Guide to 20-28mm wide-angle lenses for Sony A7/A9/A1 series

Sony A7rII | Zeiss Loxia 21mm 2.8 | f/8.0

We summarize our experience with all the native E-mount and a few manual legacy lenses in the 20-28mm bracket to give you a compact and independent resource for choosing the right wide-angle lens for your Sony A7/A9/A1 camera. In this summary we also included some adapted lenses we think are worth mentioning. We didn’t include any zoom lenses, you can find those in our general guide to FE lenses as well as the guide to 9-18mm ultra wide angle lenses.

You may also want to check out our guides to 35mm lenses, 50mm lenses and 85-200mm portrait lenses.

Some of these lenses are manual focus only (MF) whereas others feature auto focus (AF). There is also a noticeable amount of lenses listed here that do not feature electronic contacts to communicate with the camera (no Exif).

We have no association with any manufacturer apart from occasionally loaning a lens for a review. Before any short introduction we tell you how long we have used a lens and if we have borrowed it from a manufacturer. But in most cases we have bought the lenses on the market. If you want to support our independent reviews please consider using one of the affiliate links. It doesn’t cost you anything and helps us a lot.

If we have left any question unanswered please leave a comment or contact us on social media and we will do our best to answer it.

Last update: May 2026, Meike 24mm 1.4 MIX added, 7Artisans 24mm 1.8 AF added, Sigma 24mm 2.0 DG DN C updated, Sony FE 24mm 1.4 GM updated, layout updated

Continue reading Guide to 20-28mm wide-angle lenses for Sony A7/A9/A1 series

Review: Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE EVO Apo

Introduction

viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo on Sony A7rII

Not that long ago we reviewed the Viltrox AF 85mm 2.0 Evo – the first lens of the Evo series – and it turned out to be a very compelling lens; correcting most optical aberrations very well in a compact, affordable package. It didn’t take long for Viltrox to extend the lineup, so here is the Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 Evo and this time Viltrox even added an “Apo” tag, hinting at even better optical performance. Did they design the ideal compact autofocussing 35mm lens?  Let’s find out in this review.
Update May 4th: new sample pictures added

Sample Images

viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8
viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8
viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8
viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8
viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8
viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8
viltrox 35mm 1.8 evo apo fe af bokeh master sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7III | Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE Evo | f/1.8

Continue reading Review: Viltrox AF 35mm 1.8 FE EVO Apo

Review: Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G

Introduction

nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G via FTZ II on Nikon Zf

One of the first reviews I wrote here was for the Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G in 2016. A lot has happened since: Nikon now has its own mirrorless system, many new ~20mm lenses have been released in the meantime and also my testing methods have improved. A lot of reasons, to have another look at this lens.
Update April 2026: complete rewrite of the review.

Sample Images

Nikon D800 | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/2.8
nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon D800 | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/2.8 | two exposures merged
nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon D800 | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/8.0
nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon D800 | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/2.8
sony a7s nikon 20mm 1.8g black and white mustek prague
Sony A7s | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/2.8
nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | FTZ II | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/1.8
nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Sony A7s | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/11
nikon af-s 20mm 1.8 g n ed sony 42mp 61mp a7rii a7riv a7riii a1 a9iii a7rv review resolution sharpness contrast bokeh vignetting coma z6 z7 z8 z9
Nikon Zf | FTZ II | Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G | f/1.8

Continue reading Review: Nikon AF-S 20mm 1.8G

REVIEW: Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO

Introduction

Viltrox has just released two new full-frame lenses in its EVO series—a 35mm f/1.8 and a 55mm f/1.8—both featuring APO designs for improved correction of chromatic and spherical aberrations. Here, I’m testing the 55mm lens.

Based on Viltrox’s earlier Air and EVO lenses, which delivered exceptional sharpness, I was curious to see if this new 55mm can reach the same level as Nikon’s 50mm f/1.8 S—a lens I regard as the best “nifty fifty” Nikon has ever produced, with outstanding sharpness and overall optical quality. Let’s find out.

Available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Leica L mounts.

Sample Images

Nikon Zf | Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO | f/16
Nikon Zf | Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO | f/1.8
Nikon Zf | Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO | f/1.8
Nikon Zf | Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO | f/2.8
Nikon Zf | Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO | f/13
Nikon Zf | Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO | f/2.2

Continue reading REVIEW: Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO

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