Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony
89 Overall Score
vs
Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

Laowa
73 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

85 out of 100 medium confidence 22 reviews

The Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM lens is a notable upgrade from the kit 18-55mm, offering a constant fast aperture, silent autofocus, and superior image quality. Users praise its sharpness, bokeh, and build, though they note it is heavier and bulkier. A few refurbished units had minor scratches or early malfunction, but overall the lens is highly recommended for Sony Alpha APS-C cameras.

Pros
  • Constant F2.8 aperture
  • Fast and silent autofocus
  • Excellent image sharpness and contrast
  • Pleasing bokeh
  • Solid build quality
Cons
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Some units have early malfunctions
  • Not compatible with full-frame cameras
  • Moderate flare issue
  • Limited zoom range to 50mm
👍 Image quality 9
👍 Build quality 8
👍 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Weight and size 6
👍 Value for money 4
🤔 Refurbished condition 6

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

82 out of 100 high confidence 31 reviews

The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens is widely praised for its compact size, sharp image quality, and minimal distortion, making it a favorite for landscape, architecture, and real estate photography. Users appreciate its wide field of view and solid build, though some note vignetting at wide apertures and a few report sample variation or infinity focus issues. Overall, it offers excellent value for an ultra-wide manual lens, especially for APS-C cameras.

Pros
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Sharp image quality
  • Minimal distortion (Zero-D)
  • Wide field of view
  • Solid build quality
Cons
  • Vignetting at wide apertures
  • Infinity focus inconsistency
  • Sample variation (sharpness)
  • Manual focus only
  • High price for some
👍 Image quality 12
👍 Build quality 8
👍 Distortion 7
👎 Vignetting 5
🤔 Value for money 6
👎 Focus issues 4

Scores

Travel
Sony
94
Laowa
63
Budget
Sony
91
Laowa
64
Street
Sony
88
Laowa
75
Video Cinema
Sony
85
Laowa
66
Wildlife Sports
Sony
83
Laowa
49
Macro
Sony
66
Laowa
82
Portrait
Sony
82
Laowa
78
Landscape
Sony
79
Laowa
60
Professional
Sony
76
Laowa
75

Specifications

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSSLaowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min16 mm9 mm
Focal Length Max50 mm9 mm
Elements915
Groups810
Aspherical Elements4★2
ED Elements13★
Coating—Frog Eye Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/2.8
Min Aperture3.5-5.6f/2.8
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountSony ENikon Z
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.11 kg★0.21 kg
Filter Thread41 mm49 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusmanual focus only
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance250 mm120 mm★
Max Magnification0.215x1:7.7★

Pros & Cons

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

  • Strong build (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong versatility (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
  • Strong social proof (81st percentile)81st %ile

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

  • Strong macro (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong build (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong optical (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Pricing

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Scores 89 overall, wins 7 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 22 specs.

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Better at:

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D 9mm Better at:

Macro

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