Sony E 16-55mm F2.8 G vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyE 16-55mm F2.8 G | SonyVario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | September 2019 | September 2013 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Zoom |
| Focal length | 16–55 mm | 16–70 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 | f/4 |
| Minimum aperture | f/22 | f/22 |
| Optical construction | Seventeen elements in twelve groups | Sixteen elements in twelve groups |
| Special elements | Two AA (advanced aspherical) elements, two further aspherical elements and three ED glass elements | Four aspherical elements, including one AA advanced aspherical, and one ED element |
| Coatings | Nano AR Coating and fluorine-coated front element | ZEISS T* coating |
| Diaphragm | Nine rounded blades | Seven rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 83°–29° APS-C | 83°–23° APS-C |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image circle | APS-C | APS-C |
| Image circle detail | APS-C coverage; 24–82.5 mm equivalent field of view | APS-C-only image circle; 24–105 mm equivalent field of view |
| Teleconverter support | Not compatible with SEL14TC or SEL20TC | Sony 1.4× and 2× teleconverters unsupported |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 0.33 m | 0.35 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.2× | 0.23× |
| Optical stabilisation | No | Yes |
| Autofocus detail | XD linear motor for autofocus | Linear motor and internal focusing |
| Focus distance detail | 0.33 m minimum focus; Linear Response MF | – |
| Magnification detail | 0.20× maximum magnification | – |
| Stabilisation detail | No optical stabilisation; compatible bodies provide stabilisation | Built-in Optical SteadyShot; no stop rating published in read current maker pages |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | – |
| Filter diameter | 67 mm | 55 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 73 mm | 66.6 mm |
| Length | 100 mm | 75 mm |
| Weight | 494 g | 308 g (better) |
| Controls | Separate zoom and manual-focus rings, AF/MF switch and one customisable focus-hold button; no aperture ring | Separate focus and zoom rings; camera controls focus mode and optical stabilisation |
| Zoom design | Barrel extends during zooming; Photography Blog measured approximately 35 mm additional extension from 16 to 55 mm | – |
| Filter detail | 67 mm front filter thread; front filter does not rotate during focusing (Photography Blog) | 55 mm front filter thread |
| Weather resistance | Dust- and moisture-resistant design; not guaranteed completely dust- or moisture-proof | – |
| Dimensions detail | 73 mm maximum diameter × 100 mm length | – |
| Weight detail | Approximately 494 g lens; separate hood and caps excluded | – |
| Lens hood | ALC-SH161 petal bayonet hood | ALC-SH127 petal bayonet hood, supplied |
| In the box | ALC-SH161 hood, ALC-F67S front cap, ALC-R1EM rear cap and soft case | ALC-SH127 hood, front and rear caps, soft case |
| Release detail | Sony Hong Kong specified end of September 2019 availability. Photography Blog Mark Goldstein tested Alpha 6600. Digital Camera World Chris George and Matthew Richards identify Alpha 6600 sample images and Alpha 6400 lab testing. Their long-end corner assessments differ; Digital Camera World explicitly removed forced distortion correction for raw lab testing. Reviews’ historical stabilised-body lists are not used as a current compatibility restriction | Sony Japan 27 August 2013 announcement specifies 13 September first sale; no earlier sale established in read sources. UK advanced-vlogging product list retains SEL1670Z, whereas Japan product page says Sony Store sales ended. |
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