Compare lenses

Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G vs Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS

The Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G and the Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G if you want a brighter f/2.8 (1.0 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds. Pick the Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS if you want optical stabilisation, which helps most on bodies without it; more reach (to 105mm equivalent); and a lighter lens (308 g against 494 g).

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G and the Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G	Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS
Maker	Sony	Sony
Focal length	16-55mm (zoom)	16-70mm (zoom)
Full-frame equivalent	24-82mm on APS-C	24-105mm on APS-C
Maximum aperture	f/2.8brighter	f/4
Made for	APS-C	APS-C
Mounts	Sony E	Sony E
Stabilised	no	yesstabilised
Autofocus	yes	yes
Zoom range	3.4×	4.4×more range
Weight	494 g	308 glighter
Cameras it fits	41 in this guide	41 in this guide

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G: 16-55mm on APS-C, like 24-82mm.

Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS: 16-70mm on APS-C, like 24-105mm.

Aperture

Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G: f/2.8 wide open.

Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS: f/4 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

41 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body.