Sony 16-50mm f / 2.8 (SAL-1650)

Advantages: The lens is definitely very good. Excellent color rendering. Remarkable sharpness and detail even on the diaphragm 2.8, let alone the range 4.0 - 8.0. A wide angle is an extremely useful thing for a staffer. Keeps backlight well. The function of direct transition from autofocus mode to manual focus mode and vice versa: now, to switch from one mode to another, it is not necessary to switch both switching buttons each time (both on the lens and on the carcass) - just switch the button on the camera body in the right direction. Almost silent autofocus motor - a huge plus when shooting videos. Excellent build quality - the lens immediately produces a feeling of good reliability, no squeaks in the case, no backlash and no rattling. I also consider some tightness of the zoom ring in this connection not a disadvantage, but an advantage. Dust and moisture protection housing. Hood included.

Disadvantages: Of course, it is heavy, especially in comparison with the 18-55 I used earlier, but you quickly get used to it. Sometimes a little chromatite, but not deadly. Expensive, but their money is definitely worth it.

Comment: I use as a staffer in conjunction with the A57. I switched to it from the whale 18-55 and, as an amateur, I was completely satisfied with the result - so much so that I forgot about buying fixes that I had been thinking about since the acquisition of the camera. The non-uniformity / blurred edges at the near end on the diaphragm 2.8 did not come up against the problem indicated in a number of previous reviews — at least not so obvious that this could be considered an obvious marriage.

I supplement the review. After two years of use with the A57, he “transplanted” him into a carcase A77 II. The quality of the lens is enough to resolve not only 16, but 24 MP of the cropped matrix - the detail is very worthy. The only feature that he noticed when used in conjunction with a new carcass - if he was “silent” with the A57, here he sometimes whistles subtly (well, or squeaks - that's how you like it) during autofocusing, especially at the long end. I read in a number of reviews that such “whistling” is sometimes observed in conjunction with the A77. Perhaps this is somehow related to the autofocus system in the carcass itself, especially since it is an order of magnitude faster and more perfect in the A77II than in the A57 or even in the A77. This applies exclusively to the photo mode - in the video mode, the lens focuses equally silently on both the old and new carcasses. In general, the glass is still very satisfied.

Advantages: Sharp already with f / 2.8
Fast and silent autofocus
Dust and moisture protection.
Metal bayonet.
Excellent build quality
sits perfectly on a77
excellent weight distribution on the carcass, who writes that weight minus is not true, the lens should have weight otherwise you will not feel like from 18-55 (less shake)

Disadvantages: No, well, maybe I would like to focal

Comment: who writes that he washed the edges by 2.8 complete nonsense (the grip is narrow and there can be no sharpness over the whole frame) if there is a blur around the edges, so it is uniform, that is, it is the same in all angles and not one angle is greater than the other. as someone wrote in a review that soap when shooting landscapes in the open and slightly covered, so the landscapes in the open do not remove !!! and clamped to 5.6-6.3 so that the sharpness was throughout the frame. on the open 2.8 shoot portraits! The lens is very sharp with a nice design. Who has back focus on the carcass, first align the camera and then drop it on the lens! As a rule, if all the time they used dark glasses, bfff is not so noticeable, bfff climbs precisely on high-aperture glasses.

Advantages: very high quality made, fast, sharp, light, natural color reproduction

Disadvantages: FD would be up to 80 (16-80), but there is already a baby-cess for these FDs.

Comment: A great lens for sane money, really the best staff member for the a77, which is practically not removed. Landscape photos, architecture, genre travel sketches are great, i.e. for me, he completely fills the travel niche. For portraits, the budget sal 85 / 2.8 is better suited.

Advantages: Glass is just great for more than reasonable money.
Good, quiet, fast, in fact, not a spotting autofocus
nice picture .... a lot more, including the price.

Disadvantages: Crop only

Comment: the perfect staff member for any crop

Advantages: Surprisingly nice lens, unambiguous wines engineers Sony.

Acceptably sharp already with f / 2.8, with f / 4 remarkably sharp and easily allows 24Mp of the drop matrix.
Fast and silent autofocus with manual adjustment.
The trunk does not leave under its weight, although the weight is not small!
Dust and moisture protection. Sony's first protected lens.
Pleasant with its constructive. Metal bayonet.

From trifles: hood in the kit, lock the zoom.

Disadvantages: Long thought what to write here. There are simply no flaws. If you find fault, then when you put your back on the front of the hood, access to the focus ring is almost blocked.
Boring bokeh.

Comment: Probably the best staff member on the market. More than adequate price, which is not typical for Sony.
Damn it, it's just a pleasure to work with him.

Advantages: - Freak resolution
- High-quality assembly
- Heavy, solid lens
- Tight zoom ring
- Fast, silent focusing
- Constant aperture
- Accurate focusing with a lack of light
- Posh video with him
- Blend

Disadvantages: - Heavy (although for me it's a plus)
- Large diameter thread filter (plus for me too)
- Price (although it is worth every ruble)

Comment: Excellent standard lens, I would say the best in the system, if you are not ready to pay so much, I advise you to look at the Sigma 17-70, especially since it has been updated.
For more artistic photos, I advise you to buy a portrait.

Advantages: High contrast, color depth. Big aperture. Extremely high sharpness already at 2.8. Pleasant soft boke. Build quality, noiselessness, direct manual focus mode (DMF), in fact, the AF / MF switch on the lens is not even needed, you can also switch on the camera. Resistant to light from side light. A wide angle of 16mm compared to analogs, where the middle is from 18 to 24mm. It is often possible to come closer, but to go far away to capture more space in the room will not work, here a 16mm wide angle will save.

Disadvantages: Too heavy. Tight zoom ring, although it is more reliable. It flushes the edges of the picture at 2.8, but not critical.On the A77, it is easy to press the unlock button for attaching the lens, when you hold on to the lens, you need to rebuild the habit of holding it.

Comment: In general, a very high-quality lens, which could be "G", if it were not for the crop. Compared with the whale 18-55 f / 3.5-5.6 photo resolution is higher than 4 times (due to the lack of soap), even on a scale of 100%, the contrast is higher, we can say that it is an order of magnitude better. Compare with the fix 50mm f / 1.8. Both have a practically equivalent picture at f / 2.8, but at 16-50SSM it is slightly better, all the more so that fix 50 at more open diaphragms is washing more and more, and the working time starts just from 2.8. There are comparative photos, lay out later.

Advantages: Constructive.
Dust-moisture protection.
Workers 2.8.
Color rendition.
Microcontrast.

Disadvantages: Did not reveal.

Comment: I use the lens for half a year and the impressions are only positive. Tactile very nice to take in hand. The construct, figuratively speaking, nails can be hammered. Nothing backlash and without your knowledge does not "shavolitsya." Metallic bayonet, heat and moisture protection, distance scale, transport lock, pleasant to the touch corrugated surface of the zoom lens and focus adjustment ring.
The optical quality of the lens is beyond praise! Before the purchase of 16-50 / 2.8 used analogue from another manufacturer. Made a pair and sold an analog without any regret. Very far analogue to this lens. Dense saturated color, excellent microcontrast, with focal 24 there is practically no distortion, the working diaphragm is 2.8, yes, right from the open, and by 4 it is already cut like a razor. The focal range is great for the staffer. And the “wide angle” is and waist portraits can be removed.
Very pleased with the purchase. I think it was possible to glue the “G” label on this lens.

Advantages: Shine! Sharp already with an open diaphragm, from 3.2 very sharp, you can easily compare it with a fixed 50 / 1.8! Heavy weight, fleshy, moderately durable. Good holds contrast. Quickly focuses. Decent boke.

Disadvantages: A little soap on the edges of the frame, not critical.

Comment: I use two months. No complaints.

Advantages: + 16-50
+ f2.8
+ quite sharp with open
+ smart, accurate AF
+ silent focusing
+ Lock
+ heat and moisture protection

Disadvantages: - gum on the rings with a small chop, clogged (although not as much as 18-70)
- heavy

Comment: paired with a77 work flawlessly. It is necessary to accurately get to the focus, and if you do not have enough zoom, you can ruthlessly sprinkle photos, sharpness is good throughout the field. In the dark it is also well focused, although much depends on the camera.