This was posted 2 years 2 months 28 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

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Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Lens $636.65 + Delivery Only @ JB Hi-Fi

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Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Lens $636.65 + Delivery Only @ JB Hi-Fi
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y2k on 06/09/2022 - 19:00 jbhifi.com.au (1438 clicks)
Last edited 06/09/2022 - 21:46 by 2 other users

Can also price match with Sony for 7% cashbach from cash rewards ($40.51) and with targeted Amex offer on sony.com.au purchases ($100) bringing it down to $496.14. Price matching with Sony online took just a few minutes - I was surprised how quickly they responded even late at night.

If you don't have Amex but you're buying a Sony camera, it's 15% off at JB as a package, bringing it to $541.15.

Lens normally discounted $700-$800. JB was cheapest seller with AU Warranty (and from what I could find, even on grey market) at $749 last week . I understand (ie I was told this by a staffer, so can't be sure) $636.65 is the JB staff price.

Definitely one of their most popular lenses, despite its age (it's one of the original lenses for the Sony Alpha system). Strong reputation for IQ but also AF speed. Reasonably compact compared to some other behemoths.

As part of partially defecting from MFT to Sony, I had been tossing up between this and the Samyang 45mm F1.8 because the latter is a little more compact for travel, but was turned off by Samyang firmware updates requiring you to buy a $100 dock - and this price was irresistible.

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closed Comments

  • jqsports on 06/09/2022 - 19:05

    was gonna buy the 35mm GM but this is tempting.

    • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2022 - 19:29
      -3

      This is a 55, you either need a 35 or a 55

      • jqsports on 06/09/2022 - 19:36
        +1

        I know, always want a 50mm, but 35mm is more useful, but more expensive.

        • shabaka on 06/09/2022 - 20:51

          35 2.8 Zeiss is very good

        • O15 on 06/09/2022 - 20:56

          I generally don't find 50mm a very interesting focal length but it is very popular.

          I have this lens. Not my sharpest (that's putting it up against much more expensive lenses, though) but it's sharp enough. It's kind of cool how small it is.
          I can't really say much more about it as I haven't used it enough.

          • Dubious speculation on 06/09/2022 - 22:08

            @O15: Both are great, I gravitate more towards 35 but really every focal length has its purpose. Lenses are like pokemon, gotta catch em all.

          • bleeder on 07/09/2022 - 10:49

            @O15: I'm the opposite, I find 35 extremely boring as it's just sort of wide in the middle, I always prefer to wider or narrower.

        • rhyme324 on 06/09/2022 - 21:23

          Or 40mm batis f2.

        • Flyerone on 06/09/2022 - 21:33
          +1

          Keep saving for the 50mm f1.2

        • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2022 - 22:14

          35 isn't more useful, it's different.
          I find 35 boring, 24-28 much more interesting because of the stretch and perspective it offers, but it's all subjective.

          Find the focal length you like and buy the lens you can afford, faster is most certainly not better, the worlds best photographs weren't full of blur and armchair photography of charts and cats is boring.

          Get out, exercise, shoot what you got and have fun 👍

      • Dubious speculation on 06/09/2022 - 22:06
        +1

        Buy both, problem solved.

    • stickymoo on 07/09/2022 - 00:01

      This lens 55mm f1.8 and a Sony 20mm F1.8 G for the same price as 1x 35mm GM.

      APS-C/Super 35mm Mode and you have a close 35mm & 85mm from both of those two. Four very useful focal lengths. 2 very compact well rounded lenses that cover a lot of bases. 20/30/55/82.5

      I'd be happy with that 2x lens setup.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/09/2022 - 19:07
    +5

    Bro I paid $914 for this in 2014 with x discount and thought it was a killer price. If you can get it for sub $500 it’s a no brainer. Bloody beautiful lens and I used nothing but this lens for a good 5 years or so with an OG a7 (and later a7iii).

    Only recently rock a tamron 28-200 now as all-in-one designs have come a huge way.

    • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 19:31
      +1

      Even though I still have a fair bit invested in MFT and see my new a7c as filling gaps (low light/DoF when close to subject), I still grabbed the Sigma 28-70 f2.8 Contemporary for just over $1000 from the current Digidirect eBay sale. But I wanted at least one very fast lens and grabbed this.

    • npnp on 06/09/2022 - 20:51

      Love the bokeh of this lens but I wish it had a bit more close focus to have more dramatic bokeh. Tamron 28-200 is a killer lens, have been using it since its released and love it.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/09/2022 - 21:14

        Exactly! Perfect no fuss all rounder travel lens. So glad I slept on picking up a 24-105 back in the day

      • ubcool on 06/09/2022 - 21:21

        whats the sharpness like on the 28-200

        • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/09/2022 - 22:28

          Honestly pretty damn good all through the range - though I’ve never been one to pixel peep.

        • npnp on 06/09/2022 - 23:20

          I've done some pixel peeping between few lenses and 28-200 (including Sony 24-105, 24-70, 24-240, 28-75, Tamron 28-70) and found that to be amazingly sharp, below is my quick comparison (which is entirely my opinion which could be biased and also depends on the lens copy I have)

          If your main concern is sharpness then both 28-200 and 24-105 are equally sharp (at different focal lengths either wins, at 28 Tamron is sharper at F4, Tamron maintains its upper hand all the way to 70 mm and then Sony takes the lead up to 105 mm but very marginally so).

          Biggest pros of Tamron are,

          a) F2.8 at 28 mm
          b) Amazing close focus distance (almost macro)
          c) 200 mm long end
          d) nicer colours (I always find Tamron colours to be better and more contrasty than that of Sony but this is subjective)

          Pros of Sony are,
          a) Constant aperture F4 throughout zoom
          b) 24 mm wide end

          For me, Tamron's pros outweighs Sony's so choice for me was pretty easy.

  • kampret on 06/09/2022 - 19:12

    Was thinking to buy this lens but ended up buying Sigma 56mm/1.4. Both are great lenses.

    • snvl on 06/09/2022 - 19:47
      +1

      this is FE and sigma is APSC

  • vinnycol on 06/09/2022 - 19:14
    +5

    Sharpest Lens I have in my kit!!

    • Flyerone on 06/09/2022 - 19:24
      +1

      That statement only means something to people who know what other lenses you have.

      • O15 on 06/09/2022 - 20:58

        Agree. If all you own is this and some zooms then the 55 will (/should) be your sharpest lens.
        I have at least four lenses which are sharper than this lens.

        • stickymoo on 06/09/2022 - 22:18
          +2

          What Four Lenses do you own that are sharper?

          It's the second highest Scored Sony FE Lens on DXO..

          Only 1 point behind Top Position Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM..

          And 3 points higher than the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* FE 50mm 1.4 ZA.. (sitting 5th)

          It also happens to be in the Top 4 sharpest Sony Lenses..

          4 points sharper than the Top Rated 85mm F1.4 GM and 1 point behind the 50mm 1.4 ZA..

          • Vialz on 06/09/2022 - 22:30

            @stickymoo: From nasa still in beta cant talk about it

          • O15 on 07/09/2022 - 06:39
            +1

            @stickymoo: Sigma 105 1.4, Sony 135 1.8 GM, Sony 85 1.8, Sony 90 2.8 (macro). These four lenses are all comfortably sharper than my 55 1.8. Maybe my copy is weaker than most, though.

            • stickymoo on 07/09/2022 - 07:21

              @O15: Nice lenses!

              • O15 on 07/09/2022 - 08:09

                @stickymoo: Ta. I do have some cool lenses. I wish I had more time to use them, though.

          • kl2999 on 07/09/2022 - 09:22
            +1

            @stickymoo: Reminds me my Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8, my fav lens in my arsenal which is currently collecting dust under my bed :)

  • dirtyhen on 06/09/2022 - 19:18

    55mm too narrow?

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/09/2022 - 19:20
      +1

      Nah it’s perfect

    • Flyerone on 06/09/2022 - 19:26

      Too narrow for some shots, too wide for others. Great for portraits though.

    • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2022 - 19:31

      You either like 50 or you don't, I personally find it the perfect focal length for general scenes.

  • itslittfam on 06/09/2022 - 19:19

    Will this work with a Sony A6400?

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/09/2022 - 19:20

      Yes but consider it will be closer to 85mm equiv focal length

    • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2022 - 19:31
      -2

      $650 is too much to spend on what effectively becomes a slow short tele.

      You're wasting half thr glass using on a crop.

      • BuyoTheCat on 06/09/2022 - 19:41

        F1.8 is slow?

      • ubcool on 06/09/2022 - 21:08

        sony already has a quite good 50mm 1.8 for apc although old now

        • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 23:05

          Reviews say the AF is noticeably slower than for this lens too. I''ve had that 50mm f1.8 back when I was shooting A-mount and loved it, but I really have been burned by the weak autofocus on my Olympus EM5 II so want to give AF a pretty high weighting when deciding how to complement my MFT kit

  • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2022 - 19:30
    -4

    Not the best 50 but at this price it's tempting to re-purchase!

    • BuyoTheCat on 06/09/2022 - 19:39

      Not the best compared to?

    • tempestswitch on 06/09/2022 - 19:47
      +2

      It's a great 50. Beats out a tonne of 50mm lenses that cost 3x as much

      • BuyoTheCat on 06/09/2022 - 19:54

        I wont say beat, but it will be hard to tell the difference between this and a 50mm GM. Then there is the weight difference. This 50mm ZA is a good size and weight on an a7 without a battery grip.

        I have used this but I do not own one (50mm is not a focal length I use much)

        • tempestswitch on 06/09/2022 - 19:59

          I have the 50 GM and the sharpness is slightly better on the GM. The bokeh is very different though. Very elliptical on the 55 vs round on the GM.

          The 55 comes very close to the 50mm 1.4 ZA for a third of the cost. But IMO it beats out (in sharpness, CA and distortion) other brands and it's competitors from Nikon, Canon and Sigma.

      • vinnycol on 06/09/2022 - 19:56

        Agreed…

      • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2022 - 22:16
        -2

        Show me please.
        This 55 has HEAPS of CA wide open, so it's really only useful stopped down to 2.8 and such a slow 50 would be cheaper abs better.

        It's certainly useable wide open, but not great ans not what I expected when I bought it for $1000 5 years ago.

        It's sharp, that's about it and that probably what metric amateurs are using to justify it's rrp. The bokeh is nervous, specular highlights full of onion rings, cats eyes until stopped down then oddly shaped highlights,.the list goes on.

  • belrose on 06/09/2022 - 20:01

    24-105 f4 also looks good price

  • Lonewolf1983 on 06/09/2022 - 20:06

    really loved this lens when i had it, certainly has the Zeiss "look", and this is a good price

  • ForkSnorter on 06/09/2022 - 20:06
    -1

    Not sure why you would compare a 45mm and 55mm. They’re very different. 55mm is a slightly awkward focal length as it’s too narrow for many situations, and not long enough for others. 45mm is just about perfect for walk-around and travel photography in my experience.

    • npnp on 06/09/2022 - 20:54

      I used to have Samyang 45 mm F1.8 lens (for Sony full frame), though it's not a perfect lens I enjoyed it more than I did 55 mm Sony. (though I would ad 24 mm F1.8 as well to the bag just prefer wide angle).

    • ubcool on 06/09/2022 - 21:09

      55 is perfect for low light portraits in tight spots.

    • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 21:10

      I guess I figured they're both competitors for the 50mm standard, but you're right that compared to each other they're reasonably different.

  • snvl on 06/09/2022 - 20:12
    +1

    Thanks OP. you should add 85mm, 35mm and 11mm (this is apsc) to the deal.

    • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 23:02

      Done further down - thanks, some of those look quite good too, though I think this is the best bargain when coupled with the Amex cashback deal and I just can't find any competitors that can get near it (vs the other Sony lenses).

  • Dalgona456 on 06/09/2022 - 20:27

    This is my favourite lens. Came from Canon and now Sony and this is the best one I had even compare to Canon L lenses. I like this one better

  • Ilikecars on 06/09/2022 - 20:47
    +5

    This or S20 SE?

  • browser on 06/09/2022 - 20:58

    I'm quite curious about this lens, I have 24 and 85, this is exactly in the middle and tempting.

    Does it come with a lens hood?

    • snvl on 06/09/2022 - 21:01
      +1

      from Sony site: "IN THE BOX ACCESSORIES Lens hood (ALC-SH131: petal shape, bayonet type), Lens front cap, Lens rear cap"

    • O15 on 06/09/2022 - 21:01

      Yes.

    • browser on 06/09/2022 - 21:26

      Thanks for confirming, some reviews suggest there's no hood, hence the question, good to have it confirmed.

  • angers on 06/09/2022 - 21:02

    Rumour has it that Cash Rewards no long not honour a cash back if you have the Sony store price match a model. Has anyone experienced this?

    • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 21:12

      I got an email from them confirming the cash back amount I gave in my post - if you mean they still won't honour it, that would be hugely disappointing and potentially illegal! I'll certainly keep an eye on it to make sure it stays in the account!

      • browser on 06/09/2022 - 21:25

        What is the process for price match? Do they give you a code? Or add it to your cart then you just checkout?

        • snvl on 06/09/2022 - 21:31

          it is added to your cart

        • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 21:36
          +2

          No code (so no issues with Cash Rewards) - you fill in a form, add the product and when they've verified it (for me, within a few mins), it will show the discounted price.

          1. Go to the product's page on the Sony store: https://store.sony.com.au/lenses-zeiss/SEL55F18Z.html
          2. Click on the black "Request a price match" button
          3. At the next page, click on the "Request A Price Match" slider (irritating they make you do this additional step) to bring up a form. Oddly there is nowhere to enter a URL of the competitor - you just state the name of the retailer and I guess the Sony guys Google it for themselves.
          4. Click "Make An Offer" and then wait. There won't be an email acknowledgement, so I got on the chat function and the chap there checked and said it had been received and I would get a response "at best within a few minutes". That's actually what happened - I got an email saying the price match was accepted, and to reply to their email with my Sony account email address so they could jump in and adjust the price.
          5. Add the product to the cart (ensuring you've enabled cash rewards beforehand) and wait for them to send a second email confirming they've adjusted the price in the cart.
          6. Checkout and pay as usual.
          • browser on 06/09/2022 - 21:56

            @y2k: Thanks, I was not aware of step 5.

      • angers on 06/09/2022 - 21:30

        If they have not reject it then you should be okay.

    • Songaz on 06/09/2022 - 22:58

      I recently purchased a 50mm GM lens from the Sony store by price matching DigiDirect when there was a sale on and got the cashback confirmation email shortly after.

      Cashback was also approved 1 month later which was a pleasant surprise as it normally takes like 3 months to approve.

      So yes Cash Rewards still honours cashbacks even if you price match.

  • ubcool on 06/09/2022 - 22:08

    On back order now

  • y2k on 06/09/2022 - 22:08
    +2

    Other lenses on good deals at JB (and thus potential price match material for Sony Store with its Cash Rewards and Amex potential cashbacks), thanks for heads up about these @snvl. Can't modify original post as another user has already

    Sony SEL85F18 FE 85mm f/1.8 Lens also $636.65. Ryda price comes close at $653.15
    Sony FE 35mm f1.8 $806.65 though Ryda beats it at $798.50 if you're not buying a Sony body
    Sony-SEL11F18 11mm F1.8 Lens Back Order, APS-C
    Sony SEL15F14G 15mm F1.4 G Lens APS-C only

  • ankor on 07/09/2022 - 08:14

    It's a great first lens, better suited to anything outdoors because of the focal length. I'm a 35mm fan myself and have both a GM and a loxia. I should probably hand in my ozbargainer card at this point.

    • dust on 07/09/2022 - 10:10
      +1

      What can the Loxia do that the GM can't?

      • angers on 07/09/2022 - 11:42
        +1

        The Zeiss "3-D pop" as long as you like manual focus. You have to remember the Loxia's have been around for a while, the Sony GM line is excellent and technically may be better now in similar focal lengths, perhaps too clinical. Both excellent choices!

      • ankor on 07/09/2022 - 18:37

        Smaller, more fun to use, has better sunstars, if you are into that and has a more vintage look to it.

  • Hamlet on 07/09/2022 - 10:30

    Good deal OP. I still have mine though I've actually been transitioning the opposite way — from Sony FF to Olympus MFT at the moment. The small form factor is just too appealing, especially for the street/travel.

    That said, for those adamant on the Sony FF system, this lens (55mm) is reasonably small and great for portability (almost comparable with MFT!)

  • Higgl3 on 07/09/2022 - 11:51

    good lens, nice and compact too

  • Serpeant on 07/09/2022 - 14:44
    +1

    That 85mm 1.8 is pretty sweet at $636.65.

    Then Amex offer $536.65

    Then Cash Rewards under $500!

  • J6 on 11/09/2022 - 09:03

    Sony now has 10% cashback with cash rewards.

    • snvl on 12/09/2022 - 10:06

      back to 2%

      • J6 on 12/09/2022 - 11:02
        +2

        Lucky I got in during that time

  • anamul on 13/09/2022 - 08:50

    Damn price back to normal

    • LadyGlitterSparkles on 02/10/2022 - 14:21

      I missed out too, been wanting one of these for years and I miss the sale every time! I suppose I could buy while they aren't on sale but that wouldn't be very ozbargainny of me.

      • anamul on 03/10/2022 - 09:23

        I bought it later for $697 from Sony through price matching and 10% discount cause bought another camera together.

        • LadyGlitterSparkles on 03/10/2022 - 10:29

          Yeah I don't need camera unfortunately. I should've just bit the bullet 8 years ago when I bought my original A7 and these lenses were just $700. But at the time I was happy with my Sigma 50mm and the adapter.

  • browser on 22/09/2022 - 10:08

    Great lens, have been thinking about it for a long time.

    Has anyone got the $100 Amex credit if you have price matched from Sony online stored?

    • anamul on 03/10/2022 - 09:24

      Yes I did, on the same day I think. Sometimes the system miss out so you can ask to fix it over chat.

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