Sony DT 16 105mm F 3 5 5 6 Review | 54 Data compared

The DPReview review of the Sony DT 16-105mm F3.5-5.6 lens highlights this APS-C optic as a versatile, premium "walkaround" lens, offering a 24-157mm equivalent focal range with excellent wide-angle coverage. Key pros identified include exceptional center sharpness at wide angles, impressive flare resistance, and a lightweight, solid build. Conversely, the review notes significant optical trade-offs, specifically noticeable chromatic aberration at focal extremes and extreme softness in the middle of the zoom range. Other cons include poor manual focus control due to a very stiff, short-throw ring and indistinguishable focus/zoom rings.

The Imaging Resource review of the Sony 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 DT SAL-16105 highlights a well-constructed, rugged lens with smooth zoom actuation, minimal zoom creep, and a highly legible distance scale. Key benefits include its premium build quality and a fast, quarter-turn zoom range. Imaging Resource However, the lens suffers from notable mechanical drawbacks, including an exceptionally stiff, low-travel manual focus ring that hinders precision. Additionally, the gear-coupled, screw-drive autofocus system is loud and requires the camera to be in manual mode for manual adjustments.

The Sony 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 DT is an APS-C standard zoom lens that offers a versatile 24-157.5mm full-frame equivalent focal length, making it a highly convenient all-in-one option for single-lens scenarios. Positioned as a step up from the low-end 18-70mm kit lens, it retails for around 500 US$/€, which places it only marginally cheaper than the Carl Zeiss 16-80mm alternative. The physical construction relies on a duo-cam system that extends significantly when zooming; however, the build tolerances remain tight with only minimal wobbling. Additionally, the front element does not rotate during focusing thanks to an internal focus design, allowing hassle-free use of polarising filters. The review highlights several key advantages and disadvantages regarding the lens's design and functionality. On the positive side, the outer shell consists of good quality plastics, the broad rubberised zoom ring operates smoothly, and the focus ring safely decouples so it does not rotate during autofocus operations. Furthermore, it achieves relatively fast autofocus speeds when tested on the Alpha 700 camera body. On the negative side, the zoom ring feels a bit stiff, and the focus ring...

The LensTip review of the Sony DT 16-105 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens evaluates it as an ambitious, highly universal walk-around zoom lens that delivers excellent or very good image quality at the centre of the frame. Built with a tasteful, compact, and solid barrel, the lens stands out for its highly versatile 6.6x zoom range that is unique to the system. LensTip praises its fast and accurate autofocus system—registering only a 3% miss rate in studio testing—as well as its well-controlled astigmatism and commendable image quality at the frame edges on shorter focal lengths. It also controls chromatic aberration well in the middle of its zoom range (30mm to 70mm) and comes packaged with a useful lens hood and pouch. However, the lens suffers from notable optical compromises due to its extended focal length range, trailing behind the costlier Zeiss 16-80 mm in several performance metrics. The most glaring flaws occur at the ultra-wide 16mm setting, which exhibits very high vignetting and severe barrel distortion of -4.67%. Additionally, image sharpness falls off noticeably at the maximum 105mm telephoto end. Users will...

The Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens features robust construction with high-quality plastics, a metal mount, and a versatile focal range in a compact design. Key benefits include an internal focusing mechanism and a non-rotating filter thread, though handling is hampered by a dual-telescopic barrel, a noisy screw-drive autofocus system, and slack in the manual focus ring. Optically, the lens delivers good center sharpness at 16mm, peaking at f/5.6, but suffers from softer corner performance and significant degradation at 50mm, requiring users to stop down to f/8 for better, though not perfect, edge-to-edge uniformity. The lens is described as a flexible, if flawed, option for general photography.