The Best Macro Lenses for Sony a6500 (for all budgets!)
I’ve selected for you the best macro lenses for Sony a6500, for all budgets.
They’re all perfect if you want to start using your a6500 for macro photography.
Let’s see them in details!
No Time to Waste? Here’s My #1 Favorite!
- Great image quality
- True 1:1 magnification
- Focus lock button
The Best Macro Lens for Sony a6500 – Comparison Table
As you’ve seen above, the Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro is my overall favorite Sony a6500 macro lens. Why? Mainly because it’s the best compromise between price and quality.
But it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best for you.
In fact, it mostly depends on your budget.
I’ve put side by side the 3 best Sony a6500 macro photography lenses in the comparison table below: the best overall, the luxury pick, and the budget option.
Product Reviews – The Best Sony a6500 Macro Lens
A macro lens is special, as it has a 1:1 magnification ratio. This means your subject will be captured on photo in the same size as in real life.
But this also means that you’ll need to be very close to your subject to get a great shot; good macro lenses have a short minimum focus distance to allow this.
To be honest, there isn’t many macro lenses made specifically for the Sony a6500. However full-frame lenses can also be used on the a6500, and they’re the best picks.
Here are the best macro lenses for a6500:
🥇 Overall Best: Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro
💎 Luxury Macro: Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS
💰 Budget Pick: Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro
💸 Ultra Budget: 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro Mark II
Let’s see the reviews!
The BEST Macro Lens for Sony a6500: Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro
- Full-frame 50mm macro lens with 1:1 magnification, F2.8 max. aperture for low-light and shallow...
- ED glass effectively compensates for axial chromatic aberration, Robust and reliable dust and...
- Distance scale, Magnification scale and Distance index, Compact (2.78”) and lightweight (8.3 oz.)...
Focal length: 50mm
Aperture range: f/2.8 to f/16
Weight: 236g (0.52 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 71x71mm (2.79×2.8″)
Filter size: 55mm
Format: full frame
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: no
Let’s start with the overall best macro lens for Sony a6500: the Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro.
The main selling point of this lens is its great image quality. It’s in the top 5 of all Sony lenses for sharpness, and top 10 for overall image quality.
The minimum focus distance is 6.3″ (16cm), which will allow you to get real close to your subjects. However this lens is a full-frame lens, and becomes a 75mm equivalent when mounted on the a6500.
It lacks image stabilization, which in fact doesn’t matter too much for you since you’ll mount it on the Sony a6500 which has built-in image stabilization. And if you plan to shoot video, this is definitely not the lens for you, as the autofocus is slow & loud.
Great image quality
No distortion
Focus lock button
Slow autofocus
Loud autofocus
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Let’s have a look at how well it performs in the field:
Luxury a6500 Macro Lens: Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS
- A perfect match for α7 series, 35mm full-frame E-mount cameras, 90mm Macro with a bright F2.8...
- Minimum Focus Distance : 0.92 ft (0.28 m), Maximum Magnification ratio : 1.0x, Focal Length : 90 mm....
- Optical Steady Shot image stabilization for handheld shooting, Instant manual/auto focus selection...
Focal length: 90mm
Aperture range: f/2.8 to f/22
Weight: 602g (1.33 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 79x131mm (3.11×5.14″)
Filter size: 62mm
Format: full frame
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: yes
You want the very best macro lens, regardless of the price? Then get the Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS.
The image quality is simply excellent. For overall image quality, it ranks as #3 best Sony lens ever produced, and #1 for sharpness! In other words, you won’t find a sharper lens.
The Sony a6500 doesn’t have the best autofocus (no real-time tracking, low number of AF points); this lens more than makes up for it, with a great autofocus that is fast and quiet. Plus if you want to switch to manual focus, the switch is super smooth.
Obviously the main con is the price, but if you have the budget you won’t regret getting this gem. Another con to note is the size, it’s the heaviest & bulkiest of the 4 lenses selected in this guide.
Excellent image quality
Fast & quiet autofocus
No distortion
Expensive
Heavy & bulky
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Best Budget Sony a6500 Macro Lens: Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro
- Lens not Zoomable
- Filter diameter (mm): 49 mm
- Exceptionally portable and versatile for everyday use
Focal length: 30mm
Aperture range: f/3.5 to f/22
Weight: 138g (0.30 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 62x56mm (2.44×2.19″)
Filter size: 49mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: yes
Image stabilization: no
Following up the reviews with our budget pick for a Sony a6500 macro lens, the Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro.
This little budget lens has great value for money, and it’s a great pick if you want to get started with macro photography without breaking the bank.
The autofocus is reliable, fast & quiet. The lens is quite sharp; sure not as sharp as the 2 lenses reviewed above, but still sharp enough to warrant being selected in this guide.
Be aware that the minimum focus distance is very short (3.74″/9.5cm). This means that you’ll need to be very close to your subjects to get 1:1 magnification. In some cases you’ll be so close that you’ll cast a shadow on your subject. It’s thus not the best for shooting live subjects (insects, bugs, …), but still works great for everything else (flowers, objects, …). When mounted on the a6500 it might be tricky with the LCD screen that doesn’t flip all the way up.
Great value for money
Fast & quiet autofocus
No distortion
Light & compact
Too short minimum focus distance
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Ultra Budget Macro Lens for Sony a6500: 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro Mark II
- 【Compact & Portable】: Full metal body, this lens is compact and portable. the 60mm F2.8 II is...
- 【APS-C-format Lens】: Short telephoto prime is designed for APS-C-format Sony E-mount mirrorless...
- 【 11 Elements in 8 Groups & Ideal Aperture】: Its optical system consists of 11 elements in 8...
Focal length: 60mm
Aperture range: f/2.8 to f/22
Weight: 339g (0.75 lbs)
Size (Ø x L): 61x81mm (2.4×3.2″)
Filter size: 39mm
Format: crop
Autofocus: no
Image stabilization: no
And finally, the last macro lens in this selection, the 7artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro Mark II.
At under $200, it’s simply the best value for money macro lens for a6500.
Yes, it’s a very simple lens. No autofocus, no image stabilization, and even no exif data sent to the camera.
But it does its job very well. It produces great images, with nice sharpness and great colors. The focus ring is smooth, and allow for precise focusing.
For anyone looking for an inexpensive macro lens to add to the kit, this is a perfect pick.
Best value for money
Precise focus ring
Great color rendition
Aperture ring
No autofocus
No exif data
👉 See price + reviews on Amazon or on B&H Photo
Final Thoughts
So there you have them all, the best macro lenses for a6500!
The Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro is my number 1 pick overall, after reviewing all great macro lenses on the market for the Sony a6500.
It’s a great compromise between quality and price. It has great image quality, and creates stunning macro images at 1:1 magnification. Which lens you’ll end up picking will mostly depend on your budget, with premium & budget options selected for you in this guide.
