When I bought my first DSLR 11 years ago it came with the Sony kit lens (18-55 or something). Which was 'okay'. I then bought the Tamron 17-50 and was amazed at the difference in sharpness. But, I have felt an odd feeling of something 'not quite as good as it was' since I upgraded from the A580 to the A77ii. It's taken me a long time to 'upgrade' to the SAL1650. Although only an amateur, without any scientific analysis - this lens is pretty amazing. Just enlarging images to 1:1 in Lightroom and comparing the sony and tamron (photos taken of the same thing at same focal length, seconds apart) shows that the sony is sharper in every single photo (I did quite a lot). Not so sure about the WB colours, but if you set your import preset in Lightroom to auto, it sorts it out. Bit bigger and heavier - makes it more difficult to fit in my bag - but then I love buying new kit bags, so I'll just have to do that!! Still not quite convinced it's 'better' than my Minolta 35-105, but I think I have an especially good copy of that lens, and the improvement in reach from 35 to 16 is immense. A68noob45619 date: Dec-5-2020sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 3
overall: 3.9 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:Zeiss 16-80price paid:185€ usedpositive:+ center sharpness is always epic across the entire FL even at F2,8 (on par even with minolta 50mm macro - sick!)
+ very useful range
+ generally fast AF
+ best standard zoom for alphas (considering the price to zeiss)
+ good portrait potential at 50mm F2,8 and in general very good to isolate objects, thanks to 2,8 (most important thing to me)
+ zoom lock.. but why?
+ thanks to F2,8 also very usable at overcast weather
+ especially 2nd hand, even in mint condition, very good price/performance
+ good, solid build
+ warm coloursnegative:- 50mm feel like 45mm (certainly a very noticable difference compared to 50mm primes)
- strong focusbreathing (a 50mm macro is highly recommended in your lineup to overcome this, as the magnification is poor)
- often unreliable AF to lock on targets (even at good light and landscapes - especially at 16mm [maybe it is caused by SLT, as testing on older DSLR went better])
- some purple CA wide open and stopped down to F8 it will turn into red abberations (not as horrible as a beercan ofc, but often still noticeable)
- questionable bokeh in some ways (i would call it mobilephone bokeh to a certain degree)
- very questionable flare control at lower FL
- corner sharpness not the best, considering of how sharp it is in center
- not the lightest standard zoom, but tolerated considering build and F2,8comment:I'm torn. On one hand this is the best standard zoom you can get for A-Mount APS-C, but on the other one you can still expect quite some (heavy) flaws.
I own two examples and both of them are identical.. and both of them make me laugh. Why? Because this lens features a zoom lock. Great, isnt it? Well.. both lenses are stiff (not in a bad way) and therefore dont need any lock whatsoever.. but meanwhile huge lenses like 70-300 & 70-400 SSM dont have one. Sony'd once again.. Tested on A68 & A77ii - great pictures on both. On A580 it seems like a kit lens to me (IQ wise).. maybe the 16MP sensor is just poor. The only reason not to choose this over the CZ1680 is the loss of ~35mm FL, as it is quite short at 50mm - otherwise better in every regard. I wish i would have never bought the Zeiss and went straight to this lens - many opportunities wasted. The useful range of this lens eliminates wide-angle and multiple primes from your lens bag. Pair it with a decent 70-200 + a small macro and you are able to have a lot of fun and cover almost all needs without much trouble. Recommended! Disclaimer: My ratings are based on price/performance. Milan33m44242 date: Mar-14-2019sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 5
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 5 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:MAF 28-70 F 2.8, MAF 28-135 F. 4.0-4.5, SAL 18-55 SAM,price paid:ca.280 EURpositive:Well built, not so heavy, SSM motor, sharp, wide range angle view, nice colours. F 2.8.negative:Nonecomment:Nice everyday walkaround lens, not so heavy, with SSM very useful, wide range angle view. Even more sharp and useful than MAF 28-70 F 2.8 and MAF 28-135. Very usefull on A77. Try to get your example and try.
Phil Wood44136 date: Sep-25-2018sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 5
distortion: 5
flare control: 5
overall: 5 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:Zooms: Sigma 10-20, Tamron 16-300, Sony DT18-55 SAM (I & II), DT18-70, DT18-250; Minolta 24-50, 24-85 and many more;
Primes: Minolta 20, 24, 28, 50 f1.4, 50 f1.7, 50 f2.8, 50 f3.5, Sony DT30, DT35, DT50.
price paid:GBP 240positive:Sharp, great auto-focus (quick & quiet), price, f2.8, weather sealed.negative:A bit short, a bit heavycomment:I love this lens, the only real drawback is the relatively short tele end, it would be so nice to go to 85 or 105 - but the quality of images I get make it worth carrying another lens on walkabout. My copy came from ebay with a set of Hoya filters (UV, CPL, ND2, ND4, ND8, ND16 & ND100) - the filters alone would have cost more to buy new.
In comparison with my other lenses it is the 16mm end that makes it stand out - it's amazing how much 2mm at that end transforms the usefulness of a lens, but it also blows away any opposition from the other Sony kit lenses on image quality (and the 18-55 II is a pretty good lens). I still need the Sigma 10-20 from time to time, but it cannot match the 16-50 so it's become a 10-16 for me. The only other zoom I have that gets as much use is the Tamron 16-300, which is also a very fine lens - its extra reach makes it my holiday lens of choice.
Comparing the 16-50 against primes is more of an even field - it is hard to see much difference in sharpness at 24 and 28mm (but they do have Minolta colours), it is better than my 50 f1.7 (not a great copy), similar to the DT50, not quite as sharp as the DT30, 50 f2.8 and 3.5 macros and the DT35 f1.8 has it beat for speed as well as being slightly sharper. I still like to shoot with primes, it concentrates the mind more, but lenses like the 16-50 make a very strong case for zooms.
Macro performance is nothing special, but it's not bad.
If Sony's more expensive zooms are better than this lens then I can only wish that I could afford them!
I have given this lens 5 in all categories, not because it is perfect, but because it is the best I have seen. It's sharpness is close to or better than many primes, it clearly deserves '5 for a zoom'; its colour may not be 'Minolta' but it's pretty accurate; it may not be built to last in the manner of the beercan era, but it seems robust and the weather sealing is a big plus; I have seen reports of irregular distortion, which would be a worry if I had seen it (perhaps the A58 & A77 bodies I have used it on correct it - I shall try it on earlier bodies and update this review), regular distortion is a) expected at wide angle and b) so easy to fix in PP that I don't worry about it; it is possible to get flare with the sun in frame, I would have put 4.5 if I could.
UPDATE 11-8-19 Having adjusted microfocus my 50mm f1.7 is able to challenge this zoom for sharpness, whereas further experience with the 28mm f2.8 has convinced me that it is no match for this zoom.
 38864 date: May-21-2017sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 5
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4.6 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:Sony 35mm f1.8
Sony 50mm f1.8
Minolta 35-105mm
Minolta 100mm f2.8
Tamron 70-200mm USD f2.8
Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
Minolta 70-210mm f4price paid:600positive:Very sharp, very fast, very accurate, very solid.negative:Noticeable barrel distortion at short end, but corrects easily in Lightroom.comment:This is a high performing and very well built lens. It stays on my A77 ii most of the time. It's very sharp, so much I often have to soften portraits. I use it for landscapes, the occasional portrait, and for walking around. For Sony cropped sensors, I consider this lens essential. It does have significant barrel distortion at the short end, but Lightroom easily corrects. I rarely if ever have any chromatic distortion issues. This is a terrific lens, one of my favorites.
amarston2230696 date: Oct-2-2016sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 5
distortion: 4
flare control: 5
overall: 4.8 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:Tokina AT-X Pro II 11-16/2.8
Tokina AT-X 17/3.5
Sony DT 18-55/3.5-5.6
Minolta 35-70/4
Minolta 50/1.4
Minolta 50/2.8 Macro
Sigma DC HSM II 18-200/3.5-6.3
Sigma EX DC 30/1.4
Various vintage M42 lenses
price paid:$315 usedpositive:Exceptionally sharp
Constant 2.8
SSM focus
24-75mm equivalent full frame range
Build qualitynegative:Not internally zooming
Wasn't freecomment:This lens is my savior! I do nightlife photography on the weekends, and have been using my Tokina 11-16/2.8 in combination with a Sigma 30/1.4 on my a77II, and being limited to either super-wide or near-portraiture views was killing me. This lens has provided the very handy and very needed 24-75mm range that is so hard to get with APS-C. The results were nearly astounding.
This lens is surprisingly sharp, even wide open. On par with my primes, and outperforms any other zooms I own, with the exception of maybe the Tokina 11-16. The only prime I own that I can say is definitively sharper is the 50/2.8 Macro. There is little chromatic aberration, but some. Distortion is noticeable, but easily corrected in post, and the ACR/Lightroom correction profile is spot on. Color rendition is beautiful, and contrast is so much better than anything else I've owned. Bokeh is smooth and pleasing, with rounded aperture blades. The image quality overall is something like I'd expect from a G lens, or at the very least, a Sony Zeiss lens. I have only owned this lens for a few days but I am already in love with it. SSM focusing is very fast, accurate, and much quieter than any screw-drive lens. I have seen people complain about the noise of it, but my Sigma HSM lens is no better. I have had backfocus issues with the Tokina while I'm shooting in the extremely low light, and so far I have not had any such issues with this lens. A common complaint about this lens is that it is heavy, and it is. Significantly heavier than the Tokina, which is all metal construction as well. This is not a con to me. In this case, weight = quality, and this lens screams quality. It is solid and does not rattle. Zoom and focus rings are well damped and secure. The zoom ring is a bit on the tight side for my preference, but it's certainly not bad, and I will never worry about zoom creep. The focus ring is geared (not at a 1:1 ratio with the focus itself), and does not rotate with SSM focusing. There is not much bad to say about this lens. I do wish it was internally zooming, but it doesn't extend much and it doesn't really bother me. Hmm, what else? It isn't f/1.2 and it doesn't spit money out at me I guess, but I have nothing to truly complain about. In short, BUY THIS LENS! QuietOC30688 date: Sep-24-2016sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 5
overall: 4.5 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:Sony E 16-50 F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS
Sony DT 16-80 F3.5-4.5 Vario-Sonnar
Sony DT 16-105 F3.5-5.6
Sigma 17-50 F2.8 EX DC OS HSM
Tamron SP 17-50 F2.8 XR Di
Sony E 18-55 F3.5-5.6 OSS
Sony DT 18-55 F3.5-5.6 SAM I/II
Sony DT 18-70 F3.5-5.6
Sony DT 18-135 F3.5-5.6 SAM
Canon EF 22-55 F4-5.6 USM
Sony FE 24-105 F4 G OSS
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD
Sony 28-75 F2.8 SAM
Tamron SP 28-75mm F2.8 XR Di
Tokina 28-80 F2.8 AT-X Proprice paid:298 USD (used)positive:Internal focus
Non-rotating filter/hood
Non-rotating focus ring in AF
Good contrast
Very sharp even in the corners on the wide end
In-body lens compensation
Fast communication with A77 and newer bodiesnegative:Size and weight
Clutched manual focus control
Fairly heavy and uneven zoom mechanism
Extends with zoom
Weak at long end
Distortion at wide end
Focus drift with zoom
Focus breathing
Minor AF noise
Expensive hoodcomment:A very clean copy with both original caps but no hood purchased from another forum member. I found a used hood and added it to the cost. This lens is currently on sale for $750 new and is one of the kit lens options for the A77 bodies. The optical design is similar to the older Tamron SP 17-50 mm F2.8 XR Di-II LD SP Aspherical. "MADE IN CHINA"
It is a bit strange this lens didn't get the G designation. Not only is this the best normal APS-C zoom. It is also one of the best wide angle lenses. It is sharper the the E-mount 16, 19, and 20 F2.8 primes. It is sharper than the Minolta 20, 24, and 28 mm primes. It is pretty much as sharp as the DT 30 F2.8 and 35 F1.8 lenses. It is even sharp wide-open at the long end, though it has more optical problems on that end. It seems to be very similar to the Tamron SP 17-50 F2.8, but the differences make a better lens. This lens is much sharper wide-open and the focus plane is much flatter at the wide end. It is wider than the Tamron on both ends--more like a 15-48 mm. The field-of-view at the long end is similar to the DT 50mm F1.8 prime. It does often show lateral CA in the corners, but that is easily corrected. The distortion at the wide end is similar to the 16-80 and 16-105 lenses. The actual focal length of all of these seems to be less than 16 mm, perhaps to allow for the cropping involved in the distortion correction. Like other cheap zoom lenses the focus drifts a bit with zoom action, so it is not perfectly parfocal. The SSM clunks into position a little un-silently. Like the Sony 18-135 the AF switch on the lens is redundant. Sony could have put a focus hold button and/or a range limiter or something useful there instead. There is also a Tamron standard issue barrel lock switch. Overall a very nice kit lens and a great reason to own an A-mount APS-C camera. Image quality is better than the little primes with the size and weight being the drawback for the convenience of zoom. This is also one of only two DT lenses with a lens profile in Capture One 8. ifreedman12058 date: Dec-12-2014sharpness: 5
color: 5
build: 5
distortion: 4
flare control: 5
overall: 4.8 tested on: - film camera:
- APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP
- full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:I own this lenscompared to:Sony 18-135, Tamron 17-50, several prime lenses, etc.price paid:440positive:Great images, especially for a zoom.
Fast f/2.8 aperture.
Good zoom range, especially on the wide end.
Weatherproofing.
Awesome SSM focusing - quiet and smooth and includes DMF, which I love. It's also really good for video b/c of quiet motor.
negative:It's size and weight. It's not huge, but it's bigger than most walk-around zooms. It also has some distortion on the wide end.comment:I don't review lenses as often as I should, but I feel a compulsion to review this one because it's such a great lend! This is the best walk-around lens I've found, and quite honestly one of the things keeping me with an APS-C camera instead of going to FF. It's not perfect, but it's really good for so many things. Renders images really quite nicely not as good as some primes and not quite as nice as some of the Zeiss zooms, but really excellent overall, especially given its max aperture and the fact that it's a zoom. I've stopped using the Sony 35 1.8 altogether because of this lens. In terms of IQ, it's a little bit better than other options like Tamron 17-50, but not hugely better. However all the little things the extra range, the awesome focusing, weather proofing, etc. -- make this really worthwhile. I use this a lot for indoor shots, family shots, portraits, landscapes. It's good for almost anything. The f/2.8 aperture is awesome and makes this lens so versatile. I like rotating lenses, so I'm sometimes disappointed that I'm so drawn to use this lens so often.
What is the 16The 16-50mm range is great for photographing people. Use 50mm for head and shoulders portraits and the wider end for groups and environmental imagery. This range is a good choice for street photography. When did the Sony 16The Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3. 5-5.6 OSS is a variable maximum aperture standard zoom lens for the Sony E-mount, announced by Sony on September 12, 2012, and released January 2013. Is Sony 16It's especially useful during video recording for zoom movements. Although it's not the smoothest (my copy wobbles around 35mm to 40mm, and it shows on video), it can work for sophisticated effects like dolly zoom. What is the sweet spot of Sony a6000?In terms of image sharpness I consider its sweet spot to be around f5. 6 - f8. Given the relatively low noise level of the a6000 sensor, even at high ISO settings such as ISO 1600 there is no difficulty for me in capturing action or movement at high shutter speeds. |
