I’ve questioned Sony’s commitment to its APS-C platform in the past, as both camera and lens releases in that space have been few and far between over the past 3 years.  Sony’s development on full frame has been rather frenzied during that same period, with a number of new camera and what I consider a golden age for lens development.  I’ve reviewed one lens after another that I really, really liked in the full frame space, which tells me that Sony has really hit its stride as a camera lens maker.  But APS-C has seemed to be on the back burner.  And while I still see a lot of room for Sony to deliver a robust sports-oriented APS-C body (something to contend with the new Canon EOS R7 would be nice!), they are taking large strides to shore up the wide angle end of their APS-C catalog with three releases:  the E 10-20mm F4 PZ OSS (Powerzoom), the E 15mm F1.4 G, and the Sony E 11mm F1.8 lens.  This isn’t the first time that Sony has done some of its better APS-C lenses in bunches, as the last “G” lenses (mid-tier superior lenses) for APS-C came together in 2019:  the Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS (my review here) and the Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G.  I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with all three of these new releases, and I’ve already rolled out my review of the 15mm F1.8 G (my review here), the 10-20mm F4 PowerZoom (my review), and now the least expensive of the three small lenses – the Sony 11mm F1.8.

While the 11mm F1.8 is the cheapest of the 3 (and the only one to not receive the superior “G” branding), it remains one of the most interesting of the three to me because of its combination of focal length, maximum aperture, and compact size.  The 11mm has less features relative to the other two lenses (no aperture ring, no PowerZoom, obviously), but at the same time it is more fully featured than most Sony APS-C lenses.  Here’s a few of the features:

• Excellent image quality
• Three aspherical elements (like the 15mm F1.4 G)
• Dual linear motors driving autofocus (just like the 15mm F1.4 G)
• A focus on video performance, with minimal focus breathing
• Linear manual focus for more precise manual focus and repeatable focus changes
• More physical controls, including an AF/MF switch and a focus hold button
• Dust and moisture resistant design 
• Close minimum focus of 12cm (Autofocus = 0.20x magnification) or 15cm (Manual Focus = 0.13x magnification)
• Smaller and lighter than competing lenses

Though the lens looks a little more spartan than the other two lenses without an aperture ring or the G brand on the side, it is still a very nicely featured little lens, and I’ve been impressed with the optical performance, too.  This wide angle glass can definitely deliver some dynamic images in many situations.

The retail price here is $548 USD, and that puts lenses like the Samyang AF 12mm F2 (my review here) on notice, as that third party lens has an MSRP of $399.  The wider focal length, wider focal range, and deeper feature set makes that $150 feel worth it, though there is some give and take that I break down in this video.  The Sony 11mm F1.8 is capable of giving you lovely images even at F1.8:

So is this a lens you should want in your bag?  You can find out my thoughts in my video review or by reading my text review…or just enjoy the photos in the galleries blow.

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I want to thank Sony Canada (and Gentec) for the loaner of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review.  The opinions here are completely my own.  *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a6400 along with the Sony Alpha 1 which will serve as my benchmark camera for the foreseeable future (my review here).

Photos of the Sony 11mm F1.8

Photos Taken with the Sony 11mm F1.8 

Gear Used:

Purchase the Sony E 11mm F1.8 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony E 15mm F1.4 G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Sony 10-20mm F4 PZ G @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany 

Purchase the Samyang AF 12mm F2 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

Purchase the Sony a6600 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Purchase the Sony a6400 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 

Peak Design Leash Strap:  Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada  | Amazon UK

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Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
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