The Sony 16-105 lens is one of the four standard zoom lens made for Sony cropped sensor DSLR camera. You can get this lens from Amazon
You can usually find this lens as a kit camera, but it is also sold separately for a price that is quite expensive.
This lens is targeted towards beginner photographers who wants to shoot a bit of everything.
And as such, it will not give you the best optical quality due to the high zoom ratio and many optical issues.
If you are not a serious photographers who scrutinizes every single pixel on your image, this lens might do you good.
However, if you are looking for a better performance, all around zoom lens, my recommendation is to get the Sony 16-80 lens instead.
You can see my full Sony 16-105 review below if you are still curious about this lens.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Sony 16-105 Specs
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Official Name:
Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 SAL-16105
Focal Length Markings:
16, 24, 35, 50, 70, 105mm
Features:
DT – Lens with this designation can only be used with cropped sensor DSLR. You should not use this with a full frame or film DSLR camera.
Full Technical Specs (from Sony’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 11 / 15 |
| Angle of View | 83 – 15 |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/22-36 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 1′ 4″ (40cm) |
| Filter Thread | 62mm |
| Weight | 16-9/16oz (470g) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | 2 7/8 X 3 3/8″ (72 X 83mm) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 0.23X |
| Available at | Amazon, B&H Photo Video or Adorama |
Optical Performance
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Sony 16-105 Sharpness
Center sharpness is excellent on this lens at any focal length and aperture.
Border sharpness is a bit weak especially at the widest aperture at every focal lengths. This is especially apparent at 50mm f/5.
To get the maximum sharpness on this lens, shoot at f/8.
See the sharpness table test below to see the test result.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 SAL-16105 Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4.5 | f/5-5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 16mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 24mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 50mm | n/a | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 105mm | n/a | Great | Great | Great |
Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 SAL-16105 Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4.5 | f/5-5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 16mm | Good | Great | Great | Great |
| 24mm | Good | Great | Great | Great |
| 50mm | n/a | Fair | Great | Great |
| 105mm | n/a | Good | Good | Good |
Distortion
Being a super zoom lens, barrel distortion is apparent at 16mm. At 24mm, there is no visible distortion.
At 50mm and 105mm, there exist a slight pincushion distortion which can be easily corrected via any post processing software.
See the distortion test image grid below to see the complete result.
Vignetting
Being a super zoom DT lens, vignetting control is not a strong point on this lens. The vignetting is quite heavy at 16mm and 24mm at the widest aperture.
It is reduced on the longer focal length such as 50mm and 105mm at the widest aperture.
To reduce it even further from the widest aperture, you should stop to f/8 or smaller aperture.
See my vignetting test chart below to see the complete results.
Chromatic Aberration
The chromatic aberration is only problematic on the two extreme focal length namely the 16mm and 105mm. On those two focal lengths, the degree of chromatic aberration is quite high.
On the other hand, chromatic aberration on the middle focal length (24mm and 50mm) is very well controlled. It can be considered non-existent there.
See my chromatic aberration test table below.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 SAL-16105 Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/4.5 | f/5-5.6 | f/8 | f/11 |
| 16mm | High | High | High | High |
| 24mm | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| 50mm | n/a | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
| 105mm | n/a | High | High | Very High |
Build Quality
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Materials
Plastic. The build quality is quite similar to the Sony 16-80 lens.
Zoom Ring
The zoom ring is very smooth to operate with the right amount of friction to prevent zoom creep. There is no wobbling whatsoever due to the tight tolerance.
The lens will extend significantly when zoomed towards the telephoto end.
Focusing
Focus ring is smooth to operate but can be improved in terms of precision. The focus ring does not rotate during autofocus operation.
The front element of this lens also does not rotate so you can use a polarizing filter with ease here.
This lens still uses the motor drive from the camera body to autofocus but the autofocus speed is fairly fast.
Image Stabilization
In the Sony DSLR world, the Image Stabilization is built into the camera sensor, not on the lenses. Check your camera body to see if it has the Image Stabilization feature.
Compatibility
Being a DT lens, this lens is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR camera.
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some sample images taken with this lens. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.
Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon
Conclusion
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Now, let my summarize this whole Sony 16-105 lens review.
Drawbacks
- Average build quality
- Border sharpness is weak at the widest aperture at any focal lengths
- Vignetting is problematic at the widest aperture at any focal lengths
- Chromatic aberration is high at 16mm and 105mm at the widest aperture
- Barrel distortion at 16mm, slight pincushion at 50mm and 105mm
Positives
- Very sharp on the center at any aperture and focal length
- Good chromatic aberration control at 24mm and 50mm
- Good zoom range covering wide angle to telephoto for a cropped sensor DSLR camera
Good For
- All around, beginner’s lens
- Travel or vacation lens
- Photographers who are less concerned about image quality (i.e. non-pixel peepers)
Not So Good For
- Serious photographers who demands the best from their lenses
- Shooting anything under dim lighting condition
What Others Are Saying…
by “Tim Naff”
I’ve been shooting this lens alongside the full-frame Zeiss 24 -70mm f/2.8 and Sony G 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6, both of which are world-class. What I’ve found has surprised me: this lens has no…
Click here to see the full review
by “N Doxey”
I can’t explain why I overlooked this lens and bought other Sigma, Tamron, and Sony lenses for my Sony Alpha camera bodies first. What a mistake! I never was satisfied with the performance of…
Click here to see the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Sony 16-105 from these sites (best price online):
Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)
See also the related lens review posts below to see more available options.
Alright, thanks for reading my Sony 16-105 lens review and I will catch you in the next one!
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
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