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E mount fast standard zoom options
  • joetheprojoethepro

    The list of fast standard zooms for E mount APS-C Sony is small, but I want to make sure I havent missed any (under $1000).

    • Sony 18-105 F/4 is a good contender, but its limitations are softness at the zoom extremes, and 18 is not very wide. It also has a very poor close focus distance.

    • Zeiss 16-70 F/4 is sharp, and this may be the best option. Unfortunately its max aperture is also F/4.

    From my understanding, neither sigma, tamron, nor tokina make E mount fast standard zooms. Have I missed any obvious contenders?

  • 7 Replies sorted by
  • balazerbalazer

    If you are shooting video and you want autofocus, the Sony E 18-105 F/4 G lens is as good as it gets. It's plenty sharp for 1080p, even at the extremes, and probably for 4k too. Just make sure your body corrects geometric distortion, because it's quite bad on that lens. The lens is quite a deal for what it does.

  • joetheprojoethepro

    @balazar I believe the a6000 does do some correction in camera. I really like the zeiss' 16mm vs 18mm of the sony. What is better about the sony? OSS smoother, autofocus faster...?

  • balazerbalazer

    The Sony is parfocal. Not sure about the Zeiss.

  • joetheprojoethepro

    The Zeiss seems to maintain focus better here. The sony defocuses at the long end.

  • balazerbalazer

    Mostly that is just because the Sony is longer. DoF gets shallower as you zoom in. Put the camera in manual focus mode or zoom out and that won't be a problem. Also the Sony is capable of smooth zooming, which the Zeiss not.

  • joetheprojoethepro

    Simply trying to learn as much as I can about both. Your comment about manual vs auto focus zooming makes sense, Im sure thats what the problem was there. I will also be using this lens for photography, and the extra sharpness and less distortion of the zeiss are standing out. Tough decision.

  • balazerbalazer

    The Sony is really geared towards video, where the large zoom range and smooth zooming are an advantage.

    The Zeiss is geared more towards photos. I think you'll be happier with the Zeiss.

    Either way the distortion should not be an issue. It's corrected in most bodies for JPEG and movies, and easily corrected in Lightroom for raw images.

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