REVIEWS | SONY ALPHA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - WHAT LENSES I USE AT WEDDINGS
In this blog post, I share my thoughts on the Sony lenses I’ve used over the years and give a detailed look at the lenses that make up my current wedding day kit.
MY HISTORIC SONY CAMERA & LENS SET-UP FOR WEDDINGS 2021- 2024
As you’ll see further down this post, I own (and have owned) a range of Sony G and G Master lenses for use at weddings.
In my other post about the Sony cameras I use at weddings, I explained how I work with three camera bodies at every wedding. It’s worth mentioning again here, as it helps make sense of the lens choices you’ll see below.
Typically, for 90% of a wedding day, my camera and lens combo looks like this:
Sony Alpha 1 + Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM Lens (camera on my Holdfast strap)
Sony Alpha 1 + Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM Lens (camera on my Holdfast strap)
Sony Alpha 1 + Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G Lens (camera in my hip bag)
Typically, for the remaining 10% of a wedding day (from 7 pm onwards) my camera and lens combo often looks like this:
Sony Alpha 1 + Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM Lens (camera on my Holdfast strap)
Sony Alpha 1 + Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM Lens (camera on my Holdfast strap)
Sony Alpha 1 + Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G Lens (camera in my hip bag) (camera with flash for the dancefloor)
MY SONY CAMERA & LENS SET-UP FOR WEDDINGS HEADING INTO 2025 WEDDING SEASON
Sony 20mm F1.8 G – Wide environmental storytelling lens.
Sony 28–70mm F2 GM – My main lens for the majority of the day.
Sony 85mm F1.8 – For speeches and church weddings (if the 28-70mm doesn’t cut it).
Sony 16–25mm F2.8 G – Reserved for dancefloor coverage when I want zoom flexibility.
The Sony 35mm F1.4 GM and the Sony 50mm F1.4 GM are kept in the car on a wedding day should I experience any issues with my main setup above.
UPDATE August 2025 - A brief review on the Sony 16-25mm G Lens will come soon.
SONY FE 28-70MM F2 G MASTER LENS
New in the camera bag for 2025 is the critically acclaimed Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM Lens, a lens that has barely left my camera. I’ve used it in all conditions—sun-drenched afternoons, dimly lit churches, and crowded dancefloors—and I’m beyond impressed. I’m not a lab tester; I shoot from experience, and in those real-world moments, I truly believe this lens is amazing.
What I Love about the Sony 28-70mm F2 GM Lens
Versatility – Covers almost every focal length I need in a wedding day without swapping lenses.
Low-light Performance – The constant f/2 aperture is a genuine asset for ceremonies and receptions.
Image Quality – Tack-sharp, great colour, and beautiful contrast.
Autofocus – Reliable in both bright and dim light.
Weather Sealing – Ready for whatever a British wedding day throws at it.
Where the Sony 28-70mm F2 GM Lens falls short
Weight – This isn’t a light lens. After a 10–12 hour wedding day, you feel it. I use a HoldFast strap, which helps, but I’m always aware of it compared to my lighter primes.
Highlight Blooming – In certain backlit conditions, very bright highlights can bloom slightly. It’s not a deal-breaker, but worth noting if you shoot a lot directly into the sun or towards fairy lights.
SONY FE 20MM F1.8 G LENS
The Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G lens has been pure magic since I switched to using three cameras at the start of 2020 (just before Covid – remember that?).
Historiclly, having three cameras on me at a wedding meant I could keep the 35mm GM on one, the 50mm GM on another, and dedicate the third to my wide lens – the 20mm F1.8 G.
I’ve always had a soft spot for wide lenses. When I first moved to Sony in 2018, I bought the Sony Zeiss 18mm F2.8, but I never truly enjoyed using it. It always felt too wide, with more distortion than I liked. The 20mm, on the other hand, hits the sweet spot – wide enough to create interesting perspectives without pushing into that distorted look. It can transform an ordinary scene into something dynamic and engaging.
I use the 20mm throughout most of the day, but I particularly love it during the wedding morning. It captures the energy, chaos, and fun of those early hours, and can even make a cramped Premier Inn hotel room look spacious. Some of my favourite shots with it include the moment the dress goes on, sweeping venue views, guests grabbing drinks and canapés, garden games, and, of course, the dance floor when things really get going.
The Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G is a lens I’ll never be without on a wedding day.
The positives of the Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G lens:
Super sharp at F1.8 – Which is where I shoot most of the time.
Excellent purple fringing control – A noticeable improvement over the 24mm GM lens.
Lightweight and compact – Weighs just 373g with a 67mm filter thread, making it easy to carry all day.
Fast, accurate autofocus – Performs brilliantly when paired with my Sony Alpha A1.
GM-level performance – It’s so good, it could easily wear the G Master badge.
The negatives of the Sony FE 20mm F1.8 G lens:
Some distortion – You need to be mindful of where you place your subject in the frame.
Slightly loose aperture ring – Could just be my copy, but I occasionally knock it when pulling the camera from my hip bag.
Honestly, I’m struggling to find any real downsides beyond that.
SONY FE 85MM F1.8 LENS
The Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is a lens I’ve bought and sold five times. Each time I convince myself I need an 85mm in my kit, I use it for a few weddings, then remember why the focal length just doesn’t suit me. By the time you read this, I may well have sold it… and possibly bought it again.
UPDATE MARCH 2025 - Yes, I bought it again..
Positives of the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 lens:
Compact and well-balanced – A great size and weight for most Sony camera bodies.
Often discounted – While the RRP is £530, it’s regularly on sale; my last copy was £270 on Amazon in March 2025.
Sharp enough for most uses – Many wedding photographers rate it highly for its image quality.
Very good autofocus – Rarely misses, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Negatives of the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 lens:
Strong purple fringing – Particularly noticeable on high-contrast edges (e.g. a groom in a black suit with a white shirt), creating halos around cuffs and lapels. Correctable in post, but requires doing so for every affected image.
No aperture ring – A feature I really value in a lens.
Not up to pro standard in my view – And perhaps Sony agrees, as it’s neither a GM nor even a G-series lens.
SONY FE 35MM F1.4 G MASTER LENS (BACKUP LENS)
The Sony FE 35mm F1.4 G Master is a lens I could happily use all day at a wedding — and often do. It’s that good.
I’ve always been a 35mm shooter. In fact, my very first wedding back in 2016 was photographed almost entirely on a 35mm lens.
This lens usually starts the day mounted on one of my Sony A1 cameras, and it stays there through the morning preparations, ceremony, post-ceremony moments, speeches, and well into the early evening. It’s incredibly versatile, and that’s why the 35mm focal length is the go-to choice for so many wedding photographers.
The Sony FE 35mm F1.4 G Master lens is excellent at so many things:
Versatile focal length – Wide enough for most wedding scenarios, making it possible to shoot an entire day with just this lens.
Beautifully sharp at F1.4 – Perfect for subject separation and for low-light situations where the extra light-gathering power is essential.
Images with real “pop” – Delivers a look that only a few lenses I’ve ever used can match.
Fast, reliable autofocus – Especially when paired with a new-generation Sony Alpha body such as the Sony A1.
High-resolution ready – Resolves every detail, even on 60+ megapixel bodies like the Sony A7R V.
Natural rendering – Minimal distortion and pleasing colour reproduction.
Lightweight and well-balanced – At just 524g, it feels comfortable in hand with no front-heavy imbalance.
G Master optical quality – Handles high-contrast scenes exceptionally well, with minimal purple fringing even in harsh light.
SONY FE 50MM F1.4 G MASTER LENS (BACKUP LENS)
The Sony FE 50mm F1.4 G Master is the one lens that never leaves one of my Sony A1s.
It’s a magical piece of glass. After nearly 100 weddings with it, I can say it’s one of only two lenses I will always have with me on a wedding day (the other being the 20mm).
I haven’t always been a 50mm shooter — for years I was more of a 35mm & 85mm kind of guy. But when Sony released the Alpha A1 and the 50mm F1.2 GM (which I later sold to get this F1.4 GM), I decided to give the focal length a proper go… and I’ve never looked back.
Many photographers wonder why my two main lenses are a 35mm and a 50mm — two focal lengths that look close on paper, but in practice feel very different and complement each other perfectly. The 35mm F1.4 GM is my documentary lens, letting me get right into the action, while the 50mm F1.4 GM is my subject separation lens, perfect for picking someone out of the crowd.
It’s the lens I reach for most during wedding ceremonies, allowing me to beautifully isolate the bride or groom during vows or the exchange of rings. From morning prep through to the evening, it stays on one of my A1s, producing stunning images with creamy, blurred backgrounds when shot at F1.4.
The positives of the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens:
Outstanding image quality – Produces images with a distinct look and feel that really stand out.
Fast, accurate autofocus – When paired with a newer Sony body, AF performance is virtually faultless.
Minimal distortion – In line with the excellent optical performance of Sony’s newer G Master lenses.
Consistent size and weight – Shares the same 67mm filter thread and similar weight as the FE 24mm F1.4 GM and FE 35mm F1.4 GM, making it easy to swap lenses without rebalancing a gimbal.
The negatives of the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens:
Flare – The only real downside to this lens is that, like many modern lenses, it can produce noticeable flare when light enters from certain angles. You can see some examples if you click the button below and head to the full review.
SONY FE 24MM F1.4 G MASTER LENS (SOLD JAN 2025)
The Sony 24mm F1.4 GM is a lens that’s with me at every wedding, and it always gets used during a full day. It’s my go-to for the evening celebrations.
As I mentioned in my setup earlier, the 35mm F1.4 GM is my main lens for about 90% of the day. But when the evening rolls around — usually from about 7pm — guests are more relaxed, people let you get much closer, and that’s when the 24mm really shines. It’s perfect for getting right in the middle of the action.
Almost all of my evening guest arrivals, cake cuts, and first dances are captured with the Sony 24mm F1.4 GM.
While the lens is starting to show its age a little — it was first released in October 2018 — it was one of the first to feature Sony’s then-new Direct Drive SSM motors, which still make it a fast and reliable focuser even today.
The positives of the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 G Master lens:
Best-in-class – Still the best 24mm lens for the Sony E-mount at the time of writing (and I’ve tried the newer Sigma DG DN 24mm).
Accurate wide open – At F1.4 it’s precise enough for weddings, with an even better hit rate when stopped down.
Great for video – Handles focus breathing better than many newer Sony GM lenses.
Characterful rendering – Produces images with a distinctive, appealing look rather than a clinical or flat feel.
The negatives of the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 G Master lens:
Not the sharpest wide open – At F1.4 it can be a little soft.
Autofocus is decent, but not class-leading – Falls short of the speed and accuracy of newer Sony GM lenses.
Purple fringing and chromatic aberrations – Can be quite noticeable in certain conditions, though it’s mainly something photographers will spot.
Better alternatives exist – The Sony 20mm F1.8 G is technically the stronger performer, but the 24mm has its own charm.
Due an update – A refresh to match the optical and AF performance of newer GM lenses (like the 35mm GM) would be very welcome.
SONY FE 135MM F1.8 G MASTER LENS (SOLD AUG 2024)
The Sony 135mm F1.8 GM lens is back in my camera bag after a short break during 2020 and 2021.
I first bought it the day it was released and knew straight away it would be a lens I’d only use a handful of times at a wedding — if at all. When the pandemic hit and weddings came to a halt, I made the decision to sell my original copy.
By the end of 2021, with weddings back in full swing, I started looking to add it back to my kit. Around that time, Samyang released their own 135mm lens, so I gave it a try — twice, in fact — first with firmware V1.0 and again with V3.0. Unfortunately, the experience wasn’t great. Autofocus was inconsistent, it struggled badly with backlit scenes, and overall it felt far from the standard needed for a professional wedding photographer. So, the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM found its way back into my bag.
As I mentioned at the start of this post, I run three cameras on a wedding day with three main lenses — and the 135mm GM isn’t one of them. It’s a specialist tool I bring out for certain situations, such as speeches or a church ceremony, and only when I have the space to work, because 135mm is a long focal length.
When the opportunity is right, though, it’s spectacular. For couples’ portraits, it creates a beautifully compressed look and can melt the background into some of the most gorgeous bokeh of any Sony lens.
The positives of the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master lens:
Beautiful background rendering – Produces stunning, creamy bokeh that makes subjects stand out.
Exceptionally sharp – Incredibly crisp even when shot wide open.
Outstanding autofocus – Among the most accurate I’ve seen on any Sony GM lens.
Well-balanced for its size – Despite being large, it’s not front-heavy, making it comfortable to use.
Honestly, not much more you could ask for from a lens in this focal length.
The negatives of the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 G Master lens:
Size and weight – At 950g (almost 1kg) with an 82mm filter thread, it’s not a small lens.
Possibly too sharp for close-up portraits – Can reveal every detail in skin texture, which may be less flattering for some subjects.
SONY FE 24MM F2.8 G LENS (SOLD APRIL 2024)
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G lens only ever comes out on my third camera body (in place of my 20mm) and is used exclusively for the dance floor — I’ve never used it for anything else.
I choose this smaller lens for the dance floor because it keeps me mobile, makes my camera setup lighter, and feels less intimidating when I’m pointing it at people in close quarters.
One feature I really appreciate is the tight focus ring positioned at the front of the lens. It’s not easily knocked, which is essential for me because I zone focus on the dance floor — and a loose focus ring would be a nightmare in that environment.
The positives of the Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G lens:
Compact and lightweight – Easy to carry and perfect for keeping a setup small.
Aperture ring on the lens – Lets you see and adjust your aperture quickly without looking at the camera display.
Sharp at F2.8 – Delivers crisp images even wide open.
Fast, accurate autofocus – Locks on quickly and reliably.
The negatives of the Sony FE 24mm F2.8 G lens:
Optical compromises – The compact design means you’ll see some imperfections, such as pincushion distortion.
Price for the spec – At £630 RRP for an F2.8 prime, it feels a little steep, and it’s rarely discounted.
Update – May 2025: I still own the lens, but I’ve added the Sony 16-25mm F2.8 G to my setup, and it’s now my go-to on the dance floor. Being able to quickly move from 16mm to 25mm in that environment is incredibly useful. I’ll post a full update after the 2025 wedding season.
SIGMA 85MM F1.4 DG DN LENS (SOLD APRIL 2023)
When I first started shooting weddings, I followed the lead of many other photographers and used a 35mm and 85mm lens combo. I stuck with that setup from 2016 until early 2018, when I decided to move in a different direction.
Over the years, I’ve tried both the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM and the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 (several times, in fact), but I’ve never truly felt at home with the 85mm focal length.
So why don’t I like it? For me, 85mm feels a little too long to be a main lens. When I look at a blog or wedding gallery shot with a 35mm and 85mm pairing, the jump between focal lengths feels too big. You go from a lovely scene-setting 35mm shot to a tight 85mm close-up, skipping over that middle ground. Personally, I find the transition a bit jarring.
That’s why my main “long” lens is the Sony 50mm F1.4 GM. Paired with the Sony A1, I can switch into crop (APS-C) mode and get a 75mm equivalent at 21 megapixels, giving me plenty of reach — and the ability to crop further if I need to. This makes an 85mm largely redundant for me as part of my core setup.
That said, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 still has a place in my bag for two specific scenarios: church ceremonies where I’m positioned further back than I’d like, and wedding speeches in large rooms where the 50mm (even in crop mode) just doesn’t give me enough reach.
The positives of the Sigma 85mm DG DN F1.4 lens:
Sharper and higher image quality than the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM – Which is expected, as the Sony was released back in February 2016 (around 4.5 years before the Sigma). It also outperforms the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 in every area.
Silent focusing – Unlike the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM, the Sigma is quiet when focusing, which is great when recording video with an on-camera mic.
Autofocus can be excellent – When it’s on point, it’s fast and accurate (though see the negatives for consistency issues).
Solid build quality – It’s survived a few drops when being pulled from my camera bag without any issues.
Better value for money – As of early 2024, the Sigma retails for around £899 on Amazon, compared to £1,489 for the Sony 85mm F1.4 GM — a £590 saving.
The negatives of the Sigma 85mm DG DN F1.4 lens:
Autofocus consistency – In burst mode (e.g. a run of 10 shots), the lens can “pulse” slightly, resulting in a few frames being softer than others — not drastically out of focus, but noticeable when reviewing the sequence.
Third-party FPS limit – Like all non-Sony lenses, it’s capped at 15fps, so it can’t take full advantage of the Sony A1’s maximum burst rate or future high-FPS Sony bodies.
Oversized lens hood – It’s big… really big.
Noticeable distortion without corrections – If you turn off in-camera lens corrections, distortion becomes obvious, suggesting some optical compromises were made to keep the lens smaller and lighter.
SONY FE 50MM F1.2 G MASTER LENS (SOLD APRIL 2023)
The Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master left my kit in April 2023 after more than 100 weddings. I was genuinely sad to see it go — it was a lens I thought I’d keep for many years. But once Sony released the FE 50mm F1.4 GM and I tested it, I knew it was time to move to the lighter, more compact option.
Positives of the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master lens:
Unique rendering – The F1.2 aperture produces a look and feel no other Sony lens can match.
Flattering focal length – 50mm doesn’t distort faces or features the way wider lenses can.
Versatile enough for a full wedding day – Not as wide as a 35mm but with more reach, making it suitable as an all-day lens if you have the space.
Extra reach in APS-C mode – On a Sony A1, switching to crop mode gives you a ~75mm field of view at 21 megapixels.
Reliable autofocus – At F1.2 on a newer Sony body, the AF is near flawless; I can’t recall a single unusable image due to missed focus.
Excellent optical control – Virtually free from purple fringing.
Negatives of the Sony FE 50mm F1.2 G Master lens:
Vignetting wide open – Noticeable at F1.2, but easily corrected in Lightroom using lens profiles (I personally keep it as part of the lens’s character).
Large and heavy – At 778g with a 72mm filter thread, it’s big, wide, and weighty.
SONY FE 90MM MACRO F2.8 G LENS (NO LONGER USED)
The Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro is a lens I originally bought thinking I might use it at weddings. I gave it a try at one in April 2023, but I wasn’t a fan of the look or feel of the images, and the autofocus is far from fast.
These days, I use it solely for product and gear photography — the kind of shots you see on the individual gear blog posts for each lens on this page.