hey, congrats on the a6700! honestly i've been in the sony ecosystem for like a decade now and that 26MP sensor is pretty demanding, but youve got some killer options. if youre looking for that absolute 'wow' factor without breaking the bank, i gotta tell you, the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E is basically legendary for a reason. its tiny, stupidly sharp even at f/1.4, and honestly handles flare way better than i expected for the price. but if you REALLY want to see every single eyelash and iris texture, the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 Pro for Sony E is lowkey the new king. i mean, it’s a bit of a chonk compared to the sigma, but the rendering is just... chefs kiss. it feels more like a heavy-duty studio lens and the CA control is surprisingly good for a third-party prime. personally i wouldnt bother with the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 on an aps-c body unless you plan on going full-frame soon. you're basically paying for glass you aren't using and it wont actually be 'sharper' than the dedicated crop lenses because those are optimized for the higher pixel density of your sensor. i'm super happy with the sigma because it's so easy to carry around, but if you want the absolute sharpest textures imaginable, the viltrox is probably the one to save up for. anyway, both are total bangers... gl with the choice! 👍

@Reply #4 - good point! Honestly, the struggle to find decent glass without getting ripped off is just exhausting these days. I have been trying to stay loyal to certain brands for the sake of reliability, but it feels like a losing battle lately.

• It drives me crazy how much the prices have skyrocketed while the actual build quality seems to be heading in the opposite direction. You pay a premium for what is supposed to be pro-grade gear and it arrives feeling like a hollow toy.
• I had issues with a supposedly top-tier lens recently that had terrible decentering right out of the box. For the price they are asking, that kind of stuff is just a scam.
• Unfortunately, the customer support from these big companies has become a total nightmare too. They act like they are doing you a favor by fixing their own manufacturing defects. I really wanted to love the new setups for the a6700, but the inconsistency across different brands is just disappointing. It feels like we are all just beta testing overpriced equipment that used to be much more dependable.

Facts.

The 26MP sensor on the a6700 is definitely a beast and really shows off any flaws in your glass. I am still pretty new to all this technical stuff, but I have been looking at a lot of charts lately to find the best value. Honestly, it seems like dedicated APS-C glass gives you WAY more bang for your buck compared to full frame stuff because you are not paying for a huge image circle you will never even see.

• Look for high MTF scores at the center of the frame
• Buy used to save cash for lighting or other gear
• Focus on lenses with low chromatic aberration to save time in post Does anyone know if the pixel pitch on the a6700 makes it harder for older lenses to keep up? I mean, I want that sharpness too but I dont want to spend a fortune if the difference is basically invisible.

I have been shooting with Sony for ages and I finally realized that sharpness is nothing if the autofocus fails you in the field. I used to chase the highest resolution glass, but these days I look for reliability and how the build holds up. My journey with the 26MP sensor led me to try a few different setups to see what stayed consistent for my work.

• Sony FE 85mm f/1.8: I moved to this after a cheaper prime kept hunting in low light. Its a full frame lens, so youre using the sweet spot of the glass. The AF is incredibly snappy and it has never let me down during a long shoot. I dont know the technical reason why, but native glass just seems to communicate better with the body.
• Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 Pro: This one is a beast for detail, basically a professional tool. Its built like a tank, but the weight makes me a bit nervous about the stress on the lens mount of the a6700 since its such a small body. I also worry about third party firmware updates potentially breaking things down the road. Its a tough choice because both deliver on that iris detail you want. I tend to lean towards the Sony just because I trust it more for long-term use, but the Viltrox results are hard to ignore if you need that f1.2 look for your portraits.

Came here to say the same thing lol. Great minds think alike I guess.