Best portrait lenses for the Sony a6400
53 portrait lenses that fit the Sony a6400 (Sony E mount) — flattering compression and subject separation — the classic portrait focal lengths. Sorted brightest-aperture first; every spec from the manufacturer's catalog.
Start with the Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF. At f/0.95 it is the brightest of the 53 portrait Sony E lenses that fit the Sony a6400 — the full comparison is below.
It is manual focus — no autofocus on the Sony a6400. If you want autofocus for portrait, the brightest AF option here is Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM at f/1.2. It is a full-frame lens. It fits and shoots at full resolution, and the glass often carries over if you move to a full-frame body later — but for the same framing it is larger, heavier and dearer than a lens built for this sensor. The brightest APS-C option here is Sirui Sniper 56mm f/1.2 at f/1.2.
Check the Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF price on Amazon →
One limit of this table: it lists only Sony E lenses that mount natively on the Sony a6400 — lenses fitted through an adapter are not included here. See which mounts adapt to which.
What these focal lengths actually give you on the Sony a6400
The Sony a6400 has an APS-C sensor, so it sees a 1.5× crop of what each lens projects. Every focal length below therefore frames 1.5× tighter than its marked number. That matters for portraits: an 85mm frames like 128mm on the Sony a6400, which is tight for head-and-shoulders in a small room. A 50mm gives you the classic 75mm portrait look instead.
Weight & weather sealing on the Sony a6400
On long approaches the decision is often made by weight, not aperture. Published weights for 43 of the 53 lenses above (the other 10 have no verified weight in our dataset yet — omitted, never estimated):
| Lens | Weight | Weather sealing |
|---|---|---|
| Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8S DA DSM | 146g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row Yongnuo 'YN50mm F1.8S DA DSM'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS | 202g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-50F18; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Viltrox AF 50mm f/2.0 | 205g | None claimed |
| Samyang AF 75mm f/1.8 FE | 230g | None claimed (Samyang makes no weather-sealing claim) |
| TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 E | 233g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row 'AF 56mm F1.8'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary | 280g | None claimed (Sigma's sealed mount is L, X and Nikon Z only, not Sony E) |
| Tokina atx-m 33mm f/1.4 E | 285g | Not verified |
| Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.4 | 290g | Not verified |
| Tokina atx-m 56mm f/1.4 E | 315g | Not verified |
| Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2 | 320g | Mount gasket only (Zeiss states a sealing ring at the bayonet only; manual focus) |
| Yongnuo YN 85mm f/1.8S DF DSM | 346g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row Yongnuo 'YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 SE Mark II | 369g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row '85mm F1.8 SE Mark II'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 | 371g | Weather-sealed |
| Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 STM | 386g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row '85mm F1.8 FF STM'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Meike AF 85mm f/1.8 Pro | 389g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row '85mm f1.8 Pro FF AF STM'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sirui Sniper 56mm f/1.2 | 422g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row '56mm F1.2'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sirui Sniper 75mm f/1.2 | 466g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row '75mm F1.2'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 | 475g | Weather-sealed |
| Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 II | 484g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row Viltrox 'AF 85mm F1.8 II'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II | 509g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row Samyang 'AF 85mm F1.4 FE II'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM | 516g | Weather-sealed |
| Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 | 540g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row 'Aurora Series 85mm F1.4'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS | 602g | Not verified |
| Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art | 625g | Weather-sealed |
| Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II | 642g | Weather-sealed |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS | 646g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-100M28GM; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO | 650g | None claimed |
| Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 FE II | 659g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row Samyang 'AF 35mm F1.4 FE II'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art | 660g | Weather-sealed |
| Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 PRO | 675g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row Viltrox 'AF 75mm F1.2 Pro'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS | 700g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-100F28GM; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Meike AF 85mm f/1.4 MIX | 735g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row '85mm F1.4 AF'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 FE | 772g | Weather-sealed (rated for light rain, snow and dust) |
| Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM | 778g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-50F12GM; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA | 778g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-50F14Z; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM | 848g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-85F14GM; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 | 855g | Weather-sealed |
| Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM | 953g | Weather-sealed |
| 7Artisans AF 135mm f/1.8 | 1014g | Not verified (weight from the third-party E-mount list row 7Artisans 'AF 135mm F1.8'; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II | 1045g | Weather-sealed |
| Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD | 1165g | Weather-sealed |
| Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 GM | 1340g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL50150GM; sealing not stated on the source page) |
| Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | 1480g | Not verified (weight from Sony product code SEL-70200GM; sealing not stated on the source page) |
Packing light? The lightest here is the Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8S DA DSM at 146g. The lightest weather-sealed option is the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 at 371g.
Complete the kit for the Sony a6400
- The Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF takes 72mm front filters. One 72mm set (polariser, ND) also fits every other 72mm lens you add later — see which ones. 72mm filters on Amazon →
- The Sony a6400 takes an NP-FW50 battery (Memory Stick, SD cards) — a spare battery and the right card class are body-specific, not lens-specific. NP-FW50 battery on Amazon →
FAQ
What is the best portrait lens for the Sony a6400?
Laowa Argus 35mm f/0.95 FF (35mm f/0.95) is the standout portrait option that fits the Sony a6400. 53 portrait Sony E lenses fit in total — compare them below.
Do these portrait lenses fit the Sony a6400?
Yes — every lens here is a Sony E mount lens, so it fits the Sony a6400 and covers its APS-C sensor.
What is the lightest portrait lens for the Sony a6400?
The Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8S DA DSM at 146g (manufacturer-published weight). The lightest weather-sealed option is the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 at 371g. Weights for 43 of the 53 lenses on this page are in the weight table above.
Already own the Sony a6400, shopping for a spare or an upgrade? Sony a6400 on Amazon →
All lenses for the Sony a6400 · the same use across mounts: Portrait lenses for Sony E · all cameras