Your First Lens

The Sony Alpha is most frequently purchased with a lens, often the SAL-1855 DT 1855mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, which adds only about $100 to the price tag of the body alone, and is thus an irresistible bargain. You can also buy one of the Alpha bodies alone if you already have some lenses. So, you’ll need to make a decision about what lens to buy, or decide what other kind of lenses you need to fill out your complement of Sony optics. This section will cover “first lens” concerns, while later in the chapter we’ll look at “add-on lens” considerations.

When deciding on a first lens, there are several factors you’ll want to consider: