These are the best Sony prime lenses when you want fast, reliable autofocus, tasteful bokeh, and clean, color-true files for everything from travel and street to portraits, weddings, product, and video—and here’s what to look for as you buy: match format (FE = full frame, E = APS-C), pick your speed/size trade (ƒ1.2–ƒ1.4 for max separation vs compact ƒ2–ƒ2.8 for carry-everywhere), favor linear motors with quiet, smooth transitions if you film, check focus breathing and minimum focus distance for tighter framing, look for weather sealing if you work outdoors, standardize filter sizes for one CPL/VND, and choose a set that shares rendering so your images intercut cleanly. Full-frame wides and storytellers: FE 14mm ƒ1.8 GM (astro/interiors with disciplined corners), FE 20mm ƒ1.8 G (light, threaded, razor-sharp—travel/astro sweetheart), and FE 24mm ƒ1.4 GM (environmental portraits and blue-hour cityscapes with gorgeous falloff); compact alternatives: FE 24mm ƒ2.8 G and FE 20mm ƒ2 G for pocket kits. Everyday normals: FE 35mm ƒ1.4 GM (fast, crisp, controlled breathing—interviews and street), FE 35mm ƒ1.8 (lighter, great value), FE 40mm ƒ2.5 G (tiny, metal, matched with 24/2.8 & 50/2.5), FE 45mm ƒ2.8 G-class look via the 45-ish 40/2.5, and the do-it-all FE 50mm ƒ1.4 GM (blazing AF, modern bokeh) with the budget FE 50mm ƒ1.8 as a starter; macro-normal: FE 50mm ƒ2.8 Macro for true 1:1 in tight spaces. Portrait and tele primes: FE 85mm ƒ1.4 GM (plush bokeh, fast AF), FE 85mm ƒ1.8 (light, affordable, beautiful faces), FE 90mm ƒ2.8 Macro G OSS (1:1 detail + portrait crossover), FE 135mm ƒ1.8 GM (razor detail, gentle breathing—stage, fashion, headshots), and FE 300mm ƒ2.8 GM OSS for elite field portraits/action with stunning separation. Compact ILC-friendly minis: FE 24/2.8 G, 40/2.5 G, and 50/2.5 G share metal builds, aperture rings, 49mm threads, and matched ergonomics—mix two for a featherweight travel kit. APS-C primes that punch above weight: E 11mm ƒ1.8 (ultra-wide low light), E 15mm ƒ1.4 G (sharp, lovely sunstars—street/landscape hybrid), E 24mm ƒ1.8 ZA (premium 35-eq. storyteller), E 35mm ƒ1.8 OSS (stabilized “nifty fifty” feel), E 50mm ƒ1.8 OSS (portrait staple), and E 30mm ƒ3.5 Macro (true 1:1, desk-friendly). Practical buyer tips: build a three-prime spine around how you see—e.g., 24/1.4 + 50/1.4 + 85/1.4 for weddings/portraits, 20/1.8 + 35/1.4 + 90 Macro for travel/product, or 15/1.4 + 23/1.4 + 56/1.4 on APS-C; standardize front diameters where you can, pick GM/G lenses with linear AF for hybrid video, keep one true macro to avoid faking details, and balance speed vs weight—you’ll shoot more with glass you’ll actually carry. Shooting tips: give subjects space from backgrounds for larger, smoother bokeh, start near wide open and stop 1/3–2/3 stop for eyelash-level crispness, use eye-AF on fast primes, exploit close-focus (20/1.8 G, 24/1.4 GM, 50/1.4 GM) to build foreground layers, keep a slim VND for video to hold 180° shutter, and enable breathing compensation on compatible bodies. Whether you’re crafting window-light headshots, neon-soaked street at dusk, macro product inserts, or cinematic interviews, the best Sony primes combine fast, coherent optics with quiet, dependable drives—so your files and footage look polished, your colors match, and your kit stays nimble from wide establishing shots to tight, cinematic close-ups.