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12 Best Lenses for Sony a6400 in 2023 – By a Travel Photographer

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

Are you looking for the best lenses for Sony a6400? You came to the right place my fellow photographer! Choosing lenses for Sony camera may be a little tricky as there is a multitude of different lenses available on the market. This post was written to make choosing the best lens for Sony a6400 easy.

I’m a blogger and travel photographer which means I take photos on a daily basis. I owe a Sony a6400 camera along with the Sony a7iii and know a thing or two about different types of e mount Sony lenses.

Best Lenses for Sony a6400

Sony a6400 is a fantastic camera for beginners and intermediate photographers. It’s affordable, fairly easy to use and can take quality photos. Not to mention the fantastic range of compatible lenses for Sony a6400! In this post, you’ll find the best lenses for portraits, the best Sony lenses for landscape, the best Sony lenses for video, Sony a6400 zoom lenses, the best Sigma lenses for Sony and more Sony a6400 best lenses!

*All lenses I recommend in this post are compatible with all Sony a6xxx series

Best Lenses for Sony a6400 – Table

Here are the best lenses for Sony a6400 based on the purpose:

How to choose the best lens for a6400 Sony camera?

Sony a6400 an E-mount camera

Sony a6400 is one of the mirrorless cameras with a Sony E mount and a crop sensor or APS-C sensor. So, the best lenses for Sony a6400 are the E mount Sony lenses that are specifically designed for an APS-C sensor. E mount lenses for Sony are typically very compact to fit the small camera body and are also affordable.

An excellent landscape compact lens for a6400 is Sigma 16mm f/1.4.

However, your camera is also compatible with FE lenses for Sony full-frame cameras such as Sony A7 iii. FE lenses Sony full-frame camera-specific are typically more expensive and come with higher specs. If you ever plan to upgrade from your Sony a6400 to a full-frame camera, it makes sense to invest in one of them now. Otherwise, I recommend getting one of the Sony E mount lenses, because you won’t get a full resolution from an FE lens on a crop sensor camera such as a6400.

Third-party lenses

Apart from branded lenses for Sony cameras you also can buy third party lenses. Some of the best third-party lens manufacturers include Sigma, Tamron and Samyang. They are typically more affordable than Sony and often equally good.

One example of such a lens is the best Sigma lens for Sony cameras and my personal favourite – Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8.

Budget

A huge deciding factor in choosing your next Sony lens for a6400 is how much money you’re willing to spend on it. Think about what you want the lens for and only buy it if you’re sure you’re going to use it. An excellent choice for a first beyond the kit lens for Sony camera is an all-around lens with a 20-70mm range and aperture of F2/8.

A great multipurpose and affordable lens for Sony a6400 is Tamron 17-70 mm F2.8.

Weight & size

Another important factor in choosing the best Sony lens camera is portability. If you’re looking for the best Sony lenses for travel, you may want to make sure your chosen camera lens Sony is light and small. Otherwise, you will never take it with you!

Photography style

Most of us won’t be buying a set of different lenses but initially, just one additional Sony E Mount lens to complement the kit lens. Think about what type of photos do you normally take? Are you an Instagram influencer and take fashion shots of yourself or travel captures? Do you enjoy taking pictures of beautiful landscapes or architecture? Maybe you’re a portrait or macro photography enthusiast? Answering these questions will help you choose the best lens for Sony a6400 that is perfect for your photography style.

In the next section, you’ll find a summary of the best lenses for Sony a6400 based on the photography style and lens type.

Best Sony a6400 Lenses – Summary

Best all round lens for Sony a6400Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8

Best budget lens for Sony a6400Tamron 17-70mm F2.8

Best wide angle lens for Sony a6400Sony 10-18mm F4 OSS

Best Sony zoom lensSony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6

Best Sony lens for landscapeSigma 16mm F1.4

Best prime lens Sony a6400Sony G-Master Lens 24 mm F1.4

Best Sony lens for portraitsSony E 50mm F1.8

Best portrait Sigma lens for Sony a6400Sigma 30mm f1.4

Best Sony E Mount macro lensSony 90mm F2.8

Best Sony telephoto lens Sony 70-350mm F4-6.3

Best Samyang lens for Sony a6400Rokinon/Samyang 12mm f2.0

Best Sony lens for videoSony E 18 – 105mm F4 G OSS

12 Best Sony Alpha a6400 Lenses

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 AF DG DN Art – The Best Buy Sony a6400

SPECS
Weight: 830g (29.3 oz)
Size: 88 x 125mm (3.5 x 4.9 in.)
Filter diameter: 82mm
Min focus distance: 0.18 – 0.38cm
Min focus distance: 0.18 – 0.38cm
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN ART is one of the best Sigma Art lenses for Sony cameras ever! It competes with Sony and Canon more expensive lenses with similar specs and in many areas, Sigma outperforms the branded lenses! This new Sigma lens with a DG symbol is an upgrade from the previous model. It fixes many issues found in the previous model such as ghosting and flare and making it one of the best Sigma lenses for Sony a6400. If you’re looking for your next best Sony a6400 lens that is affordable and can shoot landscapes, portraits and even macro with excellent quality, look no further!

Full Review

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 from the ART line is the absolute must have lens. It’s my preferred lens for shooting travel content and I even use it for portraits. Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART is designed for full-frame Sony cameras if you’re planning to upgrade to one in the future, this is a superb choice.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART takes still images with superb quality. The sharpness and contrast are strong throughout the entire focal range, even when shooting wide open. This allows for detailed wide-angle landscapes shots.

In addition, this Sigma lens is extremely versatile which means you are not only able to shoot landscapes but you can also use this lens for capturing beautiful portraits with a bokeh effect, thanks to the high aperture that goes down up to F/2.8

Another great feature of this lens is its silent and fast autofocus. The autofocus is almost 100% accurate which allows the photographer to capture moving subjects without any delay. This can be useful in photographing children, moving animals or city life.

Sigma is also equipped with in-built image stabilisation which comes in handy when shooting in low light with the need of higher ISO settings or slower shutter speed. This function makes Sigma a great-performing low light lens.

Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 ART is prone to create barrel distortion and vignetting (dark edges), however, these imperfections can easily be removed in editing software such as Lightroom.

The built and handling of the lens feels and looks professional. The body weighting 830g is a little large in comparison to a similar Tamron lens (but smaller than a Sony-branded lens with the same specs).

All in all, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 ART is the best Sigma lenses for Sony full frame cameras. Its versatility, stellar quality and superb autofocus make this all-around lens one of the best lenses for a6400.

PROS
  • Superb image quality at all focal lengths
  • Extremely versatile and multipurpose
  • Super-fast autofocus
  • Silent shooting
  • Built-in image stabilisation
  • Quality built and handling
  • No fringing distortion
  • Weather-sealed
  • Can be used with full-frame cameras
CONS
  • Large lens body
  • Heavy
  • Noticeable barrel distortion but can be corrected
  • Prone to vignetting distortion (darkened image corners)

Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 – One of the Best Cheap Sony E Mount Lenses

SPECS
Weight: 525g (18.5 oz)
Size: 74 x 119mm (2.9 x 4.7 in.)
Filter diameter: 67mm
Min focus distance: 0.17m
Max magnification: 0.2x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly best Sony E mount lens, Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 is your best choice. This Tamron lens is a lot cheaper than the Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8, if you don’t plan to upgrade to a full-frame camera, the Tamron camera lens Sony made is ideal.

Full Review

With this extremely versatile Tamron lens with a wide range of focal lengths, you will be able to get super creative and produce beautiful wide-angle shots such as landscape and equally close-ups. Tamron can also be used as a portrait lens Sony a6400. With F/2.8 aperture, it will do an excellent job at bringing the subject of your image into focus by blurring the background. It also has the ability to focus at 17 cm from the subject creating some casual macros.

Equipped with excellent autofocus that is super accurate and fast, Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 will allow you to photograph some unique moments while travelling or exploring nature. In addition to strong autofocus, this lens also comes with its own image stabilisation system – Tamron VC which stands for vibration compensation. These two features make this Tamron lens an excellent Sony video lens. VC feature will smooth those handshakes when recording without a tripod.

Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 handles comfortably thanks to the rubber rings and grippy ridges. It also has a durable build and it’s fully weather sealed.

One of the downsides of this lens is that it may feel a little large with the compact body of the Sony a6400. It also lacks physical controls for turning on/off the vibration compensation and autofocus. Both of these functions, however, can be adjusted in the electronic camera menu. Lastly, Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 produces vignetting and some other minor lens distortions that can be removed in Lightroom.

Altogether, Tamron 12-70mm F/2.8 is one of the best cheap lenses for Sony E mount cameras such as Sony a6400. If you’re looking for a super versatile, quality lens with the most bang for your buck, look no further.

PROS
  • Extremely versatile
  • Built-in image stabilisation
  • Fast and quiet autofocus
  • Excellent image quality
  • Quality built
  • Comfortable grip
  • Portable
  • Weather sealed
  • Superb value for money
CONS
  • Lacks controls for auto/manual focus
  • Some minor lens distortions
  • May feel unbalanced with a6400

Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS – Best Sony a6400 Wide Angle Lens for City Scenes

SPECS
Weight: 225g (7.9 oz)
Size: 6.4 x 7cm (2.5 x 2.7 in.)
Filter diameter: 62mm
Min focus distance: 0.25mm
Max magnification: 0.1x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS is an excellent ultra wide angle lens for Sony crop sensor cameras, perfect for city architecture photography. Its best features include superb quality images and extra light and a portable lens body.

Full Review

Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS comes with a 10-18mm focal length, perfect for capturing city architecture when there is not much space to move away from the subject. Best wide angle lenses for Sony cameras come with a similar range and allow the photographer to fit more into the frame. This lens is also suitable for landscape photography.

Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS comes with decent autofocus, good image resolution and stellar sharp images edge to edge within the optimal F/stop range which is between F/8 and F/11.

If you’re looking for the best E mount lenses for video taking, in-built image stabilisation is a must-have function. Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS is the best wide angle lens for Sony for videos because it also comes with this function. In-body image stabilisation helps with taking smooth videos and vlogs on the go and in low light conditions. Sony a6400 does not have in-built image stabilisation so choosing a lens that comes with it can be a deal-breaker for video taking.

Another advantage of this wide-angle lens is its small and super lightweight body (weighing only 225g!) making it one of the better if not the best Sony lens for travel. Sony E 10-18mm F4 also supports a front filter, something that most wide-angle lenses can’t do.

Unfortunately, Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS does not come weather-sealed (most full-frame lenses such as Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G come with weatherproofing as standard). It also doesn’t come equipped with physical controls for functions such as autofocus. Finally, this wide-angle Sony lens produces lens distortions at certain focal lengths, but this issue is common in all wide-angle lenses and can be easily removed in the post-production process, in Lightroom.

Overall, Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS is the best wide angle lens Sony offers to its E mount users ideal for a wide-angle perspective in photographing skyline, city architecture and different landscapes.

PROS
  • Excellent quality images
  • In-built optical stabilisation
  • Portable
  • Great for videos
  • Able to use a filter with
CONS
  • Some minor lens distortion correctable in Lightroom
  • No dust or splash protection
  • Not the best in low light
  • Pricey

Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 – Best zoom lens for Sony a6400

SPECS
Weight: 325g (11.5 oz)
Size: 6.7 x 8.8cm (2.6 x 3.4 in.)
Filter diameter: 67mm
Min focus distance: 0.45mm
Max magnification: 0.29x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 is the best zoom lens for Sony E mount cameras such as a6400. Most zoom lenses are too big for small Sony a6xxx cameras, but this lens weighing only around 300g is the perfect match!

Full Review

Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 is excellent if not the best E mount zoom lens. Its wide focal length range makes this lens extremely versatile. With Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6, you can successfully shoot landscapes, portraits and even macros, all for a great bang for your buck. If you value the ability to zoom in over a high aperture range, this lens is an alternative to the all-around lenses mentioned earlier – Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 and Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 and it’s cheaper!

Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 is also one of the best zoom lenses for Sony a6400 for travel due to its superb portability and lightweight body.

The images captured by this lens are sharp even when shooting at the highest focal length of 135mm. It comes with accurate and fast autofocus and is also equipped with the in-body image stabilisation system – something that will help the images to remain sharp even when shooting with high ISO settings or slower shutter speed required in low light scenarios.

Some of the main drawbacks of this lens include not so premium physical look as it lacks rubberised control rings for more comfortable handling, however it comes with some plastic ridges. It is also unfortunately not weatherproof. Another issue with Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 that may bother some users is that it doesn’t have the widest angle. If that’s something important to you, you may want to consider the more premium Sony 16-70mm f/4 instead.

Overall, Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 is one of the Sony a6400 best lenses with a zoom function that is compact and super affordable.

PROS
  • Very compact
  • In-built stabilisation
  • Minimal distortion and vignette
  • Affordable
CONS
  • Not weather-sealed
  • Not the widest angle standard on zoom cameras
  • No rubberised control rings

Sigma 16mm F1.4 – Best Prime Lens for Sony a6400 for Landscape Photography

SPECS
Weight: 405g (14.3 oz)
Size: 72 x 92mm (2.8 x 3.6 in.)
Filter diameter: 67mm
Min focus distance: 0.25m
Max magnification: 0.1x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: No

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 is one of the best Sigma lenses for Sony E mount such as a6400. It’s extremely lightweight and fits the a6400 camera perfectly unlike most Sigma lenses for Sony FE mounts. Its wide-angle focal length is ideal for landscape photography for a price that won’t break the bank.

Full Review

This Sigma lens takes images at stellar quality edge to edge. The images are super sharp with excellent contrast even shooting at the widest aperture – qualities typical of the best prime lenses for Sony cameras and the best Sony lens for landscape photography. The lens is also great at minimising all sorts of lens distortions that are common in other similar lenses.

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 comes with the ability to shoot at a super-wide aperture up to f/1.4 which makes it one of the best lenses with the best bokeh effect. The wide-angle perspective combined with a high aperture will allow for some super creative perspective with a focus on people (without a crop like in portrait lenses) in the foreground and a beautifully defocused background. Capturing this kind of perspective is usually extremely useful for Instagram photography. Sigma 16mm f/1.4 can focus at a minimum of 25cm from the subject allowing for product shots and various close-ups with defocused background.

This Sigma lens was made to work well and complement the Sony Fast Hybrid AF system. The result is almost 100% precise autofocus that will allow capturing some unique moments on the go as well as will ensure seamless transitions when recording vlogs and videos.

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 has a sturdy built with smoothly moving focus rings because of the electronic coupling.

Unfortunately, it is not weather sealed and it does not come with in-body image stabilisation. If you primarily take still images and are happy to use a tripod or a gimble when recording simple videos, I would not worry about the lack of in-built image stabilisation.

All in all, Sigma 16mm f/1.4 is one of the best Sony lenses for landscape photography for its quality output, compact body excellent for travelling at an affordable price tag.

PROS
  • Excellent image quality
  • Extremely light and portable
  • Affordable price point
  • Fast aperture
  • Comes with a hood
  • Silent operation
  • Minimal lens distortions
CONS
  • No image stabilisation
  • Not weather-sealed

Sony G-Master Lens 24 mm F1.4 – Best Sony Prime Lens for Instagram Travel Photos

SPECS
Weight: 445g (15.7 oz)
Size: 75 x 92mm (2.9 x 3.6 in.)
Filter diameter: 67mm
Min focus distance: 0.24m
Max magnification: 0.17x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony G-Master Lens 24 mm F1.4 is one of the professional and best prime lenses for Sony E mount cameras including a6400. It is also one of the best full-frame lenses for Sony, so if you ever decide to upgrade from your current camera this lens will go with you all the way.

Full Review

Sony G-Master Lens 24 mm F1.4 lens takes stellar sharp images at the highest quality available. It is hands down the sharpest Sony lens out there!

It’s a wide-angle lens and one of the best Sony lenses for landscape within the prime range. With the maximum aperture of f/1.4 coupled with wide-angle, this lens can achieve very interesting images – an attractive bokeh effect with a wide-angle view of the background. If you have a travel Instagram account – this is a tremendous professional lens for taking unique photos of yourself but also showing a lot of scenery.

Also, with the maximum aperture of f/1.4, Sony 24 mm F1.4 is also the best low light lens ideal for indoor photography such as churches, museums and product shots. This lens can capture a lot of light detail and is also the best Sony lens for street photography at nighttime including starry sky and street lights being able to produce extremely sharp images even when shooting handheld.

Sony 24 mm F1.4 is extremely well built and fully weather-sealed. It is also very light compared to its Sigma 24mm f/1.4 equivalent, which makes it excellent for travelling. Another fantastic design feature is its manual aperture ring, where you can easily change f/stops.

All in all, Sony 24 mm F1.4 is the best Sony wide angle lens in the prime range. It’s great for wide perspective, incredible bokeh effect and low light. It comes with a hefty price tag, but if you’re planning to upgrade to a full-frame camera in the future, this lens is for you.

PROS
  • Light & compact for a lens with those specs
  • Excellent quality images
  • Weather-sealed
  • Manual aperture ring
  • Silent autofocus
  • Virtually no lens distortions
  • Can be used with full-frame cameras
CONS
  • Pricey compared to alternatives
  • Edge fringing (removable in Lightroom)

Sony E 50mm F1.8 – Best portrait lens for Sony a6400

SPECS
Weight: 202g (7.1 oz)
Size: 62 x 62mm (2.4 x 2.4 in.)
Filter diameter: 49mm
Min focus distance: 0.39m
Max magnification: 0.16x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony E 50mm F1.8 is the best portrait lens for Sony E mount cameras for its super light body that perfectly fits the Sony a6400, affordable price and good quality images. This is not your all-in-one lens due to its narrow telephoto field, however, if you’re looking for a portrait lens to complement your kit lens, Sony E 50mm F/1.8 is a solid choice.

Full Review

Sony E 50mm F/1.8 takes good quality images with excellent sharpness in the middle of the frame and with some corner softness when shooting at the highest aperture F/1.8. The focal length of 50mm makes this lens perfect if not the best Sony portrait lens for shooting people while the highest aperture of F/1.8 will ensure the beautiful bokeh effect on your photos.

This portrait camera lens Sony is equipped with super accurate and fast autofocus that will ensure you won’t miss any precious moments while on the go. It also comes with in-body image stabilisation that will smooth that handshake when using the camera without a tripod at higher ISO settings or faster shutter speed when the light is not ideal. Precise autofocus coupled with an image stabilisation feature makes this lens one of the best video lenses for Sony a6400 for recording those exciting memories from your adventures including vlogs.

Sony E 50mm F1.8 weights only a mare 202g and is super small which is a perfect fit with a small Sony a6400 camera body and a great Sony travel lens. The lens is also equipped with a reversible hood and black or silver finish. Unfortunately, it does not come with full weatherproofing.

Overall, this Sony portrait lens is one of the better if not the best Sony portrait lens choice for crop sensor cameras such as Sony a6400. It takes sharp images with great bokeh, it’s super portable and a great bang for your buck. It may be too tight for day-to-day use but it is certainly a great addition to complement your kit lens.

PROS
  • Quality and crisp images
  • Optical image stabilisation
  • Portable and light
  • Very Affordable
  • Minimal distortion
  • Easily removable hood
  • Great bokeh
CONS
  • Not weather-sealed
  • Electronic manual focus
  • Dim corners (can correct in Lightroom)

Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN – Best Sigma Portait Lens for Sony a6400

SPECS
Weight: 265g (9.3 oz)
Size: 65 x 73mm (2.6 x 2.9 in.)
Filter diameter: 52mm
Min focus distance: 0.30m
Max magnification: 0.14x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: No

What’s special about Sigma 30mm F1.4 lens is its maximum aperture that goes all the way to F/1.4! This Sigma lens is the only lens on the market made for crop sensor cameras such as the Sony a6400 with an aperture that high. If you’re after the best bokeh effect possibly, this Sony a6400 lens from Sigma is perfect.

Full Review

If you’re looking for a lens that can take stellar sharp images, Sigma 30mm F/1.4 won’t ever let you down. This Sigma lens performs exceptionally well when shooting in low light scenarios, which is somehow expected from a prime lens. It works well with Sony face detect and autofocus function but the autofocus may take a few seconds longer in comparison to Sony own equivalent lens.

Sigma 30mm F/1.4 is the perfect portrait lens including close-ups and detail shots. With an aperture as low as F/1.4, you will be able to bring your subject into focus and create an artistic creamy blur of the background (bokeh effect).

30mm focal length translates to 45mm equivalent field of view, which means this lens is not only good for portraits but also suitable for all-around shooting. If versatility is an important factor for you, then choose Sigma 30mm F/1.4 over Sony E 50mm F1.8.

All the budget-conscious photographers will be pleased to know that this Sigma portrait lens comes with an affordable price tag, especially in comparison to the Sony-branded equivalent lens – Sony 35mm f/1.8.

Sigma 30mm F1.4 is well built and comes with grippy rubber rings for easy handling. It is however a little bigger than the Sony equivalent, it’s not weather-sealed and its plastic hood doesn’t look very durable. These are the trade-offs for a much cheaper price.

The main drawback of this lens is that it doesn’t come with in-built image stabilisation. This may not be ideal if you’re predominantly planning to record videos but also can easily be solved by using a gimbal or tripod.

Overall, Sigma 30mm F1.4 is one of the best portrait lenses for Sony Alpha 6400 for stellar sharp images, excellent low light performance and unbeatable affordability.

PROS
  • Extreme sharp image quality
  • F/1.4 Aperture
  • Extremely affordable
  • Relatively versatile focal length
CONS
  • No imagine stabilisation
  • Not weather-sealed
  • Some barrel distortion present
  • Not the most compact lens

Sony FE 90mm F2.8 G OSS – Best Macro Lens for Sony a6400 for Close-ups such as Insects and Flowers

SPECS
Weight: 602g (21.3 oz)
Size: 79 x 131mm (3.1 x 4.1 in.)
Filter diameter: 62mm
Min focus distance: 0.28m
Max magnification: 1.0x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony FE 90mm F2.8 is a premium lens and the best lens for close up shots. It’s one of the sharpest macro lenses for Sony FE mount cameras out there, and it hits the sweet range of 90mm to 105mm, perfect for macro photography.

Full Review

This premium lens from Sony is a superb tool for macro photography. It takes super sharp photos, edge to edge and even when shooting wide open at F/2.8. It can focus at a 28 cm distance to the subject and can capture a lot of details and different textures, something that is important in photographing insects, flowers and other close-ups. With a 90 mm focal length, this lens is versatile enough to double also as a portrait lens.

Sony FE 90mm F2.8 performs strongly at low light such as indoor or in the city at night and produces virtually no lens distortions.

Some of the best lenses for Sony full frame as well as best lenses for Sony E mount come equipped with in-body image stabilisation, so does Sony FE 90mm F/2.8. This feature will allow you to take sharp images without a tripod at less than perfect light situations requiring higher ISO settings or slower shutter speed.

Sony’s Optical Steady Shot function coupled with a physical aperture ring that allows for a seamless transition from in-focus to the de-focused background while recording videos make this lens an excellent and one of the best Sony lenses for vlogging and videos – whether you’re recording a family event or shooting your Machu Picchu hike.

Sony FE 90mm F2.8 has an excellent build and it’s fully weather-sealed. It weighs over 600g which is not ideal for a small body of Sony a6400, however macro lenses are normally quite large. It has a rubberised ring for more comfortable handling a pull/push switch for manual to autofocus which can be pretty handy in shooting macros.

Sony FE 90mm F/2.8 is one of the lenses for Sony FE mount and it’s compatible with both crop sensor cameras such as a6400 and full-frame Sony cameras.

Overall, Sony FE 90mm F2.8 is one of the best lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras, an outstanding performer that captures images with superb quality and is versatile to be also used in portrait and even landscape photography.

PROS
  • Sharpest macro lens out there
  • Excellent resolution corner to corner
  • Great for portraits too
  • Super quiet autofocus
  • Built-in image stabilisation
  • Handy aperture ring
  • Can be used with full-frame cameras
  • Weather-sealed
  • Excellent build
CONS
  • Expensive

Sony E 70-350mm F4-6.3 G OSS – Best Telephoto Lens for Sony a6400 for Wildlife and Sports Photography

SPECS
Weight: 625g (22 oz)
Size: 77 x 142mm (3 x 5.6 in.)
Filter diameter: 67mm
Min focus distance: 1.1m
Max magnification: 0.23x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony E 70-350mm F4-6.3 is one of the best E mount lenses in the telephoto range that goes perfectly with a small camera body of Sony a6400.

Full review

This Sony lens produces stellar sharp images with excellent contrast across all zoom ranges even when zoomed in to 350mm. It also produces virtually no lens distortion.

Sony E 70-350mm F4-6.3 also captures images at a great resolution of objects in movement at high ISO settings and high shutter speed. This feature is important in wildlife photography when shooting moving animals at distance.

It has a super-telephoto lens capacity of 5x zoom range, which equates to 105 – 525mm on a full-frame camera body. This range will enable you to shoot birds and other animals at a far distance on your next nature exploration, air shows or sports events such as football or rugby.

The lens comes with in-body image stabilisation which will smooth those handshakes when shooting at the long end of the zoom range with a slower shutter or in low light. Sony E 70-350mm F4-6.3 is also equipped with superb autofocus, excellent for capturing those once in a lifetime moments accurately.

Sony E 70-350mm F4-6.3 has a solid build and is fully weather-sealed. It weighs 625g which is relatively light for a telephoto lens. This is great news as the Sony a6400 camera body is not suitable for super large lenses.

On the downside, the lens is prone to pincushion distortion in the middle of the frame, something that is common in most telephoto lenses and can be adjusted with in-camera lens compensation. Another downside is that it has a modest aperture range for a fairly expensive price.

All in all, Sony E 70-350mm F4-6.3 is one of the best telephoto Sony lenses for a6400 with a wide zoom range, light body excellent autofocus and stellar sharp quality images.

PROS
  • Excellent image quality
  • Super-fast & accurate autofocus
  • Silent shooting
  • Built-in image stabilisation
  • Small & lightweight for a telephoto lens
  • 5x zoom range
  • Weather-sealed
CONS
  • Expensive
  • Small aperture range
  • Prone to pincushion distortion

Rokinon/Samyang 12mm F2.0 – Best Sony a6400 Night Photography

SPECS
Weight: 224g (7.9 oz)
Size: 70 x 59mm (2.7 x 2.3 in.)
Filter diameter: 62mm
Min focus distance: 0.19m
Max magnification: 0.09x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: No

Samyang 12mm f/2.0 lens is one of the better Rokinon lenses for Sony APS-C sensor cameras, particularly good for astrophotography and stargazing at an affordable price.

Full Review

This lens is one of the fully manual Rokinon lenses for Sony cameras, therefore it is not suitable for beginner photographers. In order to set aperture and focus, you need to twist the control rings on the camera body as there is no electronic communication between lens and the camera at all.

This Samyang lens takes images at superb quality, sharp edge to edge even when shooting wide open. In terms of lens distortion – it has a good resistance to ghosting and flare lens distortions but produces barrel and lateral chromatic aberration – both can be corrected in Lightroom or other editing software.

Samyang 12mm f/2.0 is not only one of the better if not the best best lens for astrophotography Sony compatible, but also thanks to its wide aperture range and ultra-wide-angle, this lens is also perfect for landscape photography, architecture and street photography. It will allow you to fit more into the frame without having to go too far away, something which is handy when shooting large buildings in a city with not much space. This Samyang lens is also a strong performer in low light situations, such as churches and museums.

In terms of physical aspects, Samyang 12mm f/2.0 has a quality build and is fully weather-proved. It is also extremely light and portable, excellent for taking it with you on any adventures and travels.

Overall, Samyang 12mm f/2.0 is one of the best astrophotography Samyang lenses for Sony a6400 that is super compact, produces sharp images corner to corner and is versatile – all that at an affordable price. It is, however, a fully manual lens which may not suit everyone.

PROS
  • Superb image quality
  • Affordable price point
  • Fast autofocus
  • Silent shooting
  • Sturdy built
  • Extremely light & compact
  • Weather-sealed
CONS
  • No image stabilisation
  • Fully manual lens
  • Some lens distortion present- vignetting & fringing
  • Non-reversible hood for storage

Sony E 18 – 105mm F4 G OSS – Best Video Lens for Sony a6400

SPECS
Weight: 482g (17 oz)
Size: 78 x 110mm (3.1 x 4.3 in.)
Filter diameter: 72mm
Min focus distance: 0.45m
Max magnification: 0.11x
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilisation: Yes

Sony E 18 – 105mm F4 G OSS is one of the best sony lenses for vlogging and video taking for Sony crop sensor (APS-C) cameras including Sony a6400. It is equipped with a superzoom function and in-body image stabilisation at a fair price.

Full Review

First of all, Sony E 18 – 105mm F4 G OSS is an extremely versatile lens with a wide focal range from 27mm to 158mm equivalent field of view. This could be a one and only lens you ever need to take with you on your adventures.

It’s best feature that makes it the best lens for Sony a6400 for vlogging and videoing is its super smooth electronic zoom. A zoom rocker placed on the side of the lens barrel allows for zoom speed control. You can either set it up for a slow or fast but nice and steady movement perfect for a video. The lens rings are rubberised and comfortable to handle.

Sony E 18 – 105mm F4 G OSS is also equipped with in-body image stabilisation, a super handy feature for recording smooth videos handheld without the need for a gimbal or tripod. It is also the perfect feature for recording videos and shooting stills in low light with higher ISO settings or/and lower shutter speed. These two functions make this lens one of the Sony best lenses for video taking.

Unfortunately, due to the power zoom feature, this lens is relatively large weighing 482g and was made with a few optical compromises meaning it’s not the sharpest lens out there. If that is something that is important to you, consider the more expensive Zeiss 16-70mm F4 lens.

All in all, Sony E 18 – 105mm F4 G OSS is one of the best Sony E mount lenses for video with a superzoom feature, in-body stabilisation and versatile zoom range for a great value for money.

PROS
  • Built-in image stabilisation
  • Power zoom design
  • Extremely versatile focal range
  • Reversible hood included
CONS
  • Not the sharpest lens out there
  • Prone to large pincushion (can correct in Lightroom)
  • Large body

Sony a6400 Accessories

Best gimbal for Sony a6400

Best Sony a6400 Grip

An alternative to using a gimbal for sony a6400 is a vlogging grip:

Best Sony a6400 Flash

Best mic for Sony a6400

Sony a6400 Battery Grip

Sony a6400 Case

Best SD Card for Sony a6400

Sony a6400 Remote

ND filter for Sony a6400

Lens cap for Sony a6400

Best Sony a6400 Lenses – What Specs are Important?

Bokeh effect

bokeh effect in a6400 camera lenses
Shooting with high aperture to bring focus into the subject.

Are you looking for a lens that will allow you to smooth the background beautifully in order to bring all attention to the photographed subject? Shots with blurry backgrounds also known as the ‘bokeh effect‘ look super cool and professional and we all love them! The way to achieve the bokeh effect is to shoot with a lens that allows for a narrow depth of field settings. In that setting, the lens only focuses on a small area, usually taken by the photographed subject – in the photo above it is the gorgeous cat of the Cycladic Islands, with the rest of the image, the background, defocused.

The setting responsible for narrowing/ widening the depth of field and defocusing the background producing a nice, smooth blur is aperture, also referred to as F stop. The higher the aperture (or the lower the F/ number), the more blur we can achieve. The wider the aperture range on a lens, the more expensive the price is. The highest available maximum aperture is f/1.2 and a lens with that aperture will be very expensive. However, most of us won’t be able to tell the difference between the aperture of f/1.2 and f/1.4.

*If you’re a bokeh enthusiast aim for a lens with an aperture of at least f/2.8.

Low light performance

low light lens for Sony a6400
Shooting sunset in Kruja, Albania

Low light photography includes indoor photography, (think churches, museums, houses) night photography such as sunsets, sunrise, starry sky or city lights. If you want the lens to be a strong performer at low light, look for a lens that can capture more light. Generally, the best lenses at capturing more light information are the prime lenses with a wide maximum aperture within f/2.8 to f/1.2.

Built-in image stabilisation

Why would you want this feature? The short answer is for enhancing the image quality at low light when capturing a movement or recording a video.

Sony a6400 camera is not equipped with in-body image stabilisation (only the newest model, Sony a6600 has one), so choosing a lens with an optical image stabilisation could be a great way to enhance the low light performance of your camera. Some best lenses for E mount Sony cameras come with a mechanism called optical SteadyShot, which works like a gimbal inside your lens. The gimbal mechanism compensates for the shake of the camera with a physical movement. The effect is sharper photos, especially at low light or using slower shutter speed. 

Tamron 17-70mm F2.8 is an excellent budget multipurpose lens with in-body image stabilisation.

Zoom

Meteora shot with a zoom lens, Best Lenses for Sony a6400
Meteora Monastry captured with a zoom lens

Most lenses are either prime or zoom lenses. Zoom lenses while cannot compete with the image quality of a prime lens are super versatile for shooting in most day to day scenarios. It is useful to have at least one lens on your kit that has some zoom functionality. Deciding on a zoom range will depend on the type of photos you’re taking. The bigger the zoom range, however, the bigger and heavier the lens will be. My favourite Sigma lens has a range of 24- 70 mm, and it is enough for most of my travel photos. However, if you’re planning to take pictures of the moon, for example, you will need something with a range of 15-600 mm.

A good all-rounder lens will have a zoom range of 24-70mm for example Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8

Types of travel photography lenses

Wide-angle lenses

Best Lenses for Sony a6400 Guide

Wide-angle lenses are excellent for landscape and city photography. Shooting with a wide-angle lens gives more depth of field, which means you can capture more detail by keeping elements of your background sharp.

They allow you to capture more in the frame of the image by not going too far. This is particularly useful in photographing architecture in a city with tight spaces when it’s impossible to move too far away from the photographed buildings.

It is also perfect for capturing a city skyline or a landscape because you will be able to fit more into the frame of your image.

The drawback of wide-angle lenses is that they won’t capture the bokeh effect, and they are not suitable for low light photography.

Telephoto lenses

Best Lenses for Sony a6400

Telephoto lenses allow for capturing sharp images of objects that are very far away, such as a bird or a moon. They also make the foreground, and the background appears to be closer together.

Macro lenses

macro photography, Best Lenses for Sony a6400

Macro lenses are used for taking pictures of small objects from a very close distance of a few cm. They can capture a lot of detail and have a shallow depth of field. Macro lenses are typically used for capturing nature – photos of insects, flowers, leaves etc. Most common macro lenses come with a focal range between 60 and 105 mm or 30 to 50 mm. This gives a 9 to 12-inch working distance from the object for a 1:1 macro. Both ranges are also suitable for taking flattering portrait photos.

Tele-macro lenses with a focal range of 15 to 200mm will allow you to take a macro shot being further away from the object but come with a much hefty price tag.

Prime lenses

Best Lenses for Sony a6400
Gembleng Waterfall, Bali

Prime lenses have fixed focal points, which means that you can’t zoom in or out on them. Despite the fact that prime lenses don’t have zooms, there are many good reasons why you should have at least one prime lens in your travel photography gear.

  • Prime lenses are perfect for portrait and close up photos.
  • They can create a beautiful bokeh effect (blurry background) thanks to the higher aperture going all the way to f\1.2.
  • They also capture the light better and produce spectacular sunset/sunrise photos with defined sunrays. In those low light scenarios, zoom lenses would create a blurry image.
  • Prime lenses also capture the sharpest images since they don’t have the extra glass inside that zoom lenses have in order to move.
  • Also, prime lenses can gather more light on the sensor and capture beautiful images at lower light and using lower ISO that typically would be required on zoom lenses. The higher the ISO, the more grain is visible on the pictures, so it’s best practice to use as low ISO as possible.
  • In addition to all the benefits above, prime lenses are also very portable and light which means you can fit them easily in your backpack and take on any adventure you like.

Zoom lenses

Best Lenses for Sony a6400
Shooting for Instagram in Santorini

As the name suggests, zoom lenses are lenses that have the ability to change the focal point (you can zoom in and out on an object). They tend to be more cost-effective and give you more versatility.

While a zoom lens can’t compete with a quality prime lens in taking portrait shots, with a zoom lens, you will be able to capture people and objects being far away from them. Zoom lenses are also great at capturing moving objects in wildlife and city.

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