Carl Zeiss Sonnar T FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA

Compact with excellent image and build quality. I actually first bought the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Planar, which is renowned for it's image quality. Unfortunately my copy had some serious focus issues. I got a refund from Sony and later bought this 55mm Sonnar f/1.8. It is much smaller and lighter. The image quality is excellent, with just a bit of chromatic aberration to deal with in post. The out of focus background also gets a bit swirly at the closest focus distance, because of the optical design, and that is something to be aware of. The build quality of the 55mm f/1.8 is excellent. The metal barrel and large, perfectly damped focus ring are stand outs. The only reason I docked a star from my review is that the lens lacks controls. A lot of FE lenses do away with the (useful) aperture ring but, unlike this lens, most have an AF/Manual focus switch. It is annoying to have to go into the menu to select manual focus. Other than that, this is an excellent lens for professional and serious amateur use. I would highly recommend it.

There’s cheaper choices. You get what you pay for. Expensive for a f/1.8 with no OSS but you pay for the portability, excellent quality of image, brand name, awesome silent fast autofocus.

Amazing lens... I get this lens to cover my adventures... Solid metal built-in, and high quality sharp with great value for money...