A camera will do a perfect job if it has the correct lens type. As a professional photographer, you might wonder if an APS-C lens can be of any help. Even if many people support Full Frame sensors for professionals, there is no reason you cannot use the APS-C cropped frame sensor as well. As a travel photographer, you will appreciate this sensor because it is lightweight and easier to handle the whole day.
APS-C lenses are gaining popularity among professional photographers. If you own a Sony APS-C e-mount camera, get matching lenses. We will share the best lens for travelers with Sony APS-C E-mount cameras. See our four product options below.
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Do Professional Photographers Use APS-C Cameras?
Several professional photographers use full-frame cameras. They also comfortably use the smaller APS-C cameras. Professionalism in photography has more to do with your skills and abilities and less to do with your gadget. Whether you work in low-light environments or bright ones, current APS-C cameras have sensors that cannot let details escape.
APC-S cameras may be the best traveler’s choice because they are lightweight and portable. Besides, they are the ultimate choice if looking for the best shutter count, battery life, crop factors, and other adorable features. In the past, photographers avoided APS-C cameras because they were less powerful.
Today, these photography cameras perform better than the most favored full-frame choices. Below you will find the best four APS-C camera choices for your professional work.
The Best Lens for Travelers With Sony APS-C E-Mount Cameras
01. Sony Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 ZA best E-Mount Prime Lens
Top Features
- Weight: 7.9oz
- Dimensions (ø x L): (2.48 x 2.58″ / 62.99 x 65.53 mm)
- Focal Length: 24mm
- Filter Size: 49 mm (Front)
- Minimum Focus Distance: Close as 6.2 inches (16cm)
Pros
- A reliable wide-angle prime lens
- Superior image sharpness
- Supports general photography
- Can eliminate aberration
Cons
- Some users thought the item was expensive
Purpose of Uses
Do you have a Sony E-mount camera? If yes, you are looking at the first Carl Zeiss lens to emerge in this product line. Offering Sonnar optical design, the Sony Carl Zeiss Fisheye – F1.8 lens produces remarkable images.
There is a spherical lens on each side of the aperture, and their work is to eliminate distortion.
Like other Sony lenses, this one features the Extra-low dispersion glass element. As a result, the lens prevents chromatic aberration, which increases image sharpness and resolution.
You also get a T-Star coated lens that clears flare, internal reflection, and light dispersion.
Besides, it offers longevity and reliability in the field. If you need a lens you can use for any photography genre, take the time to explore this one.
Wide-angle lenses are easier to use and more reliable because they produce distortion-free images. Sony provides the best wide-angle lenses, and one of these is the 24mm F1.8 lens with a Sonnar optical design.
02. Sony – E 10-18mm F4 OSS best Wide-Angle Zoom Lens
Top Features
- Weight: 7.9ounces
- Size (Dimensions (ø x L)):2.76 x 2.5″ / 70.1 x 63.5 mm
- Focal Length: 18mm
- Filter Size: 62 mm (Front)
- Minimum Focus Distance:0.82ft
Pros
- An aberration-resistant camera lens
- Lightweight and portable
- A High-quality lens for producing perfect videos and pictures.
Cons
- Some people received a used camera lens.
Purpose of Uses
If you need a zoom lens for beginners, the Sony SEL1018 wide-angle zoom option is a good choice. You might like the lovely black F4 lens offering a 10mm minimum focal length and 18mm maximum focal length.
Boasting an angle of view of 109 to 76 degrees, this can fit an APS-C camera body. A very wide-angle zoom lens like this one is perfect for landscape photography. You can use it to take remarkably sharp images with clear perspectives.
Offering Optical SteadyShot (OSS) image stabilization, this lens allows one to defocus the background. Change the aperture to make the light sources blurred.
Enhancing the bokeh effect of the blurred background is easy. With this Sony lens featuring round aperture blades, you can achieve the most natural defocusing results.
Chromatic aberration affects most cameras with older optical glass lenses. In this lens, you have ED glass elements that prevent chromatic aberration.
Hence, they lead to high color quality, high resolution, and high contrast images. Also, you will receive a lightweight lens that can stop spherical aberration without affecting size or weight.
03. Sony FE 35mm F1.8 Large Aperture best Prime Lens
Top Features
- Weight: 9.9oz
- Size (Dimensions (ø x L)): 2.58 x 2.87″ / 65.6 x 73 mm
- Focal Length: 35mm
- Filter Diameter: 55 mm (Front)
- Minimum Focus Distance:8.66 inches
Pros
- Wide Compatibility
- Many useful features
- You can take it anywhere as it is lightweight
- Super quick autofocusing.
Cons
- An additional accessory might be necessary based on your camera model
- Lacks the OSS
Purpose of Uses
A perfect lens for someone with a Sony FE or Sony E NEX camera is the SEL35F18F. A wide-angle camera lens, the SEL35F18F has a focal length of 35mm.
Consisting of one of the largest apertures with nine circular blades, this Sony lens is unique. If you need the loveliest bokeh effect, you can make one with these nine aperture blades.
Even with a large aperture, this lens is compact, lightweight, and portable.
Hence, it will be ideal for landscape, street, or wildlife photography because you can go anywhere with it. Take your film photography to the next level with a camera lens that eliminates spherical aberration via its Aspherical glass elements.
All your pictures and videos will have a high resolution because the lens is aberration-proof. Featuring a quick, accurate, and silent linear motor autofocus drive mechanism, this Sony prime lens stands out from the rest.
Whether you own a Full Frame or an APS-C camera, this lens will support your photography adventures. Even if you do food photography or night photoshoots, this lens will offer outstanding image quality and sharpness.
Also, you get a customizable AF/MF button to shift to the function you need fast. Besides, you could lock focus and do aperture preview, Eye AF, Bright Monitoring, and so on.
Although not one hundred percent waterproof and dust-proof, this camera lens can keep itself clean and moisture-free outdoors.
04. Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G best Zoom Lens
Top Features
- Weight: 1.09lbs
- Size (Dimensions (ø x L)): 2.87 x 3.94″ / 73 x 100 mm
- Focal Length: 55mm
- Filter Diameter: 67 mm (Front)
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1.08′ / 33 cm
Pros
- Many cameras can use it
- Offers a flexible focus hold button
- Quick and silent autofocus
- Takes sharp images.
Cons
- An expensive item with no OSS.
Purpose of Uses
Here is another standard zoom lens from Sony. If you need a lens with a maximum aperture size of F2.8 and a maximum focal length of 55mm, the Sony SEL1655G might be a good pick.
As a wide compatibility lens, the SEL1566G has a quality Extreme Dynamic Linear Motor system you can only find in Sony’s G Master Series. Hence, it can help you achieve quick, accurate, and silent autofocus.
An additional feature is the Advanced G Lens design, which eliminates flare, ghosting, and any form of aberration. As the lens is a nine-blade circular aperture device, it produces a stunning bokeh effect.
Switching between automatic and manual focus is easy because you have an AF/MF switch on the lens body. Besides faster focus operation, you can enjoy the linear response MF to be in full control of the manual focus. The focus hold button can lock focus and perform many other functions.
Best overall
All our four lenses for your APS-C camera are perfect. However, we think the Sony Carl Zeiss Fisheye – F1.8 is the top choice. Features like ED and Aspherical glass elements allow this lens to produce the sharpest images with a higher resolution.
What are APS-C Cameras Good For?
For the longest time, the likes of Sony, Nikon, and Canon have been producing more Full-Frame mirrorless cameras and fewer APS-C cameras. Thus, the Full-Frame varieties have taken the center stage for too long.
If we ignore the never-ending fame of the Full-Frame camera, we can see the benefits of APS-C cameras. They are good enough for professional photographers and here are the reasons why:
Powerful
Whether you work in wedding photography, portrait photography, or any other field, the best APS-C cameras are powerful and readily available. Besides having all the technology features found in Full-Frames, APS-C cameras are unparalleled powerhouses with reliable battery packs.
Versatile
Traditionally, APS-C versions were ideal for users who needed to point and shoot and do much more. Today, these have more modern features that enable them to be more versatile. Regardless of your field, APC-S has become some of the best photography cameras for professionals. Furthermore, you will find that one lens suits many camera models.
Portable
Almost any APC-S camera is small, compact, and portable. If your photo shoots take the entire day, this is the best type of camera to buy. Besides shooting sharp images, an APC-S camera does not leave your hands tired.
Affordable
Full-Frame takes the title of the best camera for photography, but they are pricey. If you are beginning your photography career, an APS-C will cost less and offer equally great results.
What Focal Length is Best for Travel?
As a traveler, you need a camera with the best focal length. As travel photography grows, adventurers should focus on cameras that can produce high-quality 4k videos. Also, camera body designs are vital, but the workhorse is the lens. Without a perfect lens, you can damage your entire travel experience.
Lenses capture the light, shadows, and other elements of photography. Whether you get used lenses or new ones, they must boost your work during travel. A good lens offers the right focal length. Ideal focal lengths for travel include:
- 24 to 70 mm – If you need a comprehensive lens, the 24 to 70mm lens is a good pick. One can shoot any scene they like during a trip. As it can provide an angle of view of 84 degrees, this lens limits distortion. Additionally, at the maximum focal length of 70 mm, you can shoot your subject at a closer range.
- 35mm – A lens with a 35mm focal length is the most ideal for travelers. You can rely on it for street photography, landscape photo shoots, or random shots. Also boasting wide apertures, 35mm lenses can capture images in the dark or in an indoor setting.
- 50mm – For the longest time, travel photographers have depended on the 50mm lens. Due to a big aperture, this lens can produce images with blurred soft bokeh. Mostly new or old lenses produce images with little or no distortion.
- 85mm – You can achieve what the 24-70mm lens cannot with an 85mm lens. Although it suits portraits, an 85mm lens can take better pictures of cities, people, and other landmarks.
Is APS-C Better for Video?
Full frame sensors offer higher resolutions than APS-C and are larger and bulkier. They also offer wide-angle shots of buildings, landscapes, etc. But when it comes to videography, are APS-C sensors better off? They can win in this aspect because of their portability.
Thus, you can capture better YouTube videos as you can take them to any destination. In addition, these cropped frame sensors can magnify small subjects and take excellent shots. But regarding the quality of videos, you can depend on APS-C cameras even if they might not outdo their Full-Frame counterparts.
Sony 15mm F1.4 G And Sigma 16mm F1.4 Travel Photography lenses Comparison(Great Video)
Top Questions[FAQs]
What is a Full Frame sensor?
A Full Frame sensor has a 35mm image sensor format, which is the former film photography style. Thus, a Full Frame is a larger, heavier, wide-angled lens. Full Frame sensors offer a shallow depth of field and very sharp and clear images. Unlike the APS-C crop factor sensor, the Full Frame one is hard to take anywhere you wish. Full Frame sensors are more expensive as well.
Are there areas where APS-C digital cameras do not perform so well?
Yes, if you select these for sports photography, they will produce the same perfect results as Full Frame cameras. But if you select APS-C cameras for photoshoot venues with poor lighting, they will not be the best choices. Their bokeh effect is nowhere near what Full Frame cameras can produce.
In which situations can I opt for the APS C sensor format?
If you like visiting new cities and towns, you can rely on the APS-C sensor any day. Ideal for shooting things in motion, the APS-C digital camera can produce high-quality sports or street photographs.
Although the images will have a narrower angle of view and a smaller area, they will have a professional look to them. If you cannot approach a subject easily because of safety or distance, focus more on APS-C cameras.
Final Words
We have revealed the best lens for travelers with Sony APS-C E-mount cameras. APS-C cameras have a compact and portable design, and you can choose between prime and zoom lenses. Thus, buy a lens for your Sony camera only if it is compatible.
Read the manufacturer’s product description and specification pages to know if your camera model fits a given lens. We have shared four lenses. Which one suits your camera best?