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Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2019-01-11T11:10:04

Rated 3 out of 5

A-mount lens to E-mount camera

The lens worked well on my e mount cameras so long as I was doing still subjects. When I tried to use it for a moving subject the SAM motor could not keep up with the subject. I am sure it would work great on an a-mount camera but with the LA-EA3 and LA-EA4 it did not work that great on the A6500 but performed much better on the A7RIII.

Roscoe G.

2018-08-29T16:15:03

Rated 5 out of 5

Great service and product

The lens works great as well as the tri-pod I just purchased.

Eric R.

2018-06-26T09:14:32

Rated 5 out of 5

Great lens for the price.

Very versatile and very bright colors, in my opinion it’s a great lens for the price.

EDGARDO S.

2017-02-14T10:44:16

Rated 5 out of 5

Thank you Adorama

I am a hobbyist so am still learning what my various lenses can do. However, I want to thank Adorama for the great service and especially the packing job of shipping this lens. I live in New England and due to 2 snow storms in 72 hours I was worried about the lens arriving safely and not being harmed by frigged temps. Today my lens arrived and the delivery driver (frozen hands) accidentally dropped the package twice while I signed the delivery slip. I quickly ran into the house and tried the lens out. Very impressed after experimenting with the lens as well as the great packing job that survived being dropped more than once.

April L.

2016-12-19T12:29:55

Rated 5 out of 5

55-300 lens new, retired a 70 -300 my bread & butter lens

My old lens has been very good to me over many years but it was time to scale down the number of lenses when I travel . I don't find the need to carry as much equipment now that I am getting older .This new lens is a start in that direction.

RICHARD Z.

2016-07-24T01:30:44

Rated 5 out of 5

Awesome Lens

I purchased this lens for my landscape photos. It was awesome, I was able to capture a few photos of a full moon the first night I received it and the shots were awesome... I took it to a photo shoot with my family and it does great for portraits as well. GREAT BUY For A BEGINNER!!!

Adrian V.

2016-04-04T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Easy to use

Used it on a sunny afternoon at a nature reserve taking close ups of birds

Luckydi

2016-01-10T15:02:30

Rated 4 out of 5

Good lens for the money!

Nice lens, quiet motor, bought this after the cheaper Tamaron version was terrible. Works perfect in good light.

ELIZABETH M.

2015-08-09T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great deal.

Sincerely I prefer use it on manual, is not that difficult and focus what I really want it. Try to buy a 18-250 and the price escalate too much.

Rosalitro

2015-04-16T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

DT 55-300mm F4.5-5.6 SAM Zoom Lens

I would not recommend this to a 'beginner' .. however a Photog on a budget would find it useful and satisfying. ..Cons: 1. Front lens turns while focusing, not useful for filters. 2. Hunts a LOT particularly in low light. 3. No 'instant tuning' .. Easy 'focus peaking' would help a lot. 4. 'Barrel Lock' only works in fully retracted position. 5. No 'Macro capability' ..Pros: 1. Picture Quality is excellent (for price point) 2. Easy to use in 'Manual Focus' Mode .. has on lens MF/AF switch sufficient damping for quick positive focus. Generally Speaking I've been able to improve most shots by manual tuning. 3. Has 'Lock' to prevent lens creep while carrying. 4. Metal Mount, solid and secure. 5. Very LOW CA in high contrast situations really amazing at this price point. 6. Good PQ across the range. 7. 55-300mm range .. Decent close focus (4-5') throughout the focal length range. 8. Nice looking, great feel and handling is very good. 9. Superb Lens Hood. 10. Very hard to beat at this Price point .. A shooter who knows his or her camera will benefit more than a total newbie.

PittsfieldDoug

2015-04-12T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

excellent lens very quiet

I purchased this lens to replace a faulty zoom lens item. the lens has the quality feel of a sony product. its easy to use, has a great zoom range and produces some outstanding photo's. the lens is quick to focus and quiet whilst it does so.

MadCheekyFella

2015-01-19T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Fantastic value for money

I have had this lens for a month and have been out taking photo's more than I have before. Brilliant lens for wildlife.

Cecil

2014-08-11T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good value deal

I bought this as a bundle deal with an A65 SLT so the price was an absolute bargain. The lens is very sharp and pretty light for the focal length. It would be better if the lens did not rotate when focusing but I understand this is the price you pay for the low cost. I was thinking of buying it at the normal price and I recommend it if you do not mind adjusting ND filters.

em68

2014-06-26T21:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Great Lens, Great Price

Great photos for a great price....it does hunt in low light, but for landscape, outdoors, birds, it's great!

Carolyn V.

2014-03-03T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

great value on an awesome lense

wonderful clarity. used mostly for distant nature photos.

Margaret K.

2013-10-17T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Big fan

Excellent image quality, which is the most important to me - great sharpness. I haven't experienced any frustration with the autofocus, though I can see it isn't the quickest. Overall, I'm very pleased with this lens and for the price, would heartily recommend it for the fantastic telephoto range, compact size, and IQ.

roymondus

2013-07-19T20:00:00

Rated 2 out of 5

Money better spent elsewhere

This lens is cheap and feels and performs like one too. When focus is achieved it is sharp and images are good. However, it is slow to focus and noisy, performance in poor light is terrible - Sony sell this as a SAM lens - it does not perform like one - I really don't know what other peoples expectations are. I bought a Minolta lens a few days before - 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 - the performance in a totally different league - fast, near silent auto-focus, amazing image quality - the lens was approx 20 years old and was not a "G" lens. If you can get this Sony lens cheaply, then it is worth consideration, otherwise save your money for a better option. I do wish Sony would improve this lens - and look at at their whole lens line-up and take note what their competitors are doing. I do not wish to be negative, but this is my experience with this lens - and I have used a lot of equipment.

cekay1

2013-05-07T20:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Good Lens But Not GREAT

First I am hardly an expert right now but more a "prosumer" this lens for the price is a great deal. The pictures are sharp and clear and the 55-300mm gives great options with 1 lens. My only complaint is the "hunting" when using AF in anything past 200mm. So if I know shooting far away I immediately switch to MF since most likely lens will "hunt" for something to focus on and second you get what you want it hunts to something again. Even for the picture for this review I was in full auto and tried AF but had trouble staying on the bird house with nothing around it so ended up in manual. But for the price I am not going to complain about this lens.

Mark1328

2013-05-06T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

I love this lens

This is a great lens for outdoors. I'm not a professional but the image quality is clearly superior to my 18-55 lens that came with my A35. This lens is very fast and a great tool for capturing wild life. I took this photo with my A35 using this lens

Arminkh

2013-01-28T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Nice Lens

Nice lens. Just a touch soft at 300mm but otherwise great.

ERIC N.

2013-01-16T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Nice Image Quality

AS far as image quality goes this is a very good lens. I can get sharp images all the to 300mm handheld if the shutter speed can be kept high enough, otherwise a tripod is needed. Sharpness drops off a little above 250mm but not much. It is lightweight so easy to carry. For me the only real weakness of the lens is focus speed. It is slow to focus and tends to hunt more than other lenses I've used. For my use that is usually not a problem. Image quality is what is most important to me and in that department this is the best lens I have used in this range.

DARRYL V.

2012-10-11T20:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Well worth it.

Superb image quality. Very fast outdoors. Rich color tones.

abedi

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Sony 55-300mm Specifications

General

General

Jump to...
  • Brand

    Sony

  • MPN

    SAL55300

  • Lens Series

    Sony DT

  • Color

    Black

  • Lens Type

    Standard to Telephoto Zoom

  • Lens Mount

    Sony Alpha

  • Format Compatibility

    APS-C / DX

  • Focus Type

    Auto Focus

  • Focusing Technology

    N/A

  • Closest Focus Distance

    54" / 137cm

  • Distance Information

    N/A

  • Built-In Motor

    N/A

  • Focal Length

    55-300mm

  • Angle Of View

    29 - 5 deg.

  • 35mm Equivalent Focal Length

    82.5-450mm

  • Coverage

    N/A

  • Minimum Aperture

    f/22 - 29

  • Maximum Aperture

    f/4.5-5.6

  • Maximum Magnification

    0.21x

  • Lens Coating

    N/A

  • Aspherical Elements

    N/A

  • ED Glass Elements

    N/A

  • Filter Size

    62mm

Construction

Jump to...
  • Lens Elements / Groups

    12 elements / 9 Groups

  • Diaphragm Blades

    7

  • Dimensions

    3.1 x 4.6" (78.7 x 116.8mm)

  • Weight

    19.9oz / 544g

Features

Jump to...
  • Image Stabilization Type

    None

  • Tripod Collar

    Yes

  • Waterproof / Water Resistant

    N/A

  • Dust Resistant

    N/A

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About Sony 55-300mm DT f/4.5-5.6 SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens

FEATURED REVIEWS

I love this lens

By Arminkh

This is a great lens for outdoors. I'm not a professional but the image quality is clearly superior to my 18-55 lens that came with my A35. This lens is very fast and a great tool for capturing wild life. I took this photo with my A35 using this lens

Well worth it.

By abedi

Superb image quality. Very fast outdoors. Rich color tones.

Sony 55-300mm F4.0-5.6 DT SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens

Want a professional quality telephoto lens without doling out what a professional might be expected to pay? Then allow us to introduce you to the affordable wonder that is the Sony 55-300mm F4.0-5.6 DT SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens, a lens capable of both wildlife and scenery shots with stunning clarity. But what makes this lens so special?

Product Highlights

  • The SAM technology—a Smooth Autofocus Motor that’s quiet and handles the dirty work of adjusting focus while you’re thinking about framing your subject and taking a beautiful shot.
  • Image quality on the full spectrum of zoom, including when you use the maximum 300mm focal length. Your zoomed images don’t have to look paltry next to your unzoomed images—with the Sony 55-300mm you can have the best of both worlds.
  • The Sony 55-300mm is popular partly thanks to its interchangeability, allowing you to use this on a variety of cameras and easily move from one lens to another.

Don’t let that next far-away shot escape you. Acquire a Sony 55-300mm and zoom in. 

Learn about the Sony 55-300mm F4.0-5.6 DT SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens

Want to zoom in your subject? Then get any old zoom lens. Want to zoom in on your subject with power, smooth autofocus, and plenty of stable, consistent photographs? Then consider the Sony 55-300mm F4.0-5.6 DT SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens a prime candidate for your next photography purchase. Not only is this telephoto zoom lens perfect for professional photographers, but it can significantly upgrade the quality of any photo enthusiast’s regular portfolio entries. Let’s take a—dare we say it?—closer look at what makes this lens work so well.

  • Sony SAM technology. No, it doesn’t stand for surface-to-air anything. Here at Adorama it stands for Smooth Autofocus Motor. And it provides you with such a fast, smooth experience in autofocusing that you’ll have no problem using the Sony 55-300mm in the highest standard HD video recordings. And don’t worry if your subject is far off and constantly moving, like say, some animal or wildlife—the SAM will ensure that you take a smooth photograph without having to scramble for your own focus.
  • ED—or Extra-Low Dispersion—is an element in this lens that lets you procure the same quality for your photographs whether you’re using a 300mm focal length (the maximum) or less. Translation? You can still expect sharpness and clarity with each of your photographs even if you’re testing the quality of your Sony 55-300mm. You’ll also find additional features that help you take crisp photographs, such as reduced color aberrations. This is perfect for someone who wants to get started with a new telephoto zoom lens but isn’t sure how to make their own photographs “look good.”
  • Beautiful landscapes. You might not always be thinking landscapes with a telephoto zoom lens, but the Sony 55-300mm is more than capable of offering you beautiful portrait and landscape photos thanks to its wide 55mm end. This complement to the high-strength zooming technology ensures that you can switch between zoomed-out and zoomed-in at live events with relative ease—and since you know that the Sony SAM technology is helping you on the focus side of things, you won’t have to think twice before taking that next shot.
  • Affordability. For a telephoto lens of this quality, you’d be amazed at what the customer might be expected to pay. Not so here at Adorama. The affordability to quality ratio here is definitely in favor of the customer, helping you to procure a professional-quality telephoto lens without feeling like you have to declare bankruptcy immediately after the purchase.
  • Interchangeability. Like the 200mm, this Sony telephoto lens is highly interchangeable, ensuring that you can quickly change to and from a telephoto lens at a moment’s notice without disrupting your creative flow. This means having access to a wide range of lenses and options no matter what kind of event you’re attending—and it’s what helps make the Sony 55-300 the best lens for sports photography.

E-mount lenses like the Sony 55-300mm F4.0-5.6 DT SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens are more than lenses—they’re ways of viewing the world. Okay, that’s what lenses do—but trust us when we say that this lens will help you enhance your photography in new, exciting, and less limited ways. Ideal for photo enthusiasts, semi-pro photographers, and anyone looking to capture landscape and wildlife photos with clarity and beauty.

 

From the Manufacturer
The Sony 55-300mm DT f/4.5-5.6 SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens has a zoom range of 5.5x equivalent to 82.5 - 450mm on a full-frame 35mm DSLR. This immediately places it among the longest lenses they offer for the A-mount lineup, eclipsing even some of the high-end G series focal lengths at a fraction of the cost. The 55-300mm SAM is an easy addition to your camera bag-quickly replacing several of your current lenses that you would no longer have to swap between-no longer risking dust, damage or missed opportunities.

One of the greatest features of the lens is the Sony SAM technology (Smooth Autofocus Motor). This provides you with both fast, smooth and quiet focusing that won't disrupt the audio in your HD video recordings, nor the temperamental wildlife you're zooming in on.

An ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lens element provides exceptional image quality all the way out to its maximum 300mm focal length-meaning your zoomed images benefit from enhanced clarity and sharpness throughout the frame. The advanced optical design of the SAL55300, with the same elements found in the more expensive premium Sony G lenses, reduces color aberrations and provides excellent contrast to enhance your images before they even reach the camera sensor.

While the 300mm focal length may be a bit more exciting to some than the wider 55mm end, when you don't need as much telephoto zoom the lens will also zoom back out to be an ideal portrait or landscape lens. It is also an ideal complement to the Sony DT 18-55mm Zoom Lens that comes included with many of the Sony Alpha DSLR's already. With the two of these lenses, you will have access to 16.6x zoom and pretty much covered all possible shooting situations--leaving very little you cannot adequately photograph. With its wide variety of premium features, not to mention the attractive price, Sony's versatile SAL55300 DT 55-300mm SAM Lens makes total focal length coverage not only a possibility, but does so without breaking your budget.

Sony 55-300mm DT f/4.5-5.6 SAM Telephoto Zoom Lens Features

  • Compact Design, All-Around Versatility: This high-value 55-300mm zoom lens covers a wide range of medium to long-distance telephoto applications and its lightweight design lets you leave it on-camera or carry it easily as an accessory lens for special purposes (35mm equivalent: 82.5-450mm)
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization: A major reason for its compact, lightweight design is the benefit of Super SteadyShot in-camera image stabilization, built into every Sony system DSLR -- and enabling accessory lenses to eliminate the extra weight and expense of in-lens stabilization mechanisms
  • Advisory when using DT lenses with full-frame (35mm equivalent) DSLR cameras: Sony (alpha) lenses with the Digital Technology (DT) designation are ideal for use on APS-C size DSLR cameras and are not recommended for use with full frame DSLR camera bodies (such as the DSLR-A900)
  • DT Lens Design: The SAL-55300 is specially designed for the APS-size CCD imager used in Sony (Alpha) DSLR cameras
  • Multi-Element Design: The SAL-55300 is designed with 12 lens elements in 9 groups, with precision focusing performance and smooth zoom operation
  • Short Minimum Focusing Distance: With the ability to focus as closely as 4.5 feet (1.4m), this telephoto lens also lets you move in for dramatic shots of people, natural subjects and close-up details
  • ED (Extra-low Dispersion) Glass: Because light of different wavelength (or color) bends at different angles when it passes through a lens, ED Glass is used to eliminate chromatic aberration by correcting certain wavelengths of light for sharp, clear images with well defined colors