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Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Review

While working on a hands-on Sony A6000 review, I had the chance to test the original Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, an ultra-lightweight and compact lens with smooth power zoom for both stills and video.

Its incredibly small design, barely larger than a pancake lens, measures just 29.9mm long when retracted. This makes it so compact that you can easily slip it into your bag and carry it everywhere, almost without noticing the extra weight.

Whether you’re considering this lens for your own stills, video, hybrid content, or just curious about what it can offer, we’ve got image samples and specs to help you decide if this could be the perfect little zoom lens for your content creation.

How much is the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens?

The Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens costs £279.00 new and is often available second-hand, as it's been replaced by a newer generation. A used Sony E 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS can be found for as little as £80, making it an excellent value for newcomers to photography and content creation.

Sample image 01 interior at 16mm. Camera settings: 1/160 sec. f/5.6. ISO 800.

Sony E PZ 16-50mm sample images

The Sony E PZ 16-50mm lens sample images included in this review here are all unedited JPGs straight out of camera, unless otherwise stated, highlighting its usefulness for everyday common wide to short telephoto subjects.

Sample image 02 flower at 50mm. Camera settings: 1/1600 sec. f/5.6. ISO 1250.

Specs and Key Features

The Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens offers a compact choice for beginner and slightly more advanced photographers and video creators. The power zoom delivers smooth zooming capabilities, which is ideal for video recording, as well as being a nice touch for photography.

Key Features:

• 16-50mm zoom range (35mm equivalent: 24-75mm)
• F/3.5-5.6 (variable aperture range)
• 7 rounded diaphragm blades
• Optics include 9 elements in 8 groups, with one ED glass element and four aspherical elements
• A Power Zoom (PZ) provides smooth and silent zooming
• Optical SteadyShot (OSS) built-in, helps to reduce camera shake
• Minimum Focus Distance 0.25m (wide) to 0.30m (tele)
• Magnification magnification 0.215x
• Filter Thread Size 40.5mm
• Weighs a mere 116g
• 64.7mm in diameter and 29.9mm in length when retracted

When paired with Sony’s APS-C mirrorless cameras, the lens offers a great balance of size, versatility, and performance. Whether shooting wide landscapes or tighter portraits, the focal zoom range covers a lot of ground for everyday photography, and the built-in OSS keeps things stable during video or handheld shooting.

Sample image 03 seats at 24mm. Camera settings: 1/250 sec. f/4.5. ISO 100.

Autofocus and Speed

The E PZ 16-50mm comes equipped with a reliable autofocus system that’s both fast and quiet. The Power Zoom feature delivers smooth transitions, making it a good choice for video work or capturing action without interruptions.

You’ll notice focus locks onto subjects quickly, especially in well-lit conditions when using a recent Sony camera, and the internal focusing design ensures the lens stays compact throughout. Whether you’re shooting a street scene or following a faster moving subject, the autofocus performs well for general photography and vlogging.

Sample image 04 kitchen at 16mm. Camera settings: 1/50 sec. f/4.5. ISO 500.

Image Quality and Optical Design

The lens features an advanced optical design, incorporating nine elements arranged in eight groups. This includes a one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element and four aspherical elements, which work together in order to reduce chromatic aberrations and distortions across the zoom range. The result is slightly sharper, more accurate colours and better overall contrast, which is particularly noticeable in the corners of the frame.

Due to its incredibly compact size, the lens sacrifices a bit of sharpness at the edges when shooting wide open, but it remains impressive for a lens of its class, especially for casual photography. The built-in Optical SteadyShot (OSS) ensures that handheld shots are sharp even at slower shutter speeds, making it useful for low-light photography, interiors and anytime when you want to handhold. Sony’s stabilisation system helps to maintain sharpness when using the zoom for subjects at various distances, although best practice should always be followed.

The variable aperture range of f/3.5 to f/5.6 allows for good control over depth of field, and although it’s not the fastest, it is versatile enough for everyday situations. Overall, the lens offers respectable image quality for a compact power zoom, making it a solid choice for beginners and enthusiasts.

Let’s move on to its build quality and design features next.

Build Quality and erganomics

It’s important to stress just how compact and lightweight the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is. It even features a retractable design that keeps the length down to 29.9mm, which is ideal for transport or storage. The zoom is a perfect fit for Sony’s A6000-series APS-C mirrorless cameras, where portability and ease of use are key.

The body is mostly plastic, keeping the weight to 116g, which is impressive for a zoom lens, especially one with built-in stabilisation, but it doesn’t feel too fragile in the hand. In terms of handling, the power zoom (PZ) feature is great.

For videographers it offers smooth and controlled zooming, which is especially useful when recording footage, however the electronic zoom mechanism might take a little getting used to for those accustomed to manual zoom lenses, as the zoom ring is more like a rocker switch. This motorised zoom can be fine-tuned, but it’s not as fast as manual zoom lenses in certain situations.

It’s also worth noting that the lens is not weather-sealed, which is something to keep in mind for outdoor photography in challenging conditions. However, for casual use and travel photography, it’s robust enough for everyday environments, and the compact design makes it a great walk-around lens for all sorts of shooting situations.

Sample image 05 flowers at 27mm. Camera settings: 1/250 sec. f/4.5. ISO 200.

What Can You Shoot with a 16-50mm Lens?

This zoom range is highly versatile, making it suitable for a broad range of subjects in both photography and video. Its compact size and 16-50mm focal length make it an ideal everyday lens, providing the flexibility for all day shooting and as a walk around option.

Key subjects include:

• Vlogging and video
• Street and travel photography
• Portraits and people
• Landscapes and nature

Sample image 06 kitchen II at 42mm. Camera settings: 1/50 sec. f/5.6. ISO 800.

Who is the 16-50mm lens for?

The Sony E PZ 16-50mm is perfect for beginners and enthusiast photographers looking for a compact, versatile lens that covers a broad range of focal lengths. It’s a great option for vloggers in particular, as the power zoom (PZ) and OSS stabilisation make handheld shooting smooth and professional.

Its lightweight design is ideal for travel photography and content, while the 16-50mm zoom range caters to a variety of everyday photography genres, including landscapes, street photography, and portraits.

Sample image 07 orange flower at 50mm. Camera settings: 1/250 sec. f/5.6. ISO 320.

Best accessories

The lens has a 40.5mm filter thread, enabling you to add essential everyday filters for content creation. These include the Urth 40.5mm UV Lens Filter, Urth 40.5mm Circular Polarising (CPL) Lens Filter and a solid ND Urth 40.5mm ND16 (4 Stop) Lens Filter Plus+ for long exposures and videography in sunlight.

Best alternatives to the Sony E PZ 16-50mm?

If you’re considering alternatives to the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, there are other Sony E-mount lenses that offer similar features and benefits. One option is the Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS reviewed here, which provides a wider zoom range, making it more versatile for wildlife and travel photography.

The 18-135mm is larger and heavier compared to the 16-50mm, so for those who are interested in excellent low-light performance and sharper images without being much larger, the Sony E 35mm F1.8 OSS is a prime lens with a faster aperture, which is ideal for portraits and street photography. While it lacks the flexibility of a zoom, it excels in producing stunning bokeh and sharp details.

Sample image 08 cafe at 20mm. Camera settings: 1/30 sec. f/4.5. ISO 640.

The Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens is a great all-around option for beginner and intermediate photographers and videographers who need the portability it offers, along with zoom versatility and image stabilisation. Its lightweight design and power zoom make it perfect for vlogging, travel, and everyday shooting, without the size and weight of larger and wider aperture lenses. Despite its compact size, the 16-50 delivers decent image quality with good sharpness, which is helped by having built-in Optical SteadyShot (OSS) for stabilisation.

Browse for a used Sony E 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS lens and save, or shop for a brand new E PZ 16-50mm here and discover what this compact power zoom can do for your content creation.

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By Nick Dautlich on 29/09/2024