Congratulations Alex Vincent, March 2024 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Kitchen". Alex Vincent - #906 Yvonne Raaijmakers - #909 Peter Wingfield - #902 Here's what Alex has to say: Thank you for the award of Photographer of th ...
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While the Sony A6300 comes with excellent specifications like 4K (UHD) performance for superb image quality, you still need to be careful as you search for a compatible lens. You have to consider vital features like focal length and aperture settings. Choosing the best lens for A6300 will help you improve the quality of your shots and video footage.
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In this review, I have included both prime and zoom lenses with diverse focal lengths. I will give you insights on the benefits and shortcomings of each lens and how each one performs compared to other options on the list.
With its wide-angle zoom capabilities, the Sony - E 10-18mm lens is excellent for landscape, cityscape, real estate, and architecture photographers. It is also suitable for videographers or content creators searching for a lens for vlogging that can fit many things into the display, given the broad field view.
The lens has a nice size measuring 3.75 inches with the lens hood installed and only 2.5 inches without. It weighs only 7.9 ounces. Therefore it barely makes a noticeable difference when added to your A6300. Its miniature size makes it not strenuous to carry on trips.
This lens extends mildly given its small focal range, which is the least among my top zoom lenses. However; its image stabilization allows you to achieve admirable and crispy video at slower shutter speeds.
I don't like the small maximum aperture of f/4. It matches the Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm F4 to provide the smallest aperture amongst my selections. It makes this lens less than ideal for low light scenarios.
With its price almost resembling what the A6300 costs, it isn't the first option if you are on a budget. However; my top lens for the A6300 is an intelligent choice for photographers who heavily rely on wide-angle lenses.
Providing a broad range of flexibility with its features, the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 is my favorite option for its balance between performance and pricing. This lens can zoom from a wide-angle of 18mm to a 135mm telephoto performance, and it is the second most extensive zoom lens on my list.
This versatility makes it a suitable choice for real estate photographers, scenery shots, and close-up views of tiny things.
The zoom ring works evenly and smoothly, which is a fantastic bonus for video work. Its focus ring is relatively easy to turn as well. While electronically coupled to the lens motor, it responds very smoothly when shooting in manual focus.
Like the Sony - E 10-18mm, it also includes image stabilization to help achieve sharper and more precise images and footage. Despite the stabilization feature, it doesn't keep your subjects as still as other camera lenses.
Like most zoom lenses, this superzoom has a reasonably dark maximum aperture of only f/3.5-5.6. While you can achieve a better performance than the Sony - E 10-18mm, it is slightly challenging to shoot with it in poorly lit areas.
Its limited aperture also means you won't be able to achieve intensely out-of-focus backgrounds. Although it offers a competitive value for your money, it's still a bit on the high-end price, considering it is a superzoom lens.
Coming at an affordable price I were curious whether the Meike 35mm F1.7 performs well on the A6300.
The 35mm focal length, while not providing the versatility my top zoom lenses offer, gives you some room to achieve an excellent picture quality. It is wide-angled enough for general purpose shooting while giving a good emphasis on your subject if you get a bit closer.
f/1.7 is an excellent fast maximum aperture and the most extensive on my list. It enables you to get nicely blurred backgrounds and lets in enough lightning when shooting indoors.
Oddly enough, I didn't notice any difference in shutter speeds while shooting at f/1.7 and f/2.0. Even though bokeh is a little more intense at f/1.7, the lens light transmission seems slightly off.
It is a pretty small lens while featuring a metallic construction. It feels nice and solid, yet it only weighs 6.2 ounces.
As expected, such an affordable price means you have to sacrifice some crucial features. With the autofocus feature unavailable, the lens may not be ideal for beginners and capturing moving subjects.
You also lack image stabilization with this lens, unlike my two first options. Videos may, therefore, be a bit shakier when hand-handling your A6300.
The Sony SEL-20F28 20mm f/2.8 is tiny compared to what you expect for a top lens to attach to your A6300. Intrigued by its meager 2.4 ounce weight, the lightest on my list, I immediately wanted to determine whether it is the perfect companion for your A6300.
Besides the barely noticeable change you get once paired with your A6300, it also has the smallest size on my list. The combination is quite pocketable, saving you the need to carry a large storage bag.
Its only control point is a very slim manual focus ring that turns smoothly. The autofocus turns silently, which is nice. The turning speed is average though I appreciate that its focus hunting is minimum.
The lens comes with a hood which is relatively helpful on a sunny day. It also has a 49mm thread to fit small filters. In short, the build quality is perfect and especially interesting to see on one of Sony's oldest E-mount lenses.
With its aperture at f/2.8, it allows ample lighting for indoor shooting.
This lens provides a moderate wide-angle, making it suitable for everyday
This pancake lens is still a pocket-friendly option even though it is not as affordable as the Meike 35mm f/1.7 or the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8.
Although you can use it as a multipurpose lens, expect a ton of vignetting on a full-frame camera unless shooting in crop mode.
Being the most extensive zoom lens on my list, the first question when looking at theSony SEL18200 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 is whether the image quality is in jeopardy. Looking at its qualities, I got convinced that it's a superb pairing for the Sony A6300.
The immense focal range means you can use it for almost all kinds of
Its autofocus works great, and you also have a manual zooming option to adjust to the sharpness you need. Though a little small, the zoom rings are precise and pretty effortless to turn. Backed by its image stability, the unit ensures a reduction in image blur when taking videos.
I feel a little disappointed by the aperture ranging from f/3.5 to 6.3. While it’s reasonably great in most instances, its low light performance is one of its biggest shortcomings.
When it comes to size, even though it is reasonably compact for a superzoom, the Sony SEL18200 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 is still quite large when placed on the A6300. If you are using it on a tripod, you have to make sure you adjust your tripod to accommodate the lens.
To top it up, it is the second most expensive lens on the list, with its price roughly similar to the A6300 itself.
Almost resembling the Meike 35mm f/1.7, I decided to determine whether the Sony SEL35F18 35mm f1.8 works similar to it or even better. While pricier than the former, it comes with upgraded attributes making it one of the best prime lenses for A6300.
At f/1.8, this maximum aperture is the second largest on my list, offering fast shutter speeds and a nice bokeh effect.
I love its inclusion of image stabilization, something the Meike 35mm f/1.7 lens lacks, and a rare feature on such a fast aperture lens, making it a better selection for handheld video work as it ensures precision. Its 35mm focal length is good enough for general purposes.
The Sony SEL35F18 35mm f/1.8 at 5.4 ounces is 0.77 ounces lighter than the Meike 35mm f/1.7. While not such a significant difference, it is clear that this lens overpowers the Meike 35mm f/1.7 in all except aperture parameters and pricing.
Though not the prettiest lens around, I appreciate its incorporation of a larger focus ring than the enormous Sony SEL18200 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3. The ring, however, feels a little heavy to turn, yet fortunately, it is pretty responsive when using it in manual mode.
At f/1.8, there is some excellent resolution, although you should refrain from shooting towards the sun to avoid purple fringing.
While not the most extensive zoom lens on my list, the Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm still offers a respectable range. The advantage of not going too far with the zoom range is to ensure the unit provides flexibility while still not compromising your picture quality.
Its maximum aperture of f/4 is the smallest on the list, making it quite challenging to use in dim scenarios. Although the bokeh won't be as impressive as the f/1.8 and f/2.8 lenses on review, you can still achieve out-of-focus backgrounds.
Its maximum aperture might, however, be helpful to have an autofocus lock in your pictures. When using the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 along with a polarizing filter, it tends to struggle to lock focus when zoomed in with the aperture at f/5.6. This unit locks better with its autofocus.
Another advantage of the f/4 constant aperture is it allows you to zoom in and out without changing your exposure settings. The lens has no focus breathing; hence if you focus back and forth even at 105mm, the image won't zoom in and out.
It has a fully electronic power zoom, and the autofocus is more impressive than the Sony SEL35F18 35mm f/1.8. The lens is, therefore, an excellent choice for video applications.
If you are looking for a compact lens for your A6300, the Rokinon AF 24mm f2.8 is another excellent selection. With my preference for tiny lenses, this 4.2 ounce lens is the second lightest on my lens and proved to be a top contender.
The 24mm focal length offers a nice pairing for your A6300. It provides a lovely wide angle with slightly stretched corners to provide your picture a touch of drama.
Its maximum aperture of f/2.8 is not exceptionally bright and not as good as the Meike 35mm f/1.7. It is good enough for shooting indoors and in darker situations. If you want out-of-focus backgrounds, you have to get close to your subject.
Its large focus ring unit gives you an easy time when using it. It glides gently and is a convenient component.
I liked its capacity to accommodate two filters simultaneously without showing any physical vignetting in your images. However; when using a neutral density filter, you might experience some vignetting, as is the case with wide-angle lenses.
While the f/2.8 aperture is suitable for night
The Sony A6300 is a midrange mirrorless camera that comes with a crop-factor sensor. The compact design of this camera makes it suitable for use in a wide range of shooting conditions.
With the features below, you can be able to identify a lens that matches the versatility of this camera. The following table outlines the basic features you should look out for when shopping for a lens.
| Lenses | Diaphragm Blades | Image Stabilization | Aperture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony - E 10-18mm | 7 | Yes | f/4 |
| Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 | 7 | Yes | f/3.5-5.6 |
| Meike 35mm F1.7 | 8 | No | f/1.7 |
| Sony SEL-20F28 20mm f/2.8 | 7 | No | f/2.8 |
| Sony SEL18200 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 | 7 | Yes | f/3.5-6.3 |
| Sony SEL35F18 35mm f1. | 7 | Yes | f1.8 |
| Sony SELP18105G E PZ 18-105mm | 7 | Yes | f/4 |
| Rokinon AF 24mm f2.8 | 7 | No | f/2.8 |
One of the main reasons real estate photographers might prefer the Sony A6300 is its compact and lightweight design. Typically, this camera features an APS-C sensor, which is physically smaller than the full-frame sensor. Additionally, the camera is mirrorless, which means the camera body doesn't have a reflex mirror.
If you pair this compact and lightweight camera body with a heavier lens, there are chances the front of the camera, where the lens is mounted, will be heavier than the camera. Usually, this results in an unstable setup. If you are shooting handheld, there are chances of muscle fatigue due to weight imbalance.
On the other hand, if you are shooting using a tripod, there are chances of the camera toppling over when tilting downwards due to imbalances. It's therefore advisable to pair this camera with a lightweight lens such as the Sony 35mm f/1.8.
The lens autofocus system uses a form of artificial intelligence to detect the main subject you are shooting and track if it's moving. The performance of the system mainly depends on how clearly it can view the main subject and distinguish it from the background and the foreground.
When you are taking real estate interior photos in bad lighting, the system might not be able to detect and track the subject. That means you might need to switch to the manual focus to get more accurate focusing results. Although most lenses come with a manual focus ring, the flexibility and smoothness of the ring vary.
If you are shooting videos, consider going for a lens with a smooth manual focus ring, such as the Rokinon AF 24mm f/2.8. The smooth focus ring allows you to focus manually without introducing unexpected or abrupt movements that can make the footage unsteady.
As a real estate photographer, you might need to capture photos from tight spaces, such as cramped bathrooms, or take close-ups of distant subjects, such as a communication dish mounted on the roof of the property. That means you need a lens that can magnify distant subjects and still capture wide-angle perspectives.
Generally, there are two types of lenses: zoom lenses and prime lenses. Zoom lenses have a variable angle of view that you can adjust to magnify a subject or broader the scene the camera can capture. The wider the adjustability, the more versatile the zoom.
If you want a versatile zoom that can capture both telephoto and wide-angle perspectives, get a lens such as the Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3. When this lens is paired with the APS-C sensor of the A6300, the zoom range increases to an equivalent of around 27-300mm.
Generally, portrait photography needs a lens that will give a natural field of view, such as a 50mm lens. The A6300 camera is designed with excellent performance in portraits, and using it together with this lens will give you a good background blur making the portraits aesthetically pleasing.
A lens with a larger aperture, such as the Meike 35mm F1.7, is ideal for capturing fast-moving objects in low light. The A6300 camera features an advanced autofocus system that can help to track the subject.
There is no harm that can happen to the A6300 camera lens due to 4K video shooting. Normally, the major effect is on the camera, which tends to overheat when shooting 4K video for a long time. Simply avoid shooting in 4K for a prolonged time to avoid the overheating issue.
After going through performance, quality, and affordability information on my best lens for A6300 reviews, I believe one or two options caught your eye. It's time to settle on your pick and get down to making your dream videos and shots, make sure to pair them up with the best flash for A6300 as well.
