Product ReviewsSony SAL 16-50mm f/2.8 Aspherical DT ED Lens

My Favorite Walk Around Zoom Lens!

I read a lot of positive reviews before I bought this lens and now I know why! This lens works flawlessly with my Sony A77 II. It's so quiet I have to listen to make sure it's focusing. Talk about fast! It focuses extremely fast and accurate! Even at f/2.8, the images are sharp!
Whatever Sony did to match this lens to the A77 II, it definitely works. I really have no cons to talk about here.
The build quality is very good and feels solid. This should have been a "G" lens.
The range is perfect for a walk around lens and it has become the one I use the most. The wide end is great for landscapes and the telephoto end is perfect for pets and portraits. It works good in low light with a 2.8 maximum aperture.
It also lets you focus close to a subject. This is great for flower photography etc.

If you have a crop sensor camera, I definitely recommend this lens! It's a "must have"! This is my #1 favorite lens!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: occamera

Very good lens

I have owned this lens (purchased used from ebay) for several months and its been on my camera more or less steadily ever since I bought it. It is a a fairly heavy lens (1.25 lb. 670 g) but not bothersomely so. It is solidly built, has a very fast and silent focus drive and the pictures are generally very sharp, with the exception of a little drop-off in the corners when shooting wide-open. There is a little distortion (minimal if you keep the camera horizontal while shooting) at the 16 mm range. There is no creep in the zoom at all. It takes very good close-ups (flowers, bugs, etc) with excellent colors. The f2.8 setting allows in enough light to take many indoor pictures without additional lighting. I believe I paid $300 for this lens and I consider it to be well worth it. Overall I would rate it a 4.5/5Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: ctermu

great focal range for aps-c sensor camera

I am still determining the best focal length of this lens, but so far I like it a lot. The SSM autofocus rocks! Immediate and silent! Like most lenses mounted on good cameras, good light on the subject is imperative for good image quality. Not quite G series quality but better than average. So, yes, I can recommend it without hesitation. Good work Sony :+)Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: matsuiyastore

Sony SAL1650, F2.8, a versatile and sturdy everyday performer.

Excellent lens, constant aperture of 2.8 makes it good for low light as well as portrait photography. An effective focal length of 24-75mm in APS format makes it a go to lens for everyday use. Build quality is very good, autofocus is silent and quick. I am happy that I have this lens.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: rhunter54

Buy this lens! You'll be glad you did!

Jim in TN says: I'm so glad I bit the bullet and bought this fantastic lens to compliment my Sony A65 DSLR. Its the most I ever paid for a lens (even thought I got a really good discount from what ®Sony is selling it for), but it was the best investment on a lens I've ever made. I've only had it for a few weeks and have shot some of the best photos I've ever taken. Sharp as a tack, beautiful color and super fast focus. I'll never leave the house without this lens in my bag or on my camera. If you've been looking for a great lens for the money, and don't have the BIG bucks— then this is the lens to get.Read full review...

must have lens

If you're planning to do any indoor or low light shooting, you really need a fast lens. The 2.8f stop does it for me, and because it's a 16-50mm, it translates into a very usable indoor lens. Unfortunately, the weak point of Sony, is that they lack the availability of lens that major manufacturers like Canon has. However, this lens makes up for a lot of that, in the wide zoom category.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: coco_pepper

A Happy Medium Between Cheap Kit Lenses and Expensive Up Market Lenses.

Standard kit lenses are usually barely adequate and fail to deliver the quality of the camera itself. Most available up-market lenses cost up the wazoo.

This Sony lens is a happy medium between the barely adequate lens that came with your camera and the up market lenses available for your camera body. While this is not the best lens Sony makes, it is significantly better in sharpness and contrast over the basic lens that comes with most Sony cameras. Exposure, auto-focus and image stability work completely the way they should through the electrical connections on compatible Sony cameras.

If you need a better all around lens, you can't do better than this one. It won't break the bank, and it's the best bang for the buck.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

A pearl of great price.

This reminds me of the great minolta 50 and 58mm stock lenses of the 60's and 70's Those were just right. darn good lenses great consistency in production and a fantastic buy. Sure this is not a cheap lens but considering the performance and build it is a steal at the going price. No noise and great movies in continuous focus. Focus is quite fast too. Weight feels right. It's good to see that Sony is carying forward the Minolta kit lens tradition of the 60's by offering a wonderful product at a fair price. The Dyxum.com reviews confim this performs mostly at the fixed lens expectations. I couldn't ask for more, couldn't afford much more either.Read full review...

One of Sony's very best zoom lens !

Well I purchased this lens through ebay. Heard and read a lot before purchasing this lens. This lens is suberb!! The built quality is excellent, solid, no zoom wobble,no zoom creep, really tight and well made. What surprised me the most is the image quality! It's comparable to a Zeiss
zoom lens. Nice bokeh and sharpness! It's rather a large lens for a 16-50mm but it is an f2.8. The SSM is smooth and silky, and quiet. What a dream lens it is for me. I can't say enough about this lens. It is one of Sony's very best made lens out there. I haven't taken it off since I got it. It's great for portraits, landscapes, street photography and candids.
You can get this lens for a bargain here on ebay, just get it from a reputable dealer and you're gonna love it! One on Sony's very best short zoom, for sure.Read full review...

This one is a keeper!

This lens is very sharp and silent when it comes to focusing. It is weather sealed and the build quality is great. Expect the zooming a little bit tight, probably because of the weather sealing. Once you put it on your dslr, it will be there for a long time since this is a great lens for walk around. Overall, I love this lens from rear cap to lens hood.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: illiadc