Packing a 24MP punch, the Sony A6400 is a mirrorless marvel that offers a blazing fast autofocus paired with a BIONZ X image engine that puts Hollywood to mud which means, if you already own this magnificent digital camera, or are planning to, you may want to get your hands on lenses that may justify and translate its raw power into vibrant output.

Otherwise, it’s no better than a paperweight that would be pretty much-collecting dust. Finding the right lens might sound easier than done but once you lurk down the rabbit hole, it’s apparent that you may get overwhelmed by so many options especially if you want to be picky and want your lens to correspond to every scenario, whether it’s traveling, portrait photography or you are simply on a budget.

With that being said, feel free to scroll down below because this compendium relating to “Best Lenses For Sony A6400 in 2024” has everything you might be looking for.

1. Travel Lenses For Sony A6400

Sony has always been ahead of the league, especially after manufacturing the Alpha series which is no doubt one of the most groundbreaking and innovative mirrorless camera classes the world has ever seen before.

Their sheer quality and robust performance will no doubt push the limits of your creativity tenfold, however, it is equally important you get a hold of a lens that compliments the camera attributes and vastly enhances it.

So without wasting any of your precious time, I have made a very succinct yet precise list that contains all the best travel lenses for Sony A6400 that the money can buy.

Each pick is carefully chosen on the basis of benchmark results, quality, and price-to-value ratio and personally tested in my lab so I can form a review for you guys, free from bias.

The List Of Best Travel Lenses For Sony A6400

Here is the list by an expert, let’s take a look at each one and see what they offer.

1. Sigma 16mm F/1.4 DC DN – Best Travel Lens For Sony A6400

It’s a contemporary lens, so naturally, I don’t keep high expectations from budget-oriented lenses, however, the Sigma 16mm turns out to be an exception in this case.

Overall Build Quality

For starters, the build quality doesn’t feel cheap at all, in fact, it presents itself as very durable and sturdy while holding it in my palm which I believe is due to the incorporation of a unique material known as a Thermally stable compound.

Furthermore, the focus ring has a rubberized gripping which gives off pleasant vibes while you rotate it for fine-tuning during manual focus mode.

To keep its inner mechanism secured from dust and moisture, the inclusion of a rubber gasket is a way to provide sealing to the overall lens.

Splendid Bokeh 

Moving on to the things that matter the most, the lens rocks a super wide aperture of F1.4, however, I didn’t find it quite optimal for portraits, due to focal length restriction which prevented a lovely bokeh effect from taking place, especially when taking snaps at a distance.

But, for close-up shots, I did find an intense presence of shallow depth of field which made my subject look way sharper with superb cinematic effect.

On the other hand, landscape shots came out pretty well, especially while indulging in photography sessions in the evening.

The wide aperture allowed me to use it in both indoor and outdoor scenarios with ease since I didn’t have to worry about ample lighting.

Fit for Landscape Photography

In terms of focal length, it has a sweet ultra-wide 16mm focal length, which produces sharper results that exceeded my imagination. For contemporary lenses, this one does quite a praiseworthy job.

And the best part is that it has a partial fish-eye effect so taking those group photos during family events or ceremonies is like a piece of cake with tremendous clarity.

But if you do want to substitute this lens for portrait shots, then it will certainly disappoint you since you will no doubt notice some distortion.

Test Results

During testing, my first concern about a lens is usually its build quality, however, carefully examining it for literally hours, literally every aspect about it is made from top-notch materials.

It’s made from metal infrastructure and has a rubberized focusing ring with a matte black finish that blends pretty well with my Sony A6400.

The lens on the other hand has a rubber gasket to prevent moisture and dust buildup from entering, which in my opinion is very thoughtful, especially for rookie photographers that tend to have issues storing their lenses.

The mount is also made from sturdy metal and easily clicks in when hooked up to its Sony A6400.

As you can see in the picture down below, I have zoomed in on its aperture blades which produce a sweet rounded bokeh effect as it can be opened wide up to F1.4.

Unlike other cheaper counterparts, this one came in with a petal-shaped hood to prevent strong ambient lighting and also includes 67mm of filter threads in case you want to experiment with aftermarket filters.

Reason for Recommendation

Amazing build quality and produces sharp results with outstanding bokeh effect due to its wide aperture size.

Unlike other cheaper counterparts, this one came in with a petal-shaped hood to prevent strong ambient lighting and also includes 67mm of filter threads in case you want to experiment with aftermarket filters.

Reason for Recommendation

Amazing build quality and produces sharp results with outstanding bokeh effect due to its wide aperture size.

Pros:

• Solid Build
• Has weather Shielding
• Phenomenal bokeh effect 
• Good For both day and night-time photography
• Sharp Output

• Cons:
• Not for Portrait photography

2. Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD

It’s understandable if the above-mentioned ultra-wide lens isn’t your cup of tea, here is a lens with a 4.1x magnification ratio with an advanced RXD AF motor.

Variable Focal length

At a bare minimum focal range of 17mm, you can say the lens falls in the Ultra Wide category, allowing you to capture some really sharp footage with perfect resolution accuracy throughout the frame.

However, while zooming all the way down to 70mm, taking portraits or even using it as a telephoto lens isn’t a bad idea, as the lens preserves sharpness no matter the focal length you are shooting, which means you can use it in almost all scenarios.

This lens is specially designed for those prosumers who often like to travel a lot and don’t want to switch gears or lenses every now and then.

Perfect Vibration Control 

For APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras like the Sony A6400, this lens is an absolute treat, it even has a Tamron Vibration compensation system which quickly counteracts and corrects the inner mechanism of the lens in order to prevent jitter and micro shakes from appearing in your video.

Furthermore, It’s highly crucial that your lens has built-in stabilization since the Sony a6400 lacks body optical stabilization. However, the one used in this lens sufficiently enhances stability and firmness during photography.

Top-tier Optical Structuring

The lens glass has 16 elements arranged in 12 groups that work in conjunction with a dual glass molded aspherical lens element and an additional innovative Hybrid aspherical lens element which delivers sharpness, and peak resolution as well as keeps optical issues like chromatic aberration at bay.

It’s quite impressive the level of engineering this optical lens has. After using it during my trip to Dubai, I had spectacular results throughout the zoom and there was no softening or distortion even at the corners.

Test Results

There is no end to its versatility as you can easily use this lens in almost every scenario, however, it certainly feels a little bit bulky but nonetheless, the overall aesthetics of the manual focusing ring and the lens are no doubt outstanding.

At its maximum focal length of 70mm, while having an aperture size of F2.8, it barely produces any chromatic aberrations while keeping the results as sharp as possible.

On the other hand, at its minimum focal length, the results aren’t bad either, matter of fact I kept my Sony a6400 as close to the subject as possible and still produced mind-blowing results with a creamy bokeh effect.

Picture taken at 17mm F2.8, amazing right?

Reason for Recommendation

Since the Sony a6400 lacks an Image stabilization system, I would highly recommend you invest in this lens.

• Pros:
  Very Versatile and Fit for Any Scenario
• Sharp & Crisp Resolution Output
• Has a Built-in stabilization System
• Cons:
  A little bit heavy

3. Sony E-Mount 20mm F2.8 – Best Budget Travel Lens For Sony A6400

The sort of lens every camera enthusiast should carry while in traversal because it’s nifty and lightweight.

Slim and Thin

You could literally carry it in your pocket and nobody would notice since it has a subtle pancake design which makes it fit in almost any space, making carrying it around quite easier, especially for novice photography freelancers who can’t deal with clumsy gear on a daily basis.

The lens dimensions specifications are 0.79 x 2.48 inches and weighs only 2.83 ounces, which absolutely baffled me since how can anyone make such a tiny lens? 

Sharp Results

The 20mm focal length will serve you pretty well in Ultra wide angle shots and it will no doubt be extraordinarily sharp, however, I did notice partial softening, especially at the corners, but nonetheless the quality this lens provided overshadowed any complaint I have had.

The lens does not offer any form of magnification and has a fixed focal length with an Angle of View of 70 degrees on APS-C cameras like Alpha 6400.

Decent Focusing

Apart from wide-angle landscape photography, you can even use this lens for macro snapshots as it has a minimum focusing distance of 0.66 feet and a Maximum Magnification ratio: of 0.12x, offering phenomenal detail and intense depth of field in your photo sessions and videography alike.

Just make sure you keep the aperture at F/8 for macro photography or else your results would look very blurred.

In terms of noise and subject tracking, I did find the focusing motor unit to be completely silent with robust response time which actually shocked me as this tiny pancake is no doubt packing a punch.

While tracking my dog when it was playing in the backyard, I got the sharpest results I have ever seen, and I couldn’t resist sharing it with my photographer peers on social media.

Test Results

What I really love about this lens is that it has universal aftermarket accessory dimensions of 49mm, so in case you are looking for filters or lens hoods, you won’t have to spend much of your time.

As for its outdoor results, the lens certainly performs quite well, however, at corners I noticed some optical blurring, which is quite normal for such a smaller focal length of 20mm.

However, even in moderately dimly lit rooms, it produces amazing output with rich & vibrant colors while a soft bokeh effect surrounds the subject.

Reason for Recommendation

Produces exquisite colors and has an incredibly lightweight form factor making it ideal for vloggers.

Pros

• Thin and easy to store 
• Produces Great Ultra results 
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Lacks Stabilization

4. Sony E 50mm F1.8 OSS – Best Budget Lens For Sony A6400

High-end Stabilization with a decently rounded diaphragm has pretty much all the attributes a worthy prime lens has.

Gyroscopic  Stabilization

For a mirrorless camera like the Sony A6400, it is very necessary that you opt out for a lens that has built-in stabilization, especially if you don’t own a gimbal.

The Steady Optical SteadyShot image stabilization works flawlessly by utilizing gyroscopes in order to counteract wrist movement while you use your camera. 

The innovative stability mechanism performs exceedingly well no matter how sudden a jitter or vibration is and the best part is that the whole mechanism is virtually silent so that pretty much saves the hassle of editing out unnecessary noise in post-editing which will save you plenty of time to perfect your videography.

Optimal For Portraits

It’s very impressive how well the focusing mechanism of this “Nifty fifty” compliments the Sony A6400 4D eye and face tracking and presents one of the sharpest and most accurate focusings I have ever seen.

In my collection of 50mm lenses across all brands, this one I use the most as the ratio of disappointment has always been little to none.

The 50mm focal length hits the sweet spot in terms of range making it quite suitable for both indoor and outdoor portraiture.

Phenomenally Wide Aperture

Oftentimes lenses suffer dramatically indoors due to lack of lighting, however, this champ will perform beyond your expectations due to its wide F1.8 aperture which has bright, vibrant output that gives life to your imagery and preserves all your beautiful memories through its mind-blowing bokeh effect due to 7 blade circular diaphragm.

Overall, if you are a professional event photographer who takes part in wedding photoshoots, public ceremonies, and modeling contests, or simply a hobbyist who enjoys traveling and street photography, this lens has to be on your wish list.

• Pros:
  Has Wide Aperture 
• Produces superb results during Portrait photography
• Great Solid Build
• Even Has stabilization 
• Not too expensive
• 
  Cons:
  Chromatic Aberration issues

5. Sony E Mount APS-C 55-210mm F4.5-6.3

It may not have the best aperture size, however, being a telephoto lens it certainly does the job as it is supposed to, and for such a lovely price, I don’t feel like there should be any room for complaining.

Perfect Lens For Sports Events

For photojournalism or freelancers who cover sports events like horse racing and such, I feel like there is no better substitute than this lens. 

No matter how fast the subject is, you will always still that will no doubt look professional-grade and certainly be a great addition if you want to create a unique portfolio to boost up your career in the professional field.

However, I did notice some resolution and clarity drop while having it set to F5.6 which means you may need to shrink the aperture a little bit down to F/8 in order to get some crispy sharp images, especially while zooming at a long-range focal length such as 150mm+.

Budget Friendly

On the bright side, it’s refreshing to see telephoto lenses listed at such a lovely price tag especially when economic decline and inflation are on the rise, affecting everybody on the whole.

In other words, this 300-dollar telephoto with amazing tracking capabilities with superb magnification surely is a treat for solo freelancers who are struggling in this field due to restricted finances.

Focus By Wire

It has superb focusing capabilities and surely delivers corner-to-corner resolution throughout the zoom and even has an optical SteadyShot stabilization mechanism which is something you should look out for the most while using a Camera like Sony 6400 which lacks In-body stabilization.

However, my only concern here is that this lens has Focus by wire, which means the focusing capability is electronically controlled and oftentimes may not be accurate and may feel delayed.

• Pros:
  Has Metal Build
• Very Budget Friendly
• Results are Outstanding
• 
  Cons:
  Focus is a little Sluggish

6. Sony 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 E-Mount – Best Prime Lens For Sony A6400

My last pick turns out to be also a telephoto lens, however, it does offer some premium features that are well worth the money and your attention.

Premium Build

You won’t find any cheap plastic here, so you can have a sigh of relief, the overall housing is made of thin, lightweight, and sturdy metal alloy which keeps the innards safe from all sorts of mishandling, prolonging its life for years of use.

The Focus ring on this bad boy feels butter smooth and firm and since it does require a little bit of torque, there is no fear of any accidental touches while you are recording your video which may ruin your videography altogether.

The best part about the overall design is that it even comes with a petal-shaped hood which not only does it look pretty when it hooks up but also prevents strong & ambient light from hitting the camera sensors.

Variable Zooming 

The magnification on this bad boy is admirable and provides 11x zoom, ranging from 18mm up to a whopping 200mm.

The versatility of the lens is defined by the way how well it can be utilized in almost all scenarios whether it’s long-range landscape photography or portraiture, Ultra-wide shots, or detailed macro snapshots.

At 18mm, the lens offers focusing capabilities even at as little distance as 11.8 inches which lets you take some of the most mouthwatering close-up shots you may ever see.

On the other hand, during my review test, I felt like the 200mm did not disappoint me either, especially while tracking wildlife like birds and cats.

Image Stabilization mechanism

The Optical SteadyShot Gyroscopic mechanism certainly does the job flawlessly as it should even at higher magnification all my videos felt as if they were shot on a tripod or gimbal which to me, is quite mind-blowing since it’s actually quite a challenging feat to achieve at a 200mm range.

Moreover, any form of a lens with built-in stabilization is always welcomed especially when your camera like a Sony A6400 doesn’t have one.

Ideal Optical Technology

Lastly, to keep chromatic aberration and other optical defects like Vignette at bay, there are 17 elements arranged in 13 groups with a Quad Aspherical element and Two Extra-low dispersion elements that ensure the lightwave length properly and accurately meet at the same point so the results generated by this lens have perfect clarity and depth.

• Pros:
  Great Build Quality
• Superb Stabilization
• Very Crisp Photo Results
  
  Cons:
  Hefty price tag

2. Budget Lenses For Sony A6400

It’s always tempting to browse through the catalog of technological items popping up now and then during your window shopping routine.

And being a photography hobbyist, you would know these camera brands always try to stay ahead of the competition and release new features that may captivate your mind since they are so alluring.

However, due to hefty price tags, it might be seldom that you consider committing to investment even if a product seems too good to be true, especially if you already have a limited budget.

To address such financial fiasco and ensure you stay up to date under a budget-friendly price tag where your pockets won’t restrict you, here are a couple of the best budget lenses for Sony A6400 for you.

7 Of The Best Budget Lenses For Sony A6400

Here is the list from which I got perfect results and then I thought to review it.

1. Sony 16mm F/2.8 Lens

Light & slim solution for easy storage purposes, the Sony 16mm has a solid build and a very reasonable price tag.

Ideal for Architecture and Landscape Photography

This low-cost pancake-shaped lens is perfect for those professional individuals who want to preserve wide-angle shots of cityscapes, the exterior, and the interior of a building or want to capture the beauties of mother nature without cropping anything from the frame.

The 16mm lens wide angle goes quite well with APS-C sensor-based cameras such as the Alpha 6400 and easily matches the 24mm angle of view.

Decent Aperture Size

The lens has a maximum aperture size of F2.8 and shrinks all the way down to F22, although, at 2.8 you may some bokeh effect popping up, especially in close-ups, I would advise you to keep the aperture at 8 to get sharp snapshots with decent depth of field especially if you taking snapshots of buildings exteriors or landscapes.

On the other hand, the 7-blade diaphragm does a satisfactory job by keeping the background defocused and keeping it as natural as possible without being too overwhelming or feeling too artificial.

Focusing Factor

In terms of focusing, the lens sometimes goes in a “focus hunt” which can get quite annoying, especially while taking images at long range which is why I have to keep the focus at infinity to get accurate results.

It does incorporate a micromotor which has a minimum allowable distance of 9.4 inches, however, it does make a little bit of noise while recording and can be annoying to individuals, however, at such a price tag, I feel like some caveats are to be expected.

Test Results

It is small and nifty and weighs a mere 2.61 ounces while holding it in my palm, as you can see from the picture down below, the overall housing is made from solid metal so don’t let the size fool you because when it comes to quality and sturdiness, it can surely survive regular wear and tear.

Furthermore, I even tested out its bokeh results and the output was pretty clean, however, I noticed in order to get the complete potential in terms of the bokeh effect, I had to get quite close to the subject I was snapping pictures of.

On the other hand, being a pancake lens, it certainly boasts a generous focusing distance of 24 cm, and taking a couple of pictures, both indoors look pretty sharp, especially at the center, however, there was some apparent vignette effect which might bother some photographers.

The reason why I recommend it?

It’s sharp and perfect for landscape has a pretty sweet bokeh effect and is certainly one of the finest overall housing, making your investment well worth the money.

Pros:

• Very Budget Friendly
• Good For Architecture and Landscape Photography
• Lightweight and Slim Design
• 
  Cons:
  Noisy Motor

2. Sigma 30mm F1.4 Contemporary DC DN

With decent Weather shielding and premium design, the Sigma 30mm may be a contemporary lens, yet excels quite well when compared to other prime lenses.

Build Quality

With a lovely metallic mount and rubber gasket to prevent moisture and debris from entering the lens’s inner mechanism, I feel like Sigma invested plenty of thought processes to engineer such a marvelous design.

Upon holding the lens in my palm, it felt light and flimsy, and before you complain about the build quality, keep in mind that it does not contain typical plastic, which often feels cheap.

The material actually used here is a thermally stable compound that can withstand extreme temperatures without losing its integrity, making it quite suitable for anybody who likes to take tours all across the globe.

Perfect For Portraits

I love how well the wide aperture of F1.4 performs both outdoors and indoors regardless of the lighting used.

Upon review, it could easily name this lens one of the most versatile contemporary lenses in the market since it has such a generous aperture size that delivers incredibly bright images.

On the other hand, the 9-blade aperture hits the spot of having a super dreamy bokeh effect which makes the subject look magnificent and gives a cinematic touch.

It’s fun, easy to use, and very effective in close-range portraiture It will never disappoint you with its results and will surely enhance your portfolio with its superior output.

Snappy AutoFocus

The focusing mechanism is quite satisfactory and barely has any delay and you can take some seriously sharp shots with it at a moderate range. 

I would like to add to this review, that from my personal experience with this lens, it did create a noticeable sound while focusing, so be mindful of that, especially while you are recording videos.

Furthermore, The minimum focusing distance is 11.8 inches, but you cannot substitute this lens for macro photography as you will be no doubt disappointed.

Oh, one last thing, this lens also doesn’t have image stabilization, so make sure you have steady hands or a decent gimbal while you perform your sessions.

Test Results

The lens isn’t too big to weigh you down and can fit in your backpack side pockets quite easily, Below I have taken a picture of the lens with and without the hood to give you a general idea of its dimensions.

While the overall material is made from plastic, it’s far from being cheap and matter of fact exceeds my expectations as the finishing feels very nice. Here is its picture without the hood.

Keep in mind that while it certainly has a metallic sturdy mount for secure hooking up to your Sony A6400, the only downside is the lack of a rubberized gasket to prevent pesky moisture from entering the innards of the lens.

Reason for Recommendation

Has a Portable Form factor and performs quite well in both dim and strong ambient lighting with decent results. The bokeh effect isn’t too shabby either, especially while taking portraits.

• Pros:
  Produces  Bright and Sharp Results
• Perfect For portraiture
• Budget Friendly

• Cons:
  Lacks Image stabilization

3. Sony – E 50mm F1.8 OSS – Best Cheap Sony A6400 Lens

My personal favorite, which often carry on my camera, due to spectacular stabilization and lightweight design.

Optical SteadyShot Stabilization

For starters, I would like to shed some light on how well the lens stabilization helps while recording videos, it’s buttery smooth and incredibly firm. I don’t even have to use a gimbal while I record my vlogs, it’s just so steady.

The Sony Gyroscopic Steadyshot mechanism surely deserves a round of applause, since the level of performance it provides is out of this world.

Since my Sony a6400 lacks an in-body stability module, using any other lens on this mirrorless device presents a difference between day and night.

Sharp & Precise 

Be careful while taking portraits with this bad boy, as the results produced are sharper than the edge of a sword and you may cut yourself! Exaggeration aside, this fifty-nifty puts the competition in the mud since it produces beautiful imagery through its superb 50mm focal length.

Other prime lenses with different focal lengths also have great results but in my opinion, the 50mm clearly takes the crown while covering events like weddings, sports, and modeling festivals.

Flawless & Faultless Aperture

The lens has a gracious aperture of F1.8 which automatically makes it suitable for low-light artistic cinematography. Whether you are a prosumer looking for a budget portrait-oriented lens or a hobbyist who is looking for perfection, this lens will provide a professional-grade bokeh effect no matter the scenario.

Even though the 7-blade round diaphragm may not be sufficient for some individuals and they prefer a higher blade count for a more rounded and soft background blur, I personally had no complaints during my street photography whatsoever.

All in all, for such a lovely price tag, this champion is surely worth the money.

• Pros:
  Very Suitable For portraiture
• Superb Bokeh Effect
• It can be used in low-light situations with ease
• Has Optical Stabilization
• Cons:
  Has Some Chromatic aberration

4. Sony 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS E-Mount Retractable Zoom Lens

At first, I was a little skeptical since it has a smaller aperture size, however, after thoroughly testing it, the benefits of this lens did outweigh the flaws it had.

Very Budget Friendly

For such a rational price tag, you would be getting tons of features that make the whole deal too good to be true. 

For starters, the housing is made from aluminum which is light and sturdy enough to provide ample integrity to the lens and ensure its portability as it weighs just 5.3 ounces.

Other features that I am thoroughly going to explain below are optical stabilization, variable focal length for magnification, Power zoom well, and a variety of aspherical elements to preserve resolution.

Power Zoom

This is a feature that can be quite handy especially if you are recording action-based videos for your YouTube channel or a skit. The Power Zoom ensures smooth as-butter zooming with tremendous firmness that can be otherwise not possible.

The lens even has a dedicated Power Zoom controller which lets you configure the magnification while you are capturing videos with just a flick of your finger. It’s smooth, accurate, enhanced ease of use, and not to mention quite innovative.

Built stabilizer

Even though it’s a budget lens, it’s a little bit shocking for me to find a decent optical stabilization mechanism that does its job exceedingly well with great precision. 

This gives plenty of peace of mind to novice users who don’t really have ample experience and are new to this field as with this technology even they can get some really professional-grade videography output.

High Tech Optical Elements

Moreover, to deliver sharp results without any optical blemish or nuisance like chromatic aberration, distortion, or softening appearing, Sony has embedded 9 elements in 8 groups that work in conjunction with four aspherical elements and one extra-low dispersion element that corrects and filter light wavelength so they meet at the exact same spot.

In conclusion, this is a great option for entry-level photographers, and I barely see any problems if you want to purchase it to get started. And to be honest, besides professional photographers, casual photographers can also benefit from this lens.

• Pros:
  Has Metal Body
• Inexpensive 
• Has Optical Stabilizer
• Even Has Power Zoom to assist your videography

• Cons:
  No weather Shielding

5. Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS (Silver)

With ample magnification at a handsome price, the Sony E 55-210mm has a superior range and is excellent for all sorts of photojournalism use.

Overall Build

It has a length of 4.3 x 2.5 inches and weighs approximately 0.76 pounds which means it’s so lightweight it could be termed as your next favorite lens while you are on your journey to capture some beautiful moments or sceneries.

I love the fact that Sony gave this lens a unique metallic silver finish which gives off professional vibes and goes pretty well with my Sony A6400 camera.

The overall housing is made from magnesium alloy and there is the inclusion of rubberized focus ring gripping which automatically makes the whole deal quite amazing as you are getting premium quality at such a budget-friendly price tag.

Optical Stabilization For Videography

The Sony proprietary Optical SteadyShot image stabilization works efficiently by delivering robust and optimal stability which is helpful for those photographers who often like to capture wildlife at a distance as you don’t want them to be startled while they are in their natural habitat.

Moreover, this intelligent mechanism provides firm and even stabilization and quickly counteracts all sorts of sudden jerks and sharp wrist movements even if you are recording while on the move.

This vastly eliminates the need for a third-party tripod or a gimbal enhancing the ease of use at a major level.

Decent Magnification

Lastly, the level of zoom on this budget telephoto is pretty solid and on point, with the built-in stabilization, you can confidently take portraits, and landscape shots without having any softening at the corners with fantastic sharpness and perfect resolution.

Anyone looking to record documentaries for journalism or is a prosumer who professionally covers music concerts on a regular basis should probably buy this lens.

• Pros:
  Lightweight & portable
• Very Budget Friendly Telephoto lens
• Sharp & Crisp Results
• Has OSS stabilization

Cons:

• No moisture Or Dust resistance

3. Portrait Lenses For Sony A6400

Want to take some cinematic snapshots like your favorite celebrity but can’t get the shot right? Perhaps it might be time for a complete overhaul since the kit lens might not be providing you with the full potential that your camera probably has.

Henceforth, to capture some exquisite photos with a luxurious bokeh effect, here are some of the best portrait lenses for Sony A6400 in the market that the money can buy.

Before you proceed, I would like to remind you that the products listed here are cherry-picked on the basis of performance and quality, so the ratio of disappointment is pretty much none.

The List Of Best Portrait Lenses For Sony A6400

Here is the list of my favorite lenses,

1. Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art DG HSM (52.5mm Equivalent)

An Arts-oriented lens for artistic individuals, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 is a well-crafted optical lens, however, comes with an eyebrow-raising price tag.

Solid Build Quality

Unlike other brands, Sigma never outsources their item’s construction material or tries to craft them elsewhere as a way to lower labor costs which often comes with some caveats such as a significant drop in quality over time.

In fact, all their stuff is made in Aizu, Japan, which is exactly why this lens screams premium quality. Owning such professional-grade lenses in your collection is like owning a rare luxurious time that rarely comes once in a decade.

The metal bayonet mount, superior grade polycarbonate is not only lightweight but incredibly tough that could easily withstand light to moderate mishandling on a daily basis.

Peak brightness

Anyone looking for some serious flagship-level bokeh effect, this is the lens you should seek the most. It has an immensely bright Aperture, which automatically implies you have to keep those ISO settings as low as possible even if you are shooting in dimly lit scenarios or evenings.

A wide aperture like F1.4 produces stunning portraits, and even when the aperture is reduced to F1.8, no chromatic aberration can be seen, so that’s a massive “Plus.”

It even holds 9 9-blade circular diaphragms in its iris to give you a mouth-watering and dreamy bokeh effect, you could say that’s probably the perk of paying top dollar as the higher the blade count the better the bokeh effect.

Praiseworthy Optical Construction

Furthermore, the lens has 13 elements arranged carefully in 11 groups and includes some unique and innovative elements such as SLD(special low dispersion) and FLD which have superior refractive index when compared to ordinary optical glass design.

This ensures that users get Ultra to grade high-contrast images with no residual aberration or secondary spectrums that may ruin the quality of your portraiture.

To sum it up, you could opt out for similar lenses from other brands with considerably lower price tags, however, they may not hold such magnificent optical construction that provides super sharp output in both videos and photos.

Testing Results

Made entirely from metal, the Sigma 35mm is no doubt a masterpiece and even has a metal mount at the back. The finishing is neat and offers a lovely glint, the focusing ring is also pretty smooth and barely requires any effort to rotate it. 

The aperture size is incredibly wide, sitting at an F1.4, and offers a mind-blowing bokeh effect while allowing plenty of light to hit the sensor so you can easily use it even in low-light situations. Just like most Sigma lenses, this one also has a 67mm filter thread and supports plenty of universal filters.

Reason For Recommendation

Mind-boggling build quality and captivating bokeh effect are the two main selling points of this lens.

• Pros:
• Top Quality Optical Technology 
• Probably the best aperture Size money can buy 
• Elite Class Build Quality
• Cons:
  No Stabilization Mechanism

2. Sony FE 50mm F1.8 (75mm Equivalent) – Sony A6400 Portrait Photography

For novice photographers who want to boost their photography career, this prime 50mm is very suitable for them, considering it has a decent price tag and produces great results.

7 Blade Diaphragm

Witness the most luxurious bokeh effect through the 7-blade iris through the super wide F1.8 aperture which allows super vibrant portraits even in low light situations. 

I call this lens a “professional maker”, since once you buy it and use it for your portraiture, no matter how lousy your photography skills are, all your results would look like if it was shot in a professional studio.

The best part about this bright and wide aperture is that it provides a well-balanced outlook for the subject that you have focused on while the background has natural blur and any illumination such as LED bulbs would have a rounded-shaped effect which gives off pleasant vibes.

Double Gauss Configuration

On the flip side, the lens also has a unique mechanism known as double Gauss configuration which eliminates any optical defects such as fringing, distortion, or curvature appearing in your images.

Some individuals would claim this is an outdated method to overcome such issues, but I believe as long as any mechanism works in perfecting my image output, I am not complaining.

Build Quality

However, my only complaint regarding this versatile prime lens is that it is made from pure plastic and even the mount doesn’t seem to have any metal integration into it, and that’s exactly why the price tag doesn’t seem to be as high as other lenses which have considerably better-built quality.

But in my opinion, this is not quite a deal breaker, as the level of sharpness and spectacular bokeh effect truly overshadows such attributes especially if you barely care about the aesthetics and overall integrity and want a cheap lens for casual use.

Snappy Dc Motor

Sony Claims this lens has a DC motor focus actuator which has terrific speeds while tracking a subject that’s on the move. Upon testing it through various scenarios with variable lightning, I feel like it gave me average results.

Especially while tracking my pet dog, the lens kind of struggled to get sharp results but on stills, the focus was swift with ultra-sharp results.

• Pros:
  Immensely Speedy AF motor
• Has Unique Double Gauss Config to prevent Optical defects
• Sharp videography results
• Cons:
  Plastic Build

3. Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS APS-C

If fixed focal lengths are not your cup of tea, here, enjoy a fresh breath of air with some magnification.

An All-Purpose Lens

In terms of versatility, this zoom lens deserves a round of applause, you can perform all sorts of photography and not just stick to simple portraiture.

At 18mm, you can use the capture some wide angle shots and capture some beautiful sceneries, mother nature, or cityscape exteriors with a phenomenal depth of field.

However, if you are professional and usually take artistic stills from a distance of exotic birds or mighty wild animals for documentary purposes, the 135mm can come as a handy optical champion.

Owning this lens ensures magnification up to 7.5x, which I admit is not the highest in the market, but at this price range, you can assure yourself you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

The Exterior

The barrel is made from unique polycarbonate material which is pretty sturdy and lightweight so you can have maximum portability.

On the other hand, both the focus and zoom rings have a rubberized texture that amplifies gripping, which has sober vibes and can be quite useful especially if you are new to this field and aren’t really good at handling your lenses.

I mean it’s perfectly understandable to be a rookie with clumsy hands and I believe more brands should enforce ease of use for their consumers since not everyone happens to be a pro right off the bat.

Lastly, in terms of aesthetics, the lens has a matte black finish which goes pretty well with your mirrorless Sony A6400 camera and doesn’t look awkward at all. As an added bonus there is also the inclusion of a petal-shaped hood to keep strong rays hitting the sensors directly.

Optical Stabilization

When shopping for a lens, especially for a camera like the Sony A6400, you should prioritize the ones that have built-in stabilization.

The chief aspect of getting clear, crispy, and absolutely coherent shots is to have stability, whether it’s your hand, built-in Stabilization, or a gimbal.

As for a person like me, who often doesn’t like to stay in one place since I find myself often traveling a lot, both for leisure and professional purposes, Optical SteadyShot stabilization integrated into this lens served its purpose fairly well and I had zero complaints how admirably it assisted me during a session.

Another neat trick I often pull during nighttime photography is using this lens stabilization which prevents imaging blurring, especially while keeping the shutter speed low to allow plenty of light to get fairly bright images because the aperture on this lens is a little to perform flawlessly in the dark or dim lit room.

• Pros:
  Amazing Magnification 
• Super Steady Stabilization
• Decent Polycarbonate  Build
• Cons:
  Not the best aperture size in the market

4. Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art (35-105mm Equivalent)

Here is another Art-pitched lens that includes decent magnification which is efficient for portrait photo sessions, but boy oh boy, it is heavy!

Weather Shielded 

Never have I ever used a sigma lens in my life that has disappointing build quality or lacks precautionary measures and the story for this lens is no different.

Not that I am saying you should capture or record videos while you are in a swimming pool, however, a bit of splash wouldn’t do any harm to this lens as this lens has splash resistance sealing to keep water droplets from running the lens.

On the other hand, you wouldn’t have to worry about working outdoors in extreme and harsh temperatures either as this bad boy can keep its innards clean by repelling any debris into its insides.

Fluorine Coating

Since fingerprints and grime from your hand can scratch, smudge, and ruin your lens which is why no camera enthusiast would want to see such a nightmare happen. 

To address such community-wide nuisance, The lens has a special fluorine coating that prevents fingerprints from setting in on the lens and is also smudge-proof.

Just make sure you use a gentle fabric cloth during your cleaning routine to make the optical glass squeaky clean for intense sharp shots.

Furthermore, it is quite common to have flares and other optical defects appear in wide-angle focal lengths such as the 24mm, the Super multilayer coating filters strong sunlight to prevent that from happening.

In other words, there is more to what meets the eye in this optical lens.

Focal length Variability

Since the A6400 has an APS-C Sensor and a crop factor of 1.534x, the lens automatically becomes 36mm-105mm allowing you to zoom even further than its capabilities, which means you can use it for portraiture, wide angle, and telephoto photo sessions altogether. 

All you have to do is rotate the zoom ring gently to attain the appropriate range.

Constant Aperture

Lastly, my favorite bit about this lens is the constant aperture of F2.8 which is bright enough to perform flawlessly in dimly lit rooms and has a gentle depth of field to deliver rich, vibrant, and colorful output.

In addition to adding dreamy and sweet vibes to your artistic photo sessions, the 11-blade diaphragm enhances its overall bokeh effect. Overall, this is the optimal number of blades for indicating a flagship lens.

Pros:

• Immense Zooming capability
• Decent Results
• Has a Special Fluorine Coating To Repel Oil and prints

Cons:

• Bulky

5. Samyang E 85mm F1.4 (127.5mm Equivalent) – Best Portrait Lens For Sony

As for my last pick, I present to you the Korean-made Samyang  E 85mm lens with a ground-shattering bright aperture that will literally take your breath away.

Dual Linear Sonic Motor

Unlike other lenses that often opt out for cheap noisy motors that may not be as reliable as they claim them to be, the Samyang has a no delay, high response, Ultra Silent DLSM technology that locks onto the subject you are focusing on with laser-like speed.

To push the motor to its limits, I packed my bags and headed to a professional horse racing event, so that I could form a review on this lens, and lo & behold, this lens passed all the experiments I performed on it with flying colors.

Keeping the shutter speed at moderate speed, there is no blur or image distortion in sight making this lens well worth the penny I spent on it.

I was so impressed with the clarity of each and every hair in one of my horse pictures that I felt these snapshots would miraculously come to life at any moment if I zoomed in.

Absolute Resolution

That’s not it yet, the lens even goes a step further to achieve greatness by having a phenomenally high quad refractive index element and an Extra-low dispersion element that not only keeps fringing and distortion at bay but you minimizes chromatic aberration to a bare minimum.

The level of engineering and thought process invested while crafting this lens is truly off the charts.

Shine Bright like a star

Now all the portraits of you and your buddies would have been taken out of a movie as the 9-blade iris diaphragm gives cinematic bokeh with outstanding quality.

Moreover, the F1.4 is so wide that I don’t even have to touch the ISO settings ever in my life while I have hooked this lens onto my camera.

This I believe is the strongest selling point of this lens and there are no two ways about it.

Pros:

• Has Top Notch Optical Technology
• Very Wide Aperture makes it perfect for night photography and portraiture
• Extremely Sharp

Cons:

• Not So Budget Friendly