In my experience, primes are basically fixed glass, making them sharper than zooms. This matters for low-light shots. Honestly, I'm cautious with third-party brands due to focus issues, so I'd stick to native Sony glass. For street, the Sony E 20mm f/2.8 pancake is tiny and around $298. For portraits, the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS is a safe bet for $248 and has stabilization—crucial since the a6400 body lacks it! gl!

yo, honestly I totally get the struggle!! For your situation, I would suggest sticking with the Sigma trio because they're basically the safest bet for a6400 users who want reliability. I'm still learning about all the technical specs, but I know the autofocus on these is super snappy and you wont deal with the weird firmware issues some cheaper brands have. Here's what I recommend:
* Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E - This is the portrait king!! It's usually around $390 and the sharpness is actually insane for the price.
* Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E - Amazing for wide street shots, and it's weather-sealed for extra safety.
* Sony E 35mm f/1.8 OSS - Right around $375. It has built-in stabilization which is a lifesaver if you have shaky hands like me lol. Anyway, sticking to these brands is a safer way to spend ur cash... hope that helps!! peace

yo, honestly i feel u on the kit lens struggle!! once i switched to primes on my a6400, it was like a whole different camera. I've spent way too much time obsessing over glass, but for under $400, youre basically looking at the gold standard of APS-C lenses. Here's what I recommend based on my own kit: 1. Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E: This is my absolute favorite for street photography. It's wide enough for context but tight enough that it doesnt feel distorted. - Pros: Crazy sharp, f/1.4 is a lifesaver in low light, super compact. - Cons: No stabilization (but the a6400 is fine if ur hands are steady), autofocus can hunt slightly in video. 2. Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E: If you wanna do portraits, just buy this. Seriously. It's actually the sharpest lens I own. - Pros: Best bokeh in this price range, tiny for what it is. - Cons: A bit tight for narrow street alleys, basically strictly for portraits or headshots imo. 3. Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 E for Sony E-mount: If you want a bit more of a wide "storytelling" view for street, this newer Viltrox is a beast for the price. - Pros: Usually cheaper than Sigmas, has an aperture ring which is SO satisfying to use. - Cons: A little bit of "character" (purple fringing) wide open, but nothing too wierd. Honestly, I'm sooo happy with the Sigma 30mm. It's lived on my camera for two years and I have zero complaints. It just works well, you know? gl with the choice! 👍

In my experience, primes are sharper cuz they have fixed glass. Tbh, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary is the only safe bet; my Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 AF focus issues were realy bad!

> I'm looking for sharp, budget-friendly primes under $400... For your situation, I'd probably stick with the big third-party names like Sigma or Samyang. Honestly, I think some newer brands are risky... I had issues with a budget lens once and it was basically a paperweight. Market research shows established brands have much better quality control anyway. Not sure if that helps, but lowkey, sticking to "safe" brands is the move if ur worried about reliability!! peace

ngl i totally agree with what was said about sticking to the reliable brands. i once tried to save some cash on a random off-brand prime and ended up spending hours trying to calibrate it myself with a diy focus chart... it was definitely not worth the stress lol. basically if you cant trust the firmware updates to fix focus hunting, its just a paperweight. before you pull the trigger tho, i have a couple questions to help narrow it down. Are you mostly shooting street stuff during the day or are you looking for something that can handle low light really well? Also, do you like the look of a tight headshot for portraits or do you prefer having a bit more of the background in the frame?