Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G ($898 from B&H Photo | Amazon | Adorama) is ideal for landscape, astro and street photographers and photojournalists shooting in low light. It gets my recommendation for both quality & value offering outstanding sharpness and borrowing heavily from G Master DNA including a working aperture ring and XD Linear focus actuators. It offers premium optical performance and exceptional AF speed at a moderate price.
• Bright f/1.8 maximum aperture ideal for difficult lighting and shallow depth of field.
• Two AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements help to greatly reduce distortion and spherical aberrations.
• Three extra-low dispersion elements reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations.
• Dual XD Linear Motor system provides quick, quiet and precise autofocus and manual focus control.
• Customizable focus hold buttons are present on the lens barrel for rapid access to select settings.
• Physical aperture ring can be de-clicked for smooth, silent aperture for video shooting.
• Dust- and moisture-sealed design better permits working in inclement weather.
• Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality when employing selective focus.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Smith photographs portraits of Hollywood A-List and Fortune's 500 for magazines, corporations and advertising. He's a Sony Artisan of Imagery, Profoto Legend of Light, Adobe Influencer and X-Rite Master Coloratti.
