The 6 Best Lenses For Sony a6600 in 2023 [UPDATED]!

The Sony a6600 is one of my favorite APS-C mirrorless cameras. This camera is affordable, lightweight, and packed with must-have features. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of your mirrorless, you can’t go wrong with this Sony a6600.

You’re going to need the best lenses for a6600 if you plan on making the most of this mirrorless camera. We picked the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II as the best lens for Sony a6600, but this lens has some niche picks and other top contenders you need to check out.

Let’s check out the 6 best lenses for the Sony a6600 mirrorless camera.

1. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II Lens: The Best All Around Lens For Sony a6600

I’ve got to say that the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II Lens is easily one of the best lenses for Sony a6600. It’s got everything you need whether you’re getting started as a working photographer or you’ve got to have the best lens for travel.

What makes this the best travel lens for Sony a6600? It’s all about versatility.

This lens covers a focal length range of 24 to 70mm which is a little zoomed in a crop sensor camera, but it’s still diverse enough to handle nearly any shooting condition.

You can use this lens to cover photojournalism subjects, weddings, or your family vacation. It’s just as at home in the hands of a beginner as it is a pro.

While this isn’t the best zoom lens for Sony a6600, it can handle most zooming needs with ease.

This means that you’ll be perfectly okay using this camera to zoom in for most subjects. It might not work out if you’re looking to zoom in four subjects are typically very far away.

Your mileage may vary based on your photography style. Sports and wildlife photography are going to be more challenging on this lens. You might need something that zooms in a little further to handle those styles.

With that said, if your sports photography is more about the little league game than the Super Bowl, this zoom lens is going to be a great choice for you.

It’s even an ideal lens to take with you on the road. The best travel lens won’t bog down your luggage with tons of extra weight, but it will give you everything you need in a single package.

If you’re looking to do some wide-angle shots of the sites that you see on your journey while also being able to zoom in for some portraits and street photography, this is the only ones you’re going to need in your kit.

If you’re worried about this lens fitting your Sony e-mount camera, don’t worry at all. Sony FE lenses are designed to work with Sony e-mount cameras including the Sony a6600.

Pros

• Perfect focal length range even on a crop sensor
• Ideal for a one lens travel kit
• Handles video
• Great for dim conditions
• A great lens for hanging onto when you upgrade to a full frame camera

Cons

• Very high price tag
• Limited telephoto options
• Might not be wide enough for some photography styles

2. Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM Lens: What You Should Get For The Best Vlogging Lens For Sony a6600

The Sony a6600 best lens for video just happens to be one of the best prime lenses out there.

The best 35mm lens for Sony a6600 is ready to take your video to the next level. I’ve shot music videos for bands, events, and even art projects all on the back of a good 35 mm lens.

35 mm lenses are the best for video because they give you plenty of versatility. Whether you’re taking video of the family barbecue or you’re looking to make a name for yourself and your local videography seen, 35 mm is the best place to start.

This lets you set up everything from head and shoulders interview shots to more complex cinematography. 35 mm is wide enough to accommodate shooting in cramped situations, but still allows you to get excellent close-up shots without too much distortion.

Speaking of distortion, this lens comes ready to fight the worst types of distortion out there. It has two XA elements, one extra-low dispersion element, and a nano AR Coating II which all act to reduce the glare and distortion in your videos. Remember, editing is much easier when you’ve got a lens shooting video this clean!

The autofocus in this lens is driven by two XD Linear Motors. This delivers instantaneous and silent focussing. This is a must-have feature for video—you don’t want the sound of a focussing motor ruining your audio!

The front and rear glass elements also have a fluorine coating which makes this lens much more resilient to any damage that it could get when shooting live video.

This speaks to the overall build quality of the Sony FE 35 mm lens. This comes from Sony’s G Master line which is the highest quality of lenses that are produced by Sony.

This lens is dust and moisture sealed, so it can stand up to shooting in tough conditions including rain.

You’ll also be able to do a bunch of photography with this lens as well. This should go without saying, but it’s always valuable to be able to get reference shots of your actors once they’re in costume or some pictures of the happy couple if you’re doing wedding videography.

Consider this an all-in-one lens that’s just as comfortable shooting video as it is doing traditional photography.

Pros

• Perfect for wide angle shots
• Ideal for shooting in cramped locations like apartments or live events
• Great low-light shots
• Super fast autofocus
• 11 blade diaphragm gives amazing bokeh
• GM lenses are professional quality
• Price is reasonable for the value

Cons

• No zoom ability
• You’ll eventually need more lenses for your video kit
• An argument could be made for our number one pick for video as well

3. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens: The Best Zoom Lens For Sony a6600

If you’re looking for the best wildlife lens for Sony a6600, it’s got to be the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II.

This lens is Sony’s heavy hitter when it comes to being able to zoom in. This telephoto lens isn’t afraid to push the limits to allow you to get up close and personal with subjects that are pretty far away.

You’ll find this lens in the hands of professional photographers, photojournalists, and hobbyists who just want to get crystal clear pictures of their local wildlife.

This is a great lens whether you’re planning on cracking a major story as a journalist or you want to take some casual pictures of the birds and wildlife in your backyard.

This lens is also packed with high-tech features that make using a zoom lens even easier. This lens has an iris lock which prevents you from accidentally moving the aperture ring while you’re shooting. It also has a focus range limiter which improves autofocus speed when you know what range you want to be working in.

Sony built this lens with a little bit of future-proofing in mind. This lens works perfectly with Sony’s teleconverters which allow you to transform this telephoto zoom lens into an ultra-telephoto zoom lens with up to 400 mm focal lengths.

Speaking of future-proofing, the weight of this lens has also been significantly reduced from the previous version. This lens weighs a feather-light 2.3 lb. That’s incredibly light especially when you consider the history of telephoto zoom lenses typically weighing a ton!

Now let’s talk about what could be the most important advancement on this Sony telephoto lens.

The most important feature on any telephoto lens is image stabilization. This improves the focus and sharpness of your image especially when you zoom in tight.

This lens features a 3 mode image stabilization system. It stabilizes images when you’re still, panning, and now when shooting subjects in motion.

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II even has some unique video capability with up to 30fps with autofocus enabled.

This really is one of the most impressive zoom lenses made by Sony. It definitely won’t disappoint!

Pros

• 3-mode image stabilization
• Excellent zoom range
• Multiple coatings
• Lens elements designed to reduce distortions
• Focus range limiter for greater precision
• Designed to work with smaller mirrorless cameras

Cons

• Still a bit large on the body of the Sony a6600
• You’ll also need a wider angle lens to complete your kit
• Costs more than the Sony a6600
• Could be overkill for most hobbyists and regular pro users

4. Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Lens: The Best Prime Lens For Sony a6600

We need to talk about the best 50mm lens for Sony a6600: The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8.

There’s nothing I love more than the budget option for the 50 mm lens. Let’s look at a few of the reasons why the more affordable 50 mm lenses out there are actually some of the best when it comes to photography.

I’m going to let you in on the best kept secret and all the photography. These affordable 50 mm lenses have not only taken some of the most iconic photographs out there, but they’re also good enough to take on paid photography work.

That’s right. This budget, entry-level, honestly cheap lens will see you through everything from learning the basics of photography to taking on some paid work.

Sony built this lens with elements that reduce distortion as well as a double-glass optical configuration. Combine this with the coatings on the glass elements and you’ll get crystal clear images.

All of this comes in a budget package. You definitely won’t be impacting your wallet when you pick up this lens especially when you compare it to the cost of the other lenses on this list.

Before we continue with the praises of the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8, we should talk about the one big downside to picking up a budget 50 mm lens.

This lens is not weather sealed. This means that it won’t be as capable of withstanding dust and moisture as compared with a Sony GM lens.

You can overcome this problem by buying a lens cover or a rain jacket for shooting in wet or dusty conditions. This will allow you to stay outdoors even in tough weather without a weather sealed lens.

I should also mention that you can technically get better quality images with a more expensive lens, but if you put in this budget 50 mm lens in the hands of a skilled photographer, you’re going to get some seriously amazing images.

It’s not just still images that this lens succeeds in. It’s also a great option for video thanks to its quiet and fast-moving AF motor.

If you’re looking to try videography or maybe get started making videos for YouTube, this affordable 50 mm lens is a great place to start.

This is also a great back up lens to have in your kit. 50 mm is incredibly versatile and stands up to most photography styles.

I know plenty of photographers that keep a cheap 50 mm lens in their kit at all times in case their main lens brakes In the heat of the moment.

Whether you’re picking up your first lens of your 15th, you absolutely must pick up the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8.

Pros

• Incredibly cheap
• Outstanding image quality
• Double-gauss optical configuration
• Quick and quiet AF motor
• Can stand up to most styles and shooting conditions

Cons

• No weather sealing
• Technically outclassed by G and GM series lenses

5. Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Lens: Our Pick For Best Wide Angle Lens For Sony a6600

The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G lens rules the wide angle game on the Sony a6600. This is the best landscape lens for Sony a6600 and the best lens for general wide angle photography.

Let’s unpack why this lens is the top of the game when it comes to shooting wide on a mirrorless APS-C camera.

The first thing that we should talk about is the focal length range on this camera. 16 mm gives you an excellent ultra-wide option and the 35 mm high-end allows you to relax things a little and even take care of some basic, normal photography.

It’s an excellent combination of focal lengths that delivers everything you need whether you’re looking for landscape photography, architectural photography, or just a general-purpose lens that can handle a wide range of tasks.

One of the things that makes this lens so incredibly useful is the power zoom feature.

Power zoom allows you to use the linear motors to zoom the lens in and out. This is an excellent feature for videography as well as a huge benefit for accessibility when it comes to photography.

However, the power zoom feature doesn’t always feel at home on this lens. It occasionally feels like it’s a little tacked on rather than an intrical value-add.

We should also talk about the Clear Image Zoom system while we are talking about this lens’s  zoom capability.

In the world of photography, we have two different kinds of zoom. There’s optical zoom, which physically moves glass elements inside the lens to achieve the zoom. Then there’s digital zoom which attempts to zoom in on the digital photograph itself.

Traditionally, digital zoom means a much lower quality photograph. However, the Clear Image Zoom feature allows you to get 2X digital zoom capability without sacrificing much image quality at all.

These zoom features on this lens make it so good for video. It’s not the best lens for video on our list, but it does have some unique standout features that make it an excellent choice for budding videographers.

In particular, the power zoom feature feels most at home when shooting video. It’s great for being able to stay in complete control of your shot without having to fiddle around nearly as much with your lens.

The XD linear motor system has two separate motors which allow you to rapidly switch between subjects and deliver a near silent autofocus.

Wide-angle photography can unlock so many new options in your video and still photography. The Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G lens can really take your photography to new heights.

Pros

• Power zoom feature
• Reasonable price
• XD linear motor systems uses two motors for rapid and silent AF
• Basic weather and dust sealing
• Great for video
• Clear Image Zoom

Cons

• Not as good in low-light
• Power zoom feels like a gimmick sometimes

6. Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens: The Best Macro Lens For Sony a6600

The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens is the best macro lens  for the Sony a6600. It’s got all of the key features, and then some, when it comes to the most up-close photography style around.

First thing we need to talk about when it comes to any macro lens is the magnification ratio. The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens has a true 1:1 magnification ratio.

This means that it shows objects in the true to life size. That’s the gold standard of macro photography and you should never settle for anything less than a 1:1, or better, ratio.

The second most important feature for a macro lens is the minimum focussing distance. This is the closest you can be to a subject when focussing a shot. The Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens has an impressive 11-inch minimum focussing distance.

This will allow you to get right up next to your subject. This is pretty ideal for macro photography.

This is also a Sony G lens. That means it is built to one of Sony’s highest standards. It’s weather sealed and ready to take macro shots in tough conditions.

Another important feature that makes this a standout macro lens is that it has internal focusing. If you’re used to normal lenses, you’ll notice how they change in physical length when you focus.

This could jeopardize a macro photography shot. Internal focusing means that the lens is going to stay the same size while you focus meaning that you never have to recompose your shot during focusing.

This lens also features a direct-drive autofocus and Optical Steady Shot. These are  must-have features when working in macro photography.

Even the slightest movement that can cause blur in a macro photography shot and seeing Optical Steady Shot on this lens can let even the most exacting macro photographer breathe a sigh of relief.

All of these features come wrapped up in an incredibly attractive price tag. This lens is outstandingly affordable. Even if you’re not into macro photography, it’s probably worth it to pick up this lens just to give you a few more tools in your photography tool kit.

Pros

• True 1:1 Magnification
• Dust and weather sealed
• Sony G build quality
• 11-inch minimum focussing distance
• Internal focussing
• Direct Drive SSM Autofocus
• Optical Steady Shot
• Great price

Cons

• 100mm could likely be better for macro

Wrapping Up Lenses for the Sony a6600

The best lenses for Sony a6600 allow photographers to unlock their potential. Any of the lenses on this list would do great in your photography bag, but a few stand out.

The best lens for Sony a6600 cameras is easily the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. It’s ideal for a wide range of styles, has a professional quality, and even makes a great travel or videography lens. It just can’t be beat.

The rest of the best lenses for a6600 all handle each of their specific niches better than anything else out there. The Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM Lens is a flawless prime lens and the best choice for shooting video on the Sony a6600.

You could also pick up the Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G lens. This is a prime choice for shooting landscape and other wide angle styles while still having the versatility needed to shoot video and even portraits!

Let us know which lens you picked and get out there and take some great shots on your Sony a6600.