Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA Lens for Sony NEX Cameras

by Sony

• Employs the legendary "Sonnar" optical design for standout image dimensionality and presence
• Seven aperture blades form a near circle, which results in a pleasing defocused effect on the background of your image when the aperture is set wide open
• Allows for 1/4 macro shooting with accurate focus as close as 6.2 inches (16cm)
• Direct Manual Focus (DMF) allows for direct manual focusing after autofocus lock-on without having to switch modes
• Lens operation is fast but at the same time smooth and quiet, minimizing noise and image jitter when shooting movies

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.6 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches ; 7.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B005IHAI8O
• Item model number: SEL24F18Z
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 23, 2011

Product Description

This is the first Carl Zeiss lens to be released in the Sony E-mount lineup, employing the legendary “Sonnar” optical design for standout image dimensionality and presence. A spherical lenses located on either side of the aperture effectively compensate for distortion, while an ED element suppresses chromatic aberration. The overall result is excellent corner-to-corner sharpness even with the aperture wide open, for impressive overall resolution.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good value. December 26, 2011

By LGO VINE™ VOICE

I pre-ordered this Zeiss lens very early on in August 2011. Getting this lens over a week ago, I wondered whether my implicit trust in Zeiss as implemented in a Sony E-mount is justified. I have used several excellent Zeiss lenses with my Nikon dSLR and wanted to give an auto-focusing version of one of its proven design a try with the Sony NEX-5N.

It is early days yet I am already inclined to give this lens a 5-star on account of its very good performance wide-open and even more, when stopped down to f/2.5 onward. The center is sharp wide-open and the corners improves visibly by f/2.8. Color, contrast and detail are all superb, while vignetting is minimal wide-open. This lens is very well-balanced and it is difficult to exaggerate how well this lens render.

The lens comes in a soft black bag and also comes with a hood that can be reversed into the lens for a compact carry. It takes a 49mm filter. Is the lens expensive? Do I want this lens to be priced less? Definitely. But as an owner of several Zeiss lens and knowing full well what these lenses can deliver, I cannot in good point claim that this lens is expensive. If anything, I would consider this lens as very good value. I could actually go farther in my praise of this lens but in this time of economic dislocation, it would be imprudent for me to say this so I will leave this praise where it is now.

If I am forced to look for a weakness in this lens, I would say that it exist in two areas. The first is that this lens is nowhere as small or as light as the Sony 16mm f/2.8. It is a fairly big lens and substantially increases the size of the NEX-5N when mounted. But I am very willing to forego my critical assessment of this lens' size and weight vs the Sony 16mm f/2....8 as the latter would be a very poor second and simply does not compare to this Zeiss lens in terms of its optical performance. It makes it very painful for me to look at the images taken with the Sony 16mm f/2.8 when I compare this with the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8.

Then as a dSLR user, I would actually look at the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 and call it as small and light in relation o to the Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G which I use with the Nikon D7000 + MB-D11, and occasionally on several tests, with the NEX-5N. The Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G simply overwhelms the NEX-5N in terms of size and weight making an Arca-based lens-support all but necessary. Transitioning to the Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 on the NEX-5N from the Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G dramatically drives home the bulk and weight difference. From this perspective, this lens is neither big or heavy for me but believe that I should highlight its difference on this point vis-a-vis the Sony 16mm f/2.8. This lens' size via-a-vis the 16mm f/2.8 is easily justified and offset by its stellar performance.

The second area of weakness I see in this Zeiss lens is its tendency to flare and its chromatic aberration under harsh light transitions. While these perhaps cannot be avoided given its wide-angle coverage and its fast f/1.8 aperture, it can be a bit disconcerting when the much humbler Sony 16mm f/2.8 can easily match it in this area at the same aperture settings. I have the latest version of ACR and Lightroom and neither are very successful in removing the purple fringing. Yet I am quite accepting of this lens' weakness on this point as even the stellar Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G does not unduly out-perform it in this regard. Yes, the Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G is better but not by much. Given the size and weight penalty of using the Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G not to mention the lack of auto-focus when mounted on the NEX-5N, I cannot be overly critical with the performance of this lens.

EDIT: 2012 March 8

As expected, this lens holds up very well with the NEX-7. Used with the NEX-5N and NEX-7 weak AA filter, this lens renders scenes so indescribably well that one has to use this lens to appreciate how good it is. Matched with the higher resolution of the NEX-7, the details are incredibly sharp and clear though I make it a point not to shoot this lens beyond f/8.0 when lens diffraction will make its impact felt. Overall, I highly recommend this lens to anyone who wants to get the best possible image with their NEXs using a native E-mount lens. Read more ›

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar! A must-have lens for any NEX shooter (and might be the only one some will ever need) December 31, 2011

By Lars Milano VINE™ VOICE

This is an optical masterpiece for NEX shooters. It stands tall above all the other currently available E-mount AF offerings in just about every category. It's priced accordingly, of course. But even if you're having reservations about spending $1k on a prime lens, consider the fact that this particular gem has the optical quality of modern Leica aspherical lenses that cost 3-4 times more. The all-metal construction and smoothness of the focusing ring exudes quality and remind me of precision-built pieces of jewelry from Leica, except this one will also auto-focus on an NEX body!

I am also a Nikon DSLR and Leica M9 shooter so my expectations were already sky high when it came to camera lens quality. This lens truly delivers. If you have an NEX-5N or C3 with the brilliant 16mp sensor or the resolution monster that is the NEX-7, your camera deserves this lens. Depending on what type of shooting you do, it may be the only lens you'll ever need. Ever since I received mine, it has not left my NEX-5N and when I finally get my grubby hands on an NEX-7, it will likely live in that body almost permanently as well. On the APS-C sensor, it is at the ideal "normal" focal length of 36mm for almost every type of photography. One can do landscapes, close-ups, portraiture, get nice bokeh, and improvise just to get about any type of shot with just this lens. If you don't mind the extra weight and size, it's the ideal walk-around lens for the NEX camera and even has an impressive close-focus distance of half a foot for a very welcome semi-macro capability. Lets face it, just about any quality lens will look and feel out-of-place in the very compact NEX bodies, so this is a small price to pay to get the amazing images it will deliver....

Compared to a Leica 28mm Summicron M Aspherical: Not the same focal length but close enough to compare since it's another lens that I own that I've actually been using on the NEX-5N with a Leica M to NEX adapter. Now that that I have the 24mm 1.8 Zeiss, the Summicron will go back on the Leica. To my eyes and based on just jpegs straight out of the camera, the Zeiss 24 is actually sharper at f/2 than the Leica 28 Summicron is wide open. What's amazing to me is how the Zeiss doesn't lose much sharpness even wide open. There is some chromatic aberration in bright high contrast areas and corners softness, but so does the Leica 28, and overall, this is negligible and only an issue for pixel-peepers. The color rendered by the Zeiss is very similar to the "glow" that most people love about Leica lenses. The Leica 28 can only close-focus to about 3 feet while the Zeiss 24 is good to 6 inches making it much more versatile on the NEX body. Obviously, the Zeiss can also autofocus on the NEX body, which is just icing on the cake. The Zeiss is also $3000 cheaper than the Leica 28 Summicron so even at its price of $1k, it's a hell of a bargain.

Compared to a Nikon 24mm 1.4G: For fun, I mounted one on the NEX-5N with a Nikon-G to NEX adapter and it looks and feels absolutely ridiculous! Aside from balance issues from having a monstrosity of a prime lens built for a full frame pro-DSLR body mounted on a compact NEX body, it's just not worth using when you can have the amazing Zeiss 24mm 1.8 that is almost as good optically, yet can also autofocus and is fully integrated to the NEX with regards to aperture setting (Nikon lens will rely on a vague manual non-stepped aperture ring on the adapter). The super-expensive Nikon prime might have an advantage in corner to corner sharpness but not by much, and again, only apparent to pixel-peepers.

Conclusion: If you have an NEX camera, get this lens! It might be all the lens you'll ever need for this camera system. It is expensive but worth every penny considering it is at an ideal focal length for NEX bodies for almost every type of shooting, can close-focus to 6", and is optically comparable to the best Leica and Nikon has to offer. It's lens like this that make me think about how my days of shooting with a bulky DSLR might be numbered. With the great low-light sensor in the NEX-5N and the ultra high-resolution sensor in the NEX-7, there isn't an image I can take with the Nikon D700/D7000 than I can't take with the NEX + Zeiss, save for action/sports shots that require faster and more precise AF-tracking or longer telephoto lens. Once Sony/Zeiss release more lenses of this caliber, the NEX system will be a true alternative for DSLR enthusiasts (and some pros).

UPDATE 2/25/13: I've had this lens a little over a year now and still believe it is the best E-mount lens available on the NEX system, even after the introduction of the excellent 10-18 f/4 and 35 f/1.8. It now spends time in between my NEX-5N and NEX-6 and with the lens firmware update, these newer NEX cameras' hybrid-AF systems do show a noticeable improvement in AF performance in good light, though any low-light AF improvements have not been as obvious. I love this lens. And good news for those who also own the Sony RX1 full frame compact: if you already own the SEL24F18Z, you don't have to spend $180 for the fancy and overpriced LHP1 metal lens hood especially made for the Sony RX1's fixed Zeiss lens, because the SEL24's plastic lens hood fits perfectly on the RX1's bayonet attachment (so even 49mm filters still work) and even clicks into place like the LHP1 hood does. There's no vignetting even though the RX1 is a full-frame sensor, and you can even reverse-mount the SEL24F18Z hood on the RX1 for extra protection when storing. Perfect fit. Read more ›

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Bright Prime Lens December 28, 2011

By Phaseout

I'll start this by saying that there is not much to choose from as far as lenses go for the Sony NEX line. The Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 fills the void of a great walk around street shooting lens. From the minute you unpack the box you start to see why you just spent $1,000 on a prime lens for a NEX camera. It comes with a soft leather Sony pouch. The lens hood is a high quality metal and plastic combo. The hood can be reverse fitted but will obstruct the manual focus ring though. The lens itself is built like a tank. All metal construction with an excellent large, smooth, manual focus ring.

Now on to the photo quality. Very sharp at 1.8 and tack sharp stepped down at 2.8-4. The lens produces wonderful images. It has a certain look to the photos similar to what you find in Leica photos and the Fuji x100 and other rangefinders. The boheh is silky smooth. Easily as good if not better than bright Canon L primes. One additional feature of this lens is that it has surprisingly good macro capability. Very uncommon for short prime lenses. Can focus from about 6 inches away. Perfect for flowers and even insects if you can get in close.

The focus is ok. While it is fairly accurate, there is some hunting and misfocusing in low light but I expected this and its not much of an issue with the great manual focus ring. This is also more to do with the NEX cameras using contrast detection versus Phase detection.

The only other gripe I could have would be the size. This lens is fairly large and heavy for a short prime but does not feel off balance when you are holding it. It is significantly larger than the 16mm 2.8 pancake lens, but it is far superior in photo quality to any lens I have tried on a Sony NEX 7. This is a perfect partner for this camera or any NEX camera....

If you can afford it I highly recommend it. Since pairing this with my new NEX7, my 7D has not left my house.

To sum up, here are pros vs cons:

PROS
- Great build quality
- Great lens hood and carry bag
- Excellent image quality
- Smooth creamy bokeh
- Has a certain style to the look of the photos
- A great walk around and street lens
- Good macro capability

CONS
- Might be too big for some
- A little slow to focus but this is mostly an issue with NEX cameras. Read more ›