Sony E 20mm F2.8

Sony

E 20mm F2.8

Released March 2013

A 69 g APS-C E-mount wide-angle pancake prime with an F2.8 aperture and a 20.4 mm length.

Mount
Sony E
Focal length
20 mm
Max aperture
f/2.8
Stabilisation
No
Weight
69 g

What reviewers say

Both praise the tiny size and fast autofocus, while noting distortion and vignetting that benefit from correction. Sony Alpha Lab recommends its sharpness and value on the NEX-6; Sony Alpha Blog finds weak wide-open results on the higher-resolution Alpha 6000 and prefers larger alternatives. Blog also criticises flare resistance and busy background blur, while Lab finds blur acceptable.

From sonyalphalab.com and sonyalpha.blog

Optics

Lens type
Prime
Focal length
20 mm
Maximum aperture
f/2.8
Minimum aperture
f/16
Optical construction
Six elements in six groups
Special elements
Three aspherical elements
Diaphragm
Seven rounded blades
Angle of view
70° APS-C

Mount and compatibility

Mounts
Sony E
Image circle
APS-C
Image circle detail
APS-C coverage; 30 mm equivalent field of view
Teleconverter support
Not compatible with Sony E-mount teleconverters

Focus and stabilisation

Autofocus
Yes
Minimum focus distance
0.2 m
Maximum magnification
0.12×
Optical stabilisation
No
Focus distance detail
0.20 m minimum focus; manual-focus ring
Magnification detail
0.12× maximum magnification
Stabilisation detail
No optical stabilisation

Design

Filter diameter
49 mm
Maximum diameter
62.6 mm
Length
20.4 mm
Weight
69 g
Controls
Manual-focus ring; focus mode selected on the camera
Dimensions detail
62.6 mm maximum diameter × 20.4 mm length
Weight detail
Approximately 69 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded
Lens hood
ALC-SH113 cap-type hood, supplied
In the box
ALC-SH113 hood, front cap and rear cap; no case listed
Release detail
Sony Japan specifies 8 March 2013; the main date retains March month precision because exact global first day is not established. Sony’s US announcement dated 22 January 2013, reproduced by DPReview, and Sony Canada’s 29 January announcement specify later April availability in those markets. Full independently authored reviews read: Sony Alpha Lab Jay, predominantly NEX-6 with some NEX-3N samples (2013), and Sony Alpha Blog Marc Alhadeff, Alpha 6000 (2018). Lab’s raw comparison applies a lens profile and tone curve, whereas Blog’s sharpness verdict is more critical. Maker F16 minimum aperture supersedes Lab’s F22 table. Unpublished weather resistance/coatings omitted; no inferred direct replacement

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 69 g lens weight
  • 20.4 mm lens length
  • F2.8 maximum aperture

Cons

  • No optical stabilisation
  • Camera-only focus-mode control

Closest rivals

Model
MountFocal lengthMax apertureStabilisationWeightReleased
Sony E16 mmf/2.8No67 gJun 2010
Sony E24 mmf/1.8No225 gDec 2011
Sony E30 mmf/3.5No138 gSept 2011

Sources

  1. sony.jp/ichigan/products/SEL20F28/spec.html
  2. sony.jp/ichigan/products/SEL20F28/feature_1.html
  3. sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/201302/13-0225B
  4. dpreview.com/articles/7766273681/sony-announces-e-mount-20mm-f2-8-pancake-prime…
  5. news.cision.com/sony-canada/r/sony-expands-lens-lineup-for-a-e-mount-camera-sys…
  6. sonyalphalab.com/my-sony-e-20mm-f-2-8-pancake-lens-review
  7. sonyalpha.blog/2018/08/26/sony-e-20mm-f2-8

Photo: sony.jp

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