Portrait / short tele prime · APS-C

Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM

The Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM is a APS-C prime lens (50 mm, f/1.8) for Sony / Minolta A-mount. It belongs to the portrait / short tele prime class — ideal for head-and-shoulders portraits with flattering perspective and creamy backgrounds.

50 mmf/1.8Sony / Minolta A-mount
50 mm
Focal length
f/1.8
Maximum aperture
32°
Diagonal angle of view (APS-C)
APS-C
Designed for

Specifications#

Brand
Sony
Model
DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM
Lens type
Portrait / short tele prime
Focal length
50 mm
Maximum aperture
f/1.8
Image circle
APS-C (23.5×15.6 mm)
Projection
Rectilinear
Autofocus motor
smooth (SAM)
Lensfun correction profile
Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA

Equivalent focal length on different cameras#

Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).

Camera formatAt 50 mmEquiv. aperture (DoF)
APS-C75 mm · 32°f/2.7
APS-C (Canon)80 mm · 30°f/2.9
Micro Four Thirds100 mm · 24°f/3.6

Depth of field & background blur#

Computed on its native APS-C format (CoC 20 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 50 mm f/1.8 on aps-c.

FocalApertureat 1 mat 2 mat 5 mat 10 mHyperfocalBlur @2 m
50 mmf/1.82.7 cm11.0 cm70.0 cm2.86 m71.1 m3.0%
50 mmf/46.0 cm24.5 cm1.59 m6.90 m32.0 m1.4%
50 mmf/811.9 cm49.6 cm3.43 m20.3 m16.0 m0.7%

Handheld & night-sky limits#

NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).

BodyMin. handheld shutter (longest focal)500 rule at 50 mmNPF at 50 mm, f/1.8
APS-C1/80 s7 s4 s
APS-C (Canon)1/80 s6 s3 s
Micro Four Thirds1/100 s5 s3 s

Adapt it to other systems#

Frequently asked questions#

Is the Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM full frame?

No — it is designed for APS-C sensors. On a full-frame body it vignettes or triggers crop mode.

What is the Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM equivalent to on APS-C?

Its focal length is already the real value for APS-C: 50 mm frames like 77 mm on full frame.

What is the Sony DT 50mm f/1.8 SAM good for?

As a portrait / short tele prime it suits head-and-shoulders portraits with flattering perspective and creamy backgrounds.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources

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