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Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 344 ratings

$248.00
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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand Sony
Focal Length Description 16
Lens Type Wide Angle
Compatible Mountings Sony E
Camera Lens Description Compact System Camera Lens

About this item

  • Lens not Zoomable. Footnotes:"35 mm equivalent focal length (APS-C)" and "Angle of View (APS-C)" are with interchangeable lens digital camera incorporating APS-C type image sensors.
  • Minimum Focus Distance : 0.8 ft (0.24 m)
  • Maximum Magnification ratio : 0.078x
  • Focal Length : 16 mm. Angle of View (APS-C)- 83°. 35 mm equivalent focal length (APS-C)- 24 mm
  • Compatible with optional VCL-ECU1 ultra-wide converter and VCL-ECF1 fisheye converter
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Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras
Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras
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Price$248.00$120.99-9% $498.00
List:$549.99
$64.00$339.00-9% $548.00
List:$599.99
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Get it as soon as Friday, May 17
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Customer Ratings
Image stabilization
3.7
3.6
4.0
3.3
4.5
Auto focus
3.7
5.0
4.5
4.1
4.4
Picture quality
3.7
4.0
3.3
3.7
4.3
Value for money
5.0
4.0
3.9
Sold By
Amazon.com
6ave
Amazon.com
VITOPAL
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
lens type
Wide Angle
Zoom
Wide Angle
Wide Angle
Wide Angle
Wide Angle
compatible mountings
Sony E
Sony E
Sony E
Sony E
Sony E
Sony E
lens design
Prime
Zoom
Prime
Prime
Prime
Prime
focus type
Micromotor
Manual Focus, Auto Focus
Auto Focus
Manual Focus
Auto Focus
Auto/Manual
minimum focal length
16 millimeters
16 millimeters
50 millimeters
max focal length
16 millimeters
50 millimeters
50 millimeters
fixed focal length
16 millimeters
50 millimeters
11 millimeters
25 millimeters
12 millimeters
24 millimeters

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Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras

Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras


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What's in the box

  • Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras
  • Lens front cap
  • Lens rear cap
  • Product Description

    Product Description

    Sony SEL16F28 16mm f/2. 8 Wide-Angle Lens for NEX Series Cameras Landscapes, architecture, snapshots . this 24 mm equivalent (35mm full frame format) E-mount prime lens can cover them all. Compact and extremely lightweight, this lens will always be ready for action without being a burden to carry. While a refined aluminum alloy exterior gives the lens a sophisticated feel, a motor on the inside delivers smooth, quiet autofocus and aperture operation that contributes to high-quality movies as well as stills. When changing your aperture to defocus the background, the light sources appear blurred. This ‘bokeh’ effect of the blurred background can be enhanced with circular aperture blades used in this lens. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides creating unappealing polygonal shaped defocussed points of light. α lenses overcome this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result. Aspherical lens design dramatically reduces spherical aberration while also reducing lens size and weight. Spherical aberration is a slight misalignment of the light rays projected on the image plane. This is caused by differences in refraction at different points on conventional spherical lenses which degrade image quality in large-aperture lenses. Specially shaped “aspherical” elements near the diaphragm restore alignment of light rays at the image plane, maintaining high sharpness and contrast even at maximum aperture and can also be used at other points in the optical path to reduce distortion. Well-designed aspherical elements can reduce the total number of elements required in the lens, thus reducing overall size and weight. Advanced Aspherical (AA) elements are an evolved variant, featuring an extremely high thickness ratio between the center and periphery. AA elements are exceedingly difficult to produce, relying on the most advanced molding technology to consistently and precisely achieve the required shape and surface accuracy, resulting in significantly improved image accuracy and quality. The distance encoder plays an integral part in ADI flash metering, which delivers high precision flash metering that is unaffected by the reflectance of subjects or backgrounds. The distance encoder is a lens component that directly detects the position of the focusing mechanism, and sends a signal to the CPU in order to measure distance to the subject. During flash photography, this data is very useful in calculating how much flash output is appropriate to the scene. Only the middle groups of the optical system move to achieve focus, so the overall length of the lens does not change. Other important benefits include fast autofocusing and a short minimum focusing distance. Also, the filter thread at the front of the lens does not rotate, which is convenient if you’re using a polarizing filter. 2012 Sony Electronics All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony is not responsible for typographic and photographic errors. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Sony, BIONZ, BRAVIA, BRAVIA Sync, Cyber-shot, Exmor, InfoLITHIUM, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick Duo, the Memory Stick logo, Optical SteadyShot, Remote Commander, Smile Shutter, Stamina, SteadyShot, Theatre Sync, TruBlack, and Xtra Fine LCD are trademarks of Sony. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac OS and iMovie are trademarks of Apple Computers, HDMI is a trademark of HDMI Licensing . All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

    From the Manufacturer

    E 16mm F2.8 Wide Angle Lens

    Landscapes, architecture, snapshots … this 24 mm equivalent (35mm full frame format) E-mount prime lens can cover them all. Compact and extremely lightweight, this lens will always be ready for action without being a burden to carry. While a refined aluminum alloy exterior gives the lens a sophisticated feel, a motor on the inside delivers smooth, quiet autofocus and aperture operation that contributes to high-quality movies as well as stills.

    Technology

    Circular Aperture

    When changing your aperture to defocus the background, the light sources appear blurred. This ‘bokeh’ effect of the blurred background can be enhanced with circular aperture blades used in this lens. Conventional aperture blades have flat sides creating unappealing polygonal shaped defocussed points of light. α lenses overcome this problem through a unique design that keeps the aperture almost perfectly circular from its wide-open setting to when it is closed by 2 stops. Smoother, more natural defocusing can be obtained as a result.

    Aspherical lens elements

    Aspherical lens design dramatically reduces spherical aberration while also reducing lens size and weight. Spherical aberration is a slight misalignment of the light rays projected on the image plane. This is caused by differences in refraction at different points on conventional spherical lenses which degrade image quality in large-aperture lenses. Specially shaped “aspherical” elements near the diaphragm restore alignment of light rays at the image plane, maintaining high sharpness and contrast even at maximum aperture and can also be used at other points in the optical path to reduce distortion. Well-designed aspherical elements can reduce the total number of elements required in the lens, thus reducing overall size and weight. Advanced Aspherical (AA) elements are an evolved variant, featuring an extremely high thickness ratio between the center and periphery. AA elements are exceedingly difficult to produce, relying on the most advanced molding technology to consistently and precisely achieve the required shape and surface accuracy, resulting in significantly improved image accuracy and quality.

    Distance encoder

    The distance encoder plays an integral part in ADI flash metering, which delivers high precision flash metering that is unaffected by the reflectance of subjects or backgrounds. The distance encoder is a lens component that directly detects the position of the focusing mechanism, and sends a signal to the CPU in order to measure distance to the subject. During flash photography, this data is very useful in calculating how much flash output is appropriate to the scene.

    Additional Features

    Internal focusing

    Only the middle groups of the optical system move to achieve focus, so the overall length of the lens does not change. Other important benefits include fast autofocusing and a short minimum focusing distance. Also, the filter thread at the front of the lens does not rotate, which is convenient if you’re using a polarizing filter.

    2012 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony is not responsible for typographic and photographic errors. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Sony, BIONZ, BRAVIA, BRAVIA Sync, Cyber-shot, Exmor, InfoLITHIUM, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick Duo, the Memory Stick logo, Optical SteadyShot, Remote Commander, Smile Shutter, Stamina, SteadyShot, Theatre Sync, TruBlack, and Xtra Fine LCD are trademarks of Sony. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac OS and iMovie are trademarks of Apple Computers, Inc. HDMI is a trademark of HDMI Licensing LLC. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

    Product guides and documents

    Customer reviews

    4.2 out of 5 stars
    4.2 out of 5
    344 global ratings

    Customers say

    Customers like the quality, image quality, and portability of the lens. For example, they mention it's a good budget slim lens that produces nice pictures and is great for up close shots. Customers are also impressed with the value, distortion, and size. That said, opinions are mixed on sharpness.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    60 customers mention50 positive10 negative

    Customers like the quality of the lens. They say it's a very good lens, works great, and produces nice pictures. Some reviewers also mention that the lens is very useful and produces great results.

    "...Great lens. This works super good for my youtube videos. It's wide angle so i can get the camera super close to product with it looking great...." Read more

    "...I give it 5 stars because for the money, it's a fantastic lens." Read more

    "...The quality is good, focusing is fast, and the lens handles direct sun in the frame without many noticeable anomalies...." Read more

    "...My photos turned out simply Amazing. This is one terrific lens...." Read more

    41 customers mention29 positive12 negative

    Customers like the image quality of the camera lenses. They mention that it produces clear images, great for up close shots, and colorful photos in low light. The lens is also great for taking scenic shots and is good for street photography.

    "...Auto focus works great! Image stabilization and picture quality is perfect! Just buy it already, stop hesitating. I bought mine used and works great!" Read more

    "...My photos turned out simply Amazing. This is one terrific lens...." Read more

    "...I bought the SEL16F28 lens and I couldn't be happier. It increases the view a good deal without making the picture look too stretched or distorted...." Read more

    "...Cons:- No visually pleasing sunstars (ie: like the Tokina 11-16)..." Read more

    31 customers mention28 positive3 negative

    Customers have good things to say about the wide angle lens. They say, for example, it's a superb lens for wide angle shots, and it'll capture a more comprehensive view. Some customers also mention that it'd be a nice complement to the standard lens that came on their Sony NEX-5 camera.

    "...Great lens. This works super good for my youtube videos. It's wide angle so i can get the camera super close to product with it looking great...." Read more

    "...offers a wide aperture, focuses quickly, and really enhances your NEX shooting experience. I recommend it...." Read more

    "...replacing any of my Canon or Nikon DSLR lenses but it is a great lens for the application it was designed for." Read more

    "...There is also a wide angle attachment that can be paired with the 16mm to get even wider...." Read more

    27 customers mention27 positive0 negative

    Customers like the size of the lens. They mention it's great for portability, makes the camera very compact, and is easy to fit in a pocket. Some say it decreases the size when it'd be on the camera. Overall, most are happy with the size and portability of the product.

    "...In summary: The lens makes a great complement to the 18-55 kit. It is compact, offers a wide aperture, focuses quickly, and really enhances your NEX..." Read more

    "...It significantly reduces the form factor of the NEX-3/5 making it the perfect lens to have on the camera when you want to travel light and don't..." Read more

    "...It's super light and fits anywhere...." Read more

    "...To start, the size is perfect. I can fit this lens in the side pocket of my running vest, and its much lighter than the 10-18mm...." Read more

    15 customers mention13 positive2 negative

    Customers like the portability of the lens. They say it's small, light weight, and a good addition to a great lightweight camera. Customers also mention that it'd be a decent IQ for the price.

    "...It's still extremely light (compared to my metal FD and other manual lenses from Yore)...." Read more

    "...You can attach it to any e-mount camera and it adds virtually no weight." Read more

    "...It is a nice compact size and weight, a good all around lens if you like wide angle shooting...." Read more

    "...This wide angle lens is very small, thin, and light weight, nut it also gives you good quality photo...." Read more

    15 customers mention15 positive0 negative

    Customers appreciate the value of the lens. They say it's a great lens for the price and has decent IQ.

    "...Consequently, at this low price, this lens is a good complement to the 18-55 kit lens. It's affordable, and really changes your shooting experience...." Read more

    "...Excellent with a price that can't be beat." Read more

    "...In my opinion, the value per dollar is quite high. If you want a lens that is super sharp, you're going to have to pay a bit more." Read more

    "...Yes. This lens is a budget, newbie friendly lens that has solid (not great) but solid quality!This lens is also extremely portable...." Read more

    12 customers mention10 positive2 negative

    Customers like the distortion of the lens. They mention that the width makes for good close up shots, and is wide enough to take a selfie arms length. They also appreciate the compact size and the fact that it uses the same size filters as the 18-55 kit lens.

    "...Another plus is that it uses the same size filters.Sony does not provide a hood or case with this lens package...." Read more

    "...As far as the lens is concerned, it takes nice wide shots, which can be good for landscapes and inside...." Read more

    "...This wide angle lens is very small, thin, and light weight, nut it also gives you good quality photo...." Read more

    "...Overall the lens is smaller and flat which reduced the weight of the camera. The lens also take wide angle photos but they are not good quality...." Read more

    15 customers mention7 positive8 negative

    Customers are mixed about the sharpness of the lens. Some mention that the image quality is amazing, while others say that it has poor sharpness.

    "...If you want a lens that is super sharp, you're going to have to pay a bit more." Read more

    "...Only 4 stars because it is not as sharp as say the Zeiss 1.8/24MM; not in the same class. Price is reasonable." Read more

    "I received it very dirty, but image quality is amazing, very sharp..." Read more

    "...The 16mm isn't that sharp either...." Read more

    Just if you can get a good one
    2 Stars
    Just if you can get a good one
    This lens is old and it feels. I really needed for an emergency, but the moment i compare this lens to a full frame kit. the one i get for almots the same price, the diferences were evident. Autofocus is really slow. Picture quality is old phone quality, i dont now if it is my copy. I use this lens to be frugal, but most of the time you regret it. Why? if you got a good shoot... the final quality ruined all. Point and shoot quality.
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    Top reviews from the United States

    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2022
    I bought this lens after watching a think media review over it! Great lens. This works super good for my youtube videos. It's wide angle so i can get the camera super close to product with it looking great. This lens works great for a desk setup pr a top down view! Auto focus works great! Image stabilization and picture quality is perfect! Just buy it already, stop hesitating. I bought mine used and works great!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013
    I bought this one used from an Amazon seller and it's a very nice lens so far. I bought this one over the newer model available mainly due to price. If i could've found the newer 20mm f/2.8 second-hand for a great price i would have picked it up. I am not a professional photographer and none of my pics are going into National Geographic. The corners are a bit soft on this lens, but a lot of the typical complaints on this lens are made up by 1) Adobe Lightroom, and 2) the fact that you can slap on the ultra wide-angle conversion lens OR the fisheye lens. I have grabbed some AWESOME shots with the ultra wide-angle lens attached to this baby. I wouldn't have bought this lens just by itself - - if you are interested in ultra wide-angle or Fisheye, though, this is a must. If you can spring for the newer 20mm then do that instead. I give it 5 stars because for the money, it's a fantastic lens.
    13 people found this helpful
    Report
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2013
    Overall: This is a very compact lens that allows the NEX to reach 24mm (full frame equivalent field of view). The quality is good, focusing is fast, and the lens handles direct sun in the frame without many noticeable anomalies. Furthermore, the large aperture really helps for low light.

    Pros:
    + Affordable
    + F2.8 for low light
    + Allows attachments like fisheye and wide angle converter
    + Fast focusing
    + Compact size
    + Uses same size filters as 18-55 kit lens

    Cons:
    - No visually pleasing sunstars (ie: like the Tokina 11-16)

    I bought this lens because of it's compact size and ability to make the NEX F3 pocketable. Despite the fixed focal length, I think I used this lens significantly more during my vacation than the 18-55 kit lens. Consequently, at this low price, this lens is a good complement to the 18-55 kit lens. It's affordable, and really changes your shooting experience. Another plus is that it uses the same size filters.

    Sony does not provide a hood or case with this lens package. However, the hood from the kit lens is compatible (but I'm not sure how much it affects vignetting). I didn't use it with the good.

    In summary: The lens makes a great complement to the 18-55 kit. It is compact, offers a wide aperture, focuses quickly, and really enhances your NEX shooting experience. I recommend it.

    I hope this review was helpful to you.
    19 people found this helpful
    Report
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2011
    The positive reviews of this lens are accurate. I bought a used one through Amazon and couldn't be happier with the service I received from the reseller or with the performance of this product. It significantly reduces the form factor of the NEX-3/5 making it the perfect lens to have on the camera when you want to travel light and don't need a zoom. It performs well in low light situation for its glass configuration and performed perfectly shooting video the night of the 4th. I've found it's perfect for shooting where flash photography is not permitted. It won't be replacing any of my Canon or Nikon DSLR lenses but it is a great lens for the application it was designed for.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2012
    EDIT: TL;DR - It's OK if you want it as "vacation shot" lens and it outperforms phone cameras by a long shot, but below average when compared to a "real" prime lens on DSLRs or mirrorless. I don't need snarky people dismissing my review because I actually went to the effort of providing test examples. This review is meant for people to decide if THEY would be fine with the test shots for decent everyday photos (family, events, etc....not studio work).

    I was really disappointed with this lens. My review is based on comparing to my NEX-5R and my Canon 7D with a Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 EX (I've uploaded photos to compare).

    Let's set a few things straight: The NEX's use an APS-C sensor like many entry/mid DSLR (same one in some Nikons), so leave the sensor out of the MAJOR equation. Also, sharpness is not the whole of a lens, but a big sum of what it is (I did not do comparisons of color accuracy and contrast).

    I'll briefly mention (since most have already stated in other reviews) the 16mm is metal and not plastic (probably aluminum). It's still extremely light (compared to my metal FD and other manual lenses from Yore). The focus ring is narrow and maybe "too smooth" when manual focusing. I say too smooth because being so light, I found it hard to know if I even moved the ring (since often times I was trying to move the barrel instead of the focus ring). Manual focus (MF) lenses tend to have rubber or a knurled texture to know if you were on the focus ring. Also, older manual lenses tend to have a "tighter" pull when rotating the ring than the Sony 16mm since it feels "loose". The focus ring also spins around infinitely in either direction unlike most old MF lenses that stop completely.

    "But I have no intention of using crusty, 30+ yr old manual lenses!".
    OK...that's fine. But a lot of current lenses have a "slow-down" or heavier friction when you reach the limit of each end of the focus (they still spin around infinitely, but you can tell when you're at the end). With this lens, You have no idea if you are at the extreme end of focus close to you (very critical when trying to figure out how close you can get to your subject). Compound the fact that the ring focuses in the OPPOSITE direction that my Canon lenses do (so I was trying to focus behind the subjects when I was trying to get as close to them as possible).

    Enough about the cosmetics and ergonomics of the lens...how does it perform? Let's keep in mind the price, because that's the biggest advantage (actually it isn't as I found out). I bought it for about $170 used. That's a lot less than the $600 I paid for my Sigma 17mm-50 2.8. I found the Sony 16mm was soft around the edges wide open (f/2.8) and lots of "halo-ing". These anomalies are to be expected from most cheaper lenses. But even stopped down to f/4, the Sony doesn't fix these issues. The Sigma at 17mm@2.8 had a little bit of soft corners, but still better than the Sony even at f/2.8 (photos above). The Sigma fixes all the soft/halos by f/3.5. I didn't even want to use the Sony 16mm even stopped down because it defeats the whole purpose of shooting wide-open or near that with faster lenses compared to kit lenses.

    Speaking of kit lenses, I've seen better performance from other kit lenses than this prime lens. Let me re-iterate the PRIME lens part. You BUY a prime lens for it's faster speed (from f/1.4 - 2.8) and ability to create smooth/blurred backgrounds. A kit lens should in no way shape or form, outclass a PRIME lens! Yes, I spent $600 on my Sigma wide-angle. Yes, I spent $170 on this USED prime Sony16mm lens...but brand new, they want $275+ for this! I only used this two times (one to make these comparison photos) before it went back to the seller (47th Street has great customer service!).

    For those photographers serious about getting a good, quality lens...this isn't it. Save your money for something else (I'll find a MF wide-angle). For those that want a pocket NEX with a pancake lens, this definitely fits the bill. It's super light and fits anywhere. If you don't demand mission-critical focus and want something that's far superior to a "camera phone", get this lens. Yes, I said the Sony 16mm is FAR superior to a camera phone because it still DOES show quite a bit of detail that is lost amongst typical cell phones, but not near the lines of a proper prime lens.
    44 people found this helpful
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    Top reviews from other countries

    Doug Reddy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2018
    Great lens.
    One person found this helpful
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    Bhoopati Baboo
    4.0 out of 5 stars this a great deal but image quality is average at best
    Reviewed in India on February 19, 2017
    Decent lens for the price. Together with the ultra-wide and fisheye converters, this a great deal but image quality is average at best. Videographers can get away with the quality although there's no hybrid AF (contrast+phase detection) support so AF is a little slow (at least it's smooth).
    2 people found this helpful
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    sujay
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in India on July 9, 2018
    Superb product, Lightning fast delivery as requested...
    Bskorner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on March 15, 2017
    Great lens hard to find
    One person found this helpful
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    Matthew F
    1.0 out of 5 stars Old lens. Don’t waste your time.
    Reviewed in Canada on April 5, 2021
    Bad quality picture. Not that great. Invest in a good sigma 16mm if you want real results.
    One person found this helpful
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