Are you searching for the best portrait lens for Sony A6000, A6300 or A6500 cameras? This isn’t surprising. After all, if you’ve only been using your Sony A6000 with the standard 16-50mm kit lens, it’s not the best lens to get nice portrait shots.
If portrait photography is something you really want to improve in the future and capture more of during your travels, it’s worth investing in a better lens for your camera.
However, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing a portrait lens such as whether you get an all-in-one lens, a prime lens or a zoom lens that has the capability of taking portrait or telephoto shots.
If you’re about to invest in one of the best portrait lenses for Sony A6000 cameras then read on to help you figure out which is the best one for your situation.
All these lenses are manufactured specifically for E-mount cameras with APS-C sensors meaning that they will also work with Sony A6000’s sister models such as the A6100, A6300, A6400 & A6500 cameras.
Want a quick answer? My choice for the best portrait lens for Sony A6000 cameras is the E 50mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) or the E 35mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
Sony A6000 Portrait Lens Comparison
| Sony A6000 Portrait Lens | Description | Prices |
|---|---|---|
E 50mm F1.8 OSS | BEST PRIME PORTRAIT LENS Range: 50mm Aperture: f1.8 Weight: 202g/7.2oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 35mm F1.8 OSS | ALTERNATIVE PRIME PORTRAIT LENS Range: 35mm Aperture: f1.8 Weight: 154g/5.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS | BEST ALL IN ONE ZOOM PORTRAIT LENS Range: 18-135mm Aperture: f3.5-f5.6 Weight: 325g/11.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 16–55mm F2.8 G | BEST PREMIUM ZOOM PORTRAIT LENS Range: 16-55mm Aperture: f2.8 Weight: 494g/17.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS | ALTERNATIVE PREMIUM ZOOM PORTRAIT LENS Range: 16-70mm Aperture: f4 Weight: 308g/10.9oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS | BEST VIDEO ZOOM PORTRAIT LENS Range: 18-105mm Aperture: f4 Weight: 427g/15.1oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
Choosing a Portrait Lens for Sony A6000 Cameras
One of the most important considerations when choosing which of these lenses to buy is whether you’re looking for a replacement for your standard kit lens that can take great wide-angle landscapes or a lens purely for portrait photography. This is also crucial to determining the best Sony A6000 settings for portraits to use for your photography.
There are a number of lenses in this article that fall into the former category which give you an increased focal length and higher aperture to allow for that beautiful shallow depth of field and bokeh that many photographers love to see with their portrait photography. This is a great option if you don’t want to be constantly switching lenses when travelling.
You’ll also need to consider how far away you expect your subject to be when shooting. As the Sony A6000 is a popular travel camera, you can often be shooting from a distance meaning that you might want an increased focal length that a telephoto lens offers to be able to take a portrait shot of your subject.
All in all, choosing to the best portrait lens for Sony A6000 cameras isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer so hopefully, the below lenses give you an option that suits your photography needs the best.
Best Portrait Lens for Sony A6000 Cameras
These are the best portrait lenses currently available on the market, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
E 50mm F1.8 OSS
If you’re looking for a pure portrait lens for your Sony A6000 then you can’t go wrong with choosing the E 50mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
This prime lens allows you to take a range of portrait shots in different circumstances. Its f1.8 aperture means you can take shots in low-light, particularly as it’s Optical Steadyshot functionality helps with ensuring your images are blur-free.
The E 50mm F1.8 OSS has a focal length ideal of portrait photography and your shots are able to get that beautiful shallow depth of field and bokeh that you want when taking portraits. The lens is also lightweight enough at 202g/7.2oz that you can take it with you as a second or third lens without adding a lot of weight to your backpack.
Overall, the E 50mm F1.8 OSS makes a strong case for being one of the best portrait lens for Sony A6500 cameras if you want to purchase a lens solely dedicated to taking portrait shots.
E 35mm F1.8 OSS
If you’re looking for a slightly more versatile lens that you still plan to use primarily for portraits then it’s worth considering the E 35mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
This lens is quite similar to the E 50mm F1.8 OSS, with the main difference obviously being the decreased focal length from 50mm to 35mm. This allows you to take a wider range of shots and is great if you’re also looking for a lens that can take better night photography as the f1.8 aperture is ideal for low-light.
The E 35mm F1.8 OSS also has Optical SteadyShot to help with blurring and is even lighter coming in at 154g/5.5oz.
I think the E 35mm F1.8 OSS is ideal if you’re still developing your photography craft and want to stay as flexible as possible with your lens selection while also investing in a lens that can take great portrait shots.
E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Moving away from prime lenses, the E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is one of the best options if you’re looking to replace your standard-kit lens with an improved range and photo quality.
The E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is arguably one of the best all-in-one lens available on the market as it allows you to take a wide range of photography from landscapes to portraits.
The aperture for portrait shots will be significantly lower compared to the prime lenses in this article so while you won’t be able to as easily get beautiful bokeh or the shallow depth of field effect, you will instead have a versatile lens that you can use is the majority of situations.
This is ideal if you’re primarily using the Sony A6000 as a travel camera and don’t want to be constantly having to change lenses throughout the day.
The E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS like the prime lenses above has Optical SteadyShot functionality as well as an auto/manual focus switch on the lens. It’s reasonably lightweight given the lens’ range weighing 325g/11.5oz.
Overall this lens makes the argument for being the best portrait lens for Sony A6000 cameras if you’re looking to step-up your portrait photography while also replacing your standard kit lens at the same time.
E 16–55mm F2.8 G
If you’re looking for a premium replacement to your standard kit lens and also want to be able to take beautiful portrait photography then the E 16–55mm F2.8 G (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is a great choice.
This is a premium all-in-one lens that has a similar range to the standard kit lens but its aperture of f2.8 will allow you to take significantly better portrait photography at the upper range of this lens’ focal length.
The E 16–55mm F2.8 G also has vastly superior picture quality with an auto/manual focus switch on the lens and a focus hold button that allows you to customise functionality to your photography needs.
The E 16–55mm F2.8 G is heavier than the other lens in this article, weighing 494g/17.5oz so you should factor this in if you’re a minimalist packer. Ultimately though, this is a small price to pay for the improved picture quality and the ability to take a wide range of shots with one lens.
Overall, the E 16–55mm F2.8 G is one of the best portrait lenses for Sony A6000 cameras if you’re after a premium replacement to your standard kit lens that will allow you to take significantly better portrait photography.
Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS
An alternative option if you’re looking for a premium upgrade to your standard kit lens is the Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
Apart from the improvement in photo quality, the Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS gives you an increased range to 70mm, allowing for a wider range of shots to be taken with one lens.
The maximum focal length of 70mm is good for portraits however the constant f4 aperture will mean that it will be harder to get the really shallow depth of field that you might want in your portrait photography.
This lens is lightweight weighing 308g/10.9oz and also has Optical SteadyShot. It’s certainly a good all-in-one lens if you’re happy to sacrifice the lower light shots you might be able to take with a lens such as E 16–55mm F2.8 G.
E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS
Finally on this list of best portrait lenses for Sony A6000 cameras is the E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
Once again, this is an option if you’re looking for an upgrade to your standard kit lens for taking portrait photography but also want a lens that is suited to shooting videos.
The E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS offers a powered zoom and a wide-range that allows you to shoot videos in a variety of situations.
The constant aperture of f4 means you have similar limitations to your portraits as in the Vario-Tessar T E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS lens, however, if taking videos is important to you then this lens is certainly one to consider.
The E PZ 18–105mm F4 G OSS weighs 427g/15.1oz with Optical SteadyShot in-built and is a great mid-range option if flexibility in your lens is important to you.
Choosing the best portrait lens for Sony A6000 cameras means having to consider a number of factors, such as how many lenses you want to carry with you and the limitations that you’re happy to live with. Hopefully, this list enables you to select an option suitable for your photography needs!
Are you looking for the best portrait lenses for Sony A6500, A6000, A6300 or A6400 cameras? Which do you think you want to choose? Let us know in the comments below!
