I purchased this as the primary lens for my A6500. I liked the 16-70 focal length, when enables me to cover the standard 2 focal sets (16-35 and 24-70) with one lens. For a lightweight option, I bring this lens and the 70-300 G when I need the telephoto.

This lens is sharper in the corners than the 24-70 f/4 (which I also reviewed, but decided to return due to image quality).

This is the best lens out there for a Sony a6000 camera. Its not as sharp as the Zeiss Batis lenses for my Sony a7R III, but it has extra rich coloring, which is a Zeiss trademark. Many people complain about this lens being decentered. I dont exactly know what that means, but Im happy with the one I got. The lens is not cheap. It cost over twice as much as the camera and kit lens together, but for me its worth it. I bought it to take to India, which Ill be visiting the first week of January.

I originally bought my A6500 to complement my A7r2 and A9, thinking I would primarily be using my existing collection of Zeiss and Sony lenses. I have found that the 6500 has found it's own niche in my arsenal that goes way beyond just being a spare camera body. It's form factor and versatility give it a functionality that almost demands a dedicated lens. The 16-70 and the 6500's crop factor gives an ideal range for walk-about street shooting and the sharpness gives me everything I need

Let me say that I have most Sony APSC lenses, so I can honestly compare most of them along with the Sigma Contemporary Prime lenses, My copy of this lens is nothing short of superb. It does not have softness in the corner and is comparable to the Sony E 16-55 2.8 lens that costs about $300 more.


Every lens meets a specific need and as long as you use it in the way it was design you will have few complaints. This lens covers a full frame equivalent of 24-105mm and has Optical Steady Shot. Images out of it are definitely better than those out of the E 18-105 PZ OSS and E 18-135 OSS. The main advantage it has though is that it goes from 16-70 and is significantly smaller.


Now for the elephant in the room, how does it compare to the E 16-55/2.8? I would say that in most situations you will be hard pressed to tell the difference, but the 2.8 is a bigger, faster lens with better image quality on a stabilized body like my a6600 or a6500. The problem with the 2.8 is that it is bigger and more noticeable. I have mistakenly brought big camera lenses to places where I wanted to photograph my granddaughter and drawn way too much attention to myself. This lens is small enough where that will not happen. It is also a joy to vary because it is so light.


If you get a good copy of this lens as I did, you will never regret having it.

On my 6500a the focal length covers 90% of my needs. Sharp as a razor.

Based on the reviews I was hesitant to purchase this lens, but I’m so glad I did! It is quite sharp, focuses quickly, and is the perfect size for backpacking. Don’t believe those negative reviews, I find this lens to be a great addition to my arsenal.

I think this is the first lens someone should buy after getting an APS-C Sony. It's sharp consistently across the range of the zoom with hardly any visible distortion. It's not overly huge or heavy either. This is my general-purpose lens that stays on my camera most of the time.

I purchased the two lenses for my Sony A6000 - the Vario-Tesser 16-70 and the Sony 10-18, both F/4 for a trip to Cuba. Wanted to leave the hefty Nikon D500 with grip and home to travel light and flexible. I have taken test shots with both lenses on the Sony A6000 body and the images are crisp and tack sharp. They do not overpower the small size of the A6000 and both are about the same size. These two lens combination should work well for landscape and city street photography in Havana or anywhere else you travel and need a compact kit that does not weigh much and is small and very packable. If you are headed for an adventure where weight and size matters, I highly recommend the Sony A6000 combined with the 16-70 Vario-Tessar and the 10-18. You should be able to capture some great and memorable images.

i am a street photographer and shoot in a wide variety of situations. i had the pancake 16-50 kit lens with an a6300 body and the difference in detail between the kit lens and the zeiss 16-70 is night and day. i highly recommend this lens to anyone needing a very versatile lens that is compact and well built. i thi k it was worth every penny spent and it has allowed me to create art on a much higher level. i create large 17"x80" panoramas and the detail i am getting in them with this lens is amazing. i shoot a lot in low light situations and i am able to get some incredible images in that situation among the many other situations i find myself shooting in as a street photographer.

For a cropped camera, this is an awesome 24 - 105 lens. It is a nice size on my a6500. It takes clear sharp images.