I decided to upgrade my Sony E Zeiss 16-70mm lens. I looked at a number of reviews and found that he Sony E 16-55 f/2.8 G is widely regarded as an excellent Mid-Range zoom for the Sony APS-C cameras. It seemed like an ideal upgrade.The Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G lens came with a very smart leather case and looked and felt like a quality product. I have not yet been able to give this lens a great deal of use, but my initial impressions are very encouraging. No matter what the conditions I had only one conclusion - this lens is very sharp and, more importantly, this is consistent across both the focal and aperture range. It out performs my previous lens in every respect

I bought this lens in order to have a true pro level normal zoom for my a6000, hoping for the equivalent of my 24-70mm 2.8 on my A7II. I use my a600 for general purposes and save the A7II for more “serious” work due to the larger size and weight.OVERALLOverall this lens is quite good- It’s very sharp, it focuses fast, and the size and weight are quite manageable on the a6000 body; however, the lack of image stabilization makes it challenging to use in some situations, although one could argue both that it’s intended for use on the newer a6500 & a6600 bodies (both have in-body stabilization) and that the lack of image stabilization forces you to adopt good habits, such as practicing steady camera holding and proper breathing techniques. The 2.8 maximum aperture ... MoreI bought this lens in order to have a true pro level normal zoom for my a6000, hoping for the equivalent of my 24-70mm 2.8 on my A7II. I use my a600 for general purposes and save the A7II for more “serious” work due to the larger size and weight.OVERALLOverall this lens is quite good- It’s very sharp, it focuses fast, and the size and weight are quite manageable on the a6000 body; however, the lack of image stabilization makes it challenging to use in some situations, although one could argue both that it’s intended for use on the newer a6500 & a6600 bodies (both have in-body stabilization) and that the lack of image stabilization forces you to adopt good habits, such as practicing steady camera holding and proper breathing techniques. The 2.8 maximum aperture allows for good bokeh as well as enhanced low-light functionality, although you do need to increase ISO in order to minimize image blur in many situations.THE GOODPro-level standard midrange zoom for the Sony a6xxx/a5xxx bodies. Excellent sharpness and bright colors across all focal lengths. Manageable size and weight compared to the 24-70mm F2.8 G Master for the Sony full-frame lines. Lens feels well-built and is marketed as being weather sealed.THE BADVery pricey! For the same amount of money (or less) you can buy primes, such as the excellent Sigma 16 and 30mm 1.4 lenses which are just as sharp and much faster, with money left over for a basic zoom lens. You could even buy a full-frame A7II with a 28-70mm zoom lens for the same price. It’s a great lens if you are invested in the Sony APS-C line, but if you are just starting out you might be better off going in a different direction.No G Master designation. It’s a G designation, but this lens would have been perfect as the first G Master for the Sony APS-C line. The specifications seem to indicate that this lens could be a G Master but Sony chose to go with the G designation instead.THE UGLYThe lack of image stabilization makes this lens difficult to use in many situations if you have an older a6xxx body. It seems to be aimed at the newer a6500/a6600 bodies, which makes sense as those cameras are aimed at the more experienced photographer than the other Sony APS-C bodies. If you don’t have one of those stabilized bodies you may find that this lens is not as useful as expected, although one can argue that that it forces you to adopt some better habits, such as proper holding techniques. Stabilization would have made the lens heavier and possibly more expensive, although several lower quality zoom lenses have this feature at much lower price points (such as the 18-105 F4 and the kit 16-50mm lenses). The lack of stabilization makes this lens even more difficult to use on the a5xxx bodies since they have no EVF and so you have to hold the camera at arm’s length, which makes it even harder to hold the camera steady.

I primarily use this lens for family photos and food/product photography. Sitting on a tripod this lens is perfect. I don't see what more people want out of a piece of glass in this form factor. This lens is razor sharp. Expect to get a ton of hate from family for capturing details so sharp they hate the way they look :).I've only had an issue in low light on my a6400. Granted this is very minor 98% of the time and totally correctable with some practice.The only downside is lack of OSS at this price.Despite these cons I still stand behind this being the best APSC lens out there in the Sony APSC ecosystem. It can definitely push your work to new heights. If you have a non stabilized body, don't worry! This lens is still very capable without OSS or IBIS. Don't ... MoreI primarily use this lens for family photos and food/product photography. Sitting on a tripod this lens is perfect. I don't see what more people want out of a piece of glass in this form factor. This lens is razor sharp. Expect to get a ton of hate from family for capturing details so sharp they hate the way they look :).I've only had an issue in low light on my a6400. Granted this is very minor 98% of the time and totally correctable with some practice.The only downside is lack of OSS at this price.Despite these cons I still stand behind this being the best APSC lens out there in the Sony APSC ecosystem. It can definitely push your work to new heights. If you have a non stabilized body, don't worry! This lens is still very capable without OSS or IBIS. Don't let the youtube naysayers convince you otherwise. You don't need an a6600 to take great shots with this lens.Hope this helps people make a decision. I'm very happy with this lens.