Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro vs Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T

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Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro

Macro Prime | Sony E

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Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ

Standard Prime | Sony E

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Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro vs Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony lenses lenses with different focal types: Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro is a Macro Prime lens with a 50mm focal range and a max aperture of F2.8 whereas Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ is a Standard Prime lens with a 55mm focal range and max aperture of F1.8.

We will start with briefly looking and the main specs of these two lenses and in the section, we will start analyzing in more detail and list the pros and cons of each lenses.

Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro Key Specs

50mm Focal Range

F2.8 Max Aperture

Weather Sealed

Filter Thread: 55mm

Max Format: 35mm FF

Sony E Mount

Weight: 236g.

Diameter: 71mm

Length: 71mm

Min Focus Distance:0.16m

Max Magnification:1x

Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ Key Specs

55mm Focal Range

F1.8 Max Aperture

Weather Sealed

Filter Thread: 49mm

Max Format: 35mm FF

Sony E Mount

Weight: 281g.

Diameter: 64mm

Length: 71mm

Min Focus Distance:0.5m

Max Magnification:0.14x

What type of photography are the Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro and Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ lenses good for?

The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro and the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ for their suitability to various photography scenarios:

Photography Type	Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro	Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ
Bird/Wildlife	Fair	Fair
Sports	Fair	Average
Portrait	Good	Excellent
Travel	Average	Good
Street	Good	Very Good
Wedding	Good	Excellent
Walk Around	Average	Good
Vlogging	Average	Good
Landscape	Good	Good
Macro	Very Good	Poor

Size and Weight Comparison

Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro weighs 236g, which means it is 45g (16%) lighter than the Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ which has a weight of 281g.

Lens Mounts

Both Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro and Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A7R V, Sony FX30 and Sony A7 IV.

Focal Range

Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 75mm.
Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 55mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 82.5mm.

Reasons to choose Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro over Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T

Focal Length - Wide	50mm vs 55mm	5mm Wider coverage
Distance Scale	Yes vs No	Distance Scale to assist focusing
Weight	236g vs 281g	45g lighter
Minimum Focus Distance	0.16m vs 0.5m	can focus closer to the subject
Max Magnification	1x vs 0.14x	higher magnification better for close-up shots

Reasons to choose Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T over Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro

Focal Length - Tele	55mm vs 50mm	5mm more Tele coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	1.8 vs 2.8	Wider aperture at wide end
Max Aperture - Tele	1.8 vs 2.8	Wider aperture at tele end
Diaphgragm Blades	9 vs 7	Potentially more rounded and smooth bokeh
Focus Type	Internal Focusing vs Extending front	Length of the lens doesn't change during focusing
Diameter	64mm vs 71mm	7mm smaller in diameter
Filter Thread	49mm vs 55mm	Smaller filters are cheaper and easier to find

Common Strengths of Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro and Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T

Weather Sealing	Yes vs Yes	safer to use under rain and dust

Common Weaknesses of Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro and Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T

Image Stabilization	No vs No	Reliant on in-body Image Stabilization

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Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro vs Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA CZ Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General
Brand	Sony	Sony
Lens Type	Prime	Prime
Price	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE
Lens Type	Macro Prime	Standard Prime
Lens Mount	Sony E	Sony E
Max Format	35mm FF	35mm FF
Focal Range	50mm	55mm
Image Stabilization		No
Colour	Black	Black
Zoom Method	No Zoom	Rotary (internal)
Power Zoom	No	No
Zoom Lock	No	No
Zoom Ratio	1.0X	1.0X
Aperture
Max Aperture	F2.8	F1.8
Min Aperture	F16	F22.0
Aperture Ring	No	No
Diaphragm Blades	7	9
Optics
Optical Elements	8	7
Optical Groups	8	5
Focusing
Min Focus Distance	0.16m	0.5m
Max Magnification	1X	0.14X
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
AF Motor Type	unknown	Stepper motor
Full Time Manual	No
Focus Method	Extending front	Internal
Distance Scale	Yes	No
DoF Scale	No	No
Distance Scale	Yes	No
Focus Distance Limiter	Yes	Unknown
Physical Specs
Weight	236g	281g
Diameter	71mm	64mm
Length	71mm	71mm
Materials	Unknown	All-metal construction
Weather Sealing	Yes	Yes
Filter Thread	55mm	49mm
Filter Notes	-	-
Hood Supplied	No	Yes
Hood Code	Unknown	ALC-SH131
Tripod Collar	No	No
Optional Accessories	-	-
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