City: KW, Pasadena
So greatfull I bought this lens. Their has been sooowa many shots I got because of this lens, like close up portrait shots that just would have been awkward if I used say a 50mm lens. I can be across the room and get a clean, genuine shot that captures the subjects emotion, without them knowing.
If you are wanting to add just a little more to your a6000 this lens will do it for a low cost. While there are certainly better lens out there for the money this is a must own for everyones bag. Images are sharp and the focus is on par with other kit lens for this price range.
I took the attached using the Sony 55-210mm/4.5-6.3 APSC lens on a Sony full frame A7 camera. The lens then becomes an 82.5-315mm lens, which is even a stronger telephoto. The lens performs well on Sony A7 full frame cameras. You get the advantage of cutting out some of the weaknesses in the corners, getting a larger telephoto equivalent, as well as getting more depth of field, making it a little easier to actually focus on the subject. The low f stop is a weakness, in lower light the lens starts to struggle a bit, which is true of many telephoto lenses. This is ok up to around sunset, when things start to get noisy. I havent tested the new Sony 70-300mm/4.5-5.6 OSS full frame lens, which is about the same telephoto length, mainly because its about $1000US more. I suspect for most people, unless you blow your photos up to poster size, it doesnt make any practical difference. (So why buy the full frame camera then? Well because there are some full frame lenses where the price difference just isnt so steep, like the Sony 28mm/2 full frame lens for ~$450, the Sony 35mm/2.8 full frame (price varies ~$500-800), and the Sony 28-70mm full frame lens for about ~$300 within a kit. Im just not at all sure you get much more value if you pay an extra $1000US for the Sony 70-300m full frame, than this 55-210 APSC lens. Its the same sort of argument going up from 4K to 8K on TV/video, does it make much difference anymore, or is the quality much the same for a significant difference in price???).
Again - ignore the critics - images with this are terrific. Some condemn it as "too slow" - but I regularly hand-hold it for shots at 1/20th, no problem. The lens is sharp, and the optical stabilization really, really good. If you own a NEX-6 or NEX-7, or an A6000, you simply will not find a better AF/OSS telephoto lens for close to the money.
This came as part of the A6000 package when I bought two years ago. Now, this is a zoom so I dont expect the sharpest. It does well and it having OSS is a plus for a long zoom. I dont use it much but for the price not bad. Also, if this helps I am an amateur so I shoot for fun. This lens is not heavy and big so I guess thats the big pay off. 1st pic: shot at 210mm 1/500sec ISO 400 at F 6 2nd pic:shot at 191mm 1/500, ISO 400 at F 5.6
I bought this used on Amazon to learn on. It is a great beginner zoom lens. It does not do well in harsh midday light. It washes out the colors. It is a good beginner lens to figure out how to use your camera and what works best and then to upgrade.
This is one of the top 3 lenses you can get for the crop E mount line of Sony cameras. The 55-210 is by no means perfect, but its sharp and cheap. You will get great images out of this lens. I was actually surprised that I was getting better shots out of this lens then the 16-50mm lens that came with my camera. Whats really impressive is how cheap this lens is, despite the high build and image quality you get. The focus and zoom rings turn smoothly. The lens feels hefty, without being heavy. To anyone looking to get into E mount cameras, I recommend this lens, the 50mm prime and the 35mm prime as mainstays in your line up.
Overall Im very happy with this lens. It focuses fairly well, and the OSS is quite noticeable as soon as you half press the shutter. In terms of image quality, its a decent lens and Ive been happy with the sharpness. Dont expect to be able to use it in low light without a tripod.
I own multiple DSLR (Nikon) but needed something lighter for when on vacation. Bought a NEX and love the weight and the 18-55mm kit lens combo. It took great pictures. However, on some occasions I do miss having something on the longer end. While in the past when traveling I carry multiple lenses, primes, and telephoto lens, I tend to gravitates to the wide end. So with 18-55mm already in hand, I decided to purchase the 55-210. I have try the 18-200mm as a one-stop-shop solution, however it is heavy (like carrying my Nikon), expensive, and the kit 18-55mm has better contrast, color, and IQ then the 18-200 on the wide end. I could go the super cheap way by just bring my 70-200 Nikon lens with a adapter, but that just defeat the purpose of have a light NEX camera for travel. Went to my local camera store and try out the 55-210 Sony E lens and just fall in love with it. It is light, take great pictures (dont expect pro-level), quick to focus, and best of all CHEAP. Decided to check Amazon and found that its even cheaper. Very glad I bought this lens. Just got back from vacation to Seattle and Vancouver. I still cannot believe the performance of this lens. Cant wait to take this on my next vacation to Spain and Scotland.
I read a few reviews of this lens before I purchased it as the kit lens with my new Sony a6000. I was very surprised to see the sharpness of this relatively inexpensive lens. It has a great zoom range, and I believe it will make a good portrait lens for the type of photography I do. I have tested it already (only have had it for a week) on a model shoot, and I can highly recommend it. I am still getting used to the a6000, which is now replacing all of my Canon equipment, so the "feel" is a bit different due to the diminutive size of the a6000. This lens, however, is a good fit and balances well. So far I have only used auto focus with it, but it is very snappy and surprisingly good. Just as an aside, I also have the Sony e mount 18-55 lens which I bought used so my total ranges are covered. All are silver which makes for a beautiful difference from the all black models. In summary, this is a very good all around lens. Yes, it is not a fast lens at all. However, with the extreme ISO capabilities of the a6000, and very low noise, you will not miss having a faster lens...except, of course, for the bokeh. Just move your subject farther away from the background and you will be ok with this lens.
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