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Q&A

Questions & Answers

Shopper : is this lenses good for full frame?ANDREW R : APS-C / DX only
Michael G : Will this lens work perfectly with the NEX-6?ANDREW R : No, not at all. This lens is for Sony "A" mount DSLR camera bodies. For NEX series cameras you need "E" mount.
Debra P : Will this lens fit my SonyA77?JEREMY B : Yes, it will work perfectly on the a77. Note that the a77 has a 1.5 crop factor so the field of view you'll get through the lens will be more telephoto than what you'd see if you used it on a full frame camera.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2016-08-22T18:40:08

Rated 5 out of 5

Used with Sony camera, autofocus is fast

Used with Sony camera, autofocus is fast...accurate...lense is sharp also

ANTHONY W.

2015-05-10T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Solid performance

I bought this lens to go with my Alpha 57, which was stolen, alas. I now use it with an Alpha 65. It gives good performance throughout the range and is good value money. It is an excellent replacement for the kit zoom, giving a step up in image quality. A bit heavy though.

SteveInParis

2015-05-10T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Solid performance

I bought this lens to go with my Alpha 57, which was stolen, alas. I now use it with an Alpha 65. It gives good performance throughout the range and is good value money. It is an excellent replacement for the kit zoom, giving a step up in image quality. A bit heavy though.

steveinlondon

2013-09-01T20:00:00

Rated 3 out of 5

Slow Lens

Advertised as f/3.5 - 5.6. At 16 mm focal length, the maximum aperture is f/3.5. However, at 24 mm focal length, it jumps to f/4.5, and at 35 mm focal length, it jumps to f/5, which is disappointingly "slow", This information is not available in the "specifications". This lens is "slower" than it would appear.

FotoEric

2013-06-27T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Best All Purpose Lens

Aside from this lens not reaching the lowest of low F-stops, this lens does it ALL. From architecture wide angle photography and landscapes to portraits of people and objects with high detail to the sports shot from across the field. you can capture everything. i was recently traveling for architecture and the ability to capture the entirety of a building is what set this lens apart from all my friends who were rocking the 18mm minimum focal length lens. if you know the distance to your subject the on lens display of focus is great for those full manual shots. i would recommend this lens for the advanced to professional level photographer. absolutely perfect for the beginer looking for their first "pro" lens. BUY BUY BUY

RDGarch

2012-05-29T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Nice Lens

Because of the range I will use this lens as my main lens.

DAVID C.

2012-03-25T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Good match for the alpha 580

I purchased the lens with the a580 because it was reviewed as one of Sony's better lenses, and because I liked the 35mm equivalent of 24mm at the widest angle. The lens has had a lot of use for about a year, and so far no problems. Like all wide-angle zooms, it needs to be held level when at 16mm to avoid distortion. In my opinion, it's a fine lens.

Ancient P.

2012-02-26T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

My every day lens

First I love this lens....I use it with my a55 which I purchased at the same time. It takes beautiful pictures. The only thing that that I am not happy about, I bought this lens thinking that it had a Internal focusing system that did not "change the length of the lens" as it is stated in the specs. That was one of the selling points for me as I had issues with my old less expensive lens on my last Sony camera. But over all I love the lens....Sony you need to change what is said in the specs! I uploaded a couple of pictures but they come out blurry.....

Mauilady

2012-01-28T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great wide-range zoom

Perfect travel lens

WALLACE P.

2011-09-03T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Almost a winner

Loved the zoom range and price but ultimately returned it for the CZ 16-80 despite the higher cost. Chromatic aberration was the deal breaker for me.

JAMES G.

2010-12-22T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great walk around lens

This lens is a good for just about any situation. I used to use the 18-250mm as my walk around lens but since getting this one I've found that for most situations I like this one more. Having the 16mm option is sometimes just enough to keep me from having to reach into my bag for my UWA. I have found it to be a very sharp lens. It's also a little more compact as you can expect. My primary lens is still a 70-200mm but when I want versatility this is what I use. For me this lens' only short cumming is the speed. In a perfect world I would like all my lenses to have an aperture of f/2.8 or faster but for a lens of this type it's just not realistic without a very large price tag.

Blackriver

2010-10-16T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

A WOW Lens for the price

Overall this lens is my favorite next to the 50mm f/1.4, I take this lens on all my shoots and have used in in most all weather conditions as well as indoor without flash. I find the versatility of this lens remarkable and really the best in class for the price. When shooting at full aperture I strongly encourage removing the lens hood if you can. I'm getting ready to go on a 5 day shoot and this lens was my first choice for my toolbox. If you intend to stick with APS-C sensor, this lens should become a standard for your toolbox.

MikeKovach

2010-07-19T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great everyday lens

Pros explanation: The build of this lens is incredibly sturdy and feels like a quality lens, which it is. From using the old kit lens 18-70 and 16-105mm for the same photographs, you will notice the very saturated colors, much sharper than the kit lens. The focal range is very great for decreasing instances on changing lens. The wide angle surely comes in handy for wanting to capture those wide angle stadium shots or wedding parties. If you're looking for a lens with great quality and build of that of the Carl Zeiss 16-80mm, then this is a great lens to choose for that. If you are able to go for the CZ lens, then I would recommend that to you. You might not miss the 25mm addition just simply because its a Carl Zeiss and added that its highest aperture is 4.5 vs the standard 5.6 such as this lens. Also, I recommend using the Sony/Carl Zeiss UV filter for this lens. Because of the 16mm lens range, third party filters may not be thin enough for this lens. Added bonus is that you're making your Sony lens a CZ since the UV filter has the T* coating as on the CZ lenses. Cons Explanation: When using the lowest apertures on the focal range, the edges will show significant softening. To avoid that, just shoot at above 7.1 at the least and you'll be fine. It won't be so easy if you're in low light situations and you are wanting to avoid the soft edges. The focus ring on this lens moves when you try turning to the left or right slightly, but its actually not moving the focus ring inside the lens, its actually just moving itself. It may take some getting use to knowing that you have to feel that slight turn and then turn more for the focus to actually change. Overall: This lens gets 4 out of 5 stars. It has a few slight cons in my opinion but none that stand out too much to where I would want to get rid of this lens. This lens truly is a premium lens as Sony states and the quality is beautiful. It will give you a simple taste on what to expect next from the Sony "G" lenses and then the Carl Zeiss, where quality is even better and more crisp and with even better color saturation. If you're on a budget but looking for a great lens but can't afford G or Carl Zeiss, this lens is for you.

Kenneth2890

2010-06-29T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great all around lens

Nice focal range for walk around. Sharp pics on all stops. Great color reproduction as well. Nice lens on the A550.

Vario

2009-09-27T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Sony 16-105 mm

Great lens Super clear.

SonySgt

2009-04-23T21:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Great all around lens.

Great all around lens.

PAUL D.

Sony 16-105mm Specifications

General

General

Jump to...
  • Brand

    Sony

  • MPN

    SAL16105

  • Lens Series

    Sony DT

  • Color

    Black

  • Lens Type

    Wide Angle to Telephoto Zoom

  • Lens Mount

    Sony Alpha

  • Format Compatibility

    APS-C / DX

  • Focus Type

    Auto Focus

  • Focusing Technology

    Inner Focusing

  • Closest Focus Distance

    15.74" / 40cm

  • Distance Information

    N/A

  • Built-In Motor

    N/A

  • Focal Length

    16-105mm

  • Angle Of View

    N/A

  • 35mm Equivalent Focal Length

    24-157.5mm

  • Coverage

    N/A

  • Minimum Aperture

    f/22 - 36

  • Maximum Aperture

    f/3.5-5.6

  • Maximum Magnification

    0.15x

  • Lens Coating

    N/A

  • Aspherical Elements

    Yes

  • ED Glass Elements

    Yes

  • Filter Size

    62mm

Construction

Jump to...
  • Lens Elements / Groups

    15 Elements / 11 Groups

  • Diaphragm Blades

    7

  • Dimensions

    N/A

  • Weight

    N/A

Features

Jump to...
  • Image Stabilization Type

    None

  • Tripod Collar

    Yes

  • Waterproof / Water Resistant

    N/A

  • Dust Resistant

    N/A

  • UPC Code

    027242714281

About Sony 16-105mm

FEATURED REVIEWS

Great walk around lens

By Blackriver

This lens is a good for just about any situation. I used to use the 18-250mm as my walk around lens but since getting this one I've found that for most situations I like this one more. Having the 16mm option is sometimes just enough to keep me from having to reach into my bag for my UWA. I have found it to be a very sharp lens. It's also a little more compact as you can expect. My primary lens is still a 70-200mm but when I want versatility this is what I use. For me this lens' only short cum...

View full Review

A WOW Lens for the price

By MikeKovach

Overall this lens is my favorite next to the 50mm f/1.4, I take this lens on all my shoots and have used in in most all weather conditions as well as indoor without flash. I find the versatility of this lens remarkable and really the best in class for the price. When shooting at full aperture I strongly encourage removing the lens hood if you can. I'm getting ready to go on a 5 day shoot and this lens was my first choice for my toolbox. If you intend to stick with APS-C sensor, this lens shou...

View full Review

One lens, many possibilities - DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 Wide Range Zoom (SAL16105)
The 16-105mm range of this lens is a sweet spot for many photographers; wide enough to capture scenery and interiors and long enough to reach distant subjects.

• High resolution and contrast throughout zoom range
• Circular aperture for attractive defocusing
• High performance ED glass and aspherical lens elements
• Internal focusing for agile handling and response
• 35mm equivalent focal length: 24-157.5mm

Designed to take advantage of APS-size CCD imagers like the Exmor sensor of the Sony a (alpha) DSLR-A700 camera, this amazingly compact premium zoom lens provides superior all-around performance. Its 35mm-equivalent range of 24mm wide-angle to 157.5mm telephoto is perfect for capturing faraway subjects, sports events, dramatic landscapes and intimate close-ups.

Smooth defocusing - Instead of a standard polygon-shaped lens aperture, this lens features a 7-blade circular aperture for more natural, rounded defocusing, or bokeh.

Refined optical performance - Aspherical lens elements minimize distortion while ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements provide superior contrast, resolution, and color fidelity.

Fast, agile focusing - The internal focusing mechanism means the lens barrel doesn't move, enabling a more compact design, faster autofocus response, and reduced minimum focusing distances.

Say goodbye to blur - Pair the lens with a camera by Sony featuring built-in SteadyShot image stabilization and you'll enjoy smooth, blur-free results when shooting handheld.

Sony 16-105mm Features

  • Internal Focusing System: Internal lens elements move, so the overall length does not change, creating a lens that focuses more quickly and doesn't alter its balance.
  • Sophisticated Multi-Element Design: 16 lens elements in 13 groups correct visual aberrations across the entire zoom range and help reduce weight.
  • ED (Extra-low Dispersion) Glass: ED Glass lens elements minimize flare and greatly reduce chromatic aberration, giving you sharp, clear shots even at full telephoto extension.
  • Circular Aperture: Because aperture blades form a near circle at the wide openings used for low-light shots, spot-light sources have a pleasing circular defocused effect.

Key Features

  • Bring your subjects closer

What's in the box:

  • Sony 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 DT A-Mount Zoom Lens
  • Front and Rear Lens Caps
  • Lens Hood
  • Sony 1 Year Warranty