12 Best Portrait Lens for Sony A6000 in 2023 | Top Editor Pick

Last Updated on March 1, 2023 by Best Vlogging Camera

The art of portraiture is extremely pleasing to the eyes. It is a delicate art that gives off an element of intimacy and delicacy. But like all good things, this doesn’t come easily. Portraitures require a lot of time and effort from the photographer.

Besides this, they also need the right tools and photographers can excel easily. This is where portrait lenses come into play. Importantly, finding the right key can make or break your photography session. 

Among other cameras, Sony A6000 is one of the best mirrorless cameras right. For that, you need to have the best portrait lens for Sony a6000.

Photographers, like artists, have the creative freedom to opt for whoever portrait lenses are a perfect choice. Sony, being one of the market leaders, has some lenses that you can use for aesthetically pleasing pictures and portraits.  

Related: 8 Best Flash for Sony a6000 for 2023

Down below, we have curated a list of the best portrait lens for Sony A6000. 

Before we jump into it, you should know that there are certain aspects you should keep in mind before buying a portrait lens for Sony A6000. For that purpose, we have a buying guide ready for you as well.

Buying Guide for Portrait Lenses

Focal Lens

Starting with the most important feature, the focal lens. The focal lens will determine your position for the object you want to capture. 

If you are photographing objects far away from you, you will need a longer focal lens. But if you are planning to capture things closer to you then you can make do with a smaller focal lens. 

With a high focal lens, zooming in would be easier while with a lower one, the zoom will be lesser. This is the number before mm. 

There are tons of choices in this as well such as a standard one, wide-angle, ultra-wide angle, telephoto, and short telephoto. 

You should pick a lens that suits your need better so first try to gauge your area of photography.

Best Vlogging Kits: Top 5 Best Mobile Vlogging Kit Reviews 2023 for Professional Use

Category of Focal Lens

As mentioned above, there are various categories of a focal lens as well. For close-up portraits and a touch of the human eye in your pictures, you can get a normal lens. 

But, if you want to capture environmental pictures or pictures from a distance then a wide-angle lens will be better for you. 

Telephoto lenses will be the right pick for you if you want to bring more attention to your object and dull out the background.

Lastly, we have short telephoto lenses which are perfect for portraits. 

Aperture

Next up is finding the right aperture. Aperture helps in giving the exposure of your photos a boost. 

With the right aperture, you can give your picture the perfect creative twist. It entails the amount of light that will be allowed in your picture. 

The lower the aperture is, the higher amount of light will be allowed in. 

What we suggest is to pick a lens with a low aperture but make sure that you don’t let go of your focal lens. 

It completely depends upon your affordability but a lens with a low aperture and focal lens of your choice will be the best for you. 

Prime or Zoom?

Next up, here we are getting a little into the specifics of the lens. While looking for the best lens for the Sony a6000, people also tend to get confused here. 

What we would suggest is to opt for prime lenses. These lenses will give you a higher aperture and will be great for you if you plan on shooting in places with less light. 

Also, the image quality will be a lot better as well with sharper images and higher contrast levels. 

Budget

Last but not the least, you have to keep your budget in mind. 

Even though a pricy camera will get you aesthetically pleasing and good-quality pictures, you can also get the job done if you choose the right features for your lens.

With additional effort on the placing and positioning, you can get great photographs even with a cheaper lens as well. 

A lens with better picture quality and sharper images will be heavier and pricier while one with moderate picture quality and lower prices will be cheaper. 

Best Budget Cameras: 10 Best Vlogging Camera Under $200 for 2023 – Buyer’s Guide

Top 10 Best Portrait Lens for Sony A6000

Down below, we have made a list of Sony A6000 portrait lenses that will complement perfectly with your camera and get you high-quality images. Let’s take a look.

1. Sony – E 50mm F1.8 OSS Portrait Lens – Best Lens For Portrait Mode

 

First off, we have the Sony – E 50mm F1.8 OSS Portrait Lens. For amateurs and professionals, this lens can get the job done beautifully and with ease. It has a 50mm focal lens which is great for portraiture. 

Lighting and exposure will not be a problem with this lens as well since it has a bright maximum aperture of F1.8. You can also work on defocusing effects using the aperture. With this lens, you will get a focus distance of 1.28ft (0.39m). Magnification is sorted as well with a ratio of 0.16x. 

Coming to some additional features, this lens has a built-in Optical Steady Shot image stabilization system which has approximately 4 stop shutter speed advantage, with the help of young can get blur pictures in crisper quality. 

The Optical Image Stabilization feature will also be helpful for you while working on night shorts and can eradicate a lot of video distortion. 

Moreover, you will also get fast auto-focusing and a short minimum focusing distance. 

It can complement the autofocus with the eye band face detection 4D tracking of the A6000 which is a core star making it the best portrait lens for the Sony a6000. 

For portraits, it has the perfect creamy ‘bokeh’ effect which will help subject isolation. You can enhance the bokeh effect using the settings as well.

The lens has a pretty great build quality with an aluminum alloy exterior. This is one of the best lightweight and compact telephoto lenses for the Sony A6000. 

In the box, you will find a lens front cap, lens rear cap, and hood (ALC-SH116). Plus, you get the choice to pick between black and silver colors as well. 

 

 

2. Sony – FE 50mm F1.8 Standard Lens

 

 

This is a great Sony A6000 portrait lens that is available in an affordable price range. It is the perfect pick for all our users who are looking to get aesthetically pleasing portraits on a limited budget. 

Even though the price might be less, it is still a perfect choice for Sony A6000.

Starting with the build and weight of the lens, it is extremely lightweight and has a compact build. 

Furthermore, the optical design of the lens is said to be state-of-the-art. It not only looks good but produces high-quality and crisp images as well. 

The lens has a large and wide aperture of 50 mm and is a prime lens. It is a standard lens and the big F1.8 maximum aperture has a seven-blade circulate aperture so that you can work on gorgeous defocus shots easily with a bokeh effect.

With a focal length of around 75 mm, you can capture portraits easily on the APS-C format E-mount bodies. 

The minim focal length on the lens is 35mm and it is a prime’s design lens.  It has a minimum focus distance of about 0.45 m which is roughly equal to 1.48 ft. 

The lens is optimum for a good shallow depth with the F/1.8. Furthermore, it is native and fast. It is said to be optimum for people who plan on shooting the environment or landscapes as under F5.6, you will get sharp results and stunning detailing on the scenery. 

Moreover, the spherical elements of the lens will help in controlling the spherical aberration and coma while e the double glass configuration works in suppressing the distortion and the field curvature. 

Whether you are on the go or are trying to purchase within a budget, this is the perfect choice since it weighs less than 6.5 ounces and is easily available for under $200. 

 

 

3. Sony SEL35F18 35mm f/1.8 Prime Fixed Lens

 

Next up in our list of best portrait lenses for Sony A6000, this is a top contender. The build of the lens is classic and has a sleek design. 

You will get the new optical design which is perfect if you are looking for good peripheral sharpness and contrast. 

Moreover, you will also get the additional feature of built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization which is great for night shots and videos.

In addition to this, the subtle linear motions will make the process quiet and effective. 

In a wide-angle lens, the maximum and minim focal length you will be getting is exactly 35mm. It covers a minimum focus distance of 0.99ft which is around 0.3m and the maximum magnification ratio for this lens is around 0.15x. The focal length is 1.38. 

Furthermore, the lens is not zoomable. You will have an APS-C mm equivalent focal length with a 6/8 lens group. This is said to be an ideal “second lens.” 

The reason for this is it is lightweight and convenient because of the compact design. You can use it for various tasks such as night shots, snapshots, videos, and portraits as well. 

The portraits will come with foreground blur while the night shots will be of high quality because of the bright and maximum aperture. 

Importantly, the ED glass will drastically bring down the chromatic aberration for those working at telephoto ranges. 

Because of the ED glass, you can also get high-level contrast over your image. It should be that there are various Advanced Spherical elements incorporated as well.  

Wait !! You are looking for flip screen cameras must visit: 12 Best Canon Vlogging Camera With Flip Screen in 2023 – Buyer’s Guide

 

 

4. Sony – FE 50mm F1.8 Standard Lens (SEL50F18F/2)

 

Sony – FE 50mm F1.8 Standard Lens (SEL50F18F/2) is another affordable lens in our list of best portrait lenses for Sony A6000. It is a prime-type lens with a focal length of 75mm. 

The standard lens is compatible with Sony’s APS-C cameras and with Sony A6000 as well. 

The lens has a large F1.8 maximum aperture which can aid you in capturing mesmerizing photos with the effect of defocusing in full swing.

This effect will help in filtering out any unwanted objects in the background and will your subject the optimum isolation 

We all know how crucial a feature aperture is and Sony has made sure to cover it as well. There is a seven-blade circular aperture that helps in giving you the right bokeh effect. 

The double glass configuration of the lens will help you get rid of distortion.

Moreover, the quick autofocus will help keep the blurring to a minimum and that is what makes it a star when it comes to top-quality images. 

Moreover, the compact design of the lens makes it easy to carry and you can move it around within your toolkit. 

The design is also great if you plan on using it for full-frame e-mount cameras.

Furthermore, there is the spherical element which will help in keeping the coma and spherical aberration controlled. 

There is not much difference between the original and this version of the lens. 

The image quality of both lenses is almost the same and only high-level professionals will be able to point out any defects in the image results. 

Paired with Sony’s sensors, it gives great image quality. 

 

 

5. Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8-22 – Best Bokeh Lens for Sony A6000

 

Designed and launched in the year 2017, this lens by Sony named the Sony 85mm f/1.8 is a lens created for mirror fewer cameras. 

It is a telephoto type of lens and has an aperture setting of f/1.8. It is the right portrait lens for Sony A6000. 

The lens produces great results in the form of portrait images and has a sharp effect. The bokeh effect of the lens works smoothly and this makes it the best bokeh lens for sony a6000.

Furthermore, it is compatible with various camera bodies like an A6000, A6400, or even an A6500. The lens has a Sony E mount and weighs around 371g.

The maximum amount of aperture of this lens is /f/1.8 with the minimum aperture being f/22.

It can focus on some distance as well and the minimum distance focus is set to 0.8m. Also, it is created especially for photographers who like to work in portrait mode. 

Moreover, the wide F1.8 maximum aperture is great as it helps in getting your pictures and portraits with defocusing effects. 

Unlike other lenses, mentioned above, this one has a nine-blade circular aperture instead of seven. Imagine how much improved the bokeh effect will be. 

The autofocus feature of the lens is pretty efficient and works fasts. Furthermore, there are other fast autofocusing lenses in this list but this one triumphs them all in this department.

The reason is that it is extremely quiet and you will not have to listen to annoying whirring and machine sounds. 

It has an ED glass element incorporated into the design so that there is top-level corner-to-corner sharpness. 

Moreover, there is one feature of this lens that makes it stand out from the rest which is the feature of weather resistance.

In addition to this, this lens by Sony is moisture and dust-resistant. This is the best portrait lens for Sony A6000. 

 

 

6. Sigma 56mm for E-Mount (Sony) Fixed Prime Camera Lens

 

We couldn’t possibly make up a list of the best portrait lens for the Sony a6000 without including this beauty by Sigma. 

Sigma designs this lens in such a way that it has a sleek and delicate design, it is a part of their Contemporary series of lenses and complements well with the APS-C format Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. 

Starting with the aperture, it has a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture which is great if you are going to be working in places with dim or low lighting. 

It will help in giving you a more detailed depth of the field. This is great if you want to isolate your subjects in your portraits and then work with various focus techniques. 

All the lenses in these Contemporary lines are designed in such a way that users get the maximum performance out of it with a blend of convenience and ease as well. The lightweight build makes it easy to carry.

It has a focal length of 84mm. In its optical design, you get two wonderful features including one SLD element and two spherical components. 

You can easily get rid of chromatic aberrations and spherical aberrations and get higher accuracy in terms of color and clarity. 

Moreover, there is the added benefit of AF motor which works efficiently and silently. What’s more, is that there is a Super Multi-Layer Coating which is incorporated into the design so that you can have minimum lens flaring.

 No flaring and ghosting mean richer colors and natural color imagery. 

Lastly, you can benefit from the feature of rubber sealing as well which means resistance from elements like splash and dust. 

 

 

7. Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III Camera Lens

 

Another item on our list for the best portrait lens for Sony A6000 is the Canon EF-S 18-sharp f/3.5-5.6 III Camera Lens. 

The reason we put this one on the list is for all the people who are just stepping out into the world of photography. This can be a great startup lens for them. 

It is a standard lens and is perfectly compatible with Canon EF-S. The maximum focal length of this lens is 55 mm, while the minimum focal length of the lens is 18mm. 

Other than that, the maximum aperture of the lens is 1:3.5-5.6. The minimum aperture for this lens is f/22-38 (f/22-36 for 1/3-stop increments also.)

The lens construction has a total of 11 elements in 9 different groups. It has an autofocus focus type and weighs around 0.55lbs.

As mentioned above, people who are looking for an easy and simple lens can use this. It is suitable for a lot of shooting situations and can get the job done. 

Moreover, there is the added element of an aspheric lens. This lens helps in producing images without distortion. 

You can be assured that the image quality will not get completely ruined because of distortion. 

 

 

8. Rokinon 85M-E 85mm F1.4 Fixed Lens for Sony

 

Slowly and gradually, Rokinon is becoming one of the major contenders for Sony mirrorless camera lenses. 

The Rokinon 85mm F1.4 fixed lens is known for producing top-notch quality images at a great price. 

You will a red accent ring near the focus control and some text written in plain white front to guide you about the aperture, etc. 

With the 85mm, you will cover entire frames with a bit of light. There is a reversible hood for the lens and is the only plastic part of the whole lens. 

The manual ring is open for control by the user and moves and twists smoothly. 

Furthermore, you can have the maximum focus for about 0.9m or 3 feet which is pretty good. At F/1.4, you will be in for some high-quality and excellent-resolution pictures. 

Chromatic aberration will need some work as well since it is pretty visible if you plan on shooting at high-contrast points. 

The UMC multi-layer coating reduces the effect of flaring ghosting for sharp images. There is a bayonet-type lens included in the lens like a hood. 

The hood helps in getting rid of unwanted light rays and saves the lens from irritation. There are 8 diaphragm blades and 9 glad elements in 7 groups.  

You can get to your required level of focus without having to fiddle with the lengthening and rotation of the front lens. 

Moreover, the bokeh feature is achieved excellently as it can cover the entire frame. This can be as big as 35mm film and as little as ASP-C and MFT size sensors. 

 

 

9. FE 35mm F1.8 Large Aperture Prime Lens

 

One of the best lenses for the Sony a6000 is this one. This FE 35mm F1.8 Large Aperture Prime Lens functions great when it is complemented with the Sony A6000. 

It is a wide-angle lens and has compatibility mounting with Sony Fe and Sony E (NEX). It is a great lens for full-frame photography. 

The lightweight and durable build make it easy to use and the wide aperture prime lens further adds to its usability, convenience, and mobility. 

It has a 35mm focal length which is perfect for snapshots such as those of food, people, and even landscapes. 

The aperture of F1.8 is a great feature and will enable you to get photographs in dim-lit areas with the help of gorgeous defocusing effects. 

There is a nine-blade circular aperture with the help of which you can get the best of the bokeh effect. 

The optical design of the lens was refined and changed. Because of this modification, minimized spherical aberration to a huge extent. The spherical lens works hard to get rid of field curvature and get the alight net of light rays right. 

The focus button at the top works smoothly for Eye AF, Bring monitoring, Shot Result Previews, Aperture Preview, and many other tiny tasks as well. 

Additionally, there is the feature of dust and moisture resistance which makes it a great pick for outdoor photography. 

Last, the feature of Linear Response Manual Focus makes it the best among the best. 

With the help of features such as MF, you will get control of Manual Focus control during delicate and detailed shooting projects and for shooting in movie mode, etc. 

All of these features are clear proof of why this is one of the best portrait lenses for the Sony A6000.

 

 

10. Sony SELP1650 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens

 

The Sony Power Zoom Lens is another best portrait lenses for Sony A6000. It made the design of the lens in such a way that it is lightweight and portable. 

It enhanced the portability factor with the help of the retractability of the lens. The retractability is as little as 29.9mm. 

Even though it is lightweight, the creators have kept the compactness as a priority and made it perfect if you want to carry it around with other lenses. 

It is a standard lens and is perfect for mounting on Sony α camera system E-mount cameras. We should note that you cannot use this lens on A-mount cameras. 

The lens comes with built-in image stabilization which will help reduce any elements of blurriness in your pictures and videos. 

Moreover, it has an ED glass and spherical Lens feature which works great for reducing and getting rid of chromatic aberrations. 

The zoom feature of the lens is one of the best features. 

The power Zoom option is great for smooth zooming while photographing and operates quietly and efficiently, the operability is another element of the zoom feature which makes it the best. 

The maximum focal length of the lens is 50mm while the minimum focal length is around 16mm, and the minimum amount of distance covered by the lens is .025-0.3m which roughly measures equal to 0.81-1ft. 

This lens provides high-level contrast over the entire image and works smoothly even when the aperture settings are at large. The ED glass provided compensation for chromatic aberrations. 

 

 

11. Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8-22 Medium-Telephoto Fixed Prime Camera Lens

 

Next up is this list of best portrait lenses for the Sony a6000.

This lens goes well with Sony cameras, especially the A6000. It is a telephoto lens and has a prime lens design. The design and build of their lens are sleek looking and have a minimal tone to them. 

The maximum focal length of the lens is around 85mm while the minimum length of the lens is 35mm. It has a wide F1.8 maximum aperture which is perfect if you plan on using the defocusing effect.

This defocusing effect will give you pictures and portraits with high contrast and clarity levels. 

There is a 9-blade circular aperture incorporated in the design. This aperture with a higher blade count than the usual, lenses helps in giving the perfect bokeh effect.

Moreover, this bokeh effect will aid you in giving your subject an isolated stage. The 9 blades also help in creating a beautiful background for your photos. 

With a magnification ratio of 0.13, you can get the maximum amount of magnification and an angle of view of 29 degrees. 

Importantly, it is a full-frame lens and comes on an affordable budget. You can not just use this for full frames but ASP-C cameras well. 

There is an ED glass element added to the lens to bring life to the corner-to-corner sharpness of your images. The ED glass also helps in minimizing chromatic aberrations. 

The lens is weather-resistant so you can easily head out in the dust. It can also resist moisture and give you the ease of using it anytime, anywhere. 

 

 

12. Sony – E 10-18mm F4 OSS Wide-Angle Zoom Lens

 

The second last item in our list of lenses is the Sony – E 10-18mm F4 OSS Wide-Angle Zoom Lens. This is a wide-angle lens and is compatible with Sony E.

It should be noted that this is not compatible with other devices which can be a con for some users but those with Sony E don’t have to worry.

The maximum focal length of the lens is 18 mm while the minimum focal length of the lens is around 10mm. The angle of view provided by the lens (APS-C) is – 109 °–76 °.

 Furthermore, the minimum focus distance is around 0.82 ft. which equals 0.25m. The magnification ratio of this lens is 0.1x. 

We know the lens to be one of the best Sony a6000 portrait lenses because it gives out the most detailed pictures with a high level of clarity and sharpness. 

Additionally, the aperture maximum is f/4 while the minimum aperture is f/22. This is a 35mm equivalent focal length. 

This super-wide zoom angle makes it the optimum device and lens if you intend on taking photographs of sweeping scenery and landscapes. 

With the help of this lens, you will get beautiful images with high importance and priority on the perspective. 

There is also the much-loved feature of built-in Optical Steady Shot (OSS) this is one feature that no one likes to compromise on. With the right image stability, you can do anything you like. 

There are spherical lenses incorporated into the design as well. This helps in minimizing the spherical aberration and will help reduce the size and weight of the lens itself. 

The Advanced Aspherical elements in the lens help in attaining the correct shape which will ultimately increase the quality and accuracy of your images. 

 

 

FAQs section

• What Sony lens is best for portraits?

FE 35mm F1.8 Large Aperture Prime Lens is the best for portraits right now. It has all the required features which include the nine-blade aperture, fast autofocus, versatility in the usage of the focus button, and Linear Response Manual focus among other features. 

• Is the Sony A6000 good for portraits?

Sony A6000 is a great camera and gives the best value for its money. For those who are venturing out into the world of photography or for professionals looking for portrait cameras, it gets the job done perfectly. 

• Which lens is best for the Sony a6000?

With the perfect bokeh effect, image stabilization, and fast autofocus among other features, Sony – E 50mm F1.8 OSS Portrait Lens is the best lens for Sony A6000. 

• Is the Sony a6000 worth buying in 2023?

Sony A6000 might be five years old but the usability of the camera is pretty good. As time passes, there is better and improved technology taking over but Sony A6000 still provides great value for its price. This is visible through the camera’s performance. 

• What is the sharpest Sony lens?

Rokinon 85M-E 85mm F1.4 Fixed Lens for Sony is by far the sharpest because of the UMC multi-layer coating. This helps in lessening the effect of ghosting or flaring which gives sharp images.

• Which lens is better for portrait photography?

Sony SEL85F18 85mm F/1.8-22 Prime Camera Lens with The maximum amount of aperture of lens /f/1.8 and with the minimum aperture being f/22. Created by keeping portrait photography in mind, it is the better pick for this job. 

Final Words

When we made this list of the best Sony A6000 portrait lens, we tried to keep all the requirements in mind. 

From the best focal length and aperture to the right price range, the lenses mentioned above fulfill all the criteria needed for the A6000 lens.

Most of the lenses in this list are budget-friendly but if you don’t have a budget, then FE 35mm F1.8 Large Aperture Prime Lens is the best lens for the Sony a6000.

Each lens might have something that the other doesn’t, and this is where your preferences come in. Try to gauge your needs by looking at what the purpose of your lens will be and pick one accordingly.

That’s it, folks! Here we are done with some of the best lenses for Sony A6000, take out your cameras, pick a lens and get to click!