Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens
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Sony's poor QC
I unfortunately received a bad copy of the lens. My lens is decentered with the left corners visibly softer than the right corners (especially bottom left with blur flaring out), and both sides a lot softer than the center. It is not until I research my problem on the forum I saw a lot of people with the same problem I have. For such an expensive lens you would think Sony would have a better QC process. I am returning my lens back to B&H and I don't know if I would want to risk buying another bad copy again until I know they have fix this problem.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not worth the money
I had high hopes for this lens, but ultimately it was a huge let down. It's unfortunate. The lens is the perfect size, constant aperture, great zoom range, great build quality, etc.... however it's optical performance was less than stellar. Both the left and right edges of the frame were incredibly blurry. I love Sony cameras but the quality control on their lenses makes me rethink my decision to switch from Canon to Sony. I have bought 3 Sony lenses now and they ALL have been decentered, being incredibly blurry on one side of the frame, or both.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
simply perfect
Although this lens was twice as much as my a6000 body without it the camera is naked. Perfect size and balance, this combination brings the quality to a level that would cost 5 times as much, so it is actually a super bargain for what it is. Love this combination and one handed street photography like never before is possible. Quality is sharp and Crisp , does not auto focus as rapidly in the extreme focal lenghts, but you get around it. So if you have an a6000 don't hesitate. I got mine used and couldnt tell the difference. Thank you B&H
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A pleasant Surprise
I have a Sony A6000. I had read that this lens is a definite improvement over the 16-50 MM lens that came with the camera. So I thought I would try it. From the first photos I took, it was evident that this lens is sharp. Yes, it is sharper, and the comparison is not even close. The pleasant surprise was the improvement in color rendition. I did not expect to see such vibrant colors. I have taken photos across the zoom spectrum and to me, it is just as sharp at 16 mm as it is at 70 mm, with everything in between. Quite satisfied.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great lens for my A6300
I'm still experimenting this lens, but so far I find the images to be sharp - - with a lot of pop to them. It mates nicely with the A6300. Nice balance and feel in my hands. My other lens is a Sony 18-200 SEL. Over the 18-70 range the photos using the Vario-Tessar 16-70 are superior to the 18-200 as expected. Overall very pleased with the 16-70. Actual rating is a 4.5. Couldn't give it a 5 because no lens is perfect. Room for improvement: Reduction in price (kind of pricey for a lens in the range). F 2.8 or F3.5.
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Excellent Everyday Lens
I purchased this lens to use on my NEX-7. It appears to be a sharp as the other lenses I own including the 24 mm Zeiss. Unlike what other reviewers have found, it focuses as fast as the other lenses on my camera, including in dim light. The focal lengths cover 95% of what I shoot. The only issue I have is the maximum aperture of only f/4. Of course a larger aperture would have made the lens quite large and heavy. In summary, a very high quality lens light enough to carry around all day with great resolution.
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Excellent Lens
This is the best lens out there for a Sony a6000 camera. Its not as sharp as the Zeiss Batis lenses for my Sony a7R III, but it has extra rich coloring, which is a Zeiss trademark. Many people complain about this lens being decentered. I dont exactly know what that means, but Im happy with the one I got. The lens is not cheap. It cost over twice as much as the camera and kit lens together, but for me its worth it. I bought it to take to India, which Ill be visiting the first week of January.
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One of the best E-Mount Lenses
I prefer using this Lens 80% of the time, it is considerably lighter than the 18200 and has slightly better Image Quality. I still use carry around the 18200 when I travel, just in case I need something with farther reach but most of my shots do not require it. I think for the majority of people, this should be the first E-mount lens you get - or the pancake 16-50 if you are willing to lose some Image Quality for the convenience of being compact and lightweight (and also less expensive)
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Nice way to expand the use of the A 6500
I originally bought my A6500 to complement my A7r2 and A9, thinking I would primarily be using my existing collection of Zeiss and Sony lenses. I have found that the 6500 has found it's own niche in my arsenal that goes way beyond just being a spare camera body. It's form factor and versatility give it a functionality that almost demands a dedicated lens. The 16-70 and the 6500's crop factor gives an ideal range for walk-about street shooting and the sharpness gives me everything I need
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great replacement lens to the kit 16-50
This lens was a replacement for the kit 16-50mm on my a6000, and so far the results are fantastic. There are countless reviews on this lens and yes, it's expensive, but if you can justify the price, its an excellent upgrade from the 16-50. I'm finding the image quality far superior in color, contrast and sharpness to the 16-50. It is heaver, but still compact and fits very well on the a6000. If you're looking for a great walk around lens and upgrade, I think this is the way to go.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Initial Impressions are Great
I bought this in a kit with the a6000 and I've had it about a week. I took a few sample pictures, a panorama and a movie. The resolution of the lens really shows up with this camera and responds to autofocus well in low light. I like how fast it can autofocus on stills and the way it gets so many varying depth of field points in focus around the picture so easily. The telephoto parts worked cleanly and easily and the metal outer casing had a good feel to it.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good lens for wide to mod telefoto use.
Use it with the a6300 as a travel/hiking system where I need light weight, small size, versatility, and good quality. Love using the lens. Seems sharp with good color contrast. Two negatives so far: 1) Optical Image Stabilization is not as robust as other lenses I've used (e.g.: Tamaron 18-270); and 2) Focusing and zoom rings are right nest to each other and impossible to distinguish from each other by feel, and my fat fingers keep grabbing both.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very sharp Lens, just get it no second thought.
I read many reviews about this lens and most of them are criticism but I am telling from my experience this lens is just superb, image quality is very sharp, focus is very fast and you get premium quality of Zeiss optics, best overall lens for traveling and walk around, it is compact and goes very well with Sony a6300. The OSS is working marvelous. I am thankful to B&H for sending me a good copy, B&H service is excellent and very fast delivery.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Lens
I purchased this lens as a walk around lens for my Sony a6000 (replacing the kit lens). It's sized perfectly for the camera and feels great in my hand. I have not done any formal testing with it as I did for my Sony Vario-Tessar 24-70, but so far all indications are that I have a good copy. Sharp across mid range and acceptable on the edges. You can expect the usual shortfalls common to zoom lens. Somewhat overpriced, I would buy it again.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Perfect Walk-Around Lens for the ILCE6000
This is the perfect walk-around lens for my Sony a6000 (ILCE6000). Its effective (35mm) focal length is 24-105mm on the APS-c sensor and does its job at those lengths with no questions. It fits in many small bags mounted on the Sony a6000 (and by itself if carrying multiple lenses). Its constant aperture aids in making manual exposures without a lot of readjustment and it is fast enough for almost any but extremely low-light applciations.
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Great lens!
I bought this lens not because it has great optics, which it actually does appear to have. Rather, I bought it because I wanted a small short zoom which would cover the full frame equivalent of 35mm to 90 or 100mm and also focus close enough to take photos of the mountain flowers here in Colorado. Small and light are far more important to me than powered zoom. This has all worked out very well and the optics seem to be just great!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Soft Lens
I purchased this lens hoping to use it as a general walkaround lens in lieu of a 35mm + 50mm prime combination for my Sony A7. I found that while the image quality was 85% of the way to the fixed primes, I definitely noticed it when looking at the images afterwards. I decided to return the lens and stick with the primes. Having said that, the lens was very sturdy and felt very well made with very little play, even fully extended.
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Nice sharp, light lens
I bought this lens to go with a Sony a6000, as a light-weight alternative to my Canon 5DS R and Canon 24-105 f/4L combination, when hiking and traveling. So far I've been very happy. The resolution of the camera/lens system is about half, but so is the weight, and size is awesome. The feel of the dials is nice, and unlike every Canon lens I've ever owned, the lens hood goes on and off with the precision of a fine Swiss watch.
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Mid-range zoom on a6000
This camera handles and balances well on my a 6000. The zoom operates smoothly with just enough resistance. The photos I've taken thus far have been clear and crisp. The camera said the lens was unable to use eye lock on focus. I need to remember to use a circular polarizing filter as this lens gathers a lot of light. About a half a stop of compensation would help too. I will try some moving subject shots in the future.
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Excellent zoom
I don't know where all the bad reviews come from on this lens. It's darn good. I just went out and took a ton of test shots and the only thing I noticed is that at 70mm one size of the frame was a little soft. Everything else was stellar. Sharpness is outstanding for a zoom. I really don't know why people hate on this lens so much, other than I guess it's kind of expensive. Well, it's Zeiss, so it ain't gonna be cheap!
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Prime guru meets first zoom worth using...
I'm generally a prime lens guy. Recently I was going on a trip where I was limited with my baggage and could not bring my assortment of primes. Found this lens to be excellent for a zoom. The convenience of the 16-70mm (APS-C) range was useful and although the pictures are not as sharp as you would get on a prime, they were quite sharp for a zoom. If you're going to limit yourself to a single zoom, this is the one.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A very handy range
I have used the lens when hiking to take landscape photos. The lens performs about as expected - nice shape photos with good contrast. It is sharper than the 18 - 50 normal lens on my NEX-7 camera, but not drastically better. What separates this lens from the normal lens is the expanded range, and slightly faster aperture. Is it worth the high price - for me it is. It is light enough that I don't mind carrying it.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Happy I made the choice.
Ive been looking for a lens in this focal range but after reading some of the reviews I held off. I decided Id try it and I dont find the soft corners so many complain about. Plus I like having F4 thru the zoom range. It pairs very well with my a6500 and a6000. Its now sits on my a6500 and a Sony10-22 on the a6000. Together they make a very nice focal range combination for street, landscape and travel photography.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Solid but bit overpriced
Been using this for few weeks on a6300. Compact for focal length range and very solid build. Pretty sharp with nice color and contrast. Slightly soft in corners at wider apertures but not really an issue in everyday use. Focuses swiftly. Nice walk around focal range 24-105mm equivalent. With all the positives I still think the lens is a little expensive for what it is. Would be much better value at $600-700.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
