9 Best Sony Lenses for Portrait Photography in 2024

Choosing the right Sony lenses for portrait photography can make a big difference in the quality of your photos. With so many options available, it’s important to find lenses that offer the best combination of focal length, aperture, and image quality to bring your creative visions to life. Our top pick, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8, stands out for its sharp images and beautiful background blur. This makes it a great choice for portrait photography. Alongside this top choice, there are eight other lenses that cater to a variety of shooting styles and needs, ensuring you have the tools to capture stunning portraits.

What Is the Best Sony Lens for Portrait Photography?

Selecting the best Sony lenses for portrait photography involves considering focal length, aperture, and optical quality. All to ensure flattering subject portrayal and beautiful background blur. The list includes prime and zoom options from Sony, Sigma, Samyang, and Tamron, each offering unique advantages for capturing stunning portraits. These lenses excel in low light, provide sharp images with minimal distortion, and offer varying degrees of background isolation to enhance the subject’s focus.

Our Favorite Sony Lenses for Portrait Photography

Let’s take a closer look at our favorite Sony lenses for portrait photography. We’ve picked prime lenses that excel in low light. And there are also versatile zooms for dynamic compositions. We think there’s a perfect option for every style and situation.

The Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is a superb prime lens  for portrait photography. Its 85mm focal length is a long-time favorite with portrait photographers. That’s because it is ideal for creating flattering images without distorting facial features. The wide f/1.8 aperture allows for a shallow depth of field, producing a beautiful bokeh that makes subjects stand out from the background. The wide aperture is particularly useful in low light, where the lens can capture sharp images without needing a high ISO.

Autofocus is another strong point of this lens. It locks onto subjects quickly and accurately, ensuring the eyes are sharp in portraits. This is crucial when working with a shallow depth of field. The lens is also lightweight and compact, making it easy to handle during long shooting sessions. However, it lacks built-in image stabilization. This isn’t a major issue, as many Sony cameras have in-body stabilization.

Compared to the Samyang 85mm f/1.4, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is lighter and has faster autofocus, making it more practical for dynamic shooting conditions. While the Samyang offers a wider aperture, the Sony’s autofocus reliability and overall ease of use make it a good option for portrait photographers. Its sharpness and pleasing bokeh quality, combined with its compact design, make it a top choice for those looking to capture professional portraits.

The Samyang 85mm f/1.4 IF MC Aspherical for Sony E is a prime lens known for its wide f/1.4 aperture. This feature is key for portrait photography as it allows for a shallow depth of field. This creates a soft background blur, making the subject stand out. The lens’s 85mm focal length is perfect for portraits, offering a natural look without distorting facial features. 

Built from quality materials, the lens is durable and weather-sealed. Weighing 513 grams, it’s relatively light, making it easy to carry around for shoots. The manual focus ring is smooth, aiding in the accurate focusing needed for sharp portraits.

Optically, the lens performs well, delivering sharp images with minimal distortion. Chromatic aberration is low, thanks to its aspherical element. However, vignetting is noticeable at wide apertures but lessens when stopped down. The bokeh quality is excellent, contributing to the lens’s appeal for portrait work.

In summary, the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 is a good option for those looking for a great value portrait lens. Its wide aperture and focal length make it ideal for portrait photography. Its optical performance and build quality offer great value for photographers focusing on image quality.

The Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A for Sony E is a super prime lens for portrait photography. Its 105mm focal length offers a flattering compression of facial features, making it a top choice for capturing detailed and expressive portraits. The wide f/1.4 aperture not only excels in low light but also creates a shallow depth of field. This results in a beautifully blurred background, emphasizing the subject. Its focal length is about the longest that works for portraits. In a studio, you will need to make sure you have the space to use it comfortably.

Weighing in at 1645g, this lens is on the heavier side, which might challenge handheld shooting over long periods. Despite this, its build quality is exceptional, featuring weather sealing that protects it in various shooting conditions. The lens’s optical performance is outstanding, delivering sharp images with minimal distortion and chromatic aberration. The bokeh quality is especially praised, adding an artistic touch to portraits.

Autofocus is reliable, ensuring subjects are in sharp focus, crucial for capturing the subtle nuances of expressions in portrait work. The lack of image stabilization is a drawback, particularly in handheld, low-light situations. Photographers might need to compensate with higher ISOs or use a tripod. Overall, the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 is a powerful tool for portrait photographers with its professional-grade image quality and build. Its weight and size are considerations, but for those prioritizing optical excellence, it’s a compelling choice.

The Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS is a versatile zoom lens, ideal for photographers who value flexibility. Its range from wide-angle to short-telephoto makes it suitable for a variety of portrait scenarios. Its f/4 aperture might not offer the shallowest depth of field compared to wider aperture lenses. But it still provides a pleasing bokeh that can effectively isolate the subject from the background. This lens is particularly useful in dynamic shooting environments where changing lenses frequently is not practical.

Weighing 663 grams, it balances well on most Sony camera bodies, making it manageable for extended shooting sessions. The built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization is a boon for shooting in natural light. It helps when slower shutter speeds are unavoidable, helping to keep images sharp without a tripod.

Optically, the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS delivers impressive sharpness. It controls aberrations well, thanks to its advanced element design. The autofocus is quick and reliable, ensuring that the subject’s eyes are in focus, which is crucial for portrait photography. This lens, with its consistent performance across the zoom range and effective image stabilization, is a good option for photographers looking for a single, adaptable lens for portraits and more.

The Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS offers a great budget choice for portrait photography, especially for those using Sony’s APS-C cameras. Its 75mm equivalent focal length offers a natural perspective, ideal for flattering portraits. The f/1.8 aperture allows for beautiful background blur, isolating the subject effectively. This lens is also equipped with Optical SteadyShot, providing up to 4 stops of image stabilization, which is beneficial in low light or when slower shutter speeds are used.

Weighing just 202 grams, this lens is lightweight and easy to handle. This makes it a good choice for photographers who value mobility and comfort during long shooting sessions. Despite its plastic construction, it feels sturdy enough for everyday use. However, users should note the lack of weather sealing and take precautions in challenging environments.

Optically, the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS delivers sharp images with minimal distortion, making it suitable for a wide range of photography styles beyond portraits. Its autofocus is reliable in well-lit conditions, ensuring critical focus on the subject’s eyes. While it may show some vignetting at wide apertures, this is easily corrected in post-processing. Overall, this lens offers great value, combining image quality, stabilization, and affordability, making it a popular choice for portrait photographers using Sony APS-C cameras.

The Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM is a versatile zoom lens that is highly regarded among portrait photographers. Its wide f/2.8 aperture across the zoom range allows for excellent low-light performance. It also delivers a shallow depth of field, creating beautiful bokeh that makes subjects stand out. This lens is particularly useful for capturing detailed and expressive portraits, thanks to its sharpness and the flattering compression at the telephoto end.

Weighing 886g, it’s a solid lens but well-balanced. It is manageable for both studio and on-location shoots. The build quality is top-notch, with weather sealing that provides reliability in various shooting conditions. The autofocus is fast and precise, ensuring that the subject’s eyes are always in sharp focus, which is crucial for portrait work.

Optically, the lens delivers outstanding performance. There is minimal distortion and chromatic aberration, ensuring images are clear and true to life. The bokeh quality is smooth, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of portraits. Despite its higher price point, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM’s versatility and image quality make it a valuable tool for professional portrait photographers seeking the best results from their Sony gear.

The Samyang 85mm f/1.4 MK2 for Sony E is a prime lens celebrated for its optical quality and wide aperture, making it a go-to choice for portrait photographers. Its 85mm focal length offers a flattering perspective for portraits, slightly compressing facial features for a natural look. The f/1.4 aperture excels in low light, allowing for faster shutter speeds and creating a shallow depth of field with a beautifully blurred background, or bokeh, that highlights the subject.

Weighing 509 grams, this lens is relatively lightweight, making it comfortable for handheld shooting during extended sessions. The upgraded weather sealing provides added confidence for shooting in diverse conditions. Its optical construction, including high-refractive and extra-low dispersion elements, ensures sharp images with minimal aberrations.

Autofocus, powered by an upgraded Linear STM motor, is quick and precise, crucial for capturing the subtle expressions in portrait photography. While lacking built-in image stabilization, the wide aperture partially compensates by allowing more light, reducing the need for slower shutter speeds. Overall, the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 MK2 is a solid option for photographers seeking quality portraits with a lens that offers both performance and value.

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN | A for Sony E is an ideal lens for portrait photography. It offers a fast f/1.4 aperture for creating stunning bokeh and isolating subjects from the background. Its 35mm focal length is not that common for portraiture. But it provides a natural perspective, ideal for environmental portraits where the subject’s surroundings contribute to the story. The lens’s sharpness, even wide open, ensures that every detail, from the texture of the skin to the sparkle in the eyes, is captured with clarity.

Constructed with high-quality materials, this lens is both durable and ergonomically designed for comfortable handling during long shooting sessions. Its weather sealing adds an extra layer of protection, making it a reliable choice for outdoor portraits. The autofocus is quick and precise, crucial for capturing fleeting expressions and moments.

Optically, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 impresses with minimal distortion and chromatic aberration, thanks to its advanced lens elements. This ensures portraits are not only sharp but also free from unwanted color fringing. While it lacks built-in image stabilization, the wide aperture allows for faster shutter speeds, mitigating camera shake. Overall, this lens is a powerful tool for portrait photographers seeking exceptional image quality and creative control.

The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD offers portrait photographers a versatile tool, blending a broad focal range with a fast aperture. Its ability to zoom from medium to telephoto lengths allows for framing flexibility, making it ideal for capturing both detailed close-ups and wider environmental portraits. The constant f/2.8 aperture ensures excellent performance in low light and provides a shallow depth of field, essential for isolating subjects and achieving that sought-after creamy bokeh.

Weighing 810g, this lens is relatively lightweight for its class, easing the burden during long photo sessions. Its weather-sealed construction adds durability, reassuring photographers working in diverse conditions. The autofocus, powered by the VXD motor, is both swift and silent, ensuring critical moments are sharply captured without disturbance.

Optically, the Tamron 70-180mm impresses with its sharpness and minimal chromatic aberration, thanks to its sophisticated lens elements. While it lacks built-in stabilization, its compatibility with Sony’s IBIS system mitigates this, allowing for steadier shots in challenging lighting. Overall, this lens is a compelling choice for photographers seeking quality and versatility without the heft and price of similar lenses.

Conclusion: The Best Sony Lenses for Portrait Photography

We think this collection of the best Sony Lenses for Portrait Photography gives you plenty to choose from. From prime lenses that offer sharp, detailed images with beautiful bokeh to versatile zoom lenses that provide flexibility in framing, the selection covers a wide range of options for photographers of all levels.

Our top choice, the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8, is celebrated for its ideal focal length, fast aperture, and lightweight design, making it perfect for portrait photography. It stands out as a great blend of quality, performance, and affordability. For those looking for more options, the eight other lenses, each offers unique attributes to suit various photography styles and requirements.