Third-party zoom lenses

In this lesson we’ll specifically look at third-party zoom lenses. For Sony lenses or cine zooms, please refer to the other lessons.

For the sake of simplicity we can classify zoom ranges into the following:

1. Everything, like a 24-240mm or something.
2. Super wide, like the 14-24mm f/2.8, etc.
3. Wide, like the 16-35mm f/4, etc.
4. Standard range, the most used focal lengths, 24-70mm.
5. Telephoto, probably the second most used zoom range, 70-200mm, sometimes 70-300mm.
6. Super telephoto, like the 150-600mm, or 100-400mm, etc.

If you already own zoom lenses stick with the brand you own and get adapters. If you’re starting from scratch, here are my picks (I’m going to stick to Nikon F mount-compatible zooms unless I have better options).

Important: You might not need IS/VR/VC (image stabilized lenses) because both the a7R II and a7S II do a great job. You will have to dial in the focal length every time you zoom in or out. If that’s a problem, then you need lenses with IS/VR/VC. Some of these can’t be turned off so will fight with SteadyShot if that’s turned on.

El cheapo (below $1,000, somewhat)

The best zoom lenses cost a lot of money. At the other end of the spectrum, here are my choices that don’t sacrifice too much image quality:

*If this is going to be your go-to bread-and-butter lens, then it’s better to spend a bit more.

^The autofocus performance will vary greatly with adapters, this is if you want a general walk-around lens, it’s better to stick to what Sony has. You get full Phase Detection AF with the a7R II, as well as automatic stabilization control.

Top-of-the-line (all above $1000)

Let’s divide this into two groups:

Do you need autofocus to work well?

If yes, and you need third-party lenses, there is no better option than the lenses made for the Sony A-mount, along with the LAEA3 and LAEA4 adapters.

Differences between the LAEA3 and LAEA4 (from Sony officially):

The LA-EA4 has internal electronics that does the focusing, and it supports more lenses than the LA-EA3.

The EA3 is cheaper and lighter, but the EA4 is more useful, and worth the extra price. The EA3 does better on some lenses with AF, because the EA4 always uses its internal motor. If you compare the price of these adapters to those in the market that don’t offer any electronics or benefits, you’ll see how good a deal it is.

My advice? Go for the LAEA4* (B&H, Amazon) (useful for video, adapts most lenses). If still performance and phase detection AF for 399 points is important, then stick to FE lenses!

*Important things to remember:

• There is some light loss, but it’s only about a third of a stop. The EA3 doesn’t have a mirror and there’s no loss.
• 15-point TTL phase detection system with 3 cross sensors, but still better than nothing.
• Performance with Sony/Minolta lenses might not be the same compared to Sigma/Tamron/Tokina, etc.
• Teleconverters and Minolta XI lenses are not compatible.
• For video, aperture is fixed at the maximum f/stop of the lens or at f/3.5, whichever is lower.
• Configured with a tripod mount for supporting large, heavy lenses.

Here are my choices (all are confirmed to work with the LA-EA4):

No need for autofocus, or don’t care

Now we’re talking pure image quality, slow autofocus or none at all (turn off SteadyShot when stabilization in the lens can’t be turned off):

If you do find better lenses, or if budget is a concern, feel free to pick what you like. I’ve just listed the ones I would prefer, if I were to make that choice.

All said and done, picking a third-party zoom is not all that easy. When in doubt, pick the one that has either or both:

• Best resale value
• Most demand for rentals