Sony FE 20 mm f/1.8 G review - Introduction

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Sony FE 20 mm f/1.8 G

16 May 2022

Maciej Latałło

1. Introduction

When the market was dominated by reflex cameras there were few fast lenses with a focal length of about 20 mm. If a producer decided to offer such an angle of view, it was usually joined with a slower f/2.8 aperture.

The Sigma 20 mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical RF, launched in December 2000, was the first serious exception to that rule. In 2014 Nikon joined that club, presenting the Nikkor AF-S 20 mm f/1.8G ED; in 2016 also Samyang enlarged their line-up with a lens of the same parameters. At the same time users of rangefinder systems had access to three fast 21 mm lenses produced by Leica and Voigtlander - the following chart presents a comparison between their basic parameters.

When it comes to full frame mirrorless cameras the situation was a bit more dynamic. What's interesting, the first instrument of that type was presented by Tokina as early as 2016. It was still a manual device but after several years its autofocus version was released as well. As if it wasn't enough, the second fast 20 mm lens was presented by Viltrox and only afterwards Sony, Nikon, and Sigma launched their own lenses.

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We've already tested the Tokina, the Viltrox, and the Nikkor; the tests of the Sony and the Sigma have been scheduled. We decided to catch up a bit and choose the Sony model, lent courtesy of the Polish Sony branch office.

You are also invited to get acquainted with our test procedure, described in the article "How do we test lenses?" If you feel it’s still not enough, please go to our FAQ section where you can find some further explanation.