Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6

Sony

FE 28-60mm F4-5.6

Released October 2020

A retractable full-frame E-mount standard zoom weighing 167 g, originally offered with the Alpha 7C.

Mount
Sony E
Focal length
28–60 mm
Max aperture
f/4–5.6
Stabilisation
No
Weight
167 g

What reviewers say

Both praise compactness, low weight, fast quiet autofocus and image quality, while criticising the limited zoom range and separate purchase price. Photography Blog finds sharp centres with weaker wide-open edges on Alpha 7C; Digital Camera World praises real-world edge detail but notes weaker 28 mm lab corners and reliance on distortion correction. Both regard it as a useful compact kit lens.

From photographyblog.com, photographyblog.com and digitalcameraworld.com

Optics

Lens type
Zoom
Focal length
28–60 mm
Maximum aperture
f/4–5.6
Minimum aperture
f/22–32
Optical construction
Eight elements in seven groups
Special elements
Three aspherical elements
Diaphragm
Seven rounded blades
Angle of view
75°–40° full frame; 54°–27° APS-C

Mount and compatibility

Mounts
Sony E
Image circle
Full frame
Image circle detail
Full-frame coverage; 42–90 mm equivalent field of view on APS-C
Teleconverter support
Not compatible with Sony E-mount teleconverters

Focus and stabilisation

Autofocus
Yes
Minimum focus distance
0.3 m
Maximum magnification
0.16×
Optical stabilisation
No
Autofocus detail
Linear motor with internal focusing
Focus distance detail
0.3 m minimum at 28 mm; 0.45 m at 60 mm
Magnification detail
0.16× maximum magnification
Stabilisation detail
No optical stabilisation; compatible camera body stabilisation can be used
Video features
Internal focusing keeps lens length unchanged during focus adjustment

Design

Dust and moisture resistant
Yes
Filter diameter
40.5 mm
Maximum diameter
66.6 mm
Length
45 mm
Weight
167 g
Controls
Manual-focus ring and mechanical zoom ring
Zoom design
Manual retractable zoom; rotate zoom ring to extend lens before shooting
Weather resistance
Dust and moisture resistant design; not guaranteed to prevent all ingress
Dimensions detail
66.6 mm maximum diameter × 45 mm retracted length; lens extends for shooting
Weight detail
Approximately 167 g lens; separate caps excluded
Lens hood
No hood supplied
In the box
ALC-F405S front cap and ALC-R1EM rear cap; no case supplied
Release detail
Sony Hong Kong specifies Alpha 7C retail availability from the beginning of October 2020, including its FE 28–60 mm kit. Sony Japan specifies kit sale on 23 October 2020 and later separate lens sale on 29 January 2021; main release records first kit availability, not standalone sale. Announcement 14 September from Sony Alpha Universe US. Two independent full reviews read: Photography Blog Mark Goldstein on Alpha 7C and Digital Camera World Rod Lawton. Preserve real-world versus lab corner qualifications and distortion-correction dependence. No inferred predecessor link

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 167 g lens weight
  • Retractable design
  • Dust and moisture resistant design

Cons

  • 28–60 mm zoom range
  • No optical stabilisation
  • F4–F5.6 maximum aperture

Closest rivals

Model
MountFocal lengthMax apertureStabilisationWeightReleased
Sony E28–70 mmf/3.5–5.6Yes293 gJan 2026
Sony E20–70 mmf/4No488 gFeb 2023
Sony E24–70 mmf/4Yes426 gJan 2014

Sources

  1. sony.jp/ichigan/products/SEL2860/spec.html
  2. sony.jp/ichigan/products/SEL2860/feature_1.html
  3. sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/202009/20-0915
  4. sony.com.hk/press/pdf/20200916_e.pdf
  5. alphauniverse.com/stories/sony-electronics-introduces-alpha-7c-camera-and-zoom-…
  6. photographyblog.com/reviews/sony_fe_28_60mm_f4_5_6_review
  7. photographyblog.com/reviews/sony_fe_28_60mm_f4_5_6_review/conclusion
  8. digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/sony-fe-28-60mm-f4-56-review

Photo: sony.jp

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