Sony SAL-1680Z 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T DT Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera by Sony
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Digital camera reviews of Sony SAL-1680Z 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T DT Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera
Digital camera Review: A magnificient lens for my SONY a100!
Summary: 5 Stars
Allow me to highly recommend this fine optical lens. At first I was thinking about the high tech plastic lens barrel but quickly forgot about it after I starting using the lens as my primary optics on my a100 camera body. It is sharp, clear and produces superb detail. At wide angle you must be careful with your filter choice, because even with the tulip style lens hood on slightly wrong vignetting will occur on the very corners of the image. So make sure you purchase a thin style protective filter for you lens.
If you purchase this lens you will not regret it! It is a level of quality above most other lenses! Comes with lens pouch and front & rear caps.
Digital camera Review: A world apart...
Summary: 5 Stars
Sony is doing a big injustice to their Alpha Series by sending a kit lens that is a utter piece of junk. I was never happy with the kit lens...after trying Tamron..which had exposure issues...settled on this one. This lens is just out of the world...razor sharp images, perfect color, quick focus. A bit pricier...than the rest...but worth every cent of it. My personal lesson learnt: Dont by the Sony Alpha Kit..just buy the body..and save the money for a good lens.
Digital camera Review: Average Lens, Overpriced. I am underwhelmed.
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this lens alongwith Sony SLT A55V a few days back. It is an ok lens, but given its price and "Zeiss" label I would have expected much better results. It is neither sharp nor are the colors great nor is the build quality great. It is really a Sony lens, made by Sony with a Zeiss label stuck on it. It would be ok for a $499 price, but at $699 it is a rip-off.
I feel Tamron 17-50 is a much better value if someone is not looking for the extra zoom.
Do yourself a favor, Google for various comparisons of the CZ 16-80 with the Tamron 17-50 and decide for yourself.
I have used my fair share of good cameras and lenses, including Nikon D700 with the 24-70 lens and Leica X1 and I know a good lens when I use one.
Update: Nov 19 2010: I returned this lens as it had focusing issues and the pictures were always soft. I got the Tamron 17-50 and the difference is night and day. On paper, Carl Zeiss should have been superior. But in practice, the Tamron turned out not only cheaper by almost $300 but also better in image quality. The only thing I gave up was the extra zoom from 50-80. Not a big deal for me as I rarely shoot over 40mm.
Digital camera Review: Best Lens I've Ever Owned
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an incredible lens and it is probably on my camera 90% of the time. It is tack sharp at all apertures and focal lengths. The range is awesome. I love the wide-angle. I almost never use my ultra-wide anymore. I love the colors and contrast. I love the compact size. I find the build quality to be good and the focusing to be fast.
The only downside for me is that there tends to be some distortion at 16mm but that is easily fixed. Amazing lens. Buy it.
Digital camera Review: Excellent Zeiss Zoom Lens For Sony Alpha System
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an exceptional zoom lens which owners of Konica Minolta Maxxum SLR cameras as well as Sony Alpha SLR cameras should strongly consider adding to their kits. I recently had the opportunity to use it at this year's Photo Plus East and was quite impressed with the extremely high color saturation and resolution of this lens, trying it with the brand new flagship Sony Alpha 700 SLR camera. This lens is one of the reasons why I might consider adding the Sony Alpha system to my current camera kits; the others are the Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Planar and 135mm f1.8 Sonnar lenses. Quality-wise, I think these lenses compare favorably with the late, lamented autofocus Contax N-mount Zeiss lenses (Like those lenses the new Sony Alpha Zeiss lenses are built in Japan under strict Zeiss quality control, using designs made by Zeiss at its Oberkochen, Germany headquarters, where some Zeiss lenses are still being made for the Zeiss Ikon ZM rangefinder camera system and the Hasselblad "V" series medium format cameras. I am emphasizing this point only because one Sony representative at the show claimed that Zeiss doesn't build its lenses anywhere.). Without question, this lens is more expensive than its equivalent Sony/Konica Minolta peers, but serious amateurs and professionals using either Sony Alpha or Konica Minolta Maxxum cameras will soon realize that it is well worth its price.