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Sony

Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*

Long regarded as one of Sony's best full-frame primes of the A7 era — sharp wide open, compact, and popular for portraits and street work. Superseded optically (though not in autofocus speed) by the newer FE 50mm f/1.8.

Starting from
£669 new
Used from £279 (Wex Photo Video)
Available at 3 retailers
Check price at Clifton Cameras
✓ Available at 3 retailers 🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only
RetailerPrice
Clifton Cameras
Clifton Cameras
£669
Check on Clifton Cameras →
Wex Photo Video
Wex Photo Video used
£279
Check on Wex Photo Video →
Amazon
Amazon
—
Check on Amazon →
Prices are synced live from UK retailers. Not every product will be stocked by every retailer; older models may only be available second hand.
Value & Depreciation
£849
Launch price
→
£669
Today
=
21%
Value drop
Over ~13 years, this camera has cost roughly £14/year to own (buy at launch price, sell today). That's one of the lower cost-per-year cameras in its class.
Core
Released
2013
Lens Type
Prime
Focal Length
55mm
Aperture
f/1.8
Compatible Mount
Sony FE
Filter Size
49mm
Dimensions
64.4mm diameter × 70.5mm length
Weight
281g
Weather Sealed
No
Optics & Focus
AF Motor
Standard AF motor
Optical IS
None (relies on body IS if available)
Aperture Blades
7
Magnification
0.14x
Min. Focus Distance
0.5m

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GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre

Base score — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. Camera Match adjusts it for your skill level and priorities.

Portrait
7.5
Street
6.9
Travel
5.4
Wedding & Events
6.5
Filmmaking
6.0
Documentary
6.2
Landscape
5.4
Casual
5.6
Food
5.5
Architecture
5.2
Underwater
5.0
✅ Great For
🧑
Portrait 7.5 Strong on maximum aperture, optical quality and focal length. Sharp wide open with pleasing rendering at a classic 55mm focal length.
⚠️ Not Ideal For
🤿
Underwater 5.0 Held back by focal length and close focusing.
📝 How suitability scores are calculated GearScore™ genre scores are calculated from this camera's verified specifications — autofocus, sensor, weight, weather sealing and more — weighted by what matters for each type of photography. Where a spec sheet misses something (e.g. a manual-focus rangefinder for street), we apply a documented editorial adjustment. Scores are not based on customer reviews. See our full methodology →
Price History — FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*