Lens review

Sony DT 16-105 mm f/3.5-5.6

11. Summary

Pros:

• solid, tasteful and compact barrel in the same time,
• very universal and unparalleled focal lengths range,
• excellent or very good frame center image quality,
• very good frame edge image quality at shorter focal lengths,
• chromatic aberration well-controlled in the middle of the focal lengths range,
• slight astigmatism,
• sensible autofocus work,
• lens hood and pouch included.

Cons:

• very high vignetting at 16 mm,
• high distortion at 16 mm,
• the image quality at 105 mm could have been better,
• visible chromatic aberration at the extremes of the range,
• visible coma at shorter focal lengths.

The Sony DT 16-105 mm is difficult to assess. On the one hand, when we look at its performance from the perspective of a very good Zeiss’s 16-80 mm result we don’t like it much. In fact it loses practically in every category and offers instead the telephoto range wider by 25 mm (but paid with a worse light) and a price lower by around 150 $.

On the other hand, though, if we compare the tested lens to its rivals like a Canon 17-85 IS, a Nikkor 18-135 mm or a Sigma 18-125 mm, its result is not bad at all. In comparison with them it offers, in my opinion, the most universal focal lengths range and a significantly better performance in many categories.

We can sum up this test in a greatly optimistic way. When Sony launches a good lens of the17-50 f/2.8 class, it will become a system with the widest choice offered to amateur reflex cameras users in the class of universal lenses.

Sample shots:

Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 105 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/2500 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.9 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 50 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/640 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.7 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 30 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/2000 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.1 MB
Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 16 mm, f/3.5, exp. 1/4000 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.6 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 70 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/200 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.4 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 50 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/200 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.5 MB
Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 35 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/500 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.4 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 50 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/70 sec., ISO 400 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.6 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 16 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/320 sec., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 6.1 MB
Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 105 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/160 sec., ISO 400 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.7 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 70 mm, f/7.1, exp. 1/100 sec., ISO 400 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.6 MB	Camera: Sony A100 Parameters: 35 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/80 sec., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 2.5 MB