If you own a Sony mirrorless camera, searching for the best prime lens for Sony A6000 cameras is a natural next step on a photography journey.
After all, if you’ve been primarily shooting with the standard kit lens or even an upgraded zoom lens, investing in a high-quality prime lens can really start to take your photography to the next level. These lenses are also great for travel as they are typically quite lightweight!
The search for the best prime lenses for Sony A6000 cameras or other models such as the A6100, A6300, A6400 or A6500 is not an easy task. You’ll need to consider exactly what you’re looking for in an upgrade and what limitations you feel your current lenses have.
This guide will take you through the best Sony A6000 prime lenses on the market. It will focus only on lenses that are specifically built for this camera model which means they are E-mount and have an APS-C sensor.
As the A6100, A6300, A6400 & A6500 all use these specifications, you can use the below lenses for any of these cameras.
Want a quick answer? My choice for the best prime lens for Sony A6000 cameras is the E 35mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) or the Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
Sony A6000 Prime Lens Comparison
| Sony A6000 Prime Lens | Description | Prices |
|---|---|---|
E 35mm F1.8 OSS | BEST MID-RANGE PRIME LENS Range: 35mm Aperture: f1.8 Weight: 154g/5.5oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA | BEST PREMIUM PRIME LENS Range: 24mm Aperture: f1.8 Weight: 225g/8oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 50mm F1.8 OSS  | BEST PORTRAIT PRIME LENS Range: 50mm Aperture: f1.8 Weight: 202g/7.2oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 20mm F2.8 | BEST WIDE ANGLE PRIME LENS Range: 20mm Aperture: f2.8 Weight: 69g/2.4oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 16mm F2.8 | ALTERNATIVE WIDE ANGLE PRIME LENS Range: 16mm Aperture: f2.8 Weight: 67g/2.4oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
E 30mm F3.5 Macro | BEST MACRO PRIME LENS Range: 30mm Aperture: f3.5 Weight: 138g/4.9oz | Check on Amazon Check on B&H Photo Check on Adorama |
What to Look For in Sony A6000 Prime Lenses
There are many reasons why you might decide it’s time to invest in a prime lens for your Sony A6000 camera. The standard kit 16-50mm lens has a number of limitations and even some of the best zoom lenses for Sony A6000 cameras won’t necessarily give you the image quality that you’re looking for.
Generally speaking, prime lenses will have better quality than a lot of zoom lenses. You’ll be able to get a shallower depth of field and get that nice blurry background on portrait shots.
You’ll also arguably become a better photographer and you’ll be forced to move around to get the shot you want rather than relying on the zoom functionality.
As the Sony A6000 is one of the most popular travel cameras on the market, a big advantage of investing in a prime lens is that they tend to be significantly lighter and smaller.
This means that if you’re primarily shooting wide-range or street photography, you don’t need to carry around a lens capable of telephoto for the sake of it.
The Sony A6000 prime lenses also tend to be more affordable compared to the same of the mid-range and premium zoom lenses so if you know the specific type of shots that you want to shoot and aren’t looking to spend a significant amount of money, a prime lens can be a great upgrade to purchase for your Sony A6000.
Best Prime Lens for Sony A6000 Cameras
The following lenses all have their pros and cons when choosing the best Sony A6000 prime lens for your photography needs.
E 35mm F1.8 OSS
If you’re searching for the best prime lens for Sony A6000 cameras because you want to expand the type of photos that you can shoot then the E 35mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is a fantastic option.
The E 35mm F1.8 OSS will allow you to take beautiful night photography with its maximum aperture of f1.8 as well as portraits with a lovely shallow depth of field.
It’s ideal if you’re looking for a second or third lens as it won’t replace your ability to take wide-angle shots (the crop sensor of the A6000 means you’re shotting at an effective focal length of 52.5mm) which is often a key requirement particularly if you’re using the Sony A6000 for travel photography.
The E 35mm F1.8 OSS is lightweight coming in at 154g/5.5oz. however, it’s not as light or compact as some of the other options in this list which have the flat pancake design.
However, what you lose in extra weight you undoubtedly gain in image quality with this lens having Optical Steadyshot (OSS) which helps with image stabilisation and ensuring you get those beautiful blur-free images.
You can easily make the case that the E 35mm F1.8 OSS is the best prime lens for Sony A6500 cameras and its similar model if you want to step up your night photography and portrait photo-taking ability!
Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA
The Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is a premium prime lens for Sony A6000 cameras that can be used for beautiful high-quality shots.
This is a good overall lens with an effective focal length of 35mm. You can take a range of shots while also getting really nice bokeh and a shallow depth of field with its f1.8 aperture.
It’s fairly lightweight given its quality as it weighs 225g/8 oz but be aware that the Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA doesn’t have Optical Steadyshot so you’ll have less image stabilisation if shooting with the Sony A6000 compared to the more premium models such as the A6500.
Overall, if you’re image quality is the important factor when choosing a prime lens and you want to be able to take a good range of shots with one lens, then you can’t go wrong with the Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA.
E 50mm F1.8 OSS
If you’re searching for a prime lens for your Sony A6000 because you want to take your portrait photography to the next level then it’s worth considering the E 50mm F1.8 OSS (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
In most ways, this lens is similar to E 35 mm F1.8 OSS with its f1.8 maximum aperture, Optical Steadyshot functionality and lightweight and compact design, though it is slightly heavier at 202g/7.2oz. What this lens will allow you to do, however, is to capture beautifully detailed portraits.
The E 50mm F1.8 OSS lens is a good option if you’re considering investing in a portrait lens and already own a great wide-angle zoom lens.
The photo range is obviously limited with this lens but the image quality is fantastic and if you find yourself shooting a lot of portraits you really can’t go wrong with investing in this prime lens.
E 20mm F2.8
If you’re looking for a lightweight prime lens for your Sony A6000 camera then you can’t go wrong with the E 20mm F2.8 (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here).
It gives photographers an improvement in image quality compared to shooting with the standard 16-50mm kit lens while still maintaining the sleek pancake design.
However, if image quality is your number one priority then it’s worth considering some of the other Sony A6000 prime lenses in this article.
It weighs only 69g/2.4oz and this landscape lens is incredibly slim making it ideal if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself when shooting or are a minimalist packer.
The E 20mm F2.8 lens is faster than the majority of zoom lenses in this budget category making it ideal for day-to-day street shooting while still be able to capture beautiful scenic shots given its wide-angle capabilities.
Some things to keep in mind with the E 20mm F2.8 is that it doesn’t have Optical SteadyShot which is one of the reasons why image quality isn’t as impressive as the premium prime lenses available in this range.
Overall though, if you’re looking for a sleek and affordable prime upgrade to your standard kit lens then the E 20mm F2.8 is certainly worth considering.
E 16mm F2.8
The E 16mm F2.8 (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) is certainly one prime lens to consider as an alternative to the E 20 mm F2.8.
There aren’t a lot of differences between these two lenses with both having a slim lightweight pancake design and a maximum aperture of f2.8. This lens is slightly lighter coming in at 67g/2.4oz.
The E 16mm F2.8 obviously allows you to shoot at a wider length which is the same as the standard kit lens of 16-50mm. If you’ve been shooting with the standard kit lens, pay attention to how often you’re shooting at 16mm and whether you find yourself wanting the extra length.
Overall, if you love shooting epic wide-angle shots and are just looking for a simple upgrade from your standard kit lens then the E 16mm F2.8 is a good option to consider.
If you’re happy shooting at 20mm, then I would recommend going for the E 20 mm F2.8 lens instead as the general consensus is that it offers better image quality.
E 30mm F3.5 Macro
Offering a point of difference from the other prime lenses in this article, the E 30mm F3.5 Macro (also available from B&H Photo here or from Adorama here) lens is something to consider if you love detailed, close-up photography.
A macro lens allows you to take incredibly detailed and up-close photography by magnifying the object you are shooting. The E 30mm F3.5 Macro lens offers 1:1 magnification meaning the object will be the same size on the sensor as in real life. This makes macro lenses incredibly powerful for shooting small objects like insects and flowers.
Sony doesn’t manufacture many macro lenses so the E 30mm F3.5 Macro is really your best option is you’re looking for a macro prime lens for your Sony A6000. If taking macro photography is something you want to pursue, then this lens is certainly a good option – it’s lightweight at 138g/4.9oz and compact for travel.
However, if you’re still learning your photography craft and unsure about what type of photos you want to take, I’d suggest investing in one of the other prime lenses in this article to give yourself a broader range of photo-taking ability.
If you’re certain that you want a macro prime lens for your Sony A6000 though, then the E 30mm F3.5 Macro is a great option.
Investing in a prime lens for your Sony A6500 or A6000 camera will certainly take your photography to the next level and with a number of quality options designed specifically for this camera series, you will certainly be able to find something that suits your needs.
Are you looking for the best prime lens for Sony A6000 cameras? What do you think is the best? Let us know in the comments below!
