1.4 maximum aperture, photographers and videographers will enjoy exceptional low-light performance along with the ability to create shallow depth-of field effects. Compared to Sony Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8, it has better low light performance and bokeh: excellent image quality, superb sharpness, smooth bokeh and well built. Excellent lens!
Sony Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8 ($998): One of the sharpest lenses ever! Very popular! It features a very fast and bright f/1.8 maximum aperture to support working in dimly-lit conditions and for greater control over focus for shallow depth of field imagery. From an image quality standpoint, the Sony Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8 is surprisingly impressive. And it has smaller size and lower price than the Sony 50mm f/1.4.
Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 FE Lens($699): Excellent performance with an affordable price! A versatile normal-length lens, this lens mixes a fast, bright design with autofocus to present an ideal all-around optic. The bright f/1.4 maximum aperture is well suited to controlling depth of field for selective focus imagery, and also suits working in low-light conditions. The lens’ autofocus motor works in conjunction with Sony cameras’ AF systems for quick and precise focusing performance, and manual focus override is also available for more refined control.
Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 ($248): The most affordable FE glass with great performance!
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/1.4 | $1,598 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony Zeiss FE 50mm f/1.4 | $1,498 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8 | $998 | Amazon | B&H |
Rokinon AF 50mm f/1.4 FE | $699 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 | $248 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony Zeiss FE 35mm f/2.8 | $798 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Macro Lenses for Sony a9
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS ($1,098): Amazing Macro Lens: Extremely sharp! For those who frequently shoot macro photography and close-up portraits, the Sony 90mm f/2.8 is the very right lens! With a bright F2.8 maximum aperture, Nano AR coating effectively suppress reflections, Dust and moisture resistant design, the full-frame 90mm medium telephoto macro E-mount lens features built in image stabilization for sharp, clear images at up to 1:1 magnification, even when shooting handheld. If you frequently shoot macro photography and close-up portraits, you will love this 90mm macro lens!
Rokinon 100mm f/2.8 Macro ($549): Home in on close-up subjects with the Sony E mount Rokinon 100mm f/2.8 Macro, which affords life-size 1:1 magnification along with a minimum focusing distance of 1′. A long focal length lens with close focusing abilities and a high magnification ratio, this manual focus macro lens is ideal for making close-up, detailed images of nearby subjects.
Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro Lens ($498): Ideal for everyday photography, this 50mm macro lens features an F2.8 maximum aperture that offers outstanding image quality and bokeh, while its 1:1 macro capability allows the photographer to get sharp close-up shots of their subject. The lens offers a 6.3 inch minimum focusing distance and a wider field of view for capturing more background, compared to longer focal-length macro lenses. Weighing in at a mere 8.4 oz, it’s extremely lightweight and portable, making it easy to carry around.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS | $1,098 | Amazon | B&H |
Rokinon 100mm f/2.8 Macro | $549 | Amazon | B&H |
Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro | $498 | Amazon | B&H |
MORE OPTIONS:
Best Lens Optimized for Video
Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS ($2,498): Best Lens Optimized for Video! Designed to satisfy 4K production requirements, the Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS Lens is a wide-ranging zoom lens that covers wide-angle to telephoto perspectives while adding many features for your camera. The lens features a powered zoom control with a variable speed and zoom rotation direction reversal capability. 4K video is very sharp and the slow steady zooms are amazing. Perfect wedding ceremony lens: Beautiful color, clarity, and range! The zoom slider is a nice feature for wedding videographers.
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Sony FE PZ 28-135mm f/4 G OSS | $2,498 | Amazon | B&H |
Best Manual Focus Lenses for Sony a9
Offers outstanding image performance, Zeiss Loxia lenses are all excellent manual focus lenses designed specially for Sony full frame E mount cameras. If you want to get the best sharpness, like using more compact lenses, star flares and old-fashioned zone focusing and the feeling of a mechanical focus ring, the Zeiss Loxia lenses are great choices for you. You can choose the one you need!
Lens | Price | Buy Now |
Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 | $1,499 | Amazon | B&H |
Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 | $1,299 | Amazon | B&H |
Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 | $949 | Amazon | B&H |
Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4 | $1,399 | Amazon | B&H |