Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G Full-Frame Large-Aperture Ultra-Wide Angle G Lens, Model: SEL20F18G

Let’s get this out of the way first; this lens may be a Sony G lens, but it’s a G Master lens for all intents and purposes. The build, features, linear XD AF and optical quality are basically the same as my 35mm GM. The one reason it’s likely sold as “just” a G is the 1.8 aperture (as opposed to 1.4). This lens on my Sony A1 is absolutely brilliant. I have the Sigma 20mm 1.4 Art, which is also an amazing lens, but it’s just way too big and heavy. The Sony 20mm 1.8 G is under half the weight of the Sigma, which is an easy trade for that 2/3-stop difference. In fact, after some tests I’ve discovered that the actual transmission difference is only about a half-stop between the two. Even though they’re both 20mm, the Sony G is noticeably wider than the Sigma. The Sony also exhibits a bit of focus breathing whereas the Sigma doesn’t. Both are super sharp lenses, but the Sony G is noticeably sharper when pixel peeping. The Sony also focuses quicker and more confidently, as well as having a much closer minimum focus distance. Often when using the Sigma with a flash to cover dancing at the end of a wedding reception, I would have to stop the lens down to around f/2.8 otherwise most shots would slightly miss focus. With the Sony G I can shoot wide open in this scenario and it almost always nails focus, tack-sharp. If you’re looking for a 20mm for Sony FE then this is the lens to get.

I had the Zeiss 16-35mm f4 before this lens (for video), I thought that not being able to go to 35mm would’ve been a huge hit to the versatility in creating videos.. after using it for a few weeks, I found this lens was incredibly worth the trade! The lowlight is so good that it practically stays on my camera all day, and it is sharp and clear in dark situations (no more noisy videos). The close focusing distance let’s me get very close with very little distortion. Not to mention it’s small and light, I do not regret trading in the zeiss 16-35mm f4 for this. I do not use this for photos due to the wide focal length, but it is great for YouTube thumbnails, very wide and sharp. Awesome lens, highly recommend.

Obviously you can't use a wide-angle lens for everything, but this lens is super versatile and fun. I am amazed at how close you can get to an object and still get the lens to focus. Focus is fast and precise, vignetting is not bad as far as I am concerned, in fact, it seems awesome even at 1.8. Image clarity is very good. The aperture ring works great with a switch to turn on and off the detent. No stabilization on this lens, but with camera stabilization, do you really need it? A few days later, adding to this. I really like the different perspectives you get from this lens. It amazes me how close I have to get to what I am shooting to get it proportion. Because I have been shooting some large outdoor sculptures lately, it has become more of an up-close and personal type of lens. It should be great for real estate, abstract stuff, scenery and landscapes as you can get so much of what you are shooting in lens, while still being reasonably close. As a side note, I just checked and the lens correction file is already loaded in Lightroom for this lens. It was not showing in Photoshop yet, I am guessing they will add it in an update very soon though.

This is an amazing lens I bought it for landscape, star photography, and for use as a webcam as my camera crops when shooting video. There is very little to no distortion with this so you can snap away and the majority of photos will not need to be adjusted. Amazing prime lens, Sony really does make amazing glass. I've been out of the photo hobby for over 14 years. Previously I used Sony gear as well, wow they upped their game in a major way.

If you're looking for a fast wide angle prime for Sony FE and are on a budget, look no more. I'm very happy with this lens. It's small and lightweight. It feels solidly built. Optics are as perfect as they can be in this year of 2020. Zero chromatic aberration on my a7iii using Capture One Pro 12. Shooting stars I can see a TINY bit of CA, but not enough to bother me one iota. Auto focus is fast and accurate, basically perfect for both still and video on my a7iii. Focus transitions are smooth and little focus breathing. I used to use, and still do somewhat, modified Nikkor primes on canon cameras and got used to having an aperture dial. It's really nice to have. I've accidentally bumped it from 1.8 to 2 or 2.5 in my lens pouch, and that's messed up a shot or two, but it's a quick fix if you're paying attention and you can always put it on A and control via camera. When it's on A it's locked in place and isn't going anywhere. For me I like it. The hype for this lens is real. Sony knocked it out of the park imo. I was looking to get a wide angle prime but didn't want to dish out the money for the 24 1.4 GM. I'm very pleased with my 20mm. 10/10 Thanks Sony.