The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens

Shac

Active member
Hi just wondering if anyone has tried this lens besides Tim Ashley? I see on his site that he wasn't impressed - wonder if this was a defective lens or it's characteristic of it
Thanks for input
 

darr

Well-known member
I will be renting one 11/11 and taking it on vacation to the southwest USA. I will post my findings.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Shac, mine got returned and the dealer insisted on it going to Sony before refunding me. Sony repair did stuff to it and the dealer agreed the refund on the basis that it had indeed been faulty but asked me to take a look at it post-repair just for an opinion. I did so and though I didn't have time to do definitive tests, some reasonably useful frames told me that it was better but still not good enough for me to have wanted to keep it. Only you know what meets your standards and requirements but I felt that for that money, it should have been notably better.
 

Shac

Active member
Tim - thank you. A friend had one but it had mechanical problems and he sent his back - not enough time for him to evaluate the optical performance though. It's a great zoom range but a real surprise it's so far a poor performer.
 

darr

Well-known member
I received the rental lens yesterday (lensrentals.com) and did a quick handheld test around the backyard to make sure it works before I head out on my trip. I know this is a wide zoom, but I wanted to see how crop and sharpness would hold up on this little critter. I am now headed to the desert and mountains of New Mexico and will be shooting with it in the landscape for sure.





1/320 sec at f/4.5, 70mm, AF, Handheld





RAW to JPG original (no tweaks)
 
Last edited:

darr

Well-known member
I do have some test shots I did of the lens prior to shipping it back to LensRentals, I just need the time to get them uploaded to my site (a few days). Bottom line for me as a shooter, it was a nice lens that I used mostly handheld, except for the test shots (used tripod). Am I going to purchase this lens? Maybe. I liked how it focused and the weight was not bad at all. The above image was handheld as I walked around and tried shooting into the sun.
 

darr

Well-known member
I have post three sets of test images shot with the E 16-70mm. All images were shot using a tripod and manual focus. All were shot at the Tallahassee Train Station. One shot is looking down the tracks, the next is a brick wall with elements, and the third is of my car parked near the tracks. The sequence is f/4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16 & 22. Because Zenfolio will not let you upload RAW files, the images for download are jpg 100%.

Here is the link: photoscapes | darr almeda | Test Images and use password: tests
photoscapes.com/tests
 
Top