These are the best Sony lenses for nature photography when you want crisp textures, faithful color, controlled flare, and flexible reach for grand vistas, forests, wildlife, and intimate details—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prioritize weather-sealed lenses with strong corner performance at landscape apertures (ƒ5.6–ƒ11), fast and quiet linear/XD AF for birds and mammals, effective OSS (paired with IBIS) for dawn/dusk handhelds, close-focus for flowers/insects, and consistent front diameters so one high-quality CPL (use gently on foliage/water) and a set of NDs fit the kit; favor lighter builds for long hikes and internal zoom/focus for balance on gimbals or in wind; if you film, look for minimal focus breathing and breathing compensation support. Full-frame prime heroes: FE 20mm ƒ1.8 G (featherweight, threaded, sharp to the edges—mountains and nightscapes), FE 24mm ƒ1.4 GM (iconic micro-contrast for blue-hour scenes), FE 35mm ƒ1.4 GM (environmental storytelling and forest paths), FE 50mm ƒ1.4 GM (compressed layers and stitched panos), FE 90mm ƒ2.8 Macro G OSS (benchmark for flora, fungi, textures), and FE 135mm ƒ1.8 GM (distant ridgelines and subject-isolation in woodland). Ultra-wide and mid-range zoom workhorses: FE 12–24mm ƒ2.8 GM (flagship breadth, disciplined corners, sunstar control), FE 12–24mm ƒ4 G (lighter value), FE 16–35mm ƒ2.8 GM II (razor sharp, agile), FE PZ 16–35mm ƒ4 G (power-zoom precision, minimal breathing for video), FE 24–70mm ƒ2.8 GM II (stellar optics, great close-focus for textures), and FE 24–105mm ƒ4 G (do-it-all hiker with reliable OSS). Wildlife/telephoto staples: FE 200–600mm ƒ5.6–6.3 G OSS (internal zoom, excellent sharpness—birds and distant mammals), FE 100–400mm ƒ4.5–5.6 GM OSS (fast AF, close-focus for butterflies/dragons), FE 70–200mm ƒ2.8 GM OSS II (low-light forest action, takes 1.4×/2.0× TCs), FE 70–200mm ƒ4 Macro G II (lighter, 0.5× across the range), and pro primes FE 300mm ƒ2.8 GM OSS and FE 600mm ƒ4 GM OSS for peak AF/subject isolation and teleconverter versatility; value third-party reach: Sigma 100–400mm ƒ5–6.3 DG DN and Tamron 150–500mm ƒ5–6.7 Di III VC VXD. APS-C shooters get polished nature kits with E PZ 10–20mm ƒ4 G (tiny UWA for trails and waterfalls), E 11mm ƒ1.8 (astro/tight canyons), E 15mm ƒ1.4 G (22.5-eq “normal-wide”), E 16–55mm ƒ2.8 G (pro mid-range), and E 70–350mm ƒ4.5–6.3 G OSS for wildlife reach; mounting FE 200–600 on crop yields serious field-of-view bonus. Practical buyer tips: build a three-lens spine (16–35/2.8 + 24–70/2.8 + 200–600/5.6–6.3 or PZ 16–35/4 + 24–105/4 + 100–400/4.5–5.6) and add a macro (90/2.8) or favorite prime (20/1.8) for low-light; standardize filter sizes and carry one top-tier CPL plus solid NDs (3/6/10-stop) and a soft grad; test your glass for mustache distortion, field curvature, and flare before big trips; lighter lenses mean more miles and steadier holds in wind—your keeper rate goes up when fatigue goes down. Nature-shooting tips: time outings for golden/blue hour, level horizons and leave margin for post, work at ƒ5.6–ƒ8 for maximum plane sharpness (push to ƒ11 for deep scenes), disable OSS/IBIS on a tripod and use a 2-sec timer/remote, bracket exposures to hold cloud highlights and forest shadows, use CPL sparingly to cut glare on leaves/streams without blotching skies, and deploy NDs for 0.5–60s water/cloud motion; for wildlife, set AF-C with tracking, start around 1/1600–1/3200s for birds, 1/800–1/1250s for larger animals, and wide open to ƒ7.1 depending on reach—raise ISO rather than let motion smear; mind heat shimmer at long distances, shoot from lower angles for depth, and carry a microfiber for mist/spray. Whether you’re framing glacial valleys, mossy woodland pockets, high-desert monoliths, or skittish birds at dawn, the best Sony lenses for nature photography combine rugged builds, corner-to-corner acuity, and confident AF—so your textures stay lifelike, your light stays clean, and your scenes feel vast and alive.